Creator Science – Episode #281: Prioritizing Video in Podcasting [Voice Memo]

Host: Jay Clouse
Original Air Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid voice memo episode, Jay Clouse reflects on the evolving publishing strategy for the Creator Science podcast. Faced with the increasing significance and engagement of video content, Jay shares transparent thoughts about shifting focus away from a strict weekly audio cadence. He seeks audience feedback and outlines a future where fewer, but higher-impact, video episodes (available on both YouTube and Spotify) take precedence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Production Challenges and Evolution (00:00–02:00)

• The podcast originally kept a rigorous weekly audio episode release every Tuesday since March 2020.
• Increasing post-production demands for video (released on YouTube and now also Spotify) have made this schedule harder to maintain.
• Jay now feels more confident in consistently producing two high-quality video episodes per month and speculates about scaling up to three.

Notable Quote:
"It's been difficult to maintain that level of effort and care in the post production of the video episodes while also meeting a weekly publishing deadline."
— Jay Clouse (00:44)

2. Changing Obligations and Monetization (02:00–03:00)

• No longer has sponsorship or podcast network mandates requiring a fixed episode quota.
• The focus has shifted to promoting his own products, such as Creator HQ or the Lab.
• There's no strict need to chase downloads or impressions for advertisers anymore.

Notable Quote:
"I don't have to meet some number of downloads or impressions for those ad units."
— Jay Clouse (02:25)

3. Audience Performance and Platform Trends (03:00–04:00)

• Jay notices a substantial increase—roughly 5-10 times more streams—for video episodes on Spotify compared to audio-only versions.
• Strong results reinforce the value of prioritizing video.

Notable Quote:
"Recently I have noticed that I am getting significantly more plays on Spotify. When I publish a video episode. We're talking like 5-10x the number of streams for video episodes versus audio for my show."
— Jay Clouse (03:09)

4. Proposed New Publishing Strategy (04:00–06:00)

• Suggests publishing fewer episodes, with each being available in both video and audio formats.
• Every episode will have a video component for Spotify and YouTube.
• Acknowledges uncertainty regarding weekly consistency due to video production timelines.

Notable Quote:
"I'm thinking I'm going to release fewer podcast episodes and every episode I release will have a video component for Spotify. It will be on YouTube as well."
— Jay Clouse (05:11)

• Clarifies that audio-only listeners are still welcome; they'll just receive episodes less frequently.

5. Maintaining Engagement through Short Voice Memos (06:00–07:30)

• Plans to occasionally release short, spontaneous “voice memo” style episodes, like this one, in between video releases.
• Purpose: To share personal reflections and stay directly connected with the audience.

Notable Quote:
"Perhaps what I will do in between the video episodes is share a personal, shorter reflection like this of an undetermined length at an undetermined time in between whenever I feel like I have something worthy of sharing with you."
— Jay Clouse (06:38)

6. Invitation for Listener Feedback & Looking Ahead (07:30–End)

• Jay requests honest input from listeners:
  • Email: j@creatorscience.com
  • Social: @JayClouse on all platforms
  • Spotify comments
• Emphasizes that this strategic shift already feels exciting and relieving, opening bandwidth for both video content and his book project.

Notable Quote:
"It already provides some relief and feels exciting to me... I think we can get to three video episodes per month in short order and that's an exciting future. I like that."
— Jay Clouse (08:35)

Memorable Moments

• Jay’s Openness about Burnout and Alignment:
  The entire memo is marked by Jay’s candor about work-life alignment and his commitment to making decisions based on curiosity, personal well-being, and what’s working for the audience.

• Community Call to Action:
  Clear invitation for audience input, positioning listeners as collaborators in the show’s evolution.

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment Description | |--------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Jay opens with context and the regular schedule | | 00:44 | Post-production strain and challenges with video | | 02:25 | No more external publishing obligations | | 03:09 | Video dramatically outperforming audio on Spotify | | 05:11 | Proposal: fewer but all-video episodes | | 06:38 | Idea: occasional personal voice memos | | 08:35 | Excitement about the new direction, call for feedback |

Summary

In this episode, Jay Clouse transparently outlines his reasoning for shifting the Creator Science podcast toward fewer, video-first episodes, highlighting clear data-driven benefits and personal well-being. He candidly navigates the balance between consistency and quality, all while openly welcoming feedback from his audience to help shape the future cadence and format of the podcast. This episode serves as an insightful behind-the-scenes look at how creators can adapt strategies for sustainable growth and deeper audience engagement.