Why I switched to YouTube
When I first got into the podcasting game in 2015, it was quite different than it is today, for a number of reasons.
AI has of course simplified many of the tedious, time-consuming elements of the process, to the point that hiring an editor to do such things seems silly.
And I’m glad I got out of that business when I did. If it wasn’t voluntary, it would have been a matter of time – and a very short time at that – before my clients wised up and realized they can do what I do themselves without the hefty fee that goes with having a person of my stature and prestige do it for them.
That’s a joke.
Podcast editors typically have neither stature nor prestige.
But the biggest change that I’ve seen isn’t necessarily due to AI. It’s where these podcasts are actually consumed.
In 2015, they were consumed primarily via audio on the Apple Podcasts app.
Spotify existed, but it wasn’t a platform for podcasts. There was a company called Stitcher that played podcasts, and a couple others. But Apple was the major player.
The word itself is derived from the Apple iPod, so no wonder Apple cornered the market for as long as they did.
But here in 2026, podcasts are more and more being produced for video format, and played on YouTube.
I was happy to produce these things in audio format, but the numbers didn’t lie.
Billions (with a B) of people were consuming these things on YouTube. To ignore it would be silly.
And so I made the switch. To be sure, I still publish my show in audio format and it can be found on all the podcast platforms available, but that’s more an afterthought.
Video is where the action is, and there are a few reasons I’ve noticed why this has happened.
- It’s just more engaging when you see the faces of the people talking. There is nuance in the communication when you can see people’s faces versus just the voice. Even if you have something playing in the background, you can always look at the screen whenever you want.
- Even more important, it’s just easier to interact with the audience on YouTube than on Apple. It used to be you’d have the show, then at the end have a call to action to visit your website and join an email list of some sort. That’s still important, as you can see from me using email to communicate with you. But now you can just say, “Leave your thoughts in the comments,” and boom, instant interaction.Forget the call to join an email list; no one ever does that anyway ha ha
So those are a couple of reasons I focus on YouTube. The audio is convenient, but yt is where the real engagement comes from.
So if you’re wondering how you can support a poor, humble podcaster who does his own editing, watch an episode of the show, and then leave a comment telling me how you liked it.