The Admiral’s Log
Notes on podcasting from the Seaplane team.
What Does Success Look Like Beyond Downloads?
Downloads are the easiest number to report and one of the least useful data points available. A download only means a file moved onto a device, which, great. But we all know that downloads happen automatically before anyone has made a real choice to listen. Measuring success by downloads alone tells you almost nothing about whether the show actually did what you made it to do.
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.