Does a Podcast Need Video, or Is Audio-Only Enough?

Most of the recent push toward video podcasts is coming from platforms, not from anything that actually makes a show better. Once a major platform decided to bet on video (hellooooo Spotify!), pressure trickled down to every show, video or not. Audio-only remains the stronger craft choice for the large majority of shows, and tacking on video tends to make the product worse while multiplying the cost. By a lot. That said—video does have its place with the right show.