What a podcast looked like in 2024 — literally

In 2024, podcasts are close to becoming the number one medium for video. Although video podcasts have been around for a relatively long time, shows from The New York TimesNPR, and many other podcast networks that have been audio-only for years have recently begun adding a video component to gain new audiences. In fact, Spotify, a major player in podcasts, is about to start paying podcasters to bring videos to the platform.

And after years of producers trying to make audio shows go viral on social media, podcasts are now dominating TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts as video producers realize they can't just talk about talent. can Meanwhile, weekly podcasts are trying to attract younger audiences who grew up on YouTube. As a result, video producers are figuring out how to make podcasts, and audio producers are figuring out how to make videos.

I've noticed some developing trends in this video-first podcasting format. This is not surprising; When one producer discovers a formula that works, others are going to try it. Let's take a look at current design and technological trends – and then I'll talk about what I think may develop over the next year or so.

Many of today's podcast studios look like living rooms and basements. This There is no new trend Along with talk shows, but many podcasts began in a residential space, and major media companies have adopted this aesthetic. lamp. fireplace Fake plant bookcases. This environment lends itself to a more “repentant” style of long-form interviewing, which is typical of the tone of most chat-style podcasts.

Sofas and comfortable chairs feature heavily in these video shows. The round table is ditched, and fun is the key – it's a much more comfortable environment for talking for hours at a time. Both the host and the guest are often together on the sofa or sitting separately in comfortable chairs.

Another trend I've noticed is wooden slats on the wall in podcast studios – our own Vox Media space has gone with this design. These do a better job of absorbing sound while still looking like a living space. It's already becoming a hallmark of video podcasts in the mid-2020s.

Wide-shot camera angles show the entire room, usually with something in the center of the screen, such as a TV or a large show logo, giving the studio a sense of harmony. Neon signs and colored lights are very trendy right now because they add a colorful glow to a more muted studio space. Lots of cursive letters.

Branding is often prioritized in video, and most producers think that means literally staring at a logo for two hours. There's also an easy way to tell TikTok scrollers what show they're watching (although this doesn't usually translate well to vertical video).

Microphones are often placed on floor stands that extend over sofas (these articulating boom stands have been a staple in recording studios for decades). As a result, the stands often appear out of camera frame and stick awkwardly in front of guests' faces. When you have multiple guests on separate chairs, poles sticking out at different angles look even more messy.

Although of a new kind Mic stands for Podcast. introduced to the market, many shows are ditching tall, awkward boom poles in favor of having their own microphones instead of hosts and guests. It feels a bit more authentic and intimate on screen, and many stand-up comedians prefer this method. However, it can be a little awkward with inexperienced guests who talk with their hands or who don't know how to hold a microphone with a narrow polar pattern.

It could be worse. When podcasts are audio-first but with a video component, you often see odd behaviors caught on camera, such as each guest holding their phone up to their face to record their audio while looking directly at the viewer. can record This is a common practice for radio interviews but not good when video is involved.

gave Shure SM7B microphones This medium as well as budget MV7 model is still really popular. For branding purposes, cubes with the show's name are often awkwardly stuck on the bottom of the microphone. It's reminiscent of the microphone flags on newscaster stick mics, and they're now being repurposed for those classic radio studio microphones. This is likely because it's more effective branding on vertically cropped videos than a large logo on a wall in a studio.

Large isolated headphones are common in radio and podcasts and are still used in many video versions. But when guests are far away and looking directly at their webcam, those big ear cups stick out very awkwardly — more so than if you're looking at someone's profile view.

So that's what a lot of video podcasts look like by 2024. But what about next year?

I believe that, in 2025, podcast producers will finally stop following these tropes and try to differentiate themselves. Some producers who were hired to help with the transition to video would begin to question the reason behind the bulky headphones and thick microphones covering people's faces and opt for smaller lavalier mics and in-ear monitors.

New listeners may begin to forget the word “podcast” and refer to the chat shows they watch as just “shows.” Media executives will try to choose syndication of programs on linear platforms like Roku, Pluto, or Tobi. The thin line between podcasts and TV shows will become thinner.

More value tools for production users have entered the market, essentially turning a simple desk setup and a MacBook into a fully stocked control room. The hosts are already going in and out of the studio. Barber shops, Tennis courtand on Footpath. AI tools like Descript, Hush, and Accentize can turn minimal microphone recordings into fuller, beefier broadcast-style recordings. Podcasters whose equipment isn't capable of handling an uncontrolled recording environment will especially benefit from these post-production tools.

And who knows? Perhaps the pendulum will swing again when the budgets of these shows become so expensive that a video show can be played several times a week without a strong following. Maybe they scale back to audio-only format. And perhaps this is where they will begin a new experiment in the audio medium again.