Recording your own videos

There are several ways to create videos for YouTube—the method you choose depends on what kind of videos you want to make. We’ll talk about some of the most common ways to record videos, including using a webcam, mobile device, and using a separate video camera.

Webcam

A lot of videos on YouTube—including the ones we’ve shown you throughout this tutorial—are recorded with a webcam. Webcams are best for recording yourself, which allows for a very personal, informal style. A webcam is built-in with a lot of newer computers, although you can also purchase an external one for around $20.

Once your webcam is set up, you’ll have a few different options for recording. The simplest is probably just to use YouTube’s webcam capture feature to record a video directly to YouTube. To do this, locate and select the Upload button near the top-right corner of any YouTube page, locate Webcam capture, and select Record.

When you’re done, you can use YouTube’s built-in editing features to make your video look more polished and professional. We’ll show you how to do this in our lesson on Editing Your Videos on YouTube.

Mobile device

Another great way to record content for YouTube is with a smartphone or other mobile device. Because you’ll probably have these devices with you all the time, they’re especially convenient for capturing a video right in the moment.

While you can record videos with your device’s camera, the free YouTube Capture app for iOS makes it especially easy to record, edit, and upload videos to YouTube straight from your iPhone or iPad. There are also third-party video capture and editing apps you can download if you don’t have an iOS device.

Professional recording equipment

If you want to create a more professional-looking video, you’ll need to make a larger investment in your recording equipment. Along with a high-quality video camera, you’ll want to consider purchasing items like additional lighting, microphones, and tripods. You may also want to purchase separate video editing software. Built-in editing software like iMovie and Windows Movie Maker should be able to handle basic editing tasks, but if you want that extra level of polish, professional software like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut may be a better option for you.

YouTube Creator Academy

Whatever method you choose for recording your videos, these tutorials from YouTube Creator Academy can help you learn more about the technical aspects of video production. YouTube Creator Academy is also a great resource if you’re just starting your channel: There, you’ll find a series of high-quality video tutorials from established YouTube creators on how best to create new videos, engage your audience, and become a better video creator.