David Fisher : What is Noise Blog

Introduction

One of the most basic things that you need to figure out when starting a podcast is the format that you’re going to use. This is one of those things that you do not want to whip back and forth on, and you must make a clear decision. Let’s go over some of the considerations for a podcast in each format.

Audio

Audio, the older and more basic format (history of podcasting), is the easier of the two to produce and obviously non-visual. There are several distinct advantages to audio-only podcasts.

• Easier to edit. You can cut out phrases, words, and pauses without making it seem that a person is jumping all over a screen (as it would in video). Using “Strip Silence” or similar in a DAW can make a 10 minute interview easily into a 6 minute interview depending on who is speaking.
• Appeals to many listeners. Video you have to ‘watch’ but I can put on an audio-only podcast and the full content while doing the dishes or cleaning my apartment. Also, you have the ability of appealing to the millions of commuters in cars. Sure, more cars have LCDs in them, but you really shouldn’t watch a show while driving! Listening however is significantly safer.
• Consistent production is easier. Video requires lighting, perhaps makeup, most of the people being in the same room consistently, the same clothes from shot to shot, same location, etc. It’s a pain in the ass. Audio you can allows you to record the first part of your podcast first thing in the morning before shaving, the second part after lunch, and the third part from your friend’s house and it will all come out mostly the same and no one will know that it was done in three sections.
• Doesn’t matter what you look like. Let’s face it, we aren’t all photogenic. Have you ever met most radio personalities? Often they aren’t pretty people, but people love listening to them. Video however puts you (rightly or not) under the scrutiny of people’s visual judgement and we can’t all be awesome on camera like iJustine. Also it gives the bonus of recording in your underwear. I guess you could do that on your video podcast, with audio the listener doesn’t have to know about it.
• Cheaper. It’s 2009. Cheap is in. You can get a pretty killer audio podcasting setup for under $1000, if not significantly less. For around $1000 you’ll sound almost as good as NPR, if not better. With video $1000 doesn’t get you far and you still have to consider the audio quality.
• Longer episodes are ok. If I have to look at something for 50 minutes to get the content, that’s a lot of my time. However if I’m passively listening to something and doing other things then its mostly ok and I can deal with it. Few video podcasts can get away with being so long.
• Smaller downloads. While few people today in the US care about bandwidth, it still is a consideration. Distribution, storage, and portability are all easier with audio-only.
• Historically, The Bar is Low. Maybe you like the sound of FM radio, but honestly the over-compressed, over-bass boosted sound really doesn’t take all that much to beat. Modest gear and technique will give you truely pro-quality sound.
• Traveling is Easy. You get some killer mobile equipment, including all-in-one recorders that do a nice job at catching interviews.

The disadvantages of audio are few:

• Visual branding is harder
• People ‘think’ they like video better
• Some subjects are harder to cover with words
• Competition is fierce
• Advertising/sponsorship sales might be harder

You’ve probably figured out after reading those the strength and weaknesses of video but let’s look into them. Strengths first:

• Compelling video can be captivating. People do like seeing awesome things, and well shot video with solid content will appeal to people’s senses.
• Tutorials are easier, comedy too. When instructing someone how to do something, video definitely wins in most fields. Could you imagine Bob Ross on the radio only?
• Branding is easier. Your face, logo, office or whatever will be instantly recognizable in video format. Audio leaves the chance that someone who is an avid listener wouldn’t recognize you if they met you.
• Advertising and sponsorship sales are easier, bigger $$$. Likely obvious, but there’s more chances to bring in some income with video other than the “message from our sponsor” moment. Wearing a company’s t-shirt, putting in a trailer, something in the background, etc. Most of those aren’t effective with audio.

And finally the downsides of video. These are mostly flips of the upsides of audio.

• Consistent production is hard. People likely need to be in the same room, at the same time, on a regular schedule.
• High standards. We’re used to seeing HD video, with good lenses, multiple camera angles, killer lighting, teleprompters, makeup, and strong production. Revision3 dumped tons of money into making a studio that kept with the quality standards that people are used to seeing on TV.
• All the considerations of audio, few of the benefits. You still need audio production, but you don’t get many of the benefits, such as lightweight production, using a “strip silence” tool, etc. Bad audio will completely invalidate your killer looking video.
• Video is Expensive. Cameras, hard drives, lighting, sets, cases, etc. It racks up quickly. Cameras are getting relatively cheaper, but video is still probably 4x as expensive as audio. Are the benefits worth it to you? You can do 4 channels of audio production on a computer that’s 10 years old (or a netbook) with ease. Multiple streams of 1080p video and you’re looking at a new Mac Pro.
• More people are required. Ok, maybe not required, but if you’re shooting a good show you’ve likely got 1-2 technical people working with you or you’re doing karate to jump in front of the camera at the right time. With audio, you can do it mostly all yourself easily. See Howard Stern being in control at the soundboard.
• Post-Production is heavy. Audio takes little time for me to finish up after recording a podcast. Video takes time. Transferring the video, syncing the audio, color/exposure correction, editing, processing, compressing/encoding, uploading. You’re gonna be there for a while. Likely 4x as long to do the post-production than audio.
• Traveling isn’t fun. G4 covered ROFLCon last year, and they had a ton of equipment. Huge HD cameras, audio booms, lighting rigs, battery packs. The footage turned out great, but I wouldn’t have wanted to pay the bill for the airline to check that stuff, or carry it around (let alone allow the airline to handle the equipment).

Which is for You?

Its a hard call. It comes down to your budget, time, expectations and audience. If you have a podcast on wedding dress style, Photoshop tutorials, or sightseeing on vacations then those subjects alone probably dictate that you need to go with something visual. On the otherhand if you’re talking about politics, stock trading, or the merits of 17th century literature in France then you might be fine with audio. Larger budgets definitely leave more room for video, but workflow will still be a consideration.

There is always the possibility of doing occasional video production and mostly sticking to audio, but then you come against consistency problems and you’re still spending the money on the video equipment (and since its not a priority your video production will likely be subpar).