Video is now earning its place on Apple Podcasts
Apple has put numbers on something many of us in podcast production have felt for a while: adding video grows a show. On 19 October, Apple Podcasts’ Head of Creator Partnerships, Jake Shapiro, shared early results from shows that have added video, and confirmed that a video ad marketplace is on the way.
For anyone running a podcast on behalf of a business, this is the clearest signal yet that audio-only is leaving reach on the table. Here is what Apple said, what it does not mean, and what it means if you make a podcast for your company.
The numbers, and the caveat
Among the top-performing shows that added video, Apple reported:
- Plays up more than 10%
- Audiences up more than 20%
- Net new followers up more than 130%
Two examples stood out. TED’s How to Be a Better Human saw its unique audience rise 93% and follows rise 113%. MeatEater, which already had a big video following elsewhere, converted 32% of non-followers into followers in its first week with video on Apple.
Apple was careful to say these are not industry averages. They describe the shows that grew most, not every show that switched on a camera. That matters, and we would rather say it plainly than oversell it: video is not a magic button. What the figures do show is the ceiling. When video is done well, the upside is large, and the biggest gain is in followers, the people who come back for every episode.
The technology behind it is HLS video streaming, which Apple has built on top of RSS rather than replacing it. Your show stays yours: you keep control of where it goes and how it makes money. Video podcasts are also heading to Apple TV through the redesigned Apple Podcasts app, with editorial placement in the TV app, which puts a company podcast on the biggest screen in the house.
A video ad marketplace, with a flat fee
Apple is also building a video ad marketplace with hosting companies and ad networks, on top of the existing podcast audio ad system. Existing audio ads can carry visuals such as brand graphics or QR codes, so one campaign reaches both viewers and listeners. Ads made specifically for video come next, and dynamic insertion means host-read endorsements no longer have to be baked permanently into an episode.
The business model is the interesting part. Ad networks pay Apple a flat, impression-based delivery fee under the same global terms. Apple says it does not take a percentage of publishers’ ad revenue and is not setting industry pricing. No launch date or fee amount has been announced yet.
For a brand that sponsors or advertises on podcasts, this points to a cleaner, more measurable video ad channel. For a company producing its own show, it means video episodes will sit inside a growing, commercially serious ecosystem rather than on the fringes of it.
What this means for company podcasts
Most corporate podcasts are built to do a job: show expertise, put a face to leadership, support recruitment, or keep a sector talking to you. Every one of those jobs is easier when people can see the guests.
- More reach from the same conversation. You are already booking the guest and recording the episode. Adding cameras turns one recording into a video podcast, a YouTube upload and a stack of short clips for LinkedIn and Instagram.
- Followers, not just plays. Apple’s biggest number was follower growth. For a business, a follower is a returning audience: clients, partners and future hires who hear from you every episode.
- Trust you can see. Faces, body language and a professional set do more for credibility than audio alone, especially for leaders and specialists.
- Ready for the next ad market. If your show carries sponsors or partner messages, video episodes are where those formats are heading.
The catch is quality. A shaky webcam call will not deliver the results Apple is describing. Multi-camera, properly lit and well-mixed video is what the top-growing shows have in common.
Video podcasts at Lake District Film Studios
Our 450 sq ft podcast studio in Studio Two was built for exactly this. It is set up for three people, with three Rode microphones and three Blackmagic Cinema cameras running into a full production switcher, so you leave with a finished multi-camera video episode, not just an audio file.
- Podcast sessions: £150 for 2 hours, or £250 for 2 hours with a producer running the desk
- Live streaming: take your episode live to YouTube, LinkedIn or your own site as you record, from either studio
- Full production support: from the NEXI.tv team, who have been producing podcasts and live-streamed shows for corporate clients for years
- Plus: free on-site parking, and a green room for your guests
We are at The Clocktower, Crofton Hall, Thursby, 15 minutes from Carlisle, and easy to reach from Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow. If you have been thinking about adding video to your company podcast, or launching one, this is a good moment to try it.
Source: Podcast News Daily, 19 October 2026.