Ok, trying to be clever with the headline here, it’s the ‘podcast star’ technically, but hope you get the 80s song reference!

For a long while now, podcast have shift from audio only to video. In one of my favourite podcasts, The Rest is Entertainment, host Marina Hyde goes as fair as saying that they really should be call a show these days, rather than a podcast. And you can’t really call people listeners either, with 72% preferring to watch the video version of a podcast.  

Last year we talked about the visual shift trend. Our appetite for visual content formats is growing and video podcasts are attracting more and more people, so much so, big industry moves are happening:

• Netflix wants 50+ podcast shows on its platform – attempting to woo creators away from YouTube
• Spotify is changing its eligibility standards to increase in creators
• UK media giant Global has taken a major stake in Gary Neville’s sports podcast company The Overlap

What does this tell us, video podcast?

Podcasts are becoming shows

We’re moving beyond the days of two people chatting into microphones in a spare room. Creators are investing in set design, multi-camera setups, live audience segments, and dynamic editing. The line between podcast and talk show is blurring, and audiences now expect something that looks and feels a bit more polished.

The battle for eyeballs (not just ears) is intensifying

Platforms know that video increases engagement, watch time, and ad revenue. YouTube has dominated video podcasting for years, but Netflix and Spotify clearly want a piece of that. As more platforms compete, creators will have more options and potentially more pressure to choose a “home” for their video content.

It opens the door to new genres and new forms of storytelling

Video allows for demonstrations, reactions, live visuals, graphics, guests joining remotely, behind-the-scenes formats, product walk-throughs, and more immersive storytelling overall. The medium is expanding what a “podcast” can actually be.

Brands and creators need to rethink their strategy

For brands, this shift means:

• Stronger audience connection through faces and body language

• Higher production expectations and investment
• More channels for repurposing content (shorts, reels, trailers)

For creators, it means that the entry barrier is rising. You now need to consider lights, cameras, editing skills, and distribution know-how. But the potential reach is bigger than ever.

So where is this heading?

If audio podcasting democratised broadcasting, video podcasting is democratising TV. Anyone with the right setup can create a show that looks like it belongs on a major network.

And maybe Marina Hyde is right, we should ditch the word podcast altogether. But until we come up with a better name, the evolution continues. The radio star isn’t the only one being revived.