Making the jump to video can open your podcast to a whole new audience. Nearly half of podcast listeners say they prefer to consume them with video, according to one survey. YouTube, in particular, is one of the most popular places to consume podcasts.

But even the most seasoned audio pros may feel lost with video. Accustomed to the world of audio production, they may not be aware of some basic, pervasive video podcasting mistakes. Here are a few common ones, and how to fix them.

Poor video quality

Your video gear doesn’t need to be super high-end, but it should be a step-up from your grainy laptop camera. Whether you’re filming your podcast remotely on a platform like Descript, or shooting in-person, make sure your video meets some basic professional standards.

Here are some video-quality “don’ts”:

• For remote podcasts, don’t record in Zoom or Google Meet. The footage will include all the compression and lag you get with streaming video. 
• Don’t let you or your guests sit with a bright window behind them. Unless you’ve got the lights to compensate, you’ll see a blinding background and a person in shadow.
• Similarly, don’t sit flush against a wall. A plain background might sound appealing, but you want some space between you and your background.
• Don’t let your guests show with stacks of boxes or dirty dishes behind them. It should go without saying, it will be distracting and terrible.

How to do better

Here’s a good example of a professional-looking, remote podcast: Tom Scott’s Lateral, where a rotating group of guests answer weird questions with fascinating answers. Scott has a rotating group of guests (mostly other creators) join via video call. Guests have a variety of set-ups, from budget-friendly to professional cameras and microphones. But everyone looks and sounds good.

‎Here are some basic ways to fix a video podcast that looks a little too DIY.

• Invest, at the very least, in a good webcam. If you have the budget, you could also invest in a proper camera.
• Instead of screen recording a Zoom call, try using a platform like Descript’s Rooms, which records in high-resolution 4k and captures locally to avoid the lag and compression issues you get with streaming video. 
• Take the time before an interview to scope out your guest’s home or office. Can they move around so their face is well-lit, and their background looks professional — or at least, tidy?
• If you’ve got the budget, consider mailing a basic filming set-up to your guests. It might include a basic webcam and USB microphone. Unless you’ve got a huge budget, make sure they send it back.
• Some might consider ditching the “remote” part of their podcasts altogether. In cities around the US, ready-to-film studios come equipped with professional microphones and professional-quality backdrops. Some provide (or require) an in-house engineer to keep everything running smoothly. These spaces are usually rented by the hour, and prices vary widely by area.

Not editing like a video

You don’t want to make the video podcast feel like an afterthought. The visual dimension of your podcast is an opportunity to, literally, show instead of tell. 

Video editing “don’ts”:

• Don’t sit on a single shot for the entire episode. You could opt to use the same frame for the entire show, like a grid of speakers (which is the default for most multicam recordings). Not only is this visual boring, it makes your edits glaringly obvious. Cutting between cameras can be tedious — unless you use Descript’s Automatic Multicam, which does it for you in seconds. 
• Don’t skip complementary visuals. In-person podcasts with high production value might skip B-roll entirely, but the lower quality of remote interviews can really benefit from cutting to other visuals. It's often that podcasters find themselves discussing clearly visual topics: a photograph, a viral video, a news clip, a social media post, and so on. Putting that on screen will not only add visual interest to your podcast, it can cover up awkward edits.
• Don’t skip burned-in subtitles, especially for short clips. While they may not be standard for longer-form videos, burned-in subtitles are standard on platforms like TikTok.

How to do better

Colin and Samir’s podcast gives a good standard for good multi-camera editing and complementary visuals. Notice how the intro is more visually rich than the rest, likely an effort to put in more work where the most viewers are likely to be watching.

‎Here are some more common fixes:

• Many remote recording services like Rooms provide individual files for guests, allowing you to edit between full-frame shots of individual speakers, or shots of multiple guests at once. And again, Descript’ss Automatic Multi-cam will do the work for you.
• Descript offers an easy captioning tool that lets you pick the font, color, and size of the text, then apply it to your video with a click. 
• Take note of how Colin and Samir pull in visuals of relevant creators and videos when discussing them. Take the time to search for visuals—B-roll, photos, other graphics, that represent topics covered in your show. 

Failing to consider the platform

Where is your video podcast going to live? On YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn? There are nuances to each platform, not only around what kind of content does well, but what the standard podcast should look like. 

Most importantly, no matter where you publish: Don’t try to shoehorn an audio-podcast format onto a video platform. For example, you may need to do a gentle re-edit of the audio. Sound effects ported over to video may feel out of place all of the sudden. A musical interlude may be too slow for the fast-pace of YouTube.  

The platform “don’ts”:

• Don’t include long intros that will lose viewers on video platforms.
• Don’t upload your podcast “as-is” to a new platform.
• Don’t forget clips. Long podcasts that zig and zag through different topics are the norm in audio. However, finding clips of the appropriate length for YouTube, TikTok and so on have the potential for reaching a larger audience. These clips tend to perform better when they have a singular focus: they might relay an important piece of information, or tell a single compelling story.

How to do better

Take note of what podcasts in your space are doing well on the platform you’d like to post on. How long are they, how are their intros structured? 

While there are many, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” does a great job of adapting to each platform. Full episodes are posted on YouTube, while short clips get their own titles and hooks for platforms like TikTok.

‎

• Re-edit your podcast into platforms like YouTube, keeping an eye for what will pair well with an enticing thumbnail and title.
• Also consider breaking up longer episodes into their own discrete videos.
• Consider also editing in a cold open or a quick montage to establish the content of the episode.