More and more podcasters are putting their podcasts on YouTube to reach new audiences, and make their episodes accessible to the 2.3 billion active monthly users on YouTube.
In fact, in March 2023, YouTube released a new feature provides a way to create a podcast in YouTube.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- Different ways to repurpose your podcast on YouTube
- How to turn videos into podcasts
- How to create a podcast in YouTube Studio
- How to record your podcast using Zoom
- How to record your podcast using Riverside.fm
Audio-to-Video
The easiest way to start a podcast on YouTube is to simply upload the audio from your podcast, and create a “video” on YouTube by adding some cover art.
While this is the easiest way to add your podcast to YouTube, a “video” of cover art isn’t that engaging, and some listeners may not stick around to hear your full episode.
The simple solution is to put a little more time and effort into your video by animating it, and creating visually interesting slides to compliment different sections of your episode.
While this isn’t the best way to start a podcast on YouTube, it can still get your show in front of a new audience.
Pro Tip: Transcribe your podcast’s audio for free – learn how here.
How to Start a New Podcast on YouTube
YouTube provides a way for podcasters like yourself to create a podcast directly on YouTube.
Podcasters can enjoy special benefits by setting their episodes or playlists directly in YouTube as a podcast. These perks include:
- Having your show available on YouTube Music
- Podcast-specific recommendations that will make it easier for your show to be discovered on YouTube
- Official search cards.
- The possibility of having your show featured on youtube.com/podcasts.
- Badges on your podcasts and videos.
To get started with this feature, you can upload new or set all of your existing episodes into a podcast specific playlist.
If you are uploading new episodes, you’ll click the “Create” button then “New podcast.”
If your existing episodes are already added to a playlist, you can update that playlist so that YouTube knows that this is your podcast.
To update an existing YouTube playlist, go to “Content” in your Dashboard, then “Playlists.” Select the playlist you were using for your show and select “Set as podcast.”
For more information on how to create a podcast in YouTube Studio, you can watch the video below.
How to Transform your Podcast Audio into a Video File
One way for transform your episode’s audio file into a video for YouTube is to use the free online tool One Image Music Video.
To make an video podcast with a static image using One Image Music Video, select a PNG/JPEG file and an MP3 file of your podcast episode and select upload.
Your MP3 will automatically be converted into an MP4 video file that you can upload to YouTube – no video editing is required.
The static image you choose can either be a custom image created in a program like Canva, or you can use any other image that’s 1920X1080.
If you need royalty free stock images, check out these websites:
For your video’s thumbnail, the image must “have a resolution of 1280×720 (with minimum width of 640 pixels).”
If you want to add multiple images to your video, there are several video editing software programs you can use:
Video formats supported by YouTube
- .MOV
- .MPEG-1
- .MPEG-2
- .MPEG4
- .MP4
- .MPG
- .AVI
- .WMV
- .MPEGPS
- .FLV
- 3GPP
- WebM
- DNxHR
- ProRes
- CineForm
- HEVC (h265)
Film Your Podcast 🎬
You’re already recording the audio of your podcast, so why not put a camera in the room as well?
This is a much better option as viewers now get to be a part of the live experience. This format is much more engaging and allows you to create a connection with your listeners that can’t be achieved with just audio alone.
Josh Elledge of UpMyInfluence, suggests using a high quality DSLR camera to film your podcast. He says that while you can get away with a streaming webcam, you won’t get nearly the quality that a more professional camera will give you. Josh uses a Canon 80D and a Sigma 35mm 1.4 DG HSM ART Lens.
For more recommendations, you can check out his post on Video Marketing for Business/Entrepreneurs here.
How to Make Your Podcast YouTube Ready
1. Be mindful of your background
This means cleaning up the clutter in your room or creating a backdrop that hides the clutter.
Some video podcasters opt to just sit in front of a blank wall while filming. Others purchase a backdrop, or create an aesthetically pleasing/brand appropriate background behind them.
In the above video podcast, YouTubers Erik Stocklin and Colleen Ballinger have created a backdrop that features images and art that is on-brand for their Miranda Sings YouTube channel.
They are using background lighting that is not too harsh, with the foreground lighting focused directly on them.
2. Be mindful of the lighting
The lighting can be as simple as a ring light, or as complex as a full studio lighting kit.
Why does lighting matter? It ensures viewers can see you and helps with creating the mood and feel of your video.
Here are a few lighting options recommended in the lighting tutorial playlist created by the YouTube and podcasting pros at Think Media:
Pro Tip: The YouTube Creator Academy is 100% free, and filled with great ideas on framing your shots, using lighting effectively, and recording sound like a pro.
3. Use a high-quality microphone
Not all mics are created equal. Here’s a list of microphones we recommend for podcasting:
We’ve created a guide to help you find the best sounding mic for your budget.
You should also seriously consider investing in a sound mixer like the Samson Mixpad MXP124FX Compact, 12-Channel Analog Stereo Mixer with Effects and USB. You may also want to invest in sound absorption panels to “treat the room” and remove background noise and echoes.
Also, because we are talking about sound quality, be cognizant of background noises like an air conditioner, barking dogs, your neighbor mowing the lawn etc.
4. Consider the other places you will share your video before you hit record
If you plan on starting a podcast on YouTube, you’ll want to consider everywhere the video will be shared. For example, will you be using it solely on YouTube in a horizontal format? Or will you be sharing it on TikTok and Instagram as well?
If you plan on using social media, it’s a good idea to have your cell phone set up for vertical filming at the same time that you will be recording your episodes. This way while your lighting is already set up you can film teaser videos that will pique your audience’s interest and entice them to head to the links for the full episodes.
Of course, to have your guest in any of these vertical videos may require some skill in video editing on your part, but by thinking about where your content will be used you can plan ahead and save yourself time later. After all, filming content for other mediums will be much easier while the guest and/or your subject materials are all fresh in your mind.
How to Record Your Podcast using Riverside.fm
Similar to Zoom, you can record the audio and video of your podcast using Riverside.fm.
You can get started for free with Riverside.fm – however, if you’d like to access additional features, you’ll need to sign up for a paid plan.
Pro Tip: You and/or your guests need to use the Riverside.fm mobile app, or either a Microsoft Edge Browser or Google Chrome browser in order to record videos with the platform.
Here’s how to get started:
- On the homepage, click “Get Started” and sign up for an account. You can sign up with your Google Account, Apple Account, or with an email and password
- Once your account is created, you will have an automatically generated “studio” for your podcast.
- To start recording immediately, click your studio name, and then “Go to Studio.”
- You’ll add your name as the host, and then update your settings to indicate what microphone, webcam, and how you are listening. Then, click “Join Studio”
- Finally, click the recording button and you can instantly record your video podcast.
If you want to add a guest(s), before clicking “Go to Studio,” click “Invite.”
You’ll be given a link that you can send to your guest(s).
When it’s time to record, you’ll follow the same steps you did when recording yourself solo.
How to Record Your Podcast on Zoom
Having a guest(s) on your podcast is always exciting.
But, what if they live far from you or aren’t able to make it to your studio?
Zoom can be used to create excellent video podcasts.
The process is pretty straight-forward – here’s how to set it up:
- Create an account on Zoom
- Next Click the Zoom icon on your desktop to open the software
- Click the gear icon on the top right corner to navigate to the settings menu
- Select the “Video” tab
- Adjust settings + preferences to touch up your appearance, adjust for low lighting, add a virtual background, etc.
- Select the “Audio” tab
- Change your speaker and microphone preferences to your podcasting tools or headphones
- Close the settings menu.
- Click the orange “New Meeting” button
- Invite the podcast guest(s) via a Zoom link or code
- Start your episode
- When your episode is wrapped up, click “End Meeting”
- Allow a few minutes for Zoom to convert the video and audio files then download
- Edit your video and upload to YouTube
Pro Tip #1: Make sure to connect your device to the internet via an ethernet cable for consistent quality. This ensures a faster and more reliable internet connection throughout your podcast and crisper audio and video quality.
🎬 Record Your Podcast Using Zoom
Zoom allows you to record and download separate audio files for each speaker which can make editing audio easier. Go to your Zoom settings (the gear icon) and click on the “Recording” tab. Then, select the option called “Record a separate audio file for each participant who speaks.”
Check out the video below for step-by-step instructions on how to record a podcast episode using Zoom.
How to Turn a Video into a Podcast Episode
We’ve discussed turning an existing podcast episode into a video, but what if you are filming your podcast and want to repurpose the audio from your video to create a new podcast episode?
The good news is that there are free online tools like Audio Converter that will extract the audio out of your video to then upload to your podcast host.
The process is as simple as opening your video file and selecting the file type you’d like to convert it to. Select the “Convert” button and you’ll have an audio file you can upload to your podcast host as a new episode.
Are you a visual learner? If so, check out the video below for more tips on how to turn a video into a podcast.
For a limited time, you can take advantage of a FULL FREE MONTH of podcast hosting from RSS.com.