Let’s be honest: when it comes to content strategy, marketers are constantly forced into choices.

Should we prioritize video or audio? Spotify or YouTube? Studio polish or raw authenticity? The answer in 2025 is: yes.

Because while brands are still debating formats, mediums, or listening apps, 77% of podcast listeners are already switching between them.

They listen during their commute. Watch on their Smart TVs at home. Catch episode clips in Reels. They’re not siloing themselves into one channel… so your podcast shouldn’t force them to. 

There’s the notion of “meet your listeners where they are”, and what if they’re everywhere? 

Welcome to the age of hybrid branded podcasts: shows designed to meet audiences wherever, however, and whenever they want to engage. It’s not about stretching your podcast across every channel—it’s about creating content that’s built to adapt to different channels and mediums.

TL;DR: Hybrid branded podcasts in 2025

• 77% of podcast listeners toggle between audio and video, making hybrid content the new baseline, not a bonus.
• Hybrid podcasts are designed with intention for both formats, offering tailored experiences across YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, and beyond.
• Going hybrid doesn’t require a big budget, just the right strategy, tools, and planning for where and how your audience consumes content.
• The either/or mindset is outdated. To grow your audience and build real brand loyalty, your podcast needs to adapt across formats, just like your listeners do.

So, what is a hybrid branded podcast anyway?

In short: A hybrid branded podcast is intentionally designed for both audio and video consumption, not as an afterthought, and definitely not as a recycled Zoom call

It’s not “record once, upload everywhere.” It’s “create with purpose, distribute with strategy.”

This approach means designing content that’s flexible enough to live across platforms—from podcast apps to YouTube to TikTok—and meaningful enough to add value in each format. 

As Steve Pratt from The Creativity Business smartly put it, the goal isn’t to pick one “primary medium” and retrofit everything else. It’s to create great content that meets your audience where they already are—whether that’s watching Shorts on their lunch break or queuing up a playlist on their drive home.

Think of it as omnichannel storytelling with your podcast as the nucleus, and each channel as a tailored extension of the same compelling core.

Why the hybrid model is winning in branded podcasts

Let’s state the obvious: your audience is everywhere, and so are their content habits.

The same person who scrolls TikTok on their lunch break is binge-watching YouTube on their Smart TV at night. A podcast listener might start an episode on Apple Podcasts, then finish it on YouTube while folding laundry. 

Consumers aren’t just platform-agnostic—they’re format-fluid.

Which means the old way of thinking—“our podcast lives on listening apps and nowhere else” isn’t just outdated, it’s limiting your reach.

The latest data from Coleman Insights and Amplifi Media makes that clear:

• 77% of podcast consumers now alternate between audio and video.
• 83% of Gen Z (ages 15–29) seamlessly use both formats.
• Smart TV podcast consumption has surged, now tied to computer usage.
  

So yes, this is a full-blown shift in listener behavior. And for marketers, ignoring that shift is the 2025 equivalent of not optimizing your website for mobile in 2014. (Spoiler: It didn’t end well for those who didn’t pivot.)

The takeaway? Podcasting is no longer just a listening experience; it’s a visual one too. 

Brands that are doing it right (and what you can learn from them)

Branded podcasts don’t need to be flashy or high-budget to be effective—but they do need to be intentional. 

The following brands are doing more than showing up on multiple platforms—they’re designing hybrid experiences that meet their audiences where they are, with content that’s actually worth consuming.

The Partnership Economy by impact.com 

What is it: 

Hosted by CEO David A. Yovanno and Co-founder Todd Crawford, The Partnership Economy dives into how modern brands are using partnerships as a growth engine. Through candid conversations with industry leaders, it reframes partnerships as not just transactional but transformational.

What marketers can learn: 

impact.com doesn't just repurpose content across platforms—they design it for each medium. Their audio and video formats aren’t one-size-fits-all. For example, they tailor metadata, titles, and even visual packaging based on whether the episode is being shared on YouTube, Spotify, or LinkedIn. This attention to context enhances discoverability and makes their podcast feel native, not repurposed.

It’s also worth noting that their audience is clearly defined. They know exactly who they’re talking to and deliver insights that speak directly to that niche. That’s the hybrid sweet spot: create broadly distributed content with a narrow focus.

A Better Way to Money by Northwestern Mutual 

What is it:

Northwestern Mutual’s podcast, A Better Way to Money, is built around a universal question: Is there a smarter way to save, spend, and splurge? Through storytelling and interviews with finance experts and cultural voices (like influencer Kat Stickler), the show makes personal finance feel approachable and human.

What marketers can learn: 

Northwestern Mutual leans into content segmentation across platforms. They keep full episodes on podcast apps and YouTube for deep listeners but use YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels to share quick tips, insights, or curiosity-sparking guest moments that are perfect for casual browsers. 

That bite-sized content builds familiarity and drives listeners back to the full show.

This is a great reminder that hybrid podcasting isn’t just about format—it’s about building multiple entry points into your brand’s story.

Work Therapy by MHS

What is it: 

Hosted by clinical psychologist Dr. Steven Stein, Work Therapy explores real workplace challenges—from burnout to leadership conflict—through the lens of emotional intelligence. The show combines psychological research with candid interviews to offer actionable takeaways for team leaders and professionals.

What marketers can learn: 

MHS doesn’t treat video and audio as two separate silos—they prioritize message clarity across formats. Whether someone stumbles across a YouTube Short, a full episode on Apple Podcasts, or a clip shared on LinkedIn, they’re met with a clear, cohesive message: this podcast helps you navigate work-life better.

The result? A hybrid podcast that feels aligned, not scattered, because the brand leads with content clarity, not channel priorities.

Key takeaways for marketers:

• Design for the channel: What works on YouTube isn’t what works on Spotify. Tailor your delivery, packaging, and structure accordingly.
• Multiple formats, same message: Don’t dilute your content—distill it. Let short-form serve as a teaser, and long-form as the deep dive.
• Know your audience (and speak to them directly): Hybrid doesn’t mean you need to go broad. You can be niche and omnipresent at the same time.

How brands can get started with hybrid strategies 

Luckily, you don’t need a production crew, studio set, or $150K launch budget to go hybrid. 

But with that being said, leaning on podcast agencies will help save you and your team time and headaches. 

Either way, here’s how to build a smart, scalable hybrid branded podcast strategy:

• Start with 1–2 cameras and good lighting: Even a quality smartphone with a mic can work wonders when paired with softbox lights or natural daylight. Clean visuals and clear sound go a long way.
• Record in 16:9 and optimize for multi-format editing: Always shoot wide so your footage can be edited into multiple ratios—landscape for YouTube, vertical for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok.
• Use tools that simplify post-production: Platforms like Riverside, Descript, and Adobe Premiere allow you to record high-quality content and quickly cut it into snackable clips, teaser trailers, and highlight reels.
• Clip with intention, not convenience: Don’t just chop the middle 45 seconds of your episode and hope it works. Pull hooks, big takeaways, emotional moments, or unexpected insights.
• Plan your content around your distribution strategy: Know where you’ll post it before you hit record. Design the format, length, and tone to match what each platform’s users expect.

Merging audio and video branded content 

Hybrid podcasting is a reflection of how modern audiences act. They listen in the car. Watch in the kitchen. Discover through Shorts. Revisit through Spotify.

So, don’t ask yourself, “Should we do audio or video?” Ask, “How do we design a branded podcast that adapts to both?”

Because your listeners aren’t choosing one format. They’re using all of them. And your content should be ready to follow.

Want to stay ahead of what’s next in branded podcasts? Subscribe to The Branded Podcaster, Quill’s bi-weekly newsletter filled with real data, creative strategy, and examples of brands turning listeners into loyal customers on every platform they use.