Don’t Let the “Video-or-Bust” Narrative Freeze Out New Voices!

1. The Show in a Snapshot

London’s Business Design Centre was packed: more than 6,000 delegates milled through two buzzing days of panels and product demos, confirming that podcasting is anything but niche.

At the Blubrry booth, we spoke with everyone from major networks run by startups to small networks and first-time podcasters. One topic bulldozed every other: “Do I really have to launch on video?” and the reluctance to start a new show surrounding that conversation.

2. Why the “Must-Do Video” Chorus Is Getting So Loud

Existing big audio shows are publishing with YouTube, Shorts, and TikTok clips to widen funnels.

Platforms amplify the hype: YouTube trumpets podcasts, Facebook pushes Reels, and prominent creators flaunt multicam studios on social, and with Spotify killing Audio with its Video implementation, the narrative of audio is being drowned out.

Peer pressure: Newcomers see polished sets costing 10’s or even 100’s of thousands of dollars and assume video investment is the admission price.

3. The Audio Data Everyone Forgot to Quote

Audio listening is at an all-time high. Edison’s Infinite Dial 2025 shows that 70% of Americans 12+ have listened to a podcast, and the monthly reach has just hit 55%.

Apple Podcasts just logged its best year ever for listeners, hours streamed, and paid subscribers, Apple execs revealed in London.

Women are driving much of that growth: monthly female listenership has tripled in the past decade.

In plain English: audio-only shows are still gaining audience, even as video grows alongside them.

Yet behind the glossy sizzle reels, I heard real anxiety, especially from women worried about on-camera harassment and from creators on tight budgets who simply can’t justify the extra kit, lighting, editing hours, and bandwidth of time to do it.

4. The Real-World Audio/Video Cost Gap

A good-enough audio starter kit (USB mic + headphones) can run $45 – $100.

A competent video setup instantly adds cameras, lights, tripods, and often a switcher, adding thousands of dollars to the cost.  Editing time and storage requirements roughly increase tenfold when you add 1080p or 4K files.

For hobbyists and small teams, that delta isn’t trivial — it’s the difference between shipping Episode 1 next week or never starting, and that is where the real danger lies.

5. The Risk: Shrinking the Funnel of New Creators

When newcomers believe video is mandatory, many never hit the record button. That’s bad for: Diversity: Under-represented voices (women, marginalized communities, privacy-sensitive experts) are more likely to opt out if forced on-camera.

Innovation: Fewer fresh shows mean fewer fresh ideas and formats.

Industry survival: Listener demand outpaces creator supply; we can’t afford to scare talent away as we are today.

6. A More Sustainable Narrative

For an established show: Treat video as an extension, not a replacement. Publish on YouTube fir discovery etc.

Additionally, publish a separate Video Podcast via RSS if you add full-length video; don’t bloat audio listeners’ data bills. Host that video with podcast hosts that support video, like Blubrry.

For first-time creators: Start audio-first. Nail format, cadence, and audience, then layer in video when budget, skills, and comfort allow

A $100 mic and quiet room beat a $1,000 camera, switcher, studio design, etc.

Focus on content quality and consistency; discoverability comes from storytelling.

7. What the Industry Can Do Right Now

Conference programming: Balance video panels with sessions on lean audio workflows.

Platform messaging: Celebrate audio milestones as loudly as video innovations.

Mentorship: Veteran video podcasters should share honest behind-the-scenes costs, not just final cuts.

8. Final Word

Podcasting’s superpower has always been accessibility: any voice, any niche, any budget. If the community keeps shouting “video or bust,” we trade that super-power for a higher barrier to entry — and lose the next generation of storytellers in the process.

So let’s keep perspective: video is a fantastic option. Audio remains a proven, growing, and flexible foundation. New creators deserve to know the difference. Let’s make sure they hear it — loudly.

Todd Cochrane – Blubrry Podcasting

Digital audio advertising specialist Audion has launched Pathway, to support and accelerate the growth of programmatic media trading in podcast advertising; the new initiative is embedded into its Audion360 technology suite developed for podcasters, publishers, and professional content creators.

The first tangible development of this capability is a next-generation connector; integrated into the podcasters’ Content Management Systems (CMS), this enables their available audio inventory to be automatically monetized through Audion’s premium programmatic marketplace.

Pathway is Audio’s response to the ongoing shift towards automated, data-driven buying models; more than a quarter of European advertisers allocate over 81% of their display budgets programmatically according to the IAB Europe’s most recent Attitudes to Programmatic Advertising Report.  

Meanwhile, although podcast popularity popularity continues to grow (over 20% of UK adults listen to at least one podcast a week) the proportion of podcast media sold via programmatic is low, in part due to technical restrictions.

Audion’s first element of Pathway is a technical building block that expands Audion360’s capacity to optimize podcast monetization. This next-generation connector is just the first step in a broader roadmap of innovations that will simplify access, enrich inventory with exclusive data, and strengthen transparency across the ecosystem,” explains Arthur Larrey, co-founder of Audion,” 

Pathway reflects Audio’s ongoing focus on harnessing technology to build a more open, transparent, and high-performing programmatic environment as the company continues to position itself as a pioneer in digital audio and podcasting.

About Audion

Since the beginning in 2018 by Arthur Larrey and Kamel El Hadef, Audion has established itself as the expert partner in digital audio, offering innovative advertising solutions for brands and agencies, as well as monetization technology for publishers and creators.

Audion’s offering is built on three complementary solutions: Audion Reach, designed to maximize the impact of audio advertising campaigns; Audion Stories, which creates engaging and tailor-made audio experiences; Audion360, a revolutionary platform for publishers and content creators, combining a podcast CMS, artificial intelligence, and advertising solutions.

With offices in Paris, London, Milan, and Brussels, a team of 50 experts, and over 2,000 successful campaigns delivered, Audion has become the preferred partner for those looking to harness the full potential of digital audio.