Audio vs Video: The Battle for Your Attention

(Part 6 of The Science & Art of Listening series)

Hook

“Oh my God, Erica! So, this is how you look!”

That was the reaction I’d get back in my radio days when listeners met me IRL. Sometimes flattering, sometimes… less so (wink). But always worth it—for that priceless moment of surprise.

See, pre-Instagram and TikTok, radio had this delicious mystique. We crafted whole worlds with nothing but sound: playful, dramatic, sometimes larger-than-life. You didn’t need a filter or ring light—your voice was the canvas. Then came the visual avalanche. Suddenly, we weren’t just voices anymore. We were faces, feeds, reels, thumbnails. The romance of audio got gate-crashed by the tyranny of the selfie.

Fast-forward to today: scroll-stopping Reels, dopamine-popping Shorts, and flashy YouTube edits battling for your eyeballs. Meanwhile, podcasts and playlists quietly keep us company on commutes, workouts, and dishwashing duty. Both audio and video demand attention—but in profoundly different ways. And understanding how might just change the way you consume content (and maybe save a bit of your sanity).

 Tale of Two Channels: How Your Brain Processes Audio vs Video

We are, no doubt, a visual species. About 30% of our cortex is dedicated to sight. That’s why video hits like caffeine: bright colours, quick edits, subtitles, emojis exploding on screen. Platforms like TikTok and IG have turned visual hijacking into an Olympic sport, keeping you scrolling like a lab rat pressing the dopamine lever.

But audio? That’s stealthier. It doesn’t need as much brain real estate—it cuts straight to the amygdala (emotions) and hippocampus (memory). Which is why one note of a song can make you cry in public while a random Insta story vanishes from your head within seconds.

So, if video is fast food—flashy, easy, instantly gratifying—audio is the slow-cooked meal. Takes longer, but lingers longer, too.

The Sticky Power of Sound

Why does audio stick? Because it’s sneaky.

Think sonic branding. Intel’s 4-note jingle. McDonald’s I’m Lovin’ It. Netflix’s iconic ta-dum. These sounds don’t just “remind” you—they burrow into your subconscious until you can’t not hear them.

Podcasts are another sticky beast. Global listenership is expected to hit 619 million by 2026, with the industry projected at $17.59 billion by 2030. Why? Because when you hear a voice, your brain processes it like a conversation—even if it’s just you and your AirPods on the 7:30 train to nowhere.

Video might get the clicks. Audio? It gets the keeps.

The Intimacy of Audio vs The Stimulation of Video

Video is spectacle. Audio is intimacy.

A podcast host whispering in your ear while you cook? That’s companionship. That’s parasocial bonding (yes, there’s a neuroscience term for it). The human voice activates the same areas of the brain as face-to-face convo.

Meanwhile, video is fireworks. Entertaining, addictive, overstimulating. The internet’s been saying that our online attention span at 8.25 seconds—shorter than a goldfish. So yeah, video has us, but it also fries us.

Ever loved a song, then saw its music video and thought, Well, that killed it? That’s the trade-off: visuals can amplify but also limit imagination. With audio, you’re free to paint your own mental cinema.

Video Fatigue Is Real

Scrolling through shorts and reels is like eating candy for dinner—fun until you crash. The overstimulation is relentless: jump cuts, memes, text overlays, trending audio. You’re entertained but exhausted.

By contrast, audio slows you down. It’s the voice note from a friend vs. their 43 vacation reels. One deepens connection. The other sparks FOMO and leaves you vaguely unsatisfied with your own life.

Audio’s Hidden Advantages

• Multitasking magic: You can’t watch Netflix while driving (please don’t), but you can mainline a podcast or audiobook.

• Bandwidth-friendly: Works in low-data environments.

• Inclusive: For the visually impaired, or the visually exhausted, audio is access without overload.

This is why, despite video’s dominance, audio is thriving quietly in the cracks of modern life.

The Hybrid Future

Don’t get me wrong—video isn’t dying. Some things need it: tutorials, art, sports, Beyoncé. But the future looks hybrid.

• Video podcasts are booming.

• VR is making immersive 3D audio sexy again.

• And brands are realizing good sound design is what takes video from meh to memorable.

History backs this up: radio didn’t die when TV showed up. It pivoted—leaning into intimacy, imagination, and mobility. Podcasts and audio streaming are just the modern remix.

Your Personal Attention Diet

Here’s a thought experiment:

• Audit your media: Are you 80% video, 20% audio? (Most are.)

• Swap 1 hour of video for audio this week. Binge less, listen more. Notice if your brain feels calmer, sharper, maybe even kinder.

• Curate smart: Go beyond algorithm sludge. Seek voices, music, or soundscapes that stretch you, not just sedate you.

So, Who Wins This Battle?

Here’s the spoiler: nobody. They’re not enemies. They’re frenemies.

• Video wins for scale, virality, and eyeball-grabbing.

• Audio wins for depth, memory, and intimacy.

In the noisy attention economy, video dazzles the eyes. But audio? Audio whispers straight to the soul. And maybe, just maybe, that quiet power is what we’re starving for.

Call-to-Action

Understanding audio’s power starts with knowing how sound itself works.