Is a YouTube podcast a good idea for literature and non-fictional books?

June 24, 2021 2:49 PM

I would like to start a podcast that focuses on interviewing and discussing Canadian writers' works spanning from literature, biography, and non-fiction. I am not sure if YouTube is the best medium for starting a podcast on books?

Would YouTube be the right medium? Without video and only audio recording? Would interviewers feel more comfortable with audio or video? Would an audience prefer video interviews/discussions or audio for listening/discussions? Would it be best to focus elsewhere for setting up a Canadian literary podcast besides YouTube? I have no idea - this is a project I have been wanting to do for a long time. I have editorial experience in literature/and some educational background in English literature as well.

posted by RearWindow to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

I can tell you I read a lot and listen to a lot of podcasts but would never listen to a podcast on YouTube. I am but one data oint.
posted by latkes at 2:57 PM on June 24, 2021 [9 favorites]

Definitely with video if you are on YouTube. 100%. There's a whole book-tube community on YouTube so there is definitely an audience for it. It's mostly book reviews and interviews on the tube though but I think it would definitely be welcomed. I'd watch for sure.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 2:58 PM on June 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

For podcasts I see on YouTube, they record video and post it on YouTube, while an audio-only version is posted to a podcasting service. Then anyone can access the audio through their own podcast app or feed reader.

If you don't want to do video, there is no point in using YouTube.
posted by muddgirl at 4:33 PM on June 24, 2021 [5 favorites]

If you choose to go audio, soundcloud has a trivial RSS feed option that you can turn on with a few clicks. Youtube seems to have worked hard to sabotage any attempt at interoperability.
posted by eotvos at 6:00 PM on June 24, 2021

I listen to both, and I would recommend both. Audio, for me, is for the car, where I need something to listen to but can’t watch video. Video (or minimal-video-but-posted-to-YouTube) is for work time when I’m on my laptop and can have it playing in another tab without running the battery on my phone down. I don’t think audio-only on YouTube would be a popular option, but I’m one data point that at least some people do it.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:07 PM on June 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

I think YouTube is a smart thing to add because—coming from a lit background myself—a lot of people you interview will probably have nothing else on YouTube, and YouTube is a great long-tail platform. Definitely with video, if possible. But like several other commenters I think you should also put it on a conventional RSS feed, in Apple Music, on Spotify if you want, etc.
posted by Polycarp at 7:32 PM on June 24, 2021 [1 favorite]