Podcasts Take Center Stage at SXSW as Top Creators Discuss Video’s Impact
From morning commutes to late-night listening sessions, Spotify is the essential daily companion for millions of listeners globally. Podcasts, in particular, have become a cultural conversation driver among listeners, with video continuing to grow in popularity.
There are few better places to celebrate the power of the format and its evolution than at SXSW, where culture, content, and business collide. That’s why we brought Spotify House to Austin and invited guests to relax and enjoy a day of conversations featuring some of today’s most influential voices.
The first session of the day served up hot takes, modern wisdom, and plenty of laughs from Ira Madison III, cohost of the Crooked Media award-winning podcast Keep It, Chris Williamson, host of the popular show Modern Wisdom, and Sara Foster, actress and cohost of The World’s First Podcast, in a conversation about how podcasts have helped evolve commentary in the digital age.
The next session turned its focus to video, with panelists Morgan Absher, host of the comedy podcast Two Hot Takes, and Rachel Lindsay, attorney, media personality, and cohost of the NAACP-nominated show Higher Learning as well as Morally Corrupt on Spotify’s The Ringer.
Both creators broke down how the format has changed their approach to podcasting. For Rachel, video has offered a level of intimacy for the audience in a way that audio alone could not.
“Video has been a game changer for us. At first, it was a bit intimidating, but soon you forget the camera is there and just get comfortable,” she told the crowd. “My facial expressions almost become another character on the show, like an extra cohost. It unlocks a whole new level of podcasting, making our audience feel like family.”
Morgan, who recently added video episodes to Spotify, agreed with this sentiment, adding that video has the ability to capture the unspoken moments, adding an additional layer of dynamism to the conversation.
“Sometimes there are no words and you need that reaction. Bringing video on Spotify is a ‘have your cake and eat it too’ experience,” she said.
Discover why fans can’t get enough of Morgan Absher on Two Hot Takes, now featuring video episodes:
