Guide to Equipment Selection for YouTube Creators

YouTube Video Shooting Equipment List: What You Need to Start Recording Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Shooting a video has never been easier because there are so many different cameras you can use to capture the footage for your YouTube video. In the past, professional video equipment has been expensive and difficult to operate, but all of this has changed with the invention of digital cameras.

On the other hand, buying the most expensive microphones, lighting equipment or cameras doesn’t guarantee that your videos will be a major success once you post them on YouTube. Instead, you should look for the equipment that is best suited for the type of videos you want to create. Let’s explore the equipment that is necessary for running a successful YouTube channel.

What Equipment Will You Need to Start Your New YouTube Channel?

The process of creating a video can be divided into three different stages, the pre-production, production, and post-production. Each stage has its own tools, without which completing a video would be impossible. In this article, we will be covering the equipment that will make the production stage of the process much smoother, and it will also help you to go through post-production much faster.

Equipment 1: Camera

You can’t shoot a video without a camera, but which camera you’re going to use depends on the type of the video you want to produce. Sometimes the camera that offers the most shooting options is not the best choice, and different factors like size or the weight of the camera can be much more important than the sheer quality of the footage.

1. Cellphone Cameras

If you own a smartphone , you already have a camera you can use to create a YouTube video. Mobile phone cameras are easy to operate and they are perfect for shooting videos while you are on the go. However, most phones are incredibly light and holding the device in your hand while shooting may produce camera shakes that ruin the video. You’ll also need a third-party app in order to control all of the camera settings manually.

You can also make YouTube videos with just your phone , check this video for more details.

2. Action Cameras

If you are a fan of outdoor activities and you want to shoot your YouTube videos while you’re having an adventure action cam may be your best choice. The GoPro and all similar types of cameras are small, lightweight, and they can produce videos in high resolution. Most of these cameras come with mounts and accessories that enable you to shoot perfectly stable footage while you are climbing, running or walking.

We have composed some useful tips and trick of buying and using action camera, in cast that you want to buy an action camera for shooting videos, do check out this ultimate action camera guide .

3. Camcorders

YouTubers that often shoot videos on different locations, can hardly go wrong if they decide to capture their videos with a camcorder. The best models on the market enable you to shoot 4K videos, even in less than perfect light conditions and you can also adjust the camera settings manually. Camcorders are a great choice if you want to make sure that your footage always looks great, regardless of the location on which you recorded it.

If you want to buy a camcorder to shoot your YouTube vlog video, please do check this list of best 4k camcorders that you can buy.

4. Mirrorless Cameras

Besides offering superb image quality, mirrorless cameras also let you change lenses so you get the best shot in every scene you want to include in your video. These types of cameras are a popular choice for vlogging or capturing footage for all types of YouTube videos because they feature professional video recording options while remaining relatively lightweight and easy to carry around. However, the best mirrorless cameras on the market can be quite expensive, and you must be prepared to invest money in lenses and other equipment.

If you want to buy a mirrorless camera to shoot your YouTube vlog video, please do check this list of best 4k mirrorless cameras.

5. DSLR Cameras

Seasoned professionals, as well as the newcomers to the world of video production, can benefit from using a DSLR camera for shooting the content for their YouTube channel. These types of cameras allow you to change lenses, pull focus manually, shoot at different frame rates or capture the footage in 4K and Full HD quality. What’s more, you can use a DSLR camera even in challenging light conditions, because most models support ISO sensitivity values that enable the camera to produce remarkable image quality even when the amount of light in a shot is far from perfect.

With a DSLR camera, you can also use it a webcam for recording your face and your desktop screen at the same time, check how to use a DSLR camera as a webcam .

Equipment 2: Microphones

Moving images are less effective without sound, which is the reason why you should pay close attention to this aspect of the video making process. All cameras have built-in microphones, but the audio quality they produce is often not good enough to actually use it in a YouTube video. That’s why recording sound with an external microphone is a common practice among the most successful YouTubers.

The location at which you’re shooting the video will help you determine which microphone you should use for that project. If you are recording your YouTube video in the exterior an omnidirectional microphone is your best choice because it will eliminate the wind noise. Furthermore, as their name suggests these microphones can pick up sounds from all directions so people in your videos don’t have to speak directly into the microphone.

Shotgun or unidirectional mics are frequently used in studio conditions when you want to eliminate all other sounds except the narrator’s voice. Gamers, tutorial makers and all other YouTube content creators that rely heavily on narration in their videos use shotgun mics because they produce great audio quality. Even though it is easy to overlook the importance of sound for the overall quality of the video you’re working on, a video with great audio quality may actually help you attract more followers on YouTube.

Check: best microphones for YouTube vloggers.

Equipment 3: Video Stabilization Equipment

Holding a camera in your hand while shooting a video is often not the best idea, because even breathing may cause the camera to move and produce camera shakes. That’s where tripods , steadicams, gimbals , rigs and other video stabilization equipment comes in. As a matter of fact, you should only shoot handheld videos when you want to achieve this effect, while all another camera movement should be avoided without the use of appropriate equipment.

Shaky videos are not very pleasant to watch and they can reduce your chances of attracting more followers on YouTube. The video stabilization equipment offers a great solution, and you can get a professional tripod or gimbal at a very reasonable price. However, which video stabilization equipment you are going to use depends on the camera you have and the type of shot you want to get.

Check our list of best camera stabilizer for YouTubers in 2018 .

Equipment 4: Lighting Equipment

Instead of struggling with natural light sources and having to deal with shadows, you can simply use the lighting equipment to equalize the light values in a shot. Of course, whether or not you will use artificial light in your video depends on a number of factors, including the location and the visual style you’re trying to achieve.

Whether you will use an on-camera LED light, ring light or softbox video lights is yet another creative decision you will have to make during the process of shooting your YouTube video. The great majority of video lighting equipment produces the best results in controlled, studio-like conditions, so before you go ahead and buy an on-camera light or a softbox make sure that you know how the equipment will perform on the interior and exterior locations.

Conclusion

Producing YouTube videos on a constant basis requires you to have the right equipment for the job. You don’t have to shoot your videos with the most expensive camera out there or have the best microphone on the market in order to create a great YouTube video, but having the equipment capable of delivering a professional level of video and audio quality won’t hurt your chances of becoming a successful YouTuber.

We’d love to hear all about the gear you’re using to capture your videos, so leave a comment and let us know.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Does YouTube Offer Frequent Payments to You?

Any YouTuber can earn passive income monthly if they’ve reached the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP) requirement? Yes, the YouTube Partner Program gives creators access to start generating revenue with their channel once they reach a minimum of 1,000 YouTube subscribers and 4,000 watch ours in the last twelve months.

For anyone looking to start earning passive income via YouTube, but have the question, “Does YouTube pay monthly?” The answer is YES YouTube pays monthly. However, there are other things you must know if you want to start making money from YouTube. So, in this article, we will discuss all you need to know about how often YouTube pays and other YouTube monetization tips.

Affiliate Marketing
Brand Sponsorship
Selling Own Products or Services

More FAQs About How Much YouTubers Make

Part 1: How Often Does YouTube Pay

As mentioned earlier, YouTube pays monthly. It’s usually within the first 10-14 days of a new month (10th day or 14th day of a new month). However, to be able to receive your funds, you must reach the minimum threshold of your local currency as required by YouTube. For example, $100 for content creators within the United States.

Also, you must comply with the YouTube monetization policies and not be suspended by YouTube in the past month.

Part 2: How Does YouTube Pay – Typical Methods Used

Research shows that YouTube’s average pay rate is within the range of $0.01 to $0.03 per ad view. This means for every 1,000 ad views, a YouTuber could earn $18, while for every 1,000 video views, you could earn $3 to $5. You might ask “Does YouTube pay creators per view?’ Well, the answer is NO, YouTube doesn’t pay creators per view. They pay per monetized view.

However, to get started making money per monetized views, you need to join the YouTube Partnership Program. As mentioned earlier, YouTube Partner Program (YPP) gives creators access to start generating revenue with their channel once they reach a minimum of 1,000 YouTube subscribers and 4,000 watch ours in the last twelve months. It gives creators access to different monetization features like advertising, merchandise sales, fan funding, and lots more.

● Earn Money Through Ad Views

Advertisers pay for YouTube ads based on clicks and impressions, and YouTube monetizes creators’ videos by displaying these ads in different advertising formats like pre-roll, display, etc. So, once these ads display in your video and your subscribers click on them, you get paid.

As mentioned earlier, YouTube’s average pay rate is within the range of $0.01 to $0.03 per ad view, while for every 1,000 video views, you could earn $3 to $5. But, out of the money earned, YouTube pays creators 55% and keeps the remaining 45%.

With Ads, you can earn money based on every 1,000 views get from your video and the number of clicks you get on ads placed on your video. However, for ads to be displayed on your videos, you must adhere to YouTube’s creator guidelines, as videos that contain foul language, violence, adult content, and other unwanted subjects won’t have ads displayed on them.

The image below displays the requirement to start displaying ads on your YouTube videos;

Part 3: More Opportunities To Earn More Money From YouTube

Besides ads, there are other ways to monetize your YouTube channel. You could also earn through a corporate sponsorship from brands, selling your products, etc. Keep reading to find out more ways to earn money from YouTube.

1. Affiliate Marketing

You might have come across YouTube videos where the creators talk about their favorite brands and add links to the platform for the brand. Well, that’s a form of affiliate marketing.

YouTube Affiliate marketing involves a creator reviewing a product like makeup, digital cameras, mobile phone, and lots more including services in their video. Plus, the links to the recommended product or services are usually added to the description of the video. So, once a viewer clicks on the link and purchases the product or service, the YouTuber gets a certain percentage of the money.

If you get an affiliate link to a product on a platform, you can create a video relating to that product, then in your video description, you’ll add the affiliate link there. So, when anyone purchases the product using your affiliate link, you’ll get your percentage off the price they paid. On average, companies will be willing to pay within 5% to 50% of the purchase price.

2. Brand Sponsorship

The fact YouTube is the most used video-playing platform makes it a great spot for businesses and organizations to promote their product or services. So, once you grow your YouTube subscribers to a certain level, you’ll receive emails from companies and brands to partner with you to sponsor their products or service. Honestly, there are lots of brands who will be happy to pay you to promote their products/services,

Research shows that sponsorship deals are usually within the range of $200 to over $10k. It all depends on how the brand/organization is willing to cooperate. It could be pre-roll, post-roll, etc.

Also, your YouTube channel data statistics such as total subscribers, average video impressions in the past months, likes, comments, and more are other factors that will determine how much brands will offer you to seal a sponsorship deal.

3. Selling Own Products or Services

Selling your products or services is another great way to monetize your YouTube channel. You could sell your merch, gaming tools, and other things related to the theme of the content you create for your loyal fans to purchase.

If you don’t have a product, you could charge your viewers for exclusive content, sell online courses for dropshipping, sell cryptocurrency trading e-books, etc. The only thing is you need to have a large following to earn well from this YouTube monetization option.

Part 4: More FAQs About How Much YouTubers Make

At this point, you should already have a brief idea of how YouTube monetization works. However, if you still want to discover more information, keep reading to check out more FAQs on how much YouTubers make.

1. Who is The Richest YouTuber?

The richest YouTuber as of 2021 is Mr. Beast. He has made up to $54 million in revenue from his YouTube channel.

2. Do YouTubers Get Paid Well?

The rate at which YouTubers get paid depends on certain factors like the audience they aim for, how frequently they publish the nature of their material, and lots more. As we mentioned in the article, the average pay rate on YouTube is within the range of $0.01 to $0.03 per ad view, while for every 1,000 video views, you could earn $3 to $5. Also, research shows that the highest-paying YouTube category is the “Make Money Online” category with an average CPM of $13.52.

3. How much does a YouTuber make a year?

Honestly, there’s no specific answer to how much a YouTuber makes a year. However, research shows that an average YouTuber makes up to $60,000 annually.

Final Words

As you can see, there are different ways you could monetize your YouTube channel. Be it via affiliate marketing, ads, selling products, or more. Regardless of how you want to monetize your YouTube channel, the article has covered the basics you must know to make the process easier.

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Part 1: How Often Does YouTube Pay

Also, you must comply with the YouTube monetization policies and not be suspended by YouTube in the past month.