How to start a video podcast

To start a video podcast, record your episodes on camera and publish them as watchable content, usually to YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify, alongside your normal audio feed. You need a camera, a good microphone, some lighting, editing software, and a home for both the audio and the video. That's the whole job. Everything after this is about doing it well.

Video isn't optional anymore if growth matters to you. Edison Research's 2026 Infinite Dial found YouTube is now the most-named primary platform among weekly US podcast consumers, bigger than Spotify and Apple Podcasts put together. And more than half of US podcast consumers say they'd rather watch than just listen on YouTube, per Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2025 report. The audience already expects to see you. The question is whether you show up.

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What you need to start a video podcast

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You can start cheaper than you think. Match the kit to where you are, not where you want to be.

Starter, under a few hundred dollars: your phone or a 1080p webcam, a USB microphone, a window or a single softbox for light, and free editing software. This is enough to publish.

Step up: a mirrorless camera or dedicated webcam, an XLR mic into an audio interface, two or three lights, and paid editing software. Better image, cleaner sound, more control.

Sound still matters more than picture. Viewers forgive an average camera. They leave over bad audio. Spend on the mic first.
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How to record a video podcast
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Frame yourself from the chest up, put the camera at eye level, and light your face from the front rather than behind. Record the audio separately from the camera when you can, so your podcast feed gets clean sound even if the video needs work. Hit record on both at the same time and use a clap or a clear cue so they're easy to line up in the edit.

Keep the set simple. A tidy background, consistent framing, and steady lighting do more for how professional you look than any single piece of gear.
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Where to publish a video podcast

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YouTube carries the majority of video podcast viewing, and people increasingly watch full episodes on their TVs. Publish your full video episodes there, and keep publishing your audio to the open podcast apps through your RSS feed. You want both, because the two audiences rarely overlap.
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Apple Podcasts has caught up fast. Video publishing to Apple Podcasts is now available to every Acast creator on our Video plan. Upload a video episode and Acast extracts the audio automatically for your RSS feed, while the video streams natively inside the Apple Podcasts app. No separate file, no separate upload. It runs alongside YouTube, not instead of it.
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With Acast, you can manage both from one dashboard: video to YouTube through your connected channel, video to Apple Podcasts through Apple's own streaming technology, and audio everywhere else through your regular RSS feed. Acast stays open and platform-neutral, so your show still reaches Spotify and every other podcast app your audio already lives on.
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How to make money from a video podcast
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More formats mean more places to earn. A video episode opens up YouTube's own monetization, and the clips you cut from it (see our guide to repurposing your podcast for social media) widen the top of your funnel. On Acast, that reach turns into income through sponsorships and advertising that follow your show across audio and video, so growing on camera and getting paid aren't separate projects.
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Frequently asked questions
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How do I start a video podcast?

Record your episodes on camera, edit them, and publish the video to YouTube and Apple Podcasts while your audio continues to go out through your podcast feed. Start with a phone or webcam and a good microphone, then upgrade as the show grows.
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Do I need video to grow a podcast in 2026?

You don't strictly need it, but it helps. YouTube is now the most-named primary podcast platform among weekly US listeners, and most say they'd rather watch than just listen. Skipping video means skipping where a lot of discovery now happens.
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What equipment do I need for a video podcast?

At minimum: a camera (phone or webcam), a microphone, a light source, and editing software. Prioritise the microphone, because poor audio loses viewers faster than an average picture.
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Where should I publish my video podcast?

Publish full video episodes to YouTube and Apple Podcasts, and keep publishing your audio to the open podcast apps via RSS. With Acast you can send video to both platforms and audio everywhere else from a single dashboard.
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Can I publish a video podcast to YouTube from Acast?

Yes. Acast lets you publish video episodes directly to your connected YouTube channel from the dashboard, alongside your audio release, so both formats go out together.
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Can I publish a video podcast to Apple Podcasts from Acast?

Yes. Every Acast creator can now publish video directly to Apple Podcasts. Acast extracts the audio automatically for distribution everywhere else, so you only need to upload one file.