<aside> 💡 Note: I have used and DO use EVERY single piece of equipment I list below! I would only recommend something I love and use. These are affiliate links. I hope that by providing this helpful guide to you, if you choose to purchase that you use my links as a thank you. 🙂

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Background & Lighting

• Create an engaging but not distracting background

  • Don’t fret it too much. Better to have a video with any background than no video.

• Control your lighting

  • GET A RING LIGHT. This is my favorite as you can use it at a desk, with a phone, with a DSLR, it has multiple color and brightness settings, and it’s transportable:

  Aureday 12” LED Ring Light with Stand and Phone Holder, Video Light 3000K-6000K Dimmable Selfie Ringlight for YouTube Video/Live Stream/Makeup

  • Figure out when the best time of day for lighting is and try to control that to maximize shoot time (example: I have a skylight over me blacked out with a trash bag so the light doesn’t wash out my face with too much light).

Which level of recording setup below is needed?

Easy: the one you will use!!!

For me, that means the setup that takes the least time to start recording: which is #3 for me, as I have the camera, lighting, and microphone always set up for recording. All I have to do is turn one of my two computer monitors and I’m ready to record. For others it might be different. I wanted to leave you with different options for different budgets and preferences.

Also note that audio quality is JUST AS IMPORTANT as video quality. People won’t stay in your video with bad quality audio. It is easiest to have a microphone in place and ready to go!

Demo: $50 Webcams are Getting Pretty Damn Good

https://www.loom.com/share/2cbfbd376b264e3ebf47314847877210?sid=bf49f1f9-b0b8-49a5-839d-c100d8ed3856

Great news: YouTube setups are getting FAR cheaper and WAY easier! The DSLR in this video was $800 plus a $200 CamLink to make it work for video recording directly to a computer.

1 - Easiest: 2K+ Webcam + Studio Microphone

1. Set up a killer SURE MV7 microphone that can stay at your desk on an easily movable boom:

Shure MV7K / Gator Boom

1. Then plug in this great new 2K resolution Webcam from Anker (yes, the power brick makers):

Anker PowerConf C200 2K Webcam for PC, Webcam for Laptop, Computer Camera, with AI-Noise Canceling Microphones, Stereo Mics, Adjustable Field of View, Low-Light Correction, Built-in Privacy Cover

1. Install the Sure MV7 software and AnkerWork software, and you are ready to go!

Note: I haven’t yet been able to get Descript to recognize this webcam. So I can’t record in Descript when using this webcam for some reason. So I just use Loom or my DSLR for screenshare style videos and my DSLR for a talking head style video. I will get this figured out I’m sure!

2 - Cheapest: Cell Phone + Wireless Lavalier

1. Set up your cell phone on 1080 or higher quality video on the Ring Light Stand linked above