Want to put your podcast on YouTube? Wondering how to adapt your show for video viewers?
In this article, we'll explore creating video podcasts on YouTube.

Why Should You Add YouTube to Your Podcasting Strategy?
Podcasting has become an extremely popular media format, with millions of listeners tuning in to their favorite shows every day.
However, the podcast landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, making it difficult for new shows to break through and attract a large audience. This has led some podcasters to explore creative options for growing their listenership, such as adapting their content into YouTube videos.
Podcaster and online business coach Jay Clouse shares his strategies and insights for transforming podcast episodes into video content optimized for YouTube viewership growth.
As founder of Creator Science Media and host of the Creator Science podcast, Jay discovered innovative ways to repackage his audio interviews as compelling and visually dynamic YouTube videos.
There are several key reasons why Jay says podcasters should consider experimenting with video content on their YouTube channel:
- The platform's algorithms actively promote videos to new viewers in a way that podcast apps don’t. The more people engage with a video, the more YouTube will recommend it to prospective new viewers. This gives videos much more exposure potential.
- Podcasts rely almost entirely on word-of-mouth and your marketing efforts to attract listeners. YouTube puts videos in front of people, allowing growth beyond what you can drive yourself through cross-promotion.
- The platform's videos open up podcast content to new audiences that may not be podcast listeners. The visual format also allows for different creative possibilities in presenting and enhancing the content.
- Successfully executed video podcast episodes on your YouTube channel can also drive viewers back to check out the audio show. This helps increase your overall listenership.
How to Optimize YouTube Podcasts
Podcasting creates strong listener bonds, but discovery remains challenging for most shows. An audio-only podcast, which is an RSS feed, does not have the capability of introducing new listeners to you.
YouTube Studio offers built-in mechanisms to put your content in front of new audiences at scale, which drove Jay to test video. One podcast episode from his show has now amassed over 1.7 million YouTube views—nearly as many total downloads of the audio show over 3.5 years.
However, he cautions that you can’t simply repurpose audio content. Success requires optimizing your show for the YouTube environment.
#1: Key Challenges of Optimizing Podcasts for the YouTube Audience
While posting podcast videos on YouTube provides growth opportunities, creating content optimized for the platform poses some distinct creative and production challenges:
- On YouTube home pages and sidebars, videos must compete for clicks against the highest caliber content like MrBeast's and Emma Chamberlain's videos. The platform's algorithm will bury the videos if watch time engagement is lower.
- Most successful YouTube videos are shorter in length, visually flashy, and have high production value. Podcasts are more extended conversations without much dynamic visual stimulation.
- Many video podcast attempts involve stagnant side-by-side talking headshots or basic overlays over audio. These don’t take advantage of the visual format that YouTube viewers expect.
- Without attention-grabbing packaging, intriguing titles, and compelling openings, most viewers will quickly click away from podcast videos since they don’t know the hosts or guests.
#2: Consider Your Podcast Video Packaging Before You Begin an Interview
Rather than passively uploading your podcast audio to YouTube and hoping it performs, Jay stresses the need to fundamentally shift your creative thinking and production to play by the platform's rules.
First, consider visual-first creative packaging possibilities before your interviews, not just as an afterthought. Figure out what core topic or ideas you can deeply explore through a podcast episode and design video packaging around teasing and delivering on those narrow ideas.
Most views come from YouTube recommendations, not searches. So, your thumbnail, title, and video idea must stand out among other suggestions. Think of your video as a gift box—make people excited to open it. Jay says he won't publish a video if he can't make the packaging clickable.
Ready to Supercharge Your Marketing Strategy?

Get expert training and an unbeatable conference experience when you attend Social Media Marketing World—from your friends at Social Media Examiner.
Broaden your reach, skyrocket your engagement, and grow your sales. Become the marketing hero your company or clients need!
🔥 As a valued reader, you can save $530 on an All-Access ticket if you act now. Sale Ends Tuesday! 🔥
GET THE DETAILSThere are two packaging approaches: leveraging the guest's fame or highlighting the ideas covered. Most of Jay’s Creator Science guests are unknown to many YouTube viewers, so he emphasizes ideas in the packaging. You can use your guest's name in the title and face in the thumbnail if your guest is known.

Lead with one core concept that will attract and retain viewers because the content delivers what the title and thumbnail promised (this also applies to audio-only podcasts). Jay recommends avoiding wide-ranging interviews that loosely touch on multiple topics. There should be alignment between the title, thumbnail, and the content itself. This helps attract an audience on YouTube who likely has not learned about you or the guest.
#3: Package Your Video Podcast for YouTube
On YouTube, you compete with all creators for viewers' attention. Though you may not directly compete with the biggest names, you do compete with the 7–8 videos the platform recommends based on what they think each viewer will find interesting.
Jay says you must be willing to invest extra resources into elevated production value and edits to stand out. You must also craft packages with compelling titles, quality custom thumbnails, and a main video idea—these act as “scroll-stoppers” for viewers.
Crafting Clickable Titles and Thumbnails
Video titles should quickly communicate concrete takeaways viewers will discover rather than podcast numbering conventions.
Your podcast audience already knows you, but YouTube viewers likely don't. Avoid episode numbers, guest names, or jargon upfront—lead with the specific intriguing idea the video covers. Phrase it by answering, “Why should I watch this?”
For example, “Meet the YouTuber Who Solved Shorts” clearly signals it's an interview about an interesting accomplishment. This applies beyond YouTube, too—email subject lines, etc. Quickly tell your viewers why they should care to click and watch/read more.

Keep titles under 75 characters so they don't get cut off. Craft titles that create an “open loop” of curiosity—make viewers feel they need to watch your video to satisfy that curiosity. If somebody sees the title or the whole package, they should feel uncomfortable not clicking on it.

Curious About How to Use AI?
Our newest show, AI Explored, might be just what you're looking for. It's for marketers, creators, and entrepreneurs who want to understand how to use AI in their business.
It's hosted by Michael Stelzner and explores this exciting new frontier in easy-to-understand terms.
Pull up your favorite podcast app and search for AI Explored. Or click the button below for more information.
For example, Ali Abdaal recently posted a 45-minute video titled “Everything's Changing – Life Update.” Even though 45 minutes is a big time commitment, the title created enough intrigue for Jay to click on it. Give your viewers a compelling reason to choose your video over the 7 others YouTube recommends next to it.

Similarly, thumbnails should follow a “three aspect rule” to appear polished yet simple using only three key visual elements. This could be words, logos, faces, background images, etc. However, having too many items competes for the viewer's attention.
For example, a highly performing thumbnail contained just an airplane engine, a man in a reflective jacket, and a chicken—no words. The simplicity compelled clicks. For your videos, analyze if there are more than three key visual pieces. Try removing some elements or combining them to simplify what viewers see first. This clarity catches their eye to click and watch more.
Jay “hacks” social proof when appropriate by incorporating known guest faces into thumbnails. If someone is recognizable, a viewer will likely click on the thumbnail. Ultimately, you want titles and thumbnails to spark enough curiosity that viewers feel compelled to click.
Optimizing Video Podcast Production
Remote interviews are typical for podcasters. Unfortunately, many creators upload these visibly lackluster, split-screen interviews as unmodified Zoom calls on YouTube.These videos rarely get recommended because they perform poorly.
Instead, Jay believes you must enhance the viewer experience over audio-only to justify the video format. You must engage viewers throughout interviews in creative ways. Jay zooms into the speaker for Creative Science videos, taking up the entire frame rather than side-by-side boxes with extra space and branding. He switches between speakers so that whoever is talking dominates the viewer's attention.
He also dynamically zooms, adds graphics highlighting key insights and toast notifications on big ideas, and introduces visual elements like virtual notepads. The goal is to maintain the visual stimulation expected from platforms like TikTok while conveying tactical, actionable advice. This makes the YouTube experience better for the viewer than passively listening.
Maintaining visual dynamism from start to finish makes your YouTube video feel additive and enhanced versus just a repurposed podcast.
Built-In B-Roll Opportunities and Compelling Introductions
Interviewing creators offers inherent b-roll possibilities to illustrate points further and heighten engagement. Jay incorporates relevant guest content samples as they discuss specific videos or projects. This innovation over expectations typifies his systematic yet creative video podcast production approach.
Since viewer drop-off escalates over time, an ultra-gripping welcome sequence pays dividends. Use attention-grabbing b-roll footage, graphics, and effects to make an engaging visual introduction filled with compelling moments from the episode.
Based on insights from YouTube consultant Paddy Galloway, Jay crafts separate, original first 90-second segments featuring animation and vibrant graphics encapsulating episode themes. These “trailers” then promote content across social media platforms, like X/Twitter and LinkedIn, driving anticipatory viewership.
It’s important to remain conscious that your video needs to stand out among the flood of other bright, snappy YouTube content viewers scroll by. Lean into experimentation with visual presentation methods until you land an engaging formula.
Increasing YouTube Retention Rates
The platform's algorithm recommends videos that maximize viewers' overall time on the platform. It compares which videos keep people watching longer. Jay’s podcast interviews have ~25% average view duration, meaning people watch 25% of the video. Though some creators see higher retention rates on shorter videos, his longer runtimes total more minutes watched.
Even at just 25% on a long video, he can keep viewers watching for almost 10 minutes—better than a 4-minute video with 75% retention totaling just 3 minutes. By improving his intros to prolong attention, Jay’s videos’ impressions and views increased. YouTube rewarded the additional platform time spent, not the percentage viewed. This matters more than 100% retention on shorter videos.
#4: Edit and Publish Your Video Podcast for YouTube
Jay releases two YouTube videos per month, while his podcast audio is released weekly. This 2:1 ratio focuses his video time on guests and topics deliberately relevant to the platform's viewers.
Rather than skating by publishing everything to video, Jay carefully selects just a few standout monthly interviews for that medium. He invests more time and effort to package those for impact over volume. This yields better returns than spreading him and his team too thin.
While producing polished and creatively packaged content on your YouTube podcast channel requires substantial extra effort and resources, like an editor, designer, audio engineer, and more, it’s worth it for Jay. His videos frequently generate over 1 million views—a massive viewership number most podcasts would never reach through audio episodes alone.
For Jay’s business, pursuing video podcasting created a growth flywheel generating awareness that feeds back into the success of his broader Creator Science brand.
Jay Clouse is founder of Creator Science, a media company that helps people become professional creators and achieve financial freedom. His show is called the Creator Science podcast. His membership is called The Lab, a place for professional creators to experiment. You can find him on YouTube.
Other Notes From This Episode
- Connect with Michael Stelzner @Stelzner on Instagram and @Mike_Stelzner on Twitter.
- Watch this interview and other exclusive content from Social Media Examiner on YouTube.
Listen to the Podcast Now
This article is sourced from the Social Media Marketing Podcast, a top marketing podcast. Listen or subscribe below.
Where to subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Music | YouTube | Amazon Music | RSS
✋🏽 If you enjoyed this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast, please head over to Apple Podcasts, leave a rating, write a review, and subscribe.
Stay Up-to-Date: Get New Marketing Articles Delivered to You!
Don't miss out on upcoming social media marketing insights and strategies! Sign up to receive notifications when we publish new articles on Social Media Examiner. Our expertly crafted content will help you stay ahead of the curve and drive results for your business. Click the link below to sign up now and receive our annual report!

Discover Proven Marketing Strategies and Tips
Want to go even deeper with your marketing? Check out the Social Media Marketing Podcast! Publishing weekly since 2012, the Social Media Marketing Podcast helps you navigate the constantly changing marketing jungle, with expert interviews from marketing pros.
But don’t let the name fool you. This show is about a lot more than just social media marketing. With over 600 episodes and millions of downloads each year, this show has been a trusted source for marketers for well over a decade.