How to Start a YouTube Podcast in 2024: Ultimate Guide

Want to expand your show's reach, increase its visibility, and unlock its monetization potential? Our step-by-step guide explains everything you need to know to start a YouTube podcast.

Getting a podcast on YouTube isn’t all about becoming the next big YouTube creator, it’s about unlocking massive potential reach for your show. Whether you aim to go all in on video podcasting, or just want another distribution channel either way, you're in the right place. Our ultimate guide on how to start a YouTube podcast isn’t just about creating for YouTube only, but all about how you can use YouTube to grow your podcast, and how you can get started in video podcasting.

We'll explain in detail how to upload your podcast episodes to YouTube. We'll also explore the benefits of using it as an extension of your podcasting efforts. From increased visibility to monetization potential, YouTube has a lot to offer your podcast.

It's an exciting journey that requires careful planning and execution. Using YouTube for podcasts offers incredible opportunities for creators, so it’s worth the effort.

Ready to unlock YouTube's immense potential for podcasts?

What Is a YouTube Podcast?

Before we get to the steps, let’s look at the difference between a YouTube channel and a YouTube podcast channel. Because while they might sound like the same thing, they’re not.

A YouTube channel is a dedicated space on the platform where creators can share various types of video content (vlogs, tutorials, presentations, etc.). It’s a place for them to build an audience, engage with viewers, and showcase their content.

A YouTube podcast channel focuses on sharing podcast episodes in a video or audio format. Here, the primary content is podcast episodes (hence the name). This could take the form of:

• Audio content accompanied by static images

• Waveform animations

• Remote or in-studio video recordings of your entire episodes

• Video footage related to the podcast

While a podcast YouTube channel exists to share the show's episodes on the video platform, it is not the primary hosting site of the podcast. (More on this in Step 4 below.)

A YouTube Channel vs. A Podcast on YouTube

If your goal is only video, and you really want to be a video creator, then a YouTube Channel is for you. That’s all you need. It’s a profile and content platform to share video-only content. 

But if your goal is to actually get into podcasting, then YouTube alone won’t be enough. Podcasting is an audio-first format and visual second. In this case, you’ll want to distribute your podcast episodes on all the top podcast platforms like Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

We’re all about podcasting, but huge fans of video podcasting. To do this, you’ll first start a podcast and then take the extra step of uploading visual versions of episodes to YouTube as a growth strategy.

Essentially, a YouTube podcast is a podcast that happens to be on YouTube. It lives as a playlist on a YouTube channel but is not exclusive to YouTube.

Why put your podcast on YouTube?

Uploading to YouTube allows podcast creators to tap into the platform's massive audience. With over 2 billion active monthly users, Google-owned YouTube is often touted as the second-largest search engine.

But they're video-watchers. And you have a podcast.

Well, sharing your podcast on YouTube makes sense because it is the podcast platform of choice. Studies have shown for some it is the top platform for podcast listening preferences.  

By adding a visual component to your episodes, you're likely to capture more of the platform's audience, as well as take advantage of its monetization potential.

Additional benefits of YouTube podcasts include the ability to leverage the real-time feedback from your audience within the comments section—allowing you to engage with your listeners in a way other podcast distribution methods don't—and the powerful recommendation algorithm that puts your show in front of audiences with similar interests.

Examples of YouTube Podcasts

Two good examples of podcasts that have found a successful place on YouTube are Rotten Mango and The H3 Podcast. Both have slightly different approaches to their video podcasting. H3 is well known for live streamed episodes, filmed in personal studio settings,  and multiple sub-shows within their podcast. They have constant content both long and short form that appeals to different audiences. 

Instead, Rotten Mango has long been focused on the one true crime podcast. She hosts full episodes on YouTube, as well as creating shorts to reach a larger audience.  Rotten Mango films with a front-on camera and uses additional footage or images to enhance the storytelling.

How to Start a Video Podcast for YouTube In 6 Steps

The steps below will guide you through the process of how to start a YouTube podcast, with video or just audio. Depending on where you are in your podcast journey you may have completed some of them already. Others may need your full attention.

By the end of it, you’ll have everything you need to unleash the full potential of your podcast on YouTube!

1. The Essentials of Podcasting - Planning And Equipment

Before we even think about YouTube you’ll need to think about your podcast as a whole. Moving beyond the very initial steps of starting a podcast, brainstorming topics, and purchasing the necessary equipment and podcast software, you'll want to plan out your podcast.

For your main podcasting setup you’ll need:

• An external USB microphone: Some of our favorites include the Audio Technica ATR2100x USB, or the Shure MV7 USB.

• A pop filter or foam cover: if not included with the microphone.

• Wired Headphones

• Recording & Editing Software
  

If you are hoping to make this a visual video podcast then you’ll also want:

• At least one video camera per angle you’d like to have: Apple users, your iPhone can connect to your Mac and act as a higher definition camera for front-angle only. Another option for budget is the Sony Alpha a6000, and a more high-end camera is the Canon VIXIA HF G50. 

• Tripods 

• Lighting setup

• An editing software that supports video!

Now, before you hit record, take the time to plan and write a podcast script. This will help you determine the structure and content of your episode and ensure a smooth recording process. Now is also the time to think about any extra visuals or B-roll footage you might want to capture.

If you have an interview podcast, be a good host and research your guest.

2. Record Your Episodes

If YouTube is already on your mind, then you may be more interested in visual. But at its core podcasting is an audio medium. If you want to create a podcast, not just a YouTube channel, then pay attention to the audio. Consider your recording methods for both audio and video. We’ve outlined the three most common methods below.

Option 1: Audio-Only (Low Barrier to Entry)

Recording an audio-only podcast is a popular choice for many podcasters. If this is you, simply create some appealing background images to go with your recording. It’s a quick and easy option, especially if time is short. Your podcast hosting site will be able to share the RSS feed direct with YouTube, so uploading will be as simple as with any other platform.

This option might be quick and easy, but it won’t garner as much engagement as a YouTube podcast with video. If you’re adding YouTube as part of a larger podcast marketing plan, you’ll need to level up your camera skills.

Option 2: Use Your Computer's Webcam (Medium Barrier to Entry)

Adding a visual component to your podcast doesn't necessarily require external cameras. Your computer's webcam, recording as you record your podcast, will do fine. 

You’ll need to use recording software or video conferencing tools that allow you to capture video and audio simultaneously. Pay attention to framing, camera angles, and visual aesthetics. Although you can edit and enhance the video before uploading it.

Option 3: Go All Out With External Cameras (High(er) Barrier to Entry)

This method is a favorite with podcasters who offer interview and conversational-style content. It provides more flexibility for camera placement and angles and offers the ability to use multiple cameras.

Choose cameras that suit your budget and desired video quality. Nowadays, even shooting on an iPhone can produce excellent results. You could consider using tripods or camera mounts to ensure steady footage. But they’re not an absolute necessity.

In this scenario, you do need to be mindful of your “set.” Since the room you’re recording in will end up on camera, it’s a good idea to make sure it looks the part. Dress up the area that’s in frame so it looks professional.

3. Edit and Prepare Your Podcast for Publishing

Once you’ve recorded your podcast, the next step is to edit and prepare it for upload. Editing isn’t a must, but it does allow you to refine the content and enhance the listening experience.

For editing visual and audio at the same time you can use editing software like Descript or even IMovie to make your YouTube podcast. If you are working with audio only, use editing software like GarageBand, Audacity, Adobe Audition, or Reaper to make short(ish) work of the process. You could also hire a podcast editing service to do it for you.

Whether or not you decide to edit the recording, there are still some steps to follow to prepare it for user consumption. These include:

• Transcribing your video

• Designing an engaging visual to keep your audience engaged (audio-only podcasts)

• Creating “micro-content” for YouTube publishing (more on this in step 5)

• Creating an engaging Thumbnail (more on this in best practices below!)

4. Set Up Your Hosting and Feed

If you have an existing podcast, you would have already set up your hosting and feed. But if you're new to the game, keep reading.

You'll want your audience to be able to find your show via any of the podcast directories, so you'll need to complete this step before you upload videos to YouTube.

When connecting to YouTube, you’ll be prompted to connect your RSS feed as a playlist, under the “Podcasts” tab, this categorizes your videos as podcasts, sharing them with users who are interested in listening to shows.

When you use YouTube as your primary hosting site, you don’t have a podcast. You have a YouTube channel.

To start a YouTube Podcast channel, begin by choosing a reliable podcast hosting platform that will store your podcast episodes and distribute them to different podcast directories. Additionally, these platforms provide the necessary tools for creating your podcast feed.

• Libsyn

• Podbean

• Buzzsprout

• Anchor

• Blubrry

• Transistor

After you’ve uploaded some episodes it’s time to submit your podcast RSS feed to the various podcast directories. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher, are the most common ones.

What if you don’t want an RSS connection, and want video only?

You don’t have to connect your RSS feed to YouTube. If you are going to be focused on Video Podcasting, the RSS won’t always allow this connection, so you may need to go in manually.

To do this, when you go into the YouTube Studio, simply create a new playlist and make sure to set it as a podcast. Once you create a playlist, click the 3 dots next to the Playlist and choose “ Set as a Podcast”. You can upload videos directly into this YouTube podcast playlist.

5. Create a YouTube Podcast Channel 

To prepare for your YouTube launch, it’s time to create a dedicated space for your podcast on YouTube. It’s easy enough, but we’ve outlined the step-by-step process to make it even easier.

If you already have a Google account, sign in to YouTube using your Google credentials. If you don't have an account, now’s the time to create one.

 Here’s the steps for how to start a YouTube podcast channel.

Step 1: Create Your Channel

Once you're signed in, click on your profile picture or avatar in the top-right corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select "YouTube Studio.” Navigate to the left-hand sidebar and click on "Settings." Then, click on "Create a Channel."

Step 2: Name and Customize Your Channel

Enter a name for your YouTube podcast channel and customize the appearance by uploading your logo and other channel art. Set up the channel description, add links to your podcast website or social media profiles, and choose relevant categories and tags to help viewers discover your content.

Now, you can either connect your RSS feed to YouTube for automatic updates, or upload episodes directly into a “Podcast Playlist”. Let’s see what that would look like.

Creating a Podcast in YouTube Studio

You can also start a YouTube podcast directly within YouTube Studio.You'll see the option to "Create a New Podcast."

If you go down this route, you'll effectively be creating a new playlist for your channel, with your full-length podcast episodes featured as individual videos in that playlist.

This option does come with useful perks that can help attract new audiences and subscribers:

• The dedicated podcast tab on your YouTube channel helps listeners locate your episodes easily

• A spotlight on the YouTube podcasts page; https://youtube.com/podcasts 

• Your episodes can be included on YouTube Music, allowing you to reach listeners on an additional platform

• Podcast badges on Watch and Playlist pages

• Being listed as a recommendation to new listeners with similar interests

• Easy watch page discoverability, helping listeners find your episodes

This is a great option for brands with an existing YouTube channel that want to distinguish their podcast episodes from the rest of their video content, yet still want all their videos to be housed within the same channel.

It's also an excellent choice when you want to share both full-length video podcasts to the platform, alongside the shorter feature clips and snippets. You'll be able to mark full-length episodes as podcast videos, and upload the snippets to a separate playlist or as YouTube Shorts, allowing you to take full advantage of the functionalities and benefits offered to the different video types by the platform.

If you've previously uploaded your podcast videos to a YouTube channel and since want to designate them as podcast episodes, you are able to in just a few clicks via YouTube Studio.

5. Upload Your Content

Now your channel, your podcast playlist, and your episodes are all ready. It’s time to upload! In this case, you have a few options for how to share podcast content on YouTube. You can share full episodes, live streams, or shorts. We’ll share more on these in a second, but first, let’s look at the best practices for uploading full episodes as YouTube videos.

Best Practices for a YouTube Podcast Video

Ensure your episodes are titled and tagged, and include a well-written description optimized for searchability.

When uploading your episodes, some of the best practices include:

• Writing captivating titles in 70 characters or less

• Creating eye-catching thumbnails for each video

• Tagging your videos with relevant and popular keywords

• Enabling subtitles

• Ordering your videos as you want viewers to watch them (for a narrative podcast, publish oldest videos at the top of the playlist)

• Writing optimized descriptions that include timestamps of important moments, and links to your episodes, website and feeds

Also consider creating a brief channel trailer introducing your podcast. It can serve as a welcome video for new viewers and provide a preview of what they can expect from your podcast.
Tips for Sharing your Podcast on YouTube

 While we recommend using YouTube to upload your full episodes, there are different options for sharing your podcast content. Deciding on the right content format  is important for engaging your ideal audience and maximizing the visual appeal of your content.

Depending on your audience's preferences, your resources, and the nature of your podcast, there are various formats to choose from.

Share the Entire Episode

One approach is to upload your entire podcast episodes as videos on YouTube. It’s straightforward and easy to automate using apps like Repurpose.io and Podbean. However, there are some cons to this approach.

Making your entire episode available on YouTube means there’s no need for people to find you on Spotify. This could result in a drop in subscribers to your RSS feeds and hurt your sponsorship numbers.

If your episodes lean to being quite long people may not watch the whole video. A rise in video abandonment rates won’t bode well.

You also need to give careful thought to what you name your videos. Remember, YouTube is a search engine. Your SEO skills will need to be on point to come up with a title that’s both click-worthy and searchable.

Finally, for videos over 15 minutes long, you’ll need to verify your Google account with YouTube. Once verified, your upload file size is limited to 128 gigabytes or 12 hours, which should be plenty. If not, you can always try compressing the file using video-editing software.

Go Live

Live streaming your podcast on YouTube provides an interactive and real-time experience for your audience. It allows you to engage with your viewers through live chat, Q&A sessions, and even guest interviews.

Live streaming creates a sense of excitement and immediacy, as viewers can participate in the discussion as it happens. This format works well for podcasts that thrive on audience interaction and want to cultivate a live community.

Craft Compelling Snippets from Your Podcast Episodes

Another option is to repurpose your podcast episodes into shorter, bite-sized videos known as micro-content. You can extract key highlights, interesting discussions, or valuable insights from your episodes and create separate videos around them.

These micro-content videos are more digestible and shareable on social media platforms. They can also serve as teasers or previews of your full podcast episodes, enticing viewers to listen to the complete versions. This format allows you to reach a broader audience and leverage the power of social media platforms.

A big plus of going this route is that you are more likely to attract viewers back to your podcast website or RSS feed. On the downside, producing micro-content requires more editing and uploading time. It also requires a good amount of YouTube SEO knowledge to title all your videos well.

Uploading your videos as micro-content might be more complicated, to begin with. But it also offers more opportunities for creativity and audience engagement.

Promotion and Monetization: Get the Word Out on Your YouTube Podcast

After you start a YouTube podcast channel, it's time to promote your content and explore monetization options. Here are some steps to get your YouTube podcast out into the world. We’ll start with promotion tactics and then move on to monetization.

 Tips for Promoting Your YouTube Podcast

We touched on the power of creating “micro-content” earlier in the post. Short snippets and teasers are a great way to create engagement and draw in listeners. But it’s by no means the only way to get the word out and market your podcast.

Some other ideas for promoting your YouTube podcast include:

• Optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags for SEO and YouTube's search algorithm

• Engage with your audience by asking for feedback and suggestions and responding to comments.

• Leverage the power of social media by sharing teasers, clips, or highlights from your podcast episodes.

• Collaborate with fellow podcasters, YouTubers, or influencers in your niche to cross-promote each other's content.

• Consider running paid advertising campaigns on YouTube or other platforms to increase the visibility of your podcast.

• Use YouTube's analytics tools to understand what content resonates most with your viewers, identify areas for improvement, and refine your promotional strategies. (Don’t underestimate the value of trends and statistics.)

Tips for Monetizing Your YouTube Channel

As is the case with monetizing an audio podcast, there are some standard tactics for earning money from your content on YouTube. These include:

• Sponsorships

• Advertising and affiliate marketing

• Paid subscription content

• Crowdfunding

Once your channel meets the eligibility criteria, you can monetize it through the YouTube Partner Program. This allows you to access more income-generating avenues. The most obvious one is to display ads, but there are other options too.

• Offering channel memberships

• Adding a merch shelf to showcase branded podcast merchandise

• Creating YouTube Shorts to earn money from the YouTube Shorts Fund

YouTube is aiming to attract podcasters to the platform through the various ways creators can monetize their videos. As YouTube Director of Podcasting Kai Chuk explained, "We’re really hoping podcasters will take advantage of this infrastructure and hopefully make YouTube a meaningful part of their revenue strategy."

Can you turn a YouTube video into a podcast?

You might already be a YouTube creator, now looking into podcasting. There is good news, you can repurpose your most popular videos into podcast episodes!

On the one hand, add these videos to your podcasting playlist. But if you want to make them stand out as a proper podcast episode, you’ll want to make some adjustments. 

Download, or recover the video file, then decide if you will reuse it as a video podcast episode or just an audio episode.

If it is a video, you may just want to film an intro and outro to align the video with your podcast, then re-upload under your podcast playlist.

If you would like to instead create an audio episode to upload on your RSS feed, take that file and convert it into audio.There are many converters out there, and your editing software may even do it for you.  From here you can load it into the editor of your choice, adjust the sound as need be, and add in your podcast intro and outro. 

Then it is ready to be published as a podcast episode.

Ready to Start a YouTube Podcast and Unlock the Potential of Video Podcasting?

Creating a dedicated YouTube podcast channel provides a centralized platform for your episodes. It allows you to build an audience, increase your reach, and leverage the platform's popularity, features, and functionalities. In short, it's an excellent way to enhance your podcast's impact.

Remember, building a successful YouTube podcast takes time and consistent effort. Analyze your promotional tactics, adapt to viewer feedback, and refine your content continuously.

With effective promotion and monetization strategies, your YouTube podcast can grow and thrive. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to attracting a loyal and engaged audience.