How to start a video podcast: setup, Spotify and editing for your first episodes.

The short version

To start, you need one microphone per person, one camera and a quiet, well-lit room. Record audio and video separately so the edit stays clean. Upload the full episode in landscape to YouTube and Spotify, and cut short vertical clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Record three episodes before you launch so you can publish on a regular schedule.

Video or audio only?

A video podcast is more work than an audio podcast. You need a camera and light, and editing takes longer. In return, you get three things audio alone can't give you:

• People find you on YouTube. YouTube is a search engine. A video episode can reach people who have never listened to a podcast.
• You get material for clips. Short clips with faces usually do better on TikTok, Reels and Shorts than a still image with a waveform.
• People see who's talking. Facial expressions, reactions and gestures make a conversation feel alive.

Audio only still makes sense if you record on the go, if your guests don't want to be on camera, or if you don't have time for video yet. You can always start with audio and add video later.

Is a video podcast worth it? It depends on your goal. If you want to reach new people, video helps a lot, because without a picture there are hardly any clips. If you mainly want to serve a loyal audience, audio can be enough.

The setup you actually need

You don't need a studio. The order matters: sound first, then light, then camera. Few people forgive bad audio. A slightly soft picture, they will.

Microphones

• One microphone per person, each voice on its own track. Then every voice can be fixed on its own, even when you talk over each other.
• Close to the mouth, about a hand's width away. Dynamic microphones pick up less room echo than condenser microphones and are more forgiving.
• Headphones for everyone, so there's no echo.
• Never rely on the camera's built-in mic. It's too far away and records the room.

Cameras

• One camera is enough to start. Frame it so everyone is in the shot.
• Two or more cameras make the episode livelier: one per person, or one wide and one close. Only then can the edit switch to whoever is speaking.
• A recent smartphone often gives a better picture than a basic webcam. What matters is a solid mount, enough storage and a charger.
• Same settings on every camera: same resolution, same frame rate. It saves trouble in the edit.

Light, background and room sound

Light from the front, slightly to the side. A window in front of you is a good start; a window behind you turns you into a silhouette. Soft light looks friendlier than a bare lamp. Choose a background with some depth, like a shelf, a plant or a lamp. Echo is almost impossible to remove later, so rugs, curtains, a couch or full shelves help. A small furnished room nearly always sounds better than a large empty one.

Recording in one room or remotely

If you're not in the same room, use a remote recording platform that saves each person separately. Then every voice has its own track and every picture is in good quality. A single combined recording works too, but it's less flexible in the edit. Check your platform's settings before the first session.

Video podcasts on Spotify and YouTube

The full episode usually runs in landscape on YouTube and Spotify. Short clips run vertically on TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

Common formats, as of October 2026. Check each platform's help pages for the exact requirements before you upload.

Spotify shows video episodes right in the app, and listeners can switch between picture and audio at any time. You can upload through Spotify's own portal for podcasters; some podcast hosts can also pass video episodes on to Spotify. Ask your host before you change everything. On YouTube you upload the episode as a regular video, collect episodes in a playlist and mark it as a podcast. A good thumbnail and a clear title matter a lot there: "Episode 12" tells nobody anything, the topic of the episode does. Apple Podcasts and other apps show video only partly or not at all, so always provide a clean audio file too.

How one episode comes together

• 1. Plan. Topic, guest, three to five questions, and where the episode should end up.
• 2. Check your gear. Sound on every track, picture on every camera, enough storage, full batteries.
• 3. Record. Clap once at the start so sound and picture can be lined up exactly.
• 4. Note the strong moments. Write down the time when something was great. It helps with chapters and clips.
• 5. Back up. Copy all files to a second place before the memory card is wiped.
• 6. Edit. Cut the slow parts, even out the sound, switch to the speaker, add intro and outro.
• 7. Publish. Video on YouTube and Spotify, audio on your host, with title, description and chapters.
• 8. Post clips. Three to ten short clips spread over the week, each pointing to the full episode.

Editing: what a video episode needs

In a video podcast you edit sound and picture at the same time, and every cut has to work in both. With several cameras, the picture also has to switch at the right moment. As a rule of thumb, a careful edit takes two to four hours of work per hour of conversation, more with several cameras.

You don't have to do it all yourself. Across the US market, freelance podcast editors charge roughly $50–200 per episode, and monthly plans with 4 episodes often run about $800–3,500 (market range, as of October 2026). What a full-service editor includes is on our podcast editing service page.

Clips: how new viewers find you

The full episode is mostly watched by people who already know you. New viewers usually find you through short clips. A good clip stands on its own: a clear point, a story or a punchline that makes sense without context. It needs a short headline in the first seconds and captions, because many people watch without sound. As a rule of thumb, a 60-minute episode gives 5 to 10 good clips.

Start now, not in January

Many people plan a podcast for the new year. If you want your first episode out in January, record in November and December. Then you launch with two or three finished episodes and can publish on schedule. Early on, consistency matters more than perfection: one good episode every week beats one perfect episode a month.