Help! How Do I Edit and Distribute My Video Podcast?
A guide to editing and distributing a new podcast
Welcome to ‘Ask Xavi’, my advice column on life, love, and more. Submit an anonymous question here.
P.S. Don’t miss my video podcast production service (focusing on podcasts in the sex, relationships, leftist space), Glamorous and Polyamorous (my podcast with my partner about exploring polyamory after leaving religion) and Violet Paniko’s swag store.
Dear Xavi,
My friend and I recently started a podcast and I’m looking for any and all advice. We record in Riverside so it’s video as well, but I’m not loving the editing capabilities. I’m currently using CapCut but I can’t send edits to my co-host.
What are your editing recommendations?
I’d like something that allows me to create clips for social media.
Lastly, what platforms should I distribute the podcast to? Currently on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
—Just Starting Out
Dear Just Starting Out,
Thanks so much for this question! Congratulations on your new podcast. I’m so happy for you on your new adventure!
Recording in Riverside is great. It’s a well-designed experience. The paid version of their software however is going to get you better quality recordings, and live streaming capabilities. I think it’s more worth it for the live streaming, but we’ll come back to it when we talk about your later question on distribution.
My opinion changes on whether you should publish the entire show in video or not. But that’s probably for a different article. I will say it's a good idea to record your podcast in video format for promotional reasons alone. So good on you for doing that.
Editing Your Show
CapCut has a lot of great features out of the box. But if you want a more fully fledged editor, look at apps like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. The latter of which has a free option.
Both of these are used by professional editors and have quite a learning curve. The decision of whether to learn these apps yourself comes down to time, budget, and intention. If you want to learn how to edit your own podcasts and have interest in helping others with this skill, learning it might be a great idea.
Both of those editing apps will allow you to create custom social media clips. Opus Clip is a helpful tool I’ve used to take my podcast videos and create short-form clips. It’s a huge timesaver and even integrates with Premiere Pro.
Your other option is to hire a video podcast editor. I happen to know a good one 😉 An external editor can be great because it gets you a third-party perspective on your show. If you hire the right editor, they’ll easily elevate it.
Live streaming and distribution
I’ve become bullish on live streaming. It’s a way to create more interaction with your audience, it helps keep you consistent, makes creation of your content much easier, and can be a way to distribute your show instantly after you’ve recorded it.
But first, let’s address your question on distribution. The short answer is this: distribute your podcast to every place you possibly can. One of those places should be YouTube.
I do want to acknowledge that YouTube is like every other censorious platform in the United States (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and yes X as well): only topics within their Overton Window are allowed. I’ve seen them demonetize several creators I love, and anyone who creates political content on YouTube understands this. Many creators have started streaming and uploading to sites like Rumble, Rockfin, Kick, and others as a way to diversify.
That being said, YouTube is the largest podcast platform in the world. YouTube’s unmatched search and discovery opens opportunities to be discovered by new listeners looking for exactly what your podcast offers.
When you livestream on YouTube, your entire broadcast is turned into a video that can be replayed later. Even the live chat is replayed for viewers. YouTube comments are another way for discussion to happen around each of your episodes.
I’m not saying to put all of your eggs in the YouTube basket, but I think it’s an essential platform to have a presence on. Direct people from there to a safe place, like Substack or Rumble.
Wishing you all the best with your podcast ❤️
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