Let’s be honest: if you’d told someone ten years ago that we’d spend our lunch breaks watching two people sit in a room talking into oversized microphones, they’d have called you crazy. Yet, here we are in 2026, and the “talking head” format hasn’t just survived, it’s thrived.
If you’re a brand or creator still clinging to an audio-only feed, we need to have a little chat. Now, we love a good radio vibe as much as the next person, but the landscape has shifted.
In 2026, the quicker you can work on adding a podcast into your video marketing strategy, the better chance you have of establishing your position and hooking your audience.
At Reels in Motion, we’ve seen the transition happen in real-time. We’ve watched as “standard” podcasts struggled to break through the noise, while those embracing a video podcast format saw their engagement metrics head straight for the moon.
So, why is 2026 the year you need to put a camera (or three) in the room? And is there a way you can do it quickly without compromising on quality? Let’s dive into the data, the psychology, and the “content goldmine” you’re currently sitting on.
Why are Brands Now Invisible Without Video?
It wasn’t that long ago that having a business podcast made sure you stood out – regardless of the industry. However, here’s a sobering thought: there are now over 4.5 million podcasts registered globally. That is a lot of chatter.
According to recent data from The Podcast Host, a staggering 72% of podcasters say that discoverability and growing an audience is their single biggest challenge.
“Pull” and “Push” Mediums
The reality of 2026 is that audio directories (like Apple Podcasts or Spotify’s audio-only feed) are “pull” platforms. Meaning, people have to go looking for you. But video? Video is a “push” medium.
When you invest in making a video podcast, you aren’t just creating a show; you’re creating an algorithmic magnet.
YouTube has officially cemented its place as the best video podcast platform, with 40% of listeners now using it as their primary way to consume shows. If you aren’t there, you’re missing out on nearly half of your potential audience before you’ve even hit ‘Record.’
When you upload a podcast video to YouTube, you’re tapping into the world’s second-largest search engine. Giving Google something to index, something to recommend, and something to serve up to people who didn’t even know they were looking for you yet.
Audio vs. Video Podcast
There’s an old saying that “radio is the most visual medium” because of the imagination. That’s poetic, but in the fast-paced business world of 2026, we don’t have time to wait for the audience’s imagination to catch up. We need to build trust, and we need to do it fast.
When we look at the audio vs. video podcast debate, the psychology leans heavily toward the latter. But that makes perfect sense when you consider that humans are hardwired to read facial expressions, body language, and social cues.
Using Video Podcasts to Battle AI and Boost E-E-A-T
Plus, with the explosion of AI-generated voices and faceless “content farms,” seeing a real person’s eyes light up when they talk about their expertise is the ultimate brand differentiator.
It’s what Google calls E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), and it’s a massive ranking factor nowadays – as well as being much easier to prove when the audience can see you.
Why Making a Video Podcast Drives Brand Engagement
The engagement numbers back this up, too. A key stat for this year shows that users who watch a podcast consume 1.5x more content than those who only listen.
Think about that, bearing in mind how important video marketing is to organic growth on social media, by simply adding a visual element, you aren’t just reaching more people, you’re keeping the ones you have for 50% longer.
That’s more time for your message to sink in and more time to move a prospect down the funnel.
Using a Podcast Video to Create a “Content Goldmine”
If you’re worried about the time it takes to produce content, a video podcast is actually the ultimate efficiency hack. We like to call it “Content Goldmining.”
When you record a high-quality video session, you aren’t just making one episode. You’re creating a library of assets that can fuel your entire marketing department for a month (or longer in some cases). From a single one-hour recording, you can:
- Convert podcast to video “Shorts” or “Reels” for across your social media video strategy on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
- Pull high-impact LinkedIn clips that show off your brand’s authority.
- Grab high-res stills for blog headers and social posts.
- Transcribe the audio for SEO-rich articles and newsletters.
Instead of spending hours editing video podcast snippets from scratch for every platform, you’re simply slicing up a master file.
In 2026, if you aren’t repurposing, you’re working too hard. Creating a video podcast gives you the raw materials to be everywhere at once without the burnout.
But creating a video podcast sounds like a lot of extra time, tech, budget and know-how, right? Let’s unpack that a little more.
Breaking the Barrier: Overcoming “Gear Fear”
We get it. The idea of setting up a video podcast can feel like trying to launch a small satellite. You start looking at 4K cameras, lighting rigs, acoustic treatment, and multi-channel mixers, and suddenly, that “fun project” feels like a second full-time job.
Well, you aren’t alone. Those stats from the Podcast Host show that 30% of brands cite “time commitment” as their biggest barrier to entry, while 21% are held back by technical challenges. No one wants to spend four hours troubleshooting a flickering light or syncing their AV.
This is where the “DIY” dream often turns into a production nightmare and before you know it, that progressive fun marketing project gets back-burnered, hard. And there’s a huge difference between a grainy Zoom recording and a professional-grade production.
In 2026, the “Zoom look” just won’t cut the mustard; it screams “amateur,” and for a business looking to establish authority, that’s a risk you can’t afford to take.
The “hassle” of making a video podcast is the #1 reason great ideas never get off the ground. But what if you could just show up, talk, and leave the “techy stuff” to the pros?
Enter Reels in Motion: Your Full-Service Podcast Partner
This is exactly why we built our dedicated podcast production suite. We wanted to take the “ugh” out of the equation.
Our video podcast services are designed for marketers and business owners who have plenty of industry nouse, but zero interest in learning how to colour-grade 4K footage at 2:00 AM.
When you step into our studio, you aren’t just getting a room with some mics; you’re getting a high-end broadcast experience.
- The Guest Wow Factor: If you’re inviting a high-profile guest or a key client onto your show, welcoming them into a pro studio with pro-standard mics and a multi-cam setup sends a clear message: We take our brand seriously.
- Faff-Free Production: You don’t need to worry about setting up a video podcast rig. We handle the lighting, the angles, and the crystal-clear audio capture.
- The Final Polish: Our team excels at editing video podcast content. We don’t just give you a raw file; we deliver a polished, social-ready product that’s ready to compete with the biggest names in your industry.
In short, we provide the platform so you can provide the expertise. We’ve been in the video production game for over 20 years, so we know exactly how to make you look and sound like the authority you are.
Is 2026 Your Year?
By the end of 2026, the gap between “the brands we see” and “the brands we’ve forgotten” will be wider than ever.
Creating a video podcast is the single most effective way to humanise your business, dominate the search engines, and create a mountain of marketing content – all in one sitting.
Stop letting technical hurdles or “time poverty” stand in the way of your brand’s growth. Whether you’re looking to launch a brand-new series or convert a podcast to video for an existing show, we’re here to make it happen.
Ready to get behind the mic (and the camera)?
Check out our Podcast Production Services and let’s get your show on the road. The studio is ready, the lights are on – all we’re missing is you.
