You undoubtedly follow the exploits of many people on YouTube and look forward to seeing new content from them on your favourite subjects. But, you keep thinking about setting up your own YouTube channel and creating content for the masses.
The thing is, you’ve never made any videos before and certainly haven’t uploaded anything to YouTube. Do you need any special equipment and skills to get started? The following explains the tech you need to be tomorrow’s next top YouTube creator and influencer:
Computer
Before you get started, it makes sense to have a streaming PC suitable for editing and uploading content to your YouTube channel. Why can’t you use your phone or laptop, you might be wondering?
The answer is simple: high-spec desktop PCs are cheaper to buy and build than anything else, plus you’ll find it easier and more comfortable editing your content on a computer than on your iPhone, for example.
When building or specifying which components you want in your PC, make sure your new video editing system has the following:
A good quality graphics card with at least 4GB RAM;
Minimum of 16GB system RAM;
SSD (solid-state drive) for running Windows, editing software, and storing your files;
A large widescreen monitor;
Good quality stereo speakers.
Camera
There was once a time where you had to buy a dedicated video recorder for filming anything. These days, digital cameras, such as the “point and shoot” and digital SLR (Single-Lens Reflex) types, can record 4K video with ease.
The cost of digital cameras these days means there’s no reason why you can buy one, even if you opt for a secondhand example. You could use your smartphone, but you’ll find the quality isn’t particularly spectacular for video recording purposes.
Whichever camera you choose, make sure you purchase accessories for it (again, they are also affordable), such as tripods, external flashes, and umbrellas to protect your equipment during outdoors filming in adverse conditions.
Microphone
Another essential piece of technology you need to consider is an external microphone. The problem with relying on a camera’s microphone is it tends to record sounds like button presses or even your breathing as you record footage.
When you use an external microphone, you can position it wherever you want to record the sound. If you plan on interviewing people as part of your video content, you should also buy microphones that clip onto clothing.
There is an almost limitless choice of external microphones you can buy. It’s worth thinking about how you plan to use them, and then you can use that information to narrow down your choices.
Lights
Last but not least, you need to consider buying some lights to use as part of your video filming. That’s because there might be times where the ambient or outdoor lighting is too dull, and you’ll find it hard to capture footage with your camera.
Also, be sure to disable the automatic lighting feature of your camera, as it can ruin videos filmed in low-light situations by constantly boosting or dimming the light and causing objects to appear out of focus.