What podcasts looked like in 2024 — literally

In 2024, podcasts are closer to becoming a video-first medium. Although video podcasts have been around a relatively long timeshow 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 a new audience. In fact, Spotify, a major player in podcasts, is about to start paying podcasters to bring videos to the platform.

And after years of producers trying to make audio shows go viral on social media, podcasts now dominate TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts after video producers realized they can just film the talent talking. Meanwhile, weekly podcasts are trying to attract the younger audience that has grown up on YouTube. As a result, video producers understand how to make podcasts, and audio producers understand how to make videos.

I’ve noticed a few developing trends in this video-first podcasting format. This is not surprising; when one producer discovers a formula that works, others will try it. Let’s take a look at the current design and technology trends – and then I’ll talk about what I think may develop in the next year or so.

Many of today’s podcast studios look like living rooms and basements. This it is not a new phenomenon with talk shows, but many podcasts started in a lifestyle space, and larger media companies have adopted that aesthetic. Lamps. Ways. Fake plants. Bookshelves. This setting lends to a more “laid back” style than the long-form interview, which is typically the vibe of most chat podcasts.

Sofas and comfortable chairs feature a lot in these video shows. The round table has been abandoned, and fun is key – it’s much more comfortable than an environment for hours of talking at a time. Both the host and the guests are often on a sofa together or sitting in comfortable chairs separately.

Another trend I’ve noticed are these wooden slats on the wall in podcast studios – our own Vox Media space has gone with this design as well. These work best for sound absorption while still looking like a living space. This is already looking to be a signifier of the video podcasts of the middle of 2020.

With wide camera angles that show the entire room, there’s usually something in the middle of the screen, like a TV or a giant show logo, to create a symmetrical studio look. Neon signs and colored lights are very trendy right now because they add colorful light to a quieter studio space. Lots of cursive letters.

Branding is often a priority in video, and most producers think that means literally looking at the logo for two hours. This is also an easy way to let a TikTok scroller know what show they’re watching (although this usually doesn’t cut it well for vertical video).

Microphones are often placed on floor stands that extend over couches (these articulated boom items have been staples in recording studios for decades). As a result, the stands often appear from outside the frame of the camera and stop widely in front of the faces of the guests. Poles sticking out at different incongruous angles will look even more messy when you have multiple guests on separate chairs.

Although new types of mic stands for podcasts were introduced to the market, many shows ditched the long, clumsy boom poles in favor of having the host and guests hold their own microphones instead. This feels a little more authentic and intimate on screen, and many stand-up comedians prefer this method. However, it can be a bit awkward with inexperienced guests who speak with their hands or who do not know how to hold a microphone with a tight polar pattern.

It can be even worse. When podcasts are audio first, but with a video component, you often see unpleasant practices captured on camera, like this case where each guest holds his phone in front of him to record his audio while looking directly at the viewer. This is common practice for radio interviews, but not great when video is involved.

U Shure SM7B microphones they are still really popular in this medium and also budget model MV7. For branding purposes, cubes with the name of the show are often attached to the bottom of the microphone. This is reminiscent of the microphone flags on the stick microphones of newscasters, and are now being adapted for these classic radio studio microphones. This is probably because it is a more effective mark on vertically cut videos than a large logo on the wall in a studio.

Large isolating headphones are common in radio and podcasts and are still used in many video releases. But when guests are remote and looking directly at their webcam, those big earplugs stick out very awkwardly – more so than if you’re looking at someone’s profile view.

So that’s what many video podcasts have seen in 2024. But what about next year?

I believe that, in 2025, podcast producers will eventually stop following these tropes and try to differentiate themselves. Some producers who have been hired to help make the transition to video are starting to question the reason for the big headphones and bulky microphones that cover people’s faces and are opting for smaller lavalier mics and in-ear monitors.

The new audience may start to forget the word “podcast” and refer to the chat shows they see as just “shows”. Media executives will try to opt for the syndication of programs on linear platforms such as Roku, Pluto or Tubi. The fine line between podcasts and TV shows will get thinner.

More consumer-priced tools for production have entered the market, basically turning a simple desk and MacBook setup into a fully equipped control room. The guests have already moved out of the studio and in barbers, tennis courtsand on sidewalks. AI tools like Descript, Hush, and Accentize can turn less-than-optimal microphone recordings into fuller, more robust broadcast-style recordings. Podcasters whose crews are less able to handle uncontrolled recording environments will especially benefit from these post-production tools.

And who knows? Perhaps the pendulum will swing back when the budgets for these shows become too expensive to keep a video show running several times a week without a strong following. Maybe they’ll even reduce it to an audio-only format. And maybe this is where they start a new experiment in the audio medium.