The question floated around for three days. Creators, companies and panelists debated throughout the Podcast Evolutions trade show: Is video really podcasting?
On the final morning Thursday, Steve Goldstein and Jay Nachlis dropped a bomb.... video IS a podcast medium- because the audiences overwhelmingly say so.
In research from Amplifi Media (where Goldstein is CEO) and Coleman Insights (Nachlis is VP), a full 85 percent of podcast consumers said they consider both audio-only productions and video-supported shows to be podcasts.
Increasingly, those 'consumers' (more on that in a minute) are choosing shows from both formats. Less than 10 percent dedicate their attention solely to either audio exclusively or to all video shows.
YouTube continues to show growth across a number of market-share metrics, while audio-only platforms are generally holding steady, Goldstein said.
Both speakers highlighted the potential for Spotify's numbers to change in the near future as their push into video hosting takes hold. That platform is too new to have data available on the impact of the recently-begun push.
Video is making its biggest strides in the home, particularly through increasing use of smart TVs as a viewing platform, according to the data released Thursday. Audio continues to enjoy advantages in the car and in public, mostly via phones and other mobile devices.
The survey looked at trends in 'podcast consumption,' in an effort to bring out additional data about the audio/video divide. Notably, it's the second major report released in the past two weeks to incorporate similar changes in methodology and phrasing to 'consmuption' questions and breakdowns. Edison Research's Infinite Dial poll also included similar questions, and produced similar conclusions.
That's the biggest news from the latter part of the Evolutions show, but check back often, as plenty of other tidbits and takeaways will be followed up with more industry news!
