Video to boost podcast "cool" factor

Video podcasts aren't new, but the medium is becoming a more crucial component of creating and marketing podcasts, Rooster Teeth executives tell Kerry at VidCon last week.

Why it matters: More media companies and distribution platforms have invested in video for podcasts, as consumer habits bring more attention to the format.

What they're saying: "The word 'podcast' is not cool. I don't think it has been for a while," Rooster Teeth co-founder Geoff Ramsey says. "I have a 17-year-old daughter who would never listen to a podcast, for any reason, but she would absolutely watch a podcast on YouTube and not recognize it as a podcast."

• "When we first started doing podcasts, we didn't actually call it a podcast. Our podcasting team was actually called a broadcast team. 'Broadcast' is a term that is better standing the test of time," says A.J. Feliciano, head of Rooster Teeth's podcast network, The Roost.

How it works: A video podcast actually doesn't need to involve video at all, Feliciano suggests.

• "Podcast consumption is a conditioned behavior based on who you're talking to," Feliciano says. "If you put your podcast on YouTube, it doesn't necessarily need to be in a studio. It doesn't have to be video. ... Maybe you just throw up a still."
• Rooster Teeth's podcasts are distributed on 170 platforms. "Generally, we want to be everywhere and anywhere. We don't really limit our distribution," Feliciano says.

The intrigue: TikTok, the star of VidCon 2022, isn't necessarily where consumers go to watch podcasts. But it can be a worthwhile marketing tool through bite-sized clips.

• Rooster Teeth produces TikTok versions of some of its podcasts, including "30 Morbid Seconds" for its "30 Morbid Minutes" series and "Minute Mysteries" for its "Red Web" series.

• "TikTok is an absolute must if you're going to be marketing your podcast today," Feliciano says. "It is far outpacing any other platform in hours of consumption, the totality of people."

Of note: Spotify also spoke about video podcasts at VidCon last week. In an 8-minute presentation, two partner managers pitched the format as an important development for the platform.

• "Since Spotify first started, we have looked for ways to empower artists and creators to be heard by everyone. Now we want to empower them to be seen by everyone," Spotify's Tracy Rivas said.

What's next: YouTube has been building more tools for podcast creators.

• "When thinking about the future of podcasts, I think it's really on the platform distributors to generally dictate what that's going to look [like]," Feliciano says. "I would keep my eyes on YouTube."