Audio vs Video
With the consumption of podcasts and audiobook productions continuing to rise and the popularity of Youtube showing no sign of abating any time soon, it is clear that both audio and video are very popular forms of communication. So which one is best for you? Here are some thoughts on how they work, and which might be best for what.
Video- If you think about when you watch TV, or a film, or a youtube video, you tend to be giving quite a lot of your attention to the screen. Video is very good at drawing us in and focussing our attention towards a specific outcome. I am regularly mocked in my household because of a moment when I genuinely burst into tears whilst watching The Great British Bake Off. A Grown man weeping over a lopsided Victoria Sponge! How did that happen? Well, they drew me in didn’t they. It was the subtle mix of camera angles, close-ups of the struggling Baker and then the emotional music all timed perfectly to create, in me, a specific emotional experience. It is this ability to direct us to specific outcomes that makes film a great medium for explainer videos and tutorials.
How many of us have purchased an item of flat-packed furniture and without even so much as glancing at the instruction manual, we have turned to our friend Youtube for a helping hand. Video is great for this because we see and hear it at the same time. It does all the work for you. You don’t really have to think…And that is its strength but also its weakness.
Roald Dahl sums it up very well in his poem Television
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK — HE ONLY SEES!
The mythical line used to describe the difference between TV and Radio “On Radio the pictures are better”, might have been made up by the BBC Radio Drama department, but there is something in it. There is something about good quality audio that feels more intimate. Somehow you feel closer to the presenter on the podcast, or the characters in the audio drama. You create the pictures in your head that feel right to you. On the occasions that there is a significant change in personnel in any of the big BBC Radio 4 programmes, there is a national outcry. Regular listeners can genuinely feel as if they have a personal relationship with the Broadcaster.
When narrating audiobooks or presenting podcasts I have learnt to speak into the mic as if I am speaking to just one person. I am talking into their ear. In my experience, I notice that people tend to be less judgmental when they listen to audio, as long as it is presented well and of good quality, the listener tends to be more accepting of the people they are listening to. Again, I believe, this has something to do with the pictures they paint in their imagination. Listening to audio happens at more intimate times. People will listen often whilst they are doing something else. Your audience will consume your Podcast whilst washing up, or in the bath. They may take you with them in the car as they drive off on their holiday. In short, they trust audio more.
So which should you choose Audio or Video? Well, I think the answer depends on what you want to achieve. If you're looking to direct people to a very specific outcome such as a direct sale, or you want to impart precise information, or even manipulate a person’s emotions, then choose video. If, however, you want to build a long-lasting intimate and trusting connection with your audience, and you want them to really feel like they know you and your business…then choose audio.
