Why News Outlets Should Consider Putting Podcasts on YouTube
In recent years, podcasts have become an increasingly popular medium for consuming news and other forms of media.
While many news organizations have embraced podcasting, some are taking things a step further by putting their podcasts on YouTube.
But what are the benefits?
YOUTUBE HAS AN ENORMOUS AUDIENCE
With over two billion monthly active users, YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, behind only Google. By putting their podcasts on YouTube, news organizations can tap into this massive audience and potentially reach new listeners who might not have discovered their podcasts otherwise. In fact, most people who are new to podcasts find podcasts via YouTube, according to a study. Additionally, YouTube is great for contacting younger audiences–between ages 18 and 34–a demographic that tends to be more distrustful of print media.
YOUTUBE IS A PLATFORM THAT’S DESIGNED FOR ENGAGEMENT
Unlike traditional podcasting platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify, YouTube allows for comments and discussions, which can help build a sense of community around a podcast. This can be especially valuable for news organizations, which often rely on engagement from their audience to help drive their reporting and analysis. And this engagement really does work: ESPN saw 1.7 million views in their first year on YouTube (2017). While ESPN is not traditional journalism, it does cover a wide variety of special interest topics.
“We’re seeing this is not cannibalistic to audio,” Mike Foss, ESPN’s vice president of digital production said. “No one’s audio numbers have dropped as a result of them being available on YouTube. It’s maintained and grown so I think everybody recognizes the opportunity to grow their footprint.”
ESPN’s brand has grown to incorporate 28 podcasts.
YOUTUBE’S ALGORITHM IS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE CONTENT THAT KEEPS USERS ENGAGED FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME
This means that if a news organization's podcast is able to capture the attention of YouTube viewers, it could potentially be promoted more prominently on the platform, leading to even more exposure and new listeners. YouTube itself is looking to bring more journalists onto the platform to supplement what is available for viewers falling down a YouTube rabbit hole.
“We’re committed to supporting the future of journalism, and that means continuing to create opportunities for the industry to harness the latest technology and techniques for growth on YouTube,” Elena Hernandez, a YouTube spokesperson, said in an email to the Nieman Lab. “Whether it’s long form video, Shorts [more on those below], or podcasts, we’re always working to improve the experience and support multiple formats for news creators.”
There are some challenges associated with putting podcasts on YouTube, however. For one, the platform is primarily designed for video content, so simply uploading an audio-only podcast might not be enough to capture viewers' attention. News organizations that want to put their podcasts on YouTube may need to create visually engaging content to accompany the audio, such as animated graphics or video clips. Or else, they may want to feature their speakers, as many popular podcasts and YouTube channels (such as the Try Guys) do to attract viewers.
“Some of us came down on the side that the term ‘podcast’ was kind of like Kleenex. When you say Kleenex, people know that you’re talking about a tissue. But, you know, there are different types of tissues, not just Kleenex,” Keith Jenkins, NPR’s vice president for visuals and music strategy, said. “For a lot of folks, podcasts are YouTube videos formatted like Joe Rogan or Howard Stern with people sitting at a mic talking to each other.”
Another challenge is that YouTube's monetization policies can be complicated and difficult to navigate. While some news organizations may be able to monetize their podcasts through ads or sponsorships, others may need to rely on alternative revenue streams, such as Patreon or direct listener support. However, YouTube does offer pathways to monetization faster than platforms operated by Meta or TikTok, though this may not be enough to cover costs. NPR was forced to cancel podcasts as part of a budget shortfall this year—and so have taken to monetizing across different platforms to navigate this issue.
“We’re just trying to get a sense of what the audience might like, and not necessarily trying to build an audience around this content right now,” Jenkins said. “Our audience-building efforts are really taking place on Instagram, where we have a very robust NPR presence with our news content, as well as NPR Music.”
There is a lot of information to navigate in the podcast space. Once a podcast is being made and distributed, then the question of whether or not to put it on video and get those videos up and running on YouTube becomes prescient. YouTube offers great pathways to reaching new audiences, but presents its own hurdles and roadblocks along the way. Newsrooms must decide if they are willing to take the risk and invest a bit more in their podcasts as video entities, which may help them stay ahead of the curve on future technological advancements.
