Starting on YouTube: how to address technical barriers?

We mentioned in a previous article the tips for building your company's strategy regarding video content. This one will focus on much more down-to-earth issues: the technical barriers often raised when talking about video creation. The aim is to answer those questions you might have that are preventing you from thinking strategically. As you’ll see: most of the time, we tend to make a mountain out of a molehill!

Key questions about equipment

It’s probably the first topic that comes up when discussing video creation. If marketing teams are used to written production and its tools, that is much less the case for video.

What type of camera (smartphone, webcam, DSLR, etc.) is best suited to my use?

The better is the enemy of good is an expression that could perfectly sum up a problem we often encounter when it comes to camera choice. In absolute terms, you’ll get a better image with a high-end DSLR or mirrorless camera, but I’m not going to recommend that solution. I’d rather point you toward a high-end smartphone in cases where you already have one available. There are two main reasons for this:

The first is that the video quality offered by a smartphone is already more than sufficient for the vast majority of corporate video productions. An iPhone, to take a familiar example, is capable of producing professional-quality images when used in good conditions. There's no need to bankrupt yourself with a four-figure investment for, in the end, only a marginal quality gain.
The second reason is the difficulty of handling certain devices. A smartphone has the advantage of holding the user's hand, requiring no particular skills to be used. You can't say the same of some devices that will sometimes force you to dig into the settings to get a good image.

Do I need an external microphone for good sound quality?

If I tend to temper desires to invest in the capture device, my view is the opposite when it comes to sound recording. A external microphone is indeed indispensable, whatever device you shoot with. Nothing is more unpleasant than bad audio, and that can be fixed with equipment that isn’t that expensive.

For the videos filmed facing the camera, a floor-standing or tripod-mounted microphone is a perfectly viable option. They are sturdy, provide directional sound capture and offer good value for money. For example, one can cite the Blue Yeti, which over the years has become a reference. You can perfectly consider having several for interviews.

For the videos shot in noisy conditions, for capturing sound as close as possible to the speakers, the lavalier microphone is the perfect solution. Alone or in pairs, wired or wireless, several technologies exist. The RODE brand, for example, offers wireless systems where everything is included. I can recommend the Wireless Pro.

The shotgun mics that attach directly to a smartphone or a camera can also be good solutions if you need to string interviews together in dynamic contexts where installing a lavalier mic isn’t possible. They can also capture full ambient soundscapes. It’s not miraculous, but it already greatly improves your audio.

In general : don’t skimp on the investment in the microphone by chasing the lowest possible price. The price differences aren’t worth the loss of quality they represent. If your budget is tight, save money everywhere except here.

Is lighting important?

You will get a much better result with a very bad camera and good lighting than the other way around. It’s important to keep that in mind, since some video lighting kits are easily found for under €100, with several softboxes included. So it's a relatively small expense, but the result is spectacular for perceived video quality. A few YouTube searches should quickly give you references and relevant setups.

Which accessories are essential to get started without breaking the bank?

Beyond the elements mentioned earlier, a few investments can prove useful. Note, this is not about acquiring all of the following items, but about seeing whether you might have use for them.

A boom arm for your microphone : the latter will attach to your desk, for example, and will give you much more flexibility in using your microphone for many productions.
A quality tripod : it's basic, you've surely already thought of it, but it's still essential as soon as you want clean, still shots that aren't necessarily always in the same place.
A stabilizer/gimbal : if you want to shoot while moving, it's the must-have for stabilization. Nowadays, smartphones offer entirely satisfactory software stabilization, but the accessory remains far superior.
Security options : if you use a camera, an extra battery and a second SD card will never be too much. In the case of a smartphone, a power bank can also save your life.

And for software, how should I approach it?

Recording video is one thing, producing worthwhile content from that raw material is another. For editing, here are the questions that come up most often and the answers I find most appropriate.

Which video editing software is best (and simple) for beginners?

As often, everything will depend on your needs. For basic needs, but also for possible use on a smartphone, CapCut is an easily recommendable option. With a free version and low cost even with all options, it's a relatively accessible editing program designed for creating video for social networks. With its desktop version it can even serve fairly advanced uses.

For the most demanding users, Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro can be two excellent options. The first has the advantage of being a fairly universal reference and is included in the Adobe suite. The second is reserved for Macs but is purchased once and is not subscription-based. Honestly: it comes down to personal preference, both have proven ergonomics, but sometimes suffer from being very comprehensive.

Which software should I use to add subtitles?

We will use the same software mentioned earlier. CapCut has the advantage of having built this feature in from the start, and you can tell the program is designed with this function natively. Premiere Pro also offers the ability to transcribe your audio and automatically generate subtitles. In both cases a few corrections will be needed, but today the software is very capable.

How do I record my screen for tutorials or demos?

Loom is often used in marketing because it was specifically designed to allow overlaying your webcam on a screen capture. It's very simple to use, and there is a free version to get familiar with the tool.

A good alternative is OBS Studio, the software generally used by streamers, but which works perfectly for recording that is not intended for live broadcasting. Extremely powerful, the tool is free, but still requires a little time to learn. Tutorials are plentiful on YouTube, but it does require some willingness.

What tools can I use to easily create attractive thumbnails?

The same tools you use for your graphic creations! Depending on your preferences, it will most often be Canva or Photoshop. In reality, an attractive thumbnail depends less on stunning graphic quality than on applying good practices. It must be readable, grab attention at first glance, and make people want to view the content.

Good news : YouTube has for some time offered the ability to run A/B tests for your thumbnails. You can therefore see which design is most effective. It's a bit like social ad visuals: beware of preconceptions, you may sometimes be surprised by the results.

Where can I find royalty-free music for my videos?

It's probably one of the questions that comes up most often. While many libraries exist, let's save time and focus on a safe bet: YouTube's audio library. You will find it directly integrated into your Creator Studio, and it offers a plethora of tracks freely usable. Be careful, however, some require attribution in the description.

You can filter music by genre, mood, duration, whether attribution is required, or by artist name. You'll also find a "sound effects" tab with foley and ambient sounds.