Apple’s video move is a ‘wake-up call’ for audio-first creators, says Diary of a CEO co-founder

Apple’s expansion into video podcasts should serve as a wake-up call for creators still operating audio-only, according to the co-founder of one of Spotify’s top-ranked global shows.

Jack Sylvester, co-founder of The Diary of a CEO, told The Daily Influence that creators should be moving into filmed formats regardless of budget, as Apple’s shift confirms video is no longer a nice-to-have for growth.

“In this day and age, [the argument that creators can’t move into video because of budget] doesn’t really have legs. If you’re able to listen to a podcast, you’re able to film a podcast with the same device – a phone,” he said.

Last week Apple confirmed it would expand video support within Apple Podcasts and introduce a new advertising structure, allowing creators to monetise filmed episodes without signing exclusive distribution deals. The move brings Apple closer to rivals including Spotify and YouTube, which have already scaled video podcast formats.

Sylvester said the update will allow creators to “market the podcast much further than audio will ever be able to,” and open up opportunities to build businesses beyond the podcast itself.

“Right now [Apple is] playing catch up, so having some video capabilities that actually work is a meaningful shift for them to ensure they don’t get left behind,” he added.

Sylvester co-founded The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, which ranked second globally on Spotify in December 2025 and has grown into one of the world’s largest podcasts.

He said that as the show became increasingly visual, Apple’s lack of video made the platform harder to prioritise.

“For us, Apple was starting to make less sense without video due to how visual some of our episodes have been in the past year. With this shift it might encourage visual creators outside of podcasting to move onto the platform.”

He added that while some formats may not naturally lend themselves to filmed production, emerging tools can help bridge the gap.

“For more complex audio productions where it is narrative-based or documentary-based, AI video is incredibly powerful these days and you could essentially build out a whole video podcast with some smart prompting.”

Deprioritisation risk?

Asked whether audio-first creators risk being deprioritised, Sylvester said it remains unclear how platforms will treat video compared to audio in the long term.

“I suspect we won’t fully understand how the algorithms will behave towards video compared to audio until we’re a few years into the process,” he said.

However, he suggested that audio-only shows have already faced gradual disadvantages, as filmed podcasts are able to travel further through short-form clips across social platforms.

“I suspect everything will eventually point towards the money and right now that’s looking like video, so it’s possible.”

Looking ahead, Sylvester said creators should prioritise publishing across multiple platforms to reduce reliance on any single algorithm.

“Being multiplatform is the most defensible way to ensure your show stays relevant. If YouTube changes its algorithm tomorrow to deprioritise long-form podcasts and only focus on Shorts – a shift lots of creators suspect is happening right now – being multiplatform ensures you have some defensibility to major changes like that.”

Join 2,000+ professionals tracking the creator economy. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.