What podcasts looked like in 2024 – literally

In 2024, podcasts are on the verge of becoming a video-first medium. Although video podcasts have been around relatively long timeshows 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 listeners. In fact, Spotify, a major player in podcasts, about to start paying podcasters To bring video to the platform.

And after years of creators trying to make audio shows go viral on social media, podcasts are now dominating TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts when video makers realized they could just film the talent talking. Are. Meanwhile, weekly podcasts are looking 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. it is not surprising; When one manufacturer finds a formula that works, others start trying it. Let's take a look at current design and tech trends – and then I'll talk about what I think might evolve over the next year or so.

Many of today's podcast studios look like living rooms and basements. it There is no new incident With talk shows, but a lot of podcasts started in a living space, and big media companies have adopted that aesthetic. Lamp. Chimneys. Fake plants. Bookshelves. This environment provides a more “relaxed” style of long-form interviews, which is typically the atmosphere of most chat-style podcasts.

Sofas and comfortable chairs appear a lot in these video shows. The round table has been abolished, and leisure is important – it is a much more comfortable environment to talk for hours at a time. Both the host and the guest are often together on the sofa or seated separately in comfortable chairs.

Another trend I've noticed is wooden slats on the wall in podcast studios – our own Vox Media space has also gone with this design. These work better for sound absorption while still looking like a living space. This already seems to be an indicator of the video podcasts of the mid-2020s.

There is usually something like a TV or a giant logo of the show in the middle of the screen to create a symmetrical studio look, with a wide-shot camera angle showing the entire room. Neon signs and colored lights are very trendy right now as they add a colorful glow to a more serene studio space. Lots of cursive letters.

Branding often takes priority in video, and most creators think that means literally staring at a logo for two hours. This is an easy way to tell TikTok scrollers what show they're watching (though this usually isn't good for vertical videos).

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

Although new type mic means podcast Since being introduced to the market, many shows are abandoning the long, awkward boom pole in favor of hosting hosts and guests holding their own microphones instead. It feels a little more authentic and intimate onscreen, and many stand-up comedians prefer this method. However, it may be a little awkward for inexperienced guests who talk with their hands or who don't know how to hold the microphone with the narrow polar pattern.

It could be worse. When podcasts are audio first but with a video component, you often see strange practices captured on camera, like this example where each guest held their phone up to their face to record their audio while looking directly at the viewer. Is. This is a common practice for radio interviews, but not great when video is involved.

Shure SM7B Microphone are still really popular in this medium Budget MV7 modelFor branding purposes, cubes bearing the show's name are often awkwardly affixed to the bottom of the microphone. It's reminiscent of the microphone flags on newscaster stick mics, and they are now being retrofitted to these classic radio studio microphones. This is probably because it's more effective branding on a vertically cropped video than a large logo on a wall in a studio.

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

So this is what a lot of video podcasts will look like by 2024. But how about next year?

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

New viewers may begin to forget about the term “podcast” and view the chat shows they watch as simply “shows.” Media executives will try to opt for syndication of programs on linear platforms such as Roku, Pluto or Tubi. The thin line between podcasts and TV shows will become thinner.

More consumer-priced tools for production have entered the market, basically turning a simple desk setup and a MacBook into a fully stocked control panel. The hosts are already going in and out of the studio barber shops, tennis courtand on sidewalkAI tools like Describe, Hush, and Accentify can transform less-than-optimal microphone recordings into fuller, better broadcast-style recordings. Podcasters whose equipment is less able to handle uncontrolled recording environments will particularly benefit from these postproduction tools.

and who knows? Perhaps the pendulum will swing back again when the budgets for these shows become so expensive that it will no longer be possible to run a video show multiple times a week without a strong following. They might even go back to an audio-only format. And perhaps this is where they will start a new experiment in the audio medium again.