13 Tips for Making High-Quality YouTube Videos

Take your YouTube video and audio quality to the next level with this helpful guide

Co-authored by Travis Page and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: December 5, 2024 Fact Checked

Do you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level? Do you want to impress your followers with the quality of your content? Luckily, you can shoot professional-quality YouTube videos using some basic, inexpensive equipment. This wikiHow article teaches you how to shoot professional quality videos for YouTube.

Make Professional Quality YouTube Videos

Invest in a high-resolution camera, a tripod, a decent audio mic, some lighting equipment, and some video editing software.
Plan your videos before you shoot. Have a script, a target, audience and a purpose for your video in mind.
Shoot in widescreen format. Use the rule of thirds, and make sure your subject is positioned along the left or right third of the frame.
Use simple video edits with professional transitions, text, and some background music.

1

Establish a budget.

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Know how much you want to spend. Before you sit down to create your first video, you'll need to gather a few pieces of equipment—namely, a camera, a dedicated microphone, a tripod, and lighting equipment. While this list may seem daunting, you can easily build up an equipment inventory on a budget. While establishing your budget, remember a couple of things:
- Don't immediately assume you'll need the highest-quality equipment you can afford. It's better to have a cheap camera that you know how to operate than to have a $1000 DSLR that you can't make the most of.
- Prioritize your equipment in this order: audio (microphone), video (camera), lighting, tripod. ^{[1]
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2

Consider your camera options.

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Make sure you have a decent camera. Depending on your budget and the types of videos you want to shoot, you can use anything from a simple built-in webcam to a film-grade DSLR camera. Some of your simpler options include the following types of camera:
- Smartphone: If you have a smartphone, you'll be able to record fairly high-quality videos with the touch of a button. Smartphones are also easier to transport than larger, bulkier cameras, meaning you can record on the go if you like.
  - When using a smartphone, always use the rear-facing camera. The rear-facing camera is generally better quality than the camera on the front.
  - The largest drawback to using a smartphone is the lack of available audio input—you'll either need to record audio separately on another device and then synchronize your video and audio later, or you'll need to settle for the in-camera microphone, headset mic, or an external mic.
- Camcorder: A camcorder is a perfect balance between a smartphone's portability and a DSLR's high-quality shooting capabilities. You can purchase a camcorder that shoots in high-definition starting at around $50 with more expensive models going for $1,000 or more.
- Webcam: If you are live streaming or recording vlogs on your computer, you may be able to use a good webcam. The webcam that is built-in to your computer generally isn't that great. However, you can purchase an HD webcam (1080p or higher) starting at around $20 with more expensive webcams going for $100 or more. You can use your other USB inputs for audio and microphones.
- DSLR Camera: Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras include a wide array of devices but generally entail a high standard of quality. You'll want to tend toward high-profile brands like Canon or [ Nikon if purchasing a DSLR, but remember to ensure that your selected camera includes video recording as an option.
  - Also, keep in mind that DSLR cameras require a higher level of skill and patience to operate effectively. If you aren't already well-versed in DSLR camera operation, consider using a cheaper alternative.

3

Invest in a dedicated microphone.

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Make sure you have good audio. Even if your footage is beautiful, poor audio will severely detract from the overall appeal of your video. Think of it this way: you want your audio's quality to match—if not exceed—your film quality, and using your camera's built-in microphone will make it difficult to achieve this task. You'll want to look into the type of microphone your camera supports (e.g., USB) if you want to record both at the same time.
- " Audio-Technica " and " Blue Microphones " are both reputable companies with a wide variety of stock from cheap, accessible microphones to studio-grade ones.
- Spending around $100 will net you a professional-sounding microphone.
- If you're working with a limited budget, consider opting for a cheaper microphone. Even a wired pair of earbuds with a microphone can be better than your phone's built-in microphone.
- Using a dedicated microphone can also minimize the amount of echoing and background noise in your video since your microphone usually sits much closer to your mouth than your camera.
- Consider purchasing a pop filter to place over your microphone in order to reduce audio feedback and plosives during the editing process.

4

Use good lighting.

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Make sure you have plenty of soft light. This can be anything from light from a window, a couple of ring lights, or a professional-grade lighting kit. For best results, you'll need to use lighting in a static location (such as a room in your house).
- Natural light is the best lighting, and it's 100% free. All you need to do is set up in front of a window so that light is shining directly on you. The best times to film are in the morning or evening when the light is softest. Filming during midday when the sun is directly overhead can cast unflattering shadows. Also, consider the weather when you are filming. Filming when it's rainy or cloudy outside can cast a bluish tint in the lighting, whereas clear weather will have a warmer tint.
- When setting up your lighting for a room shot, you should have three separate sources. Your main light is the brightest and placed off to the side of the camera at a 45-degree angle. You should also have a fill light, which is 30% to 50% dimmer than the main light, and placed on the opposite side of the camera or directly behind the camera. It's also a good idea to have another light source aimed directly at your background. ^{[2]
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- Soft light is better than hard light. Try using large ring lights or professional box lights . Lightbulbs and LED panels can cast hard light, which casts unflattering shadows.

5

Use a tripod or a camera stand.

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Shaky camera footage looks very unprofessional. Make sure you are using a tripod that reaches eye level when filming. If you are using your phone to shoot your video, you can purchase a phone stand starting at around $20.

6

Purchase decent video editing software.

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Make sure you have video-editing software available. Most computers come with stock video-editing software (e.g., iMovie or Windows Movie Maker)—these will get the job done in a pinch, but you can easily download or purchase much more advanced software that will give you the control you need to produce a high-quality video. ^{[3]
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Expert Source

Travis Page
Brand & Product Specialist

Expert Interview. 27 June 2019.}
- Decent video editing software should include the ability to add text to videos, trim and crop videos, change the aspect ratio, add scene transitions, as well as add filters and overlays.
- If your video editing software has a library of stock video and sound you can add to your video, that's also very useful.
- OpenShot is a free and open-source video editing program that is available Windows, Mac and Linux, that's fairly easy to use. Lightworks caters to a more intermediate film editing audience (PC only).
- If you're willing to spend some money, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere are great options. ^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Travis Page
  Brand & Product Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 27 June 2019.}

7

Plan your video before filming.

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Know what your video is about and what you are going to say. Your video's conceptual focus is perhaps the most important aspect of your finished product. Before you sit down and press the "Record" button, know the following things about the video you want to shoot:
- The subject of the video.
- The purpose of the video (what you want to communicate).
- Your target audience.
- Your script (or at least an outline of what you want to cover).

8

Consider your background.

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Your background doesn't have to be fancy. You can use a plain white background if you are just getting started. The most important thing is to make sure your background is clean and free of clutter. Nothing looks more unprofessional than a messy, cluttered background.

9

Choose the right camera placement.

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Place your camera. Naturally, you'll want it to face the area in which you (or your subject) will sit. Make sure the camera is eye-level with the subject.
- If you're using a tripod, this is a relatively easy step. Otherwise, set up a pile of books or a small shelf for your camera to rest on.
- You'll also want to situate your microphone during this time. You may have to play around with your camera's zoom level and your microphone's location in order to keep the microphone out of your shot.
- If you're filming with a smartphone, camcorder, or webcam, refrain from zooming in. Doing so constitutes using a "digital zoom" (as opposed to the optical zoom used by DSLR cameras) that distorts the video quality. Move the camera closer instead.
- Use the rule of thirds. Imagine a 3x3 grid over your video footage. The subject of your shot should fall somewhere on intersecting lines. This is the rule of thirds. This essentially means that you don't want to center yourself in your camera's frame—instead, sit a little bit to the left or right. Most smartphones have a camera-related option that displays a three-by-three grid of lines on the screen while filming.

10

Shoot in a quiet, noise-absorbing location..

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Make sure your shooting location is quiet before filming. Background noise is a huge detractor from the quality of your content. Also, consider how sound travels in the location you are filming in. If the room you are filming in has hardwood floors and a lot of hard surfaces, this can produce an echo, which will make your videos harder to edit. Consider shooting in a room with carpet and soft surfaces.
- If the room you are shooting in has a lot of echoes, you can purchase sound-absorbing panels to place on the walls to absorb the sound.

11

Shoot in high-resolution video.

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Even if your final video is only intended to be 1080p, shooting in higher resolution will give you more freedom when cropping and editing your video. It's much easier to reduce high-resolution video to a smaller resolution than to increase a low-resolution video to a high resolution. This will also allow you to crop your video for portrait (tall-screen) mode, in case you want to use parts of your video YouTube Shorts, TikToks, or Instagram/Facebook Reels.

12

Edit your video.

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Edit your video. Depending on your preferences, this process will vary. Once you've completed your shooting and editing, you're ready to upload your video to YouTube ! ^{[5]
X
Expert Source

Travis Page
Brand & Product Specialist

Expert Interview. 27 June 2019.}
- If you're trying to produce dynamic (e.g., quick and engaging) content, consider cutting out any awkward silences or pauses in conversation.
- Most video-editing programs come with a "noise-canceling" feature included. You can use this to lower the overall background noise in your video.
- Adding background music and scene transitions can help make your videos look more professional.
- Keep your edits simple. You don't need tons of video effects to make your video look good. In fact, too many effects can be distracting and overstimulating. Only use as many effects as you need to make your video look good and professional.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I get attention from viewers?

Community Answer

Be very active, set a schedule for uploading videos and stick to it, post regularly on social media, read the negative comments on other people's pages so you know what to avoid.

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About how long will it take to make a good quality video?

Community Answer

Some professional YouTubers can take up to 2 hours to film and a few hours editing and cutting it down to a reasonable time. It just depends on how much effort you want to put into it.

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How can I get better sound quality without a microphone?

Community Answer

You could get a voice recording app and save it as an MP3 and add it later on your video.

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Tips

Make sure your camera has an external microphone input port, USB or otherwise, before purchasing the relevant microphone.

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YouTube is a difficult market to break into, so consider using a cheaper camera to make your first videos. After your videos gain popularity, you can use your videos' ad revenue or a Patreon account to purchase a better camera.

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Perspective distortion—something that occurs when a DSLR camera is zoomed too far out—can cause viewers to feel uneasy or nauseated. Zooming your camera in to around the 50 millimeters mark will solve this issue.

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Warnings

YouTube is one of the most frequented social media platforms to date, so don't expect your videos to amass large amounts of views overnight.

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13 Tips for Making High-Quality YouTube Videos

Make Professional Quality YouTube Videos

Steps

Establish a budget.

Consider your camera options.

Invest in a dedicated microphone.

Use good lighting.

Use a tripod or a camera stand.

Purchase decent video editing software.

Plan your video before filming.

Consider your background.

Choose the right camera placement.

Shoot in a quiet, noise-absorbing location..

Shoot in high-resolution video.

Edit your video.

Community Q&A

Tips

Warnings

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References

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