Why Everyone Is Now Watching Podcasts on YouTube \ stacker news ~podcasts

pull down to refresh

Why Everyone Is Now Watching Podcasts on YouTube www.wsj.com/business/youtube-podcasts-spotify-apple-f52d9f70?st=MDvkbm&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

1271 sats \ 23 comments \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears 18 Nov podcasts

(Wall Street Journal article via archive.is)

YouTube has passed Apple Podcasts and Spotify for podcast consumption.

Personally, I only listen to podcasts when I'm walking (using Fountain, of course), and I cannot imagine consuming them at my computer (there are almost always better things to watch). I'm also old enough to to think podcast=audio; I've been listening since before Apple made them a part of iTunes.

I do, every once in a while, hear a reference to something visual on a podcast (like a cat or dog stopping by), and may look for that online later, but watching them just isn't my jam.

view all related items

203 sats \ 0 replies \ @Arceris 18 Nov

The speed up is limited to 2x, and is rather crappy at that level. Fountain FTW.

41 sats \ 1 reply \ @Wumbo 18 Nov

My two Sats: With an add blocker one can "watch" (even if one is listening) to youtube videos without creating an account. So friction level is low compared to a service that forces login.

Also depending on the type of podcast, some times there are important visual. Example:

The spiral chart is hard to describe verbally.

To be clear I agree It is sub optimal but maybe there is a future podcast type which is kind of a powerpoint + audio.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Jon_Hodl 18 Nov

Totally agree. If I need to sign up or create an account, there’s a substantial chance that I will bounce.

YouTube is such low friction both for producers and consumers that it makes sense more people are using it for podcasts.

199 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 18 Nov

I have no desire to watch podcasts. Occasionally I will watch the live feed of Stacker News Live if someone posts the link but usually I just listen on fountain after the fact.

93 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 18 Nov

Oscar, the founder of Fountain, is fond of saying that audio carries more information than text - tone, speed, etc. If I'm very excited about a podcast, I'll watch video because it carries even more information than audio and I want to give it my full attention.

17 sats \ 0 replies \ @000w2 18 Nov

I find watching video of people talking distracts from being able to focus on what they're saying. I think it has to do with whether you're an auditory or visual learner.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @astro_penguin 18 Nov

Not me. If a podcast doesn't have a RSS feed that I can drop into my player, I don't bother with it.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 18 Nov

I would not assume their stats are correct. Podcast tracking is very difficult to do accurately. I'm not saying the data is wrong, just don't take it at face value.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears OP 18 Nov

Good point -- I'd imagine that the walled gardens of YT and Spotify might be trackable, but the RSS feeds that underlie Apple Podcasts, Fountain, and most other traditional podcast apps are another story.

31 sats \ 0 replies \ @DEADBEEF 18 Nov

I only ever listen to podcasts while I’m working, driving, doing chores, etc. I have no time to actually sit down and watch anything.

IMO you shouldn’t be able to call something a podcast unless I can subscribe to it through an rss feed.

54 sats \ 3 replies \ @BlokchainB 18 Nov

I watch at times. Podcasts are more interactive now. They show content that gets lost via audio only.

49 sats \ 0 replies \ @Jon_Hodl 18 Nov

Totally agree.

I love a good motion infographic while I am listing along.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @gmd 18 Nov

I sometimes like to torture myself by reading comments as well.

It's easy to have a podcast on the TV in the background where it is low commitment, while you surf the web on your laptop/phone. Vs podcast seems more like you have to focus.

108 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 19 Nov

The comments are awesome hilarious! Sometimes more entertaining than the video content

54 sats \ 1 reply \ @justin_shocknet 18 Nov

"A picture is worth 1000 words"

Straight audio is fine for passive jibber jabber while your focus is elsewhere, but if information consumption is the objective then presentation elements lend themselves to video... even if thats just body language and facial expression.

Youtube provides a better content filter in that context, and is just the most common media player generally. YT Premium, YT Music, already hooked up to home theater equipment via Smart TV etc... tough incumbent.

17 sats \ 0 replies \ @Jon_Hodl 18 Nov

Well articulated

3 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 18 Nov

Unpaywalled:

https://archive.vn/nfycu

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Jon_Hodl 18 Nov

I think this might just be because of how easy it is to upload a video to YouTube.

I don’t know how to upload to Spotify, Apple or anything else. I imagine they both require some sort of KYC or Apple ID.

YouTube is open to anyone with an email address.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @bren 18 Nov

Youtube does have a low barrier to entry for uploading videos, and they stream well anywhere.

4 sats \ 0 replies \ @Jon_Hodl 18 Nov

Yeah, I think that’s the largest reason.

Gen Z and younger consume a lot of content on YT, Insta, and TikTok.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @flat24 18 Nov

I'm also old enough to think podcast=audio

I totally agree with you, but it is true that it has become a trend for people to see content creators on YouTube talking about various topics in Podcasts

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @denlillaapan 18 Nov

nah, I've definitely started doing this. With JRE and DarkHorse on Spotify, I often flip across phone (like you, audio only while walking) and video when I come back home (doing chores, eating lunch etc).

I have also noticed that I enjoy watching these convos (WBD, WiM, TFTC etc) while chilling in sofa at night. Sometimes it's Netflix time, sometimes it's intellectual masturbation time

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @fm 18 Nov

Fountain is the way.. Use it daily