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wrote a column · Jun 25 23:28

How did video podcasts suddenly become so popular?

Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0, clearly aiming to position it as an industry white paper.
In my view, Bilibili’s concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable.
Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries previously selected 'brain rot' and 'sludge' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to fast, bite-sized social media content, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality.
Even in a phrase like 'in this age of AI dominance, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which should ostensibly be praise—we can’t help but detect a hint of irony...
Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and signal some positive developments, demonstrating that thoughtful communication still holds irreplaceable value:
For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly significant even in today’s short-video-dominated landscape, indicating that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status;
Moreover, content formats have become exceptionally diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live call-ins, or even shows using stock footage or avatar-only visuals without showing faces, each can find its interested audience.
Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression.
Unlike the formulaic tactics of short videos—hooks, plot twists, accelerated speech, and aggressive editing—video podcasts fundamentally select communicators rather than performers. They allow for pauses, buildup, hesitation, and even digressions, enabling speakers to reveal their knowledge boundaries, experiential nuances, and reasoning styles over extended conversation. While short videos can carefully curate personas, sustained dialogue makes it exceedingly difficult to keep up a facade.
This isn't to say that video podcasts will become as popular as short videos; rather, it’s not an issue of content format, but a structural limitation: the audience size stimulated by endorphins will inevitably be smaller than that driven by dopamine.
Perhaps it’s also because, during these past few years marked by the rise of short videos and an inundation of AI-generated content, people have started reminiscing about what makes content truly human. They’ve recalled that gathering around a campfire for conversation represents humanity’s most authentic form of information sharing, and that dialogue was once an essential part of daily life. As a result, the pendulum of content has swung back toward video podcasts, which are valued for their quality and depth.
Moreover, a healthy market must accommodate diversity in its ecosystem.
Judging from the contents of this handbook, Bilibili’s sincerity in welcoming new creators is undeniable—it comprehensively covers everything from the rationale and techniques for producing shows to hardware setup, shot composition, and platform support policies, leaving no detail untouched, short of analyzing MBTI personality types.
Bilibili’s projection is that average daily viewing time will grow by another 300% by next year. Frankly speaking, in this age of scarce attention, this may be one of the rare opportunities where ordinary individuals and celebrities can compete on a level playing field.
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
Bilibili has unexpectedly released a Video Podcast Creator Handbook, explicitly labeling it as version 1.0—an indication of its ambition to position this document as an industry white paper. In my view, Bilibili’s deep concern about the current state of low-quality and oversaturated information is unmistakable. Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster previously selected 'brain rot' and 'gunk' as their Words of the Year for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The former refers to how people have grown accustomed to short, fast-paced content on social media, leading to varying degrees of cognitive and attentional decline; the latter directly criticizes the rampant misuse of AI, which has rendered nearly all online information devoid of quality. Even in a phrase like 'In this AI-dominated era, veteran artists still insist on crafting things by hand'—which was meant as praise—we inevitably detect a hint of irony... Thus, Bilibili is eager to step forward and highlight some positive signals, demonstrating that thoughtful, well-articulated communication still holds irreplaceable value: For instance, daily watch time for video podcasts across the platform has already surpassed 100 million minutes—a figure that remains highly impressive even amid the current dominance of short-form video, signaling that video podcasts, once considered a niche segment, have to some extent fully shed their marginal status; Moreover, content formats have become unprecedentedly diverse: whether solo monologues, dialogues, live interactions, or even shows that rely on stock footage or use only profile pictures without showing faces, each can now find its interested audience. Of course, the prerequisite for all this remains, above all else, the quality of expression. Unlike short-video hooks, plot twists, rapid speech...
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