Video Outperforms, But Audio-Only Podcasts Still Delivers Better ROI.

A new analysis by the Podcast Marketing Academy and branded-podcast production firm Lower Street finds that while video-enhanced podcasts outperform audio-only shows across nearly every major success metric, the cost of producing video dramatically erodes efficiency. 

The Podcast Marketing Trends report is based on detailed survey data from 308 podcasters across four continents, covering more than 50,000 cumulative episodes, 3.7 billion downloads, and 133 million YouTube views. The study found that audio/video shows outperformed in nearly every key creator metric — including total plays, cross-platform audience size, client acquisition, and annual revenue. However, the economics flip once the added production demands are factored in.

“Once we accounted for the additional cost of producing video, the difference in the ROI in terms of audience attention is stark,” the report states, noting audio/video shows are 77% more expensive per hour consumed than their audio-only counterparts.

The report also highlights that even among shows that produce video, the majority of engagement still happens via audio. In one sample, 78% of total listening time for Audio/Video shows came through audio feed consumption—suggesting video often serves more as a discovery funnel than the dominant listening mode.

The report’s sponsors say that finding should reassure creators without video budgets that audio remains a strong—and highly efficient—format. “We see it as a strong sign that there is still plenty of use, opportunity, and value in producing audio-only shows,” the report notes.

Yet the report offers good reasons to explore video. Across nearly every performance indicator, it says audio/video shows topped audio-only on a variety of metrics —

• Total plays per episode: When combining audio downloads and YouTube views, audio/video shows had substantially higher play counts.

• Consumption time: Total monthly listening and viewing hours were higher for audio/video shows.

• Cross-platform audience: Creators using both formats reported larger audiences across email lists and social platforms.

• Revenue distribution: Median annual revenue was similar for both groups, but audio/video shows were far more likely to break into the top tier—20% reported more than $1 million in annual revenue, compared to 4% of audio-only shows.

Despite the performance differences, Podcast Marketing Academy Founder Jeremy Enns says the report shows that both audio-only and audio/video approaches can succeed—if creators commit to the approach that best matches their goals and resources.

“Regardless of where you stand on the audio versus video podcast debate, I think this report will both affirm and challenge your current point of view,” Enns says. “It’s clear that both approaches have their upsides and also their drawbacks. If anything, the important thing is to pick your lane, commit to it, and make the most of what each type of show has to offer.”

Video is likely to only grow, however. Jackie Lamport, Head of Special Project at Lower Street, which specializes in branded podcasts, says demand for video has surged. “Roughly 90% of the brands coming to us now want video with their podcast,” she says. 

But Lamport warns that adding video without the necessary investment is a common—and costly—mistake.

But Lamport says a lot of brands mistakenly think that just adding video will give them bigger reach and engagement, and that’s not always true. “It takes intention, strategy, research, platform insight, and high-quality production to break through the noise of all the other brands trying to do the same thing,” she said. 

Read the Podcast Marketing Trends: Cost of Attention Report HERE.