So, you want to make more money off of YouTube? The top-grossing YouTube channels of today all have one very important thing in common: the quality of their videos. You can upload every day, but the quality will always beat quantity. The more consistent you are with the quality of your videos, the more your channel will grow.
That being said, creating high-quality YouTube videos requires some specific equipment and software. While you can certainly record video with your old smartphone camera, you won’t get anywhere near that high-quality mark you’re looking for. Let’s talk about some of the tools you might need to increase the quality of your videos, and, therefore, your YouTube audience and income.
1. Audio Equipment
Let’s start with audio. What your subscribers hear is just as important as what they see, especially if your channel is based on audio content (such as guitar tutorials, music videos, or reviews). If you’re still just using your smartphone mic to record audio, it’s time for an upgrade.
Making money off YouTube becomes a problem when your audience can’t even hear what’s going on in the video clearly. Have you ever watched a YouTube video with garbled or crackling audio? It’s obnoxious, right? You probably didn’t even finish the whole thing.
If you want to keep people engaged and coming back to your channel for more, you must upgrade the quality of your audio elements. This might mean buying a new microphone so you can get paid on YouTube. Don’t know where to start? Try this list of the best microphones for YouTube.
2. Video Equipment
Now that your audience can hear you clearly, let’s talk about the 360p video quality you’re stuck with. HD video is nothing less than the standard for online video content; especially because newer phones can support HD videos and most people access the internet (including Youtube) from a mobile device.
The first thing to understand about YouTube is that vertical videos don’t really fit the platform. YouTube’s video player uses a 16:9 aspect ratio, which means it’s wider than it is tall. YouTube supports all the way up to 4k HD video resolution, so the higher the quality of your video feed, the better.
You’ll likely need to purchase a high-quality video camera if you want to compete with other YouTubers. You’re not going to get very far with grainy videos shot from an old smartphone. The quality of your video can literally mean the difference between keeping a viewer engaged and causing them to leave your channel entirely.
Here’s a list of the best cameras for YouTube in 2020.
3. Screen Capture Software
Let’s say you’re making gaming videos or some kind of computer-related video content. You’ll need to invest in good screen capture software to make sure you’re getting HD screen captures. This software is easy to find, and for the most part, it functions the same way across brands.
Screen capture software lets you capture stunning HD video from your desktop/laptop. You can create hours of high-quality gaming content, computer tutorials, and more! Some of these screen capture programs are actually free to use, but the free versions usually lack some of the better features you’d find with paid versions.
Even if your content is awesome, you won’t get very far if your screen captures aren’t in HD. Take a look at this list of the best screen capture software in order to make the best decision for your channel.
4. SEO Software
So, you’ve got great audio and video quality, awesome content, and a regular video upload schedule. Now what? You’re not gaining new subscribers or views, and you seem to be stuck. What could be wrong?
Once you’ve narrowed down your niche, improved your video quality, and created an upload schedule, you’ll need to look at your SEO strategy. Wait, what’s SEO? SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s essentially the way that people find your content in a sea of online resources.
There are specific software programs that are built to improve your YouTube channel’s SEO. Tubics is one of the most popular options, helping to organically grow your YouTube audience and improve your ranking in Google search results. There’s other software out there, so be sure to do some research before you buy to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need.
5. Video Editing Software
Even if you capture stunning HD audio and video, you’ll need to edit your footage into shorter blocks of content. After all, your subscribers don’t want to see you fumbling with camera angles for twenty minutes before the content actually starts, right?
Video editing can be easy with the right software. Most video editing software is incredibly intuitive and built for those with little to no experience. Of course, you can always buy more advanced software if you really want to get serious, but until then, even Microsoft’s free movie maker software should do the trick.
