Anchor can now turn your video calls into podcasts

Have you had a fun Zoom call with your friends recently and thought to yourself, "hey, we'd be great podcasters"? Well you're in luck, because Spotify-owned Anchor has created a new tool that will take your recorded video calls and pull out the audio so you can easily share your riveting conversations with the world.

The process is pretty straightforward. Recording calls is supported by most of the major video chat platforms including Google Meet, Zoom, and Twitch. Once you've finished your conversation and downloaded the video file, you simply upload it through Anchor's website and the resulting audio will show up, ready to be edited like any other audio. Anchor's platform lets you trim the audio, add background music, and more. Once you have a finished masterpiece you can upload it straight to major podcasting platforms including Spotify (which owns Anchor) and Apple Podcasts.

COVID-19 has come for podcasts too — This type of tool could be particularly useful for podcasters who normally record their conversations in-person but no longer can due to the coronavirus outbreak and social distancing guidelines. Now you have an easy way to keep production going without much legwork. Just be sure to tell participants in your call that you're recording them for publication, of course.

You'd think podcasting would be protected from the worst effects of the coronavirus outbreak because it's a solo consumption experience delivered through the web. But many people only listen to podcasts during their commutes, and since everyone is stuck at home, listenership has dipped. Downloads are reportedly coming back, though, presumably as people settle into new routines.

Anchor is Spotify's future — Anchor is considered to be an important part of Spotify's future because it presents a potential new revenue stream that's more lucrative than music. The record industry currently takes 70 cents of every dollar Spotify brings in from subscriptions, and that number remains the same no matter how many subscribers the company has.

With podcasting, Spotify could sell the advertisements for shows hosted on its platform and take a cut of proceeds. The company would keep all that new revenue for itself and its costs wouldn't rise with each listen, meaning its profit margins would expand beyond their current 30 percent ceiling. At least that's the theory behind Spotify's jump into podcasting.

Spotify acquired Anchor in 2019 for a reported $140 million. It also purchased podcasting companies The Ringer and Parcast for a combined $250 million.