When Video Matters And When It Shouldn't

In a recent New York Magazine Vulture piece, author Nicolas Quah, who focuses on this type of media as a critic, says essentially that video is... wait for it... killing the audio podcast. Come on man!

Yes, video has an additional aspect that audio doesn't have – the visual. And yes, having an video component to your podcast is always a plus. But is it necessary? No! Not at all!

Podcasts are consumed at the computer, where people want to watch people chat and talk. But also while driving, where they better only be watching the freaking road.

The beauty of the audio podcast is that you can do other things while listening. You're not committed to watching people chat.

Now, this isn't saying that I don't enjoy the video side of podcasts. I do. I watch a bunch of my audio shows' YouTube channels to see what the hosts and guests look like and are talking about, but I don't NEED it or require it to enjoy the show.

I agree that distributing your content out in small clips for promotions in video is a good idea, but what I take umbrage with is when people say it's video or nothing.

Again... come on!

Even if you do indeed focus on video, don't ignore audio. Give your audience options.

Many of my podcasting clients are just getting started and not having to worry about one more thing helps them get started.

Podcasting has a bigger problem than just using video or not using video. It's that hosts don't stick with it.

This is from PodMatch.com's monthly podcast report

As you can see from the above graphic, there are way more people seeking to be on shows than there are shows looking for guests. This is more of an issue, at least I think, than if you do video or not.

What do you think?

The Latest From The Entrepreneur's Enigma Podcast

https://entrepreneursenigma.com/larryeasto

Web Jawn

‘It’s Total Chaos Internally at Meta Right Now’: Employees Protest Zuckerberg’s Anti LGBTQ Changes

Meta’s decision to specifically allow users to call LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill” has sparked widespread backlash at the…

404 Media •Jason Koebler

Rightfully so, Meta has some major issues stemming from their reversal of their moderation policy. Granted the moderation wasn't that good, but now going a whole 180 has lots of people concerned.

Aligning Automattic’s Sponsored Contributions to WordPress

Automattic has always been deeply committed to the success of WordPress, dedicating significant resources and talent to…

Automattic •Automattic · January 9, 2025

This is just an example of how Matt Mullenweg is digging his own hole even bigger. What this means for the WordPress project isn't known yet. I do know there are talks of forking everything including the plugin repo.

Candy Crush, Tinder, MyFitnessPal: See the Thousands of Apps Hijacked to Spy on Your Location

A hack of location data company Gravy Analytics has revealed which apps are—knowingly or not—being used to collect your…

404 Media •Joseph Cox

Yikes this isn't good. Consider this a PSA.

Building a Better Social Web

I delivered the keynote at RubyWorld 2024 in Japan, where I covered the decentralized social web, Mastodon, and Ruby. I…

The lost outpost •andypiper

Andy Piper is a force in the decentralized social web and really good person all around. This is worth a read.

TikTok could shut down unless Supreme Court blocks or delays U.S. ban

Court to hear arguments Friday on law forcing TikTok sale by Chinese parent company that takes effect in Jan. 19.…

CBS News

I still don't see Trump letting this happen. But if TikTok shuts down in the US, then I see that as a major win for Instagram and other players.

Mastodon CEO calls Meta’s moderation changes ‘deeply troubling,’ warns users cross-posting from Threads | TechCrunch

Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko has spoken out about the significant moderation changes announced by Meta on Tuesday, which w…

TechCrunch •Sarah Perez

Eugen Rochko, the CEO of the Mastodon platform, has major concerns with where Meta is going with the lack of moderation. I know many admins and mods of Fediverse instances are blocking Threads.net from connecting (federating) with their communities because of what Meta's deciding to do.

Google testing audio version of Google Discover named Daily Listen

This is a Search Labs experimental feature available on the Google App for iOS or Android.

Search Engine Land •Barry Schwartz

This is cool. See!!!! Audio isn't dead! 😜

The Getty-Shutterstock merger: A new era for image SEO and licensable content

Getty’s acquisition of Shutterstock could influence the future of creative assets. Learn its impact on SEO, content vis…

Search Engine Land •Olya Ianovskaia

This is an interesting development. I'm not surprised by it, but it's definitely a move.

9 Actionable Steps to Improve Your Google Rankings

SEO may evolve, but the fundamentals remain the same. Focus on these nine basic steps to optimise your site to help boo…

Search Engine Journal •Chuck Price

Some good tips from Chuck Price to make sure you rank in Google.

Did Automattic Just Diagnose Its Own Business Problem?

Automattic decides to pull back on the WordPress project. But in the process, the firm may have accidentally explained …

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet. •Ernie Smith

Interesting take.

X CEO signals ad boycott is over. External data paints a different picture.

Data shows election didn’t spike X users or end ad boycott.

Ars Technica •Ashley Belanger

Of course, why would X/Twitter tell the truth?

Mark Zuckerberg gave Meta’s Llama team the OK to train on copyrighted works, filing claims | TechCrunch

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave Meta’s Llama team approval to train on copyrighted documents, according to a new court fi…

TechCrunch •Kyle Wiggers

Oh gee thanks Zuck!

Spotify’s partner program for podcast hosts is now available | TechCrunch

Spotify announced Thursday the launch of its new “Partner Program” that lets popular podcast hosts monetize their video…

TechCrunch •Lauren Forristal

Interesting play (pun not intended) on Spotify's part to get podcasting more into the app. But the barrier to entry to get any money is pretty damn high and limited to podcasters who use their podcasting platform. So for many this is a non-starter.

Mullenweg Shuts Down WordPress Sustainability Team, Igniting Backlash

https://www.therepository.email/mullenweg-shuts-down-wordpress-sustainability-team-igniting-backlash [Rae Morey at The …

Werd I/O •Ben Werdmuller

Matt is going nuclear on everyone. Ben has a good take on what's going on.

Matt Mullenweg deactivates WordPress accounts of contributors planning a fork | TechCrunch

Matt Mullenweg has deactivated the accounts of several WordPress community members, including two with plans to fork Wo…

TechCrunch •Paul Sawers

Honestly, bring on the fork. WordPress itself is a fork of older blogging software. Matt is such a ____. Insert your own word. 😵‍💫

The story so far

Everything ActivityPub all at once.

Building ActivityPub •Ghost

I'm so excited for this blog/newsletter to federate. I guess that's going to be this year! If you're not following John O'Nolan and team's trials and triumphs with making this move, you should follow the pug-filled newsletter above.

Mastodon’s founder cedes control, refuses to become next Musk or Zuckerberg

Mastodon shifts to nonprofit ownership, calls for $5M in donations to expand.

Ars Technica •Ashley Belanger

Interesting, but good move on the leadership over at Mastodon.

🎙️New Offering: Podcast Coaching 🎙️

You've got questions. I've got the answers!

I've been podcasting since 2010. During those 12+ years I've learned a thing or two about the ins and outs of the industry and approaching it the right way.

I've recently decided to offer podcast coaching as a service to share the knowledge that I've accumulated over the decade-plus in the industry.

More information click here.

Web Find & Other Good Stuff

Source -- A Fire Engine Bike From The Netherlands Circa 1905

Pixelfed - Decentralized social media

Learn more about Pixelfed, the free and open-source decentralized photo sharing social media platform…

Pixelfed

If you're looking for an alternative to Instagram, check out Pixelfed.org. There are a bunch of different communities that run instances of Pixelfed, including the main one Pixelfed.social. I'm on that one but help run Pixey.org. There is also a great directory of different servers you can join right here.

Marketer Tips on LinkedIn: Marketers love to say a channel is dead. SEO is dead. Email is… | 61 comments

Marketers love to say a channel is dead. SEO is dead. Email is dead. Events are dead. Outbound is dead. Direct mail is …

LinkedIn •Marketer Tips

Goes to my point above.

Credit

Gentrified Doom remake trades chainsaw for cheese knife

Remake of 1993 classic lets you drink wine and eat hors d’oeuvres as you admire masterpieces from art history.…

Ars Technica •Benj Edwards

Because why the hell not! 🤣 I love the Internet!

Podcast MP3 Downloader for Spotify

Download MP3 files of podcasts from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or Overcast. 100% free with no ads.…

Podcast MP3 Downloader

Download the podcasts you want from leading services easily. This can come in handy, especially if you're on a podcast and want to keep the recording.

Podcast Appearance

Listen On Apple Podcasts

That's It For This Week! Keep Rocking It!

-Seth

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