From Noob to Pro: Selecting Webcams That Make a Difference in YouTube Livestreams

Best Webcams for YouTube Livestreaming

Max Wales

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Broadcasting videos in real time on social media can be a great way to share some of the best moments of your life with your friends or to reach new customers for the products your company offers. YouTube is the world’s biggest video sharing platform that already allows its users to stream live videos through third-party applications such as Wirecast Play or OBS. Less than a month ago, YouTube has finally made possible live streaming directly from a computer’s webcam. The option is currently only available on Chrome browsers, but the company claims that more browsers will start offering this feature soon.

In this article, we are going to provide you with all the information you’ll need to create seamless live streams using a webcam and introduce you to some of the best webcam models in 2021.

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## Best webcams for YouTube Livestreaming in 2021

The quality of the video recording you intend to broadcast live is essential for the success of your live streams. Most built-in laptop webcams produce low-quality videos, and for that reason using an external webcam that captures high-resolution videos can help you create live streams that attract a lot of attention from YouTube’s community.

How to choose the right webcam for live streaming on YouTube?

Compatability: Even the best webcams on the market are completely useless if they are not compatible with your computer. Finding a webcam that works with a PC or a Mac shouldn’t be too difficult because both Windows and iOS platforms offer support for a wide range of models.

Video Resolution: YouTubers that just want to produce simple live streams don’t have to pay a lot of attention to the video resolution, because their videos don’t show too many details. Vloggers and gamers, on the other hand, should consider using webcams that produce 4K or HD footage since lower-priced options have a hard time realistically depicting colors. The quality of the video output a webcam produces can increase its price significantly, so there’s no reason investing in it if you don’t have the intention of utilizing its features to the fullest.

Sound Quality: Besides the video features, you should also look into the webcam’s audio options, because no one wants to watch a video with a terrible sound. Buying an external microphone is probably the best solution to this issue, but if you can’t afford one, then purchasing a webcam with decent audio recording features is the second best option.

Adjustable Location: Although the angle from which you are recording a stream may not seem important, poorly framed live streams are more likely to go unnoticed. A webcam that is easily adjustable can grant you the freedom of choosing your shots on every live stream you share online and it will enable you to control each and every detail in the video.

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4 Best Webcams for YouTube Live streaming in 2021

There are thousands of different webcams you can use to record a live stream, but the models featured below are some of the very best currently available on the market.

1. Logitech 4K Pro webcam

OS: Windows, macOS, Chrome OS

Price: $199

This is currently the only webcam on the market that supports 4K video recording, which makes it a forerunner of innovation and change. Besides the 4K option, the webcam’s features include a 5X digital zoom, infrared facial recognition and the amazing Right Light with HDR option that helps users record videos even under difficult light conditions.

The webcam can perform basic functions, like Skype calls, without the aid of third-party apps, which means that you can use it to create live streams on YouTube even if you don’t have a broadcasting software. The webcam’s stand is designed to fit almost any surface, so mounting the Logitech 4K Pro webcam to a laptop or monitor is quick and simple. The background replacement feature this Logitech’s webcam model offers can be quite useful if you want to use a different background in your YouTube live stream.

Pros:

Produces incredibly clear and sharp images
Superb background replacement options
Expansive field of view

Cons:

Poor audio recording options
Internal software is basic
A limited number of programs can capture 4K footage

2. Logitech HD Pro C920

OS: macOS, Windows

Price: $99,99

Vloggers and all other YouTubers who care about video resolution will love using this webcam. Besides being capable of producing crystal clear videos in 1080p or HD 720 resolution at 30 or 60 fps, Logitech HD Pro C922 is also optimized for live streaming, which makes it a perfect webcam for live streaming on YouTube and all other video sharing platforms.

The webcam is equipped with two omnidirectional microphones that can record clear audio, but they pick up background noises easily, so using an external microphone for your live stream is still a much better option. The automatic low-light correction feature is designed to detect flickering lights in a video or increase visibility when streaming from a dimmed location. A foldable stand makes mounting the webcam easy, and you can also use a tripod if you want to record a live stream from an unusual perspective.

Pros:

Produces 1080p and 720p resolution videos at 30 and 60 fps
Allows users to integrate live images into their live streams
Very easy to use

Cons

Below average audio recording features
Pricey
Works only with OBS and XSplit broadcasting software

3. Logitech C922 Pro Stream webcam

OS: Windows, macOS, Xbox, Chrome OS, Android 5.0 or above

Price: $99,99

Professional streamers, who want to capture impeccable live streams, should look no further. Logitech C922 Pro Stream webcam is the premier option for anyone who wants to be regarded as a professional streamer. This Logitech’s webcam lets you capture live streams in 1080p at 30 fps or 720p at 60 fps, while also providing the background removal feature for live streams on Twitch and YouTube. The video compression ensures that your live streams don’t take up too much of your network’s resources.

The webcam’s microphones enable users to record clear audio and reduce the need to use an external mic on every live stream you make. The Logitech C922 Pro Stream webcam delivers stunning performances in low light conditions, and it also has a 78-degree field of view lens. The webcam’s mounting options are somewhat limited, which can have a negative effect on the visual appeal of your YouTube live streams.

Pros:

Offers a solid support for audio recording
Delivers stunning picture quality
Compatible with a wide range of operating systems

Cons:

Limited mounting options
Not plug-and-play friendly on Mac devices
More expensive than webcams with similar capabilities

4. Microsoft LifeCam Studio

OS: Windows

Price: $99,95

The high-precision glass element lens this webcam features produces clear and sharp images. The Microsoft LifeCam Studio webcam has a 1080p HD sensor and it offers 720p HD video chat option. In addition to these remarkable features, the webcam is also equipped with TrueColor technology with face tracking that automatically adjusts the camera’s exposure to the environment and ensures that your live streams are always bright and colorful.

The Microsoft LifeCam Studio has a wide angle lens and an autofocus feature that guarantees that all live streams are always in focus. The webcam is Skype certified which means that it performs best when used with this software. Audio recording features exceed all expectations since the webcam can record natural audio recordings with no background noises. However, the limited compatibility narrows down the spectrum of its potential users.

Pros:

Excellent video recording features.
Crystal clear audio
Great mounting options

Cons:

Available only on Windows OS
Demanding system requirements
Not optimized for live streaming.

How to live stream from a webcam on YouTube in 2020

Although producing your own live stream on YouTube is easy, there are still a few steps you will have to take before you can start streaming from the webcam on your computer. If you don’t have a YouTube channel, you must make one, in order to be able to create your first live steam.

Step 1

Go to youtube.com/webcam , then complete the channel verification process and make sure that your channel doesn’t have any live streaming restrictions in the last 90 days. Head over to your channel, click on the Create a Video or Post icon in the upper right corner of the web page and select the GoLive option.

Afterward, you should give Chrome permission to access your webcam and the microphone you intend on using to record audio.

Step 2

Immediately after, the platform will ask you to give a title to your stream and it will let you choose whether or not you want the stream to be public or unlisted. It may be a good idea to create a few unlisted streams before you go public if you are still trying to figure out how this feature works.

Proceed to select the camera and the microphone you intend to use to record the live stream, and you can also click on the Advanced Settings icon if you want to disable chat during the session or to specify that the live stream includes paid promotions.

Step 3

Once you’ve finished fine-tuning the advanced settings, you should click on the Next button. The platform will offer you to take or upload a thumbnail for your live stream.

Clicking on the Share icon will enable you to share a live stream on social media, copy the link or access the embed code. Using the Share option is a great way to check if your live stream is functioning properly and to make sure that you are all set to begin the streaming session.

Step 4

Start your live stream by hitting the Go Live button. During the stream, you’ll be able to see and reply to comments people posted, the duration of the stream as well as the number of people following your live stream. If you haven’t shared your live stream before you started a new session you can do so while you are live. Click on the End Stream button to finish your webcam live stream on YouTube.

Step 5

After each live streaming session, YouTube will display some important statistics like the total and average watch time for the particular stream, the number of new subscribers or the number of playbacks of your live stream. The stream will be available for review in YouTube’s Creator Studio in the Events menu.

Max Wales

Max Wales is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Audio Visual Transcript Maker

Captions, like subtitles, can be a great way to improve the engagement of your video by reaching more and more audiences. But adding captions to your video is not an easy thing to do and without the right video caption maker, it can seem like an impossible task.

But it is important to add captions to your video, not just so you can target people who don’t understand the language or those who prefer to read rather than watch the video, but also to improve SEO and visibility.

Here, we will be looking at some of the best tools that you can use to add captions to your video.

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Best Video Caption Makers

The following are the top video caption makers that you can choose from;

YouTube Automatic Caption

If you already have your own YouTube channel, you can use the built-in speech recognition feature to generate accurate captions for your video. This feature can generate captions in a number of languages including English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Korean, French, Italian, and Dutch which is more than some of the premium caption generators in the market.

The main reason most people choose this solution is that it is fairly simple to use. You don’t have to do much; just upload the video and the automatic caption generator will create the captions you need.

Key Features

It is easy to use and freely accessible
You can use it to generate captions in a number of different languages
It is very accurate
You can use it to generate transcripts for the video

Kapwing Auto-Subtitle Maker

Kapwing is an online solution that will generate subtitles and captions for most videos. But it does limit the size of the video that it can generate subtitles on to about 500 MB. There is a free version of the program that although limited in functionality will not add a watermark to the generated captions file. But free users can only get captions for up to 7 minutes of video, making it a less ideal solution when you have a longer video.

Key Features

You can generate captions and subtitles for free
It is accessible online and you don’t have to install software on your computer to get the captions
It has a very simple user interface, making the caption generation process quick and easy
In addition to generating subtitles and captions, you can edit existing files.

Adobe Premiere Pro CC

You may know Adobe Premiere as one of the most popular video editing programs on the market, but most people are unaware that it can also be used to generate captions for the video. This tool can be very useful in the creation of high-quality videos and you can generate an accurate caption or subtitle for the video as well.

But Adobe Premiere is not an easy solution to use for both video editing and adding captions, particularly for beginner users. But it is certainly one of the best ways to create and edit videos on your computer.

Key Features

Even though the interface is not easy to use, it is clear and flexible
You have numerous options to add the captions including font style and color
The captions that you add using this tool will be very accurate
It can also be used to edit existing subtitle and caption files

Amara Subtitle Editor

Amara subtitle editor will not be able to help you create or generate captions for your video, but it can be a good solution to edit a subtitle file that you already have. It can be very useful in syncing the subtitles with the video and you can use it to make minor changes to the subtitle.

While editing the subtitle file is easy, creating a caption file using Amara can be a lengthy process since you would have to type in the text.

Key Features

It can be used to edit caption and subtitles files easily
The user interface is pleasant and easy to use
It is completely free

Aegisubs

Aegisubs is another tool that you can use to create subtitles for your video. But we must warn you right off the bat that this tool is not very user-friendly and you may find that you will spend a lot of time trying to generate subtitles for your video. But it is a free solution and widely accessible on most platforms.

Key Features

It can be used to create subtitles and captions in different languages
It supports numerous video and audio formats
It has a simple user interface that is easy to navigate
It doesn’t have speech recognition and you’ll have to enter all the text manually

AHD Subtitle Maker

AHD subtitle maker is a Windows program that can be used to create subtitles and captions for your video in a variety of formats such as SRT. It is a completely free solution that can also be used to edit subtitle files in numerous ways, even changing the format of the file.

Among other things, you can use AHD subtitle maker to translate, change, copy and delete selected text from a subtitle file and even replace the text with something else.

Key Features

It is a free program that works on all versions of Windows
It can generate subtitle and caption files in a variety of formats
You can use it to generate subtitle files or edit existing files in various ways
It can also be used to generate various types of content including ID3 tags for music files

Videocaptionmaker.com

To generate captions and subtitles on your Mac for free, the best option is Video Caption Maker. The full version of the program is available for free and it can be used to create a subtitle file or make changes to a subtitle file you already have.

Key Features

You can use it to add text to a video in a simple and straightforward way
It can also be used to make changes to existing subtitles by changing the fonts, styles, backgrounds, positions, and more
It will also add a visual waveform to an audio file to identify the start and end time
It supports numerous video formats including .mov, .mp4, .mpeg, .3gpp, .3gpp2

Jubler

Jubler is a program that can edit subtitles and captions for videos. It can also be used to create new subtitles although it doesn’t automatically generate the captions and you will have to type them in. But when it comes to editing subtitles, this tool is very effective, allowing you to change the font style, color, and even positioning of the subtitles.

Key Features

It works on all platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux
It will graphically display the subtitles so you can easily move them to the desired location
It supports all subtitle and caption file formats
It allows you to edit the subtitles in many ways
It can be used to translate the subtitles to various languages

**How Do I Make a Caption for a Video?

Making a caption for your video can be easy depending on the type of program you choose to use. A good rule of thumb is to choose solutions that auto generates the captions as they save you a lot of time. If there are issues after the captions have been generated, you can then use a subtitled editor to fix them, more preferable to typing in the subtitles or captions yourself.

**How Do I Get Automatic Captions for my Video?

If you are uploading your video on YouTube, you can easily generate automatic captions from the YouTube studio. Just use these simple steps;

Step 1: Sign in to YouTube Studio and in the left menu, select “Subtitles.”

Step 2: Click on the video that you want to add subtitles

Step 3: Select “More” under Subtitles and then go through the captions to make sure they are correct. If not, you can edit them on this page.

If you are not using YouTube to share your video, you can use one of the solutions we have outlined in this article to generate automatic captions.

**How Long Does It Take to Caption a Video?

The amount of time that you spend creating a caption for your video is entirely dependent on the captioning tool that you use. Automatic caption generators can create captions in a few seconds but manual subtitle tools can lengthen the process, especially for a longer video.

Conclusion

Captions are a great way to get users to engage with your videos. Studies have shown that a captioned video is far more likely to get more engagements and shares on social media. And since it can be very easy to make caption for you video, why not utilize this little known resource and get your videos to stand out a little bit more.

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