In the first post we discussed getting setup on YouTube. At this point you should have a name, a channel and some idea of what you will post on YouTube. Now you need the right equipment to bet your voice heard. If you ask the average viewer, you may feel that being a good YouTuber involves purchasing thousands of dollars of equipment. Actually, the opposite is true. The YouTuber that begins with the affordable tools and vlogging from their home will be seen as more relatable and real to the audience. The moral of the story is to not feel that affordability does not compromise quality.

The Camera

Here’s a secret that all beginning YouTubers should know about camera. All you have to do is look around your house and find the first camera you see, that is the right camera. The camera in your house is the best camera you should take advantage of when starting out as a YouTuber. It isn’t recommended to go out and buy the most expensive camera to start. YouTube is a hobby at the start and there is always the possibility of losing interest after a while. It’s important to take the possibility of stopping into consideration.

When beginning, a webcam is a fabulous choice. I started out with my Mac’s webcam, many YouTubers including iJustine started out with webcam videos. It’s all about taking advantage of the resources you have. It wasn’t until after I have been on YouTube for about a year when I started looking into having a dedicated camera for YouTube. When purchasing your camera for YouTube, you can find uses in devices from digital cameras to DSLRs. Make sure you put your budget into consideration when purchasing. Also when purchasing, make sure to also put HD capability, user-ability and good sound quality into consideration.

The Lighting

Even though we mentioned the subject cameras first, the two most important subjects to a good video are lighting and the sound. You can unleash an amazing quality video with the right lighting and you can make a great camera produce a bad quality video with the wrong lighting. The main point to remember when setting up lighting is to make sure that there isn’t a spot missed when setting it up.

You should remember to not have a lot of shadows and to not over concentrate certain areas. In addition, the sun shouldn’t always be your main source of light. As you know, the sun changes its position as the day moves on. If you are recording over a day, the lighting can become uneven, this can also occur with passing clouds. In addition, shadows are almost certain when recording with just the sun from your window as the main source of light. As you begin, house lamps and lights should be your source. The professional lighting equipment isn’t necessary, until later.

The Sound

When “watching” a video, you may find yourself also doing other things. This is the reason sound should be an important part of your video. As a beginner, it’s best to take advantage of the sound your camera picks up. This is the easiest and cheapest way to go.

Some tips for having great audio quality is to speak clearly and loudly, as well as reduce background noise. When you come to the point where you can purchase an external microphone, you have two options. The first option is to use external microphones that connect to a microphone jack. The second option is to use completely external recorders like voice recorders. This option requires some form of precision when matching the video and audio, however it offers the best sound.

Growing with Your Audience

Obviously, as your audience grows, you’ll find that putting more time into your videos is needed. As a result, you should remember to grow your equipment as well. This is considered a nice touch and your audience will notice when the audio is clearer or when they have the HD option to watch videos. It doesn’t only show that you care, because there are people with lower quality tools that are just as committed, but it also shows that you’re willing to put more effort. This is the point when YouTube feels like more than just a hobby.