"[New] Charting a Course  Essential Equipment for YouTube Enthusiasts"

"[New] Charting a Course Essential Equipment for YouTube Enthusiasts"

Kevin Lv12

Charting a Course: Essential Equipment for YouTube Enthusiasts

YouTube Equipment Starter Guide For Beginners

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Sumia Rafique

Create High-Quality Video - Wondershare Filmora

An easy and powerful YouTube video editor

Numerous video and audio effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

It was formerly known as YouTube Red three years ago when it first launched. It brings to your screen tones of perks for better viewing. However, the service isn’t still widely known, and most people are on the verge of understanding what is entailed in the subscription. Most YouTube premium subscribers attest that the service is of value and are even relieved of the constant ads in the Free version. Dive into the article for more insights.

youtube premium subscriber

In this article

01 What is YouTube Premium?

02 Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

What is YouTube Premium?

This streaming service was initially launched in 2014 and was later rebranded in 2018 as YouTube Premium. It includes YouTube music and other features that Google added to it. You can download content, perform background playback and even get access to YouTube original content. Note that this came at a cost as its price was raised. But what remains is that you get value for your money.

1. What service is included in the Premium subscription?

The Premium subscription is an after-sought service that includes these services.

Background play: It allows one to play your videos in the background, enabling you to use the app as a music player.

Offline playback: Easily view your videos on your phone or tablet. It means you can download a video or music and play them while not on the internet.

Ad-free videos: Say goodbye to popular ads with YouTube Free subscription. You already catered for your freedom in the subscription.

YouTube Music Premium: YouTube music is available for free even though you won’t download it for offline playback on this tier.

Flip between apps swiftly: Your videos will continue playing even if you switch to another app. You can flip apps on your device, like check emails, read Twitter, scroll to texts and still play your videos.

2. The price of a YouTube Premium subscription

YouTube Premium isn’t different from other services. Like most streaming services, you get family and student plans. YouTube Premium costs your $6.99 monthly subscription for students’ plans. You, however, need to verify that you are a student. A family plan comes at $17.99 per month, where you can add up to five members. Single YouTube Premium will cost you $11.99 a month

3. Does YouTube Premium provide an annual plan?

No. YouTube Premium does not provide an annual plan. You can only pay your subscription per month.

4. What is the difference between YouTube TV and YouTube Premium

Even though they sound similar, YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are different in many aspects. While YouTube Premium is a paid subscription, YouTube TV is a live streaming service. Let’s explore more differences.

What is included

If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, then you unlock other streaming features. These include watching YouTube without ads on its apps, managing offline viewing, playing your videos in the background, and getting YouTube Music, among others.

You can watch various channels over the internet with YouTube TV, live. It offers you close to 90 channels cutting across lifestyle, news, entertainment, sports, etc. Likewise, you can stream live broadcasts from top networks like NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. It will also splash your screen with news channels from BBC America, CNN, FOX News, etc.

Cost

When it comes to pricing, YouTube Premium costs $11.00 per month with a free, one-month trial for new subscribers. It also has different plans for students and families. On the other hand, YouTube TV starts at $64.99 per month. However, first-time subscribers can get a free offer of up to one week at no cost. This rate may seem high, but it is competitive with other live TV streaming services.

Accessibility

YouTube TV is readily available on the web, mobile platforms, and media streaming devices like Fire TV and Chromecast. You can also download the YouTube TV app to enjoy it on players like game consoles and PlayStations. For YouTube Premium, you’ll easily access it by subscription.

However, there are areas where both YouTube TV and YouTube Premium overlap. Both will let you watch YouTube Originals.

You will also enjoy your videos without adverts interruption. Additionally, it would be best to have an internet connection to stream your videos before downloading. And after downloading and saving your files, you can stream them offline on YouTube Premium.

So, which is better?

YouTube Premium subscribers think it’s the better choice. For one, if you like entertainment from services like Hulu, Netflix, Disney, and much more, then YouTube Premium has you covered than YouTube TV.

Q&A: Is YouTube Premium subscription available in all countries?

● YouTube Premium is not available in some countries. The likely reason is that those countries’ laws prevent it from being offered.

● But worry less, you can still access YouTube Premium even if it’s not available in your country. You can switch to an alternative county and stream videos.

  • Make a quick switch by first clicking the “Country” button on the bottom of the YouTube homepage. Here, you’ll view various available countries where YouTube Premium is accessible.
  • Then click any country of choice to switch to. It will give you that country’s YouTube version.
  • You can also change your language if it presents a foreign language video and description. Just click on the “Language” button on the page.
  • Finally, access and play any YouTube premium video virtually from the country you switched to.

Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

Even with the lack of YouTube Premium annual subscription, it still beats all odds to subscribe to this streaming service.

1) Offline playback

Office playback is one reason why YouTube lovers opt for the Premium subscription. Saving your videos for offline listening gives you more advantages than needing to be online to stream your videos. You can do it by simply checking for the “Download” icon below the video you wish to save on your device for later watching. You are then free to stream your files at any time, on the go!

2) Free of ads at last

YouTube streaming is much better without ever interacting with adverts. There are no pop-ups with the Premium version, letting you enjoy every bit of your video streaming. Again, such interruptions aren’t healthy for a tutorial session. Without ads, you can fully concentrate on video playing, letting you get quality value for your time.

3) Get original content

By fact, it is clear that this platform lets you interact with high-end artists who dwell on giving original content to their viewers. You’ll get a perfect chance to subscribe to artists who offer content, i.e., exclusive to the paid tier.

4) Included Google Play Music for free

It’s a double party for YouTube Premium subscribers. You have the advantage of getting Google Play Music when you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium. More so, the Google Play library gives you tones of music from their library. Combined with YouTube Premium offers, you won’t have any reason not to feel entertained from any genre of choice.

Some improvements will go a long way

Despite all the reasons to subscribe to YouTube Premium, it still needs a minor improvement to perfection.

  • The YouTube Premium service’s availability is limited compared to the initial YouTube version. Therefore, some countries prohibit its usage and are only accessible in about 70 countries. Hopefully, it will be available worldwide so that no user is limited.
  • YouTube Premium subscription does not give any discounts on any of the subscriptions. And being that it has no yearly subscriptions, the amount remains the same whether you opt for one month or pay it times 12 for the year. There should be some considerations for offers, primarily when you cover the one-year payments.
  • Some users feel the price is higher than other streaming services. However, YouTube claims to offer free Google Play music. Perhaps this is the reason for the slight rise.
  • This streaming service lacks some extras like rentals and charged station subscriptions. Other features like “lyrics” to the songs have also not been catered for. Likewise, some extra information like the title or genre of the video you watch is not included. These small extras could go a long way if they were to be added.
  • YouTube Premium also seems to pay attention to celebrities other than YouTubers. Most originals are not exclusive to Premium subscribers, while you can watch them with ads on a free account.

Conclusion

● Amidst the many YouTube subscriptions, YouTube Premium has come a long way. Additionally, it hasn’t covered all the countries just yet. However, it has eliminated the presence of annoying ads that are prominent with the free YouTube service. More so, you get free access to Google Play Music, among other added values. Despite those, the app still needs some improvements in its services to incorporate YouTube Premium subscribers in its walk fully.

Try It Free Try It Free

It was formerly known as YouTube Red three years ago when it first launched. It brings to your screen tones of perks for better viewing. However, the service isn’t still widely known, and most people are on the verge of understanding what is entailed in the subscription. Most YouTube premium subscribers attest that the service is of value and are even relieved of the constant ads in the Free version. Dive into the article for more insights.

youtube premium subscriber

In this article

01 What is YouTube Premium?

02 Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

What is YouTube Premium?

This streaming service was initially launched in 2014 and was later rebranded in 2018 as YouTube Premium. It includes YouTube music and other features that Google added to it. You can download content, perform background playback and even get access to YouTube original content. Note that this came at a cost as its price was raised. But what remains is that you get value for your money.

1. What service is included in the Premium subscription?

The Premium subscription is an after-sought service that includes these services.

Background play: It allows one to play your videos in the background, enabling you to use the app as a music player.

Offline playback: Easily view your videos on your phone or tablet. It means you can download a video or music and play them while not on the internet.

Ad-free videos: Say goodbye to popular ads with YouTube Free subscription. You already catered for your freedom in the subscription.

YouTube Music Premium: YouTube music is available for free even though you won’t download it for offline playback on this tier.

Flip between apps swiftly: Your videos will continue playing even if you switch to another app. You can flip apps on your device, like check emails, read Twitter, scroll to texts and still play your videos.

2. The price of a YouTube Premium subscription

YouTube Premium isn’t different from other services. Like most streaming services, you get family and student plans. YouTube Premium costs your $6.99 monthly subscription for students’ plans. You, however, need to verify that you are a student. A family plan comes at $17.99 per month, where you can add up to five members. Single YouTube Premium will cost you $11.99 a month

3. Does YouTube Premium provide an annual plan?

No. YouTube Premium does not provide an annual plan. You can only pay your subscription per month.

4. What is the difference between YouTube TV and YouTube Premium

Even though they sound similar, YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are different in many aspects. While YouTube Premium is a paid subscription, YouTube TV is a live streaming service. Let’s explore more differences.

What is included

If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, then you unlock other streaming features. These include watching YouTube without ads on its apps, managing offline viewing, playing your videos in the background, and getting YouTube Music, among others.

You can watch various channels over the internet with YouTube TV, live. It offers you close to 90 channels cutting across lifestyle, news, entertainment, sports, etc. Likewise, you can stream live broadcasts from top networks like NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. It will also splash your screen with news channels from BBC America, CNN, FOX News, etc.

Cost

When it comes to pricing, YouTube Premium costs $11.00 per month with a free, one-month trial for new subscribers. It also has different plans for students and families. On the other hand, YouTube TV starts at $64.99 per month. However, first-time subscribers can get a free offer of up to one week at no cost. This rate may seem high, but it is competitive with other live TV streaming services.

Accessibility

YouTube TV is readily available on the web, mobile platforms, and media streaming devices like Fire TV and Chromecast. You can also download the YouTube TV app to enjoy it on players like game consoles and PlayStations. For YouTube Premium, you’ll easily access it by subscription.

However, there are areas where both YouTube TV and YouTube Premium overlap. Both will let you watch YouTube Originals.

You will also enjoy your videos without adverts interruption. Additionally, it would be best to have an internet connection to stream your videos before downloading. And after downloading and saving your files, you can stream them offline on YouTube Premium.

So, which is better?

YouTube Premium subscribers think it’s the better choice. For one, if you like entertainment from services like Hulu, Netflix, Disney, and much more, then YouTube Premium has you covered than YouTube TV.

Q&A: Is YouTube Premium subscription available in all countries?

● YouTube Premium is not available in some countries. The likely reason is that those countries’ laws prevent it from being offered.

● But worry less, you can still access YouTube Premium even if it’s not available in your country. You can switch to an alternative county and stream videos.

  • Make a quick switch by first clicking the “Country” button on the bottom of the YouTube homepage. Here, you’ll view various available countries where YouTube Premium is accessible.
  • Then click any country of choice to switch to. It will give you that country’s YouTube version.
  • You can also change your language if it presents a foreign language video and description. Just click on the “Language” button on the page.
  • Finally, access and play any YouTube premium video virtually from the country you switched to.

Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

Even with the lack of YouTube Premium annual subscription, it still beats all odds to subscribe to this streaming service.

1) Offline playback

Office playback is one reason why YouTube lovers opt for the Premium subscription. Saving your videos for offline listening gives you more advantages than needing to be online to stream your videos. You can do it by simply checking for the “Download” icon below the video you wish to save on your device for later watching. You are then free to stream your files at any time, on the go!

2) Free of ads at last

YouTube streaming is much better without ever interacting with adverts. There are no pop-ups with the Premium version, letting you enjoy every bit of your video streaming. Again, such interruptions aren’t healthy for a tutorial session. Without ads, you can fully concentrate on video playing, letting you get quality value for your time.

3) Get original content

By fact, it is clear that this platform lets you interact with high-end artists who dwell on giving original content to their viewers. You’ll get a perfect chance to subscribe to artists who offer content, i.e., exclusive to the paid tier.

4) Included Google Play Music for free

It’s a double party for YouTube Premium subscribers. You have the advantage of getting Google Play Music when you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium. More so, the Google Play library gives you tones of music from their library. Combined with YouTube Premium offers, you won’t have any reason not to feel entertained from any genre of choice.

Some improvements will go a long way

Despite all the reasons to subscribe to YouTube Premium, it still needs a minor improvement to perfection.

  • The YouTube Premium service’s availability is limited compared to the initial YouTube version. Therefore, some countries prohibit its usage and are only accessible in about 70 countries. Hopefully, it will be available worldwide so that no user is limited.
  • YouTube Premium subscription does not give any discounts on any of the subscriptions. And being that it has no yearly subscriptions, the amount remains the same whether you opt for one month or pay it times 12 for the year. There should be some considerations for offers, primarily when you cover the one-year payments.
  • Some users feel the price is higher than other streaming services. However, YouTube claims to offer free Google Play music. Perhaps this is the reason for the slight rise.
  • This streaming service lacks some extras like rentals and charged station subscriptions. Other features like “lyrics” to the songs have also not been catered for. Likewise, some extra information like the title or genre of the video you watch is not included. These small extras could go a long way if they were to be added.
  • YouTube Premium also seems to pay attention to celebrities other than YouTubers. Most originals are not exclusive to Premium subscribers, while you can watch them with ads on a free account.

Conclusion

● Amidst the many YouTube subscriptions, YouTube Premium has come a long way. Additionally, it hasn’t covered all the countries just yet. However, it has eliminated the presence of annoying ads that are prominent with the free YouTube service. More so, you get free access to Google Play Music, among other added values. Despite those, the app still needs some improvements in its services to incorporate YouTube Premium subscribers in its walk fully.

Try It Free Try It Free

It was formerly known as YouTube Red three years ago when it first launched. It brings to your screen tones of perks for better viewing. However, the service isn’t still widely known, and most people are on the verge of understanding what is entailed in the subscription. Most YouTube premium subscribers attest that the service is of value and are even relieved of the constant ads in the Free version. Dive into the article for more insights.

youtube premium subscriber

In this article

01 What is YouTube Premium?

02 Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

What is YouTube Premium?

This streaming service was initially launched in 2014 and was later rebranded in 2018 as YouTube Premium. It includes YouTube music and other features that Google added to it. You can download content, perform background playback and even get access to YouTube original content. Note that this came at a cost as its price was raised. But what remains is that you get value for your money.

1. What service is included in the Premium subscription?

The Premium subscription is an after-sought service that includes these services.

Background play: It allows one to play your videos in the background, enabling you to use the app as a music player.

Offline playback: Easily view your videos on your phone or tablet. It means you can download a video or music and play them while not on the internet.

Ad-free videos: Say goodbye to popular ads with YouTube Free subscription. You already catered for your freedom in the subscription.

YouTube Music Premium: YouTube music is available for free even though you won’t download it for offline playback on this tier.

Flip between apps swiftly: Your videos will continue playing even if you switch to another app. You can flip apps on your device, like check emails, read Twitter, scroll to texts and still play your videos.

2. The price of a YouTube Premium subscription

YouTube Premium isn’t different from other services. Like most streaming services, you get family and student plans. YouTube Premium costs your $6.99 monthly subscription for students’ plans. You, however, need to verify that you are a student. A family plan comes at $17.99 per month, where you can add up to five members. Single YouTube Premium will cost you $11.99 a month

3. Does YouTube Premium provide an annual plan?

No. YouTube Premium does not provide an annual plan. You can only pay your subscription per month.

4. What is the difference between YouTube TV and YouTube Premium

Even though they sound similar, YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are different in many aspects. While YouTube Premium is a paid subscription, YouTube TV is a live streaming service. Let’s explore more differences.

What is included

If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, then you unlock other streaming features. These include watching YouTube without ads on its apps, managing offline viewing, playing your videos in the background, and getting YouTube Music, among others.

You can watch various channels over the internet with YouTube TV, live. It offers you close to 90 channels cutting across lifestyle, news, entertainment, sports, etc. Likewise, you can stream live broadcasts from top networks like NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. It will also splash your screen with news channels from BBC America, CNN, FOX News, etc.

Cost

When it comes to pricing, YouTube Premium costs $11.00 per month with a free, one-month trial for new subscribers. It also has different plans for students and families. On the other hand, YouTube TV starts at $64.99 per month. However, first-time subscribers can get a free offer of up to one week at no cost. This rate may seem high, but it is competitive with other live TV streaming services.

Accessibility

YouTube TV is readily available on the web, mobile platforms, and media streaming devices like Fire TV and Chromecast. You can also download the YouTube TV app to enjoy it on players like game consoles and PlayStations. For YouTube Premium, you’ll easily access it by subscription.

However, there are areas where both YouTube TV and YouTube Premium overlap. Both will let you watch YouTube Originals.

You will also enjoy your videos without adverts interruption. Additionally, it would be best to have an internet connection to stream your videos before downloading. And after downloading and saving your files, you can stream them offline on YouTube Premium.

So, which is better?

YouTube Premium subscribers think it’s the better choice. For one, if you like entertainment from services like Hulu, Netflix, Disney, and much more, then YouTube Premium has you covered than YouTube TV.

Q&A: Is YouTube Premium subscription available in all countries?

● YouTube Premium is not available in some countries. The likely reason is that those countries’ laws prevent it from being offered.

● But worry less, you can still access YouTube Premium even if it’s not available in your country. You can switch to an alternative county and stream videos.

  • Make a quick switch by first clicking the “Country” button on the bottom of the YouTube homepage. Here, you’ll view various available countries where YouTube Premium is accessible.
  • Then click any country of choice to switch to. It will give you that country’s YouTube version.
  • You can also change your language if it presents a foreign language video and description. Just click on the “Language” button on the page.
  • Finally, access and play any YouTube premium video virtually from the country you switched to.

Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

Even with the lack of YouTube Premium annual subscription, it still beats all odds to subscribe to this streaming service.

1) Offline playback

Office playback is one reason why YouTube lovers opt for the Premium subscription. Saving your videos for offline listening gives you more advantages than needing to be online to stream your videos. You can do it by simply checking for the “Download” icon below the video you wish to save on your device for later watching. You are then free to stream your files at any time, on the go!

2) Free of ads at last

YouTube streaming is much better without ever interacting with adverts. There are no pop-ups with the Premium version, letting you enjoy every bit of your video streaming. Again, such interruptions aren’t healthy for a tutorial session. Without ads, you can fully concentrate on video playing, letting you get quality value for your time.

3) Get original content

By fact, it is clear that this platform lets you interact with high-end artists who dwell on giving original content to their viewers. You’ll get a perfect chance to subscribe to artists who offer content, i.e., exclusive to the paid tier.

4) Included Google Play Music for free

It’s a double party for YouTube Premium subscribers. You have the advantage of getting Google Play Music when you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium. More so, the Google Play library gives you tones of music from their library. Combined with YouTube Premium offers, you won’t have any reason not to feel entertained from any genre of choice.

Some improvements will go a long way

Despite all the reasons to subscribe to YouTube Premium, it still needs a minor improvement to perfection.

  • The YouTube Premium service’s availability is limited compared to the initial YouTube version. Therefore, some countries prohibit its usage and are only accessible in about 70 countries. Hopefully, it will be available worldwide so that no user is limited.
  • YouTube Premium subscription does not give any discounts on any of the subscriptions. And being that it has no yearly subscriptions, the amount remains the same whether you opt for one month or pay it times 12 for the year. There should be some considerations for offers, primarily when you cover the one-year payments.
  • Some users feel the price is higher than other streaming services. However, YouTube claims to offer free Google Play music. Perhaps this is the reason for the slight rise.
  • This streaming service lacks some extras like rentals and charged station subscriptions. Other features like “lyrics” to the songs have also not been catered for. Likewise, some extra information like the title or genre of the video you watch is not included. These small extras could go a long way if they were to be added.
  • YouTube Premium also seems to pay attention to celebrities other than YouTubers. Most originals are not exclusive to Premium subscribers, while you can watch them with ads on a free account.

Conclusion

● Amidst the many YouTube subscriptions, YouTube Premium has come a long way. Additionally, it hasn’t covered all the countries just yet. However, it has eliminated the presence of annoying ads that are prominent with the free YouTube service. More so, you get free access to Google Play Music, among other added values. Despite those, the app still needs some improvements in its services to incorporate YouTube Premium subscribers in its walk fully.

Try It Free Try It Free

It was formerly known as YouTube Red three years ago when it first launched. It brings to your screen tones of perks for better viewing. However, the service isn’t still widely known, and most people are on the verge of understanding what is entailed in the subscription. Most YouTube premium subscribers attest that the service is of value and are even relieved of the constant ads in the Free version. Dive into the article for more insights.

youtube premium subscriber

In this article

01 What is YouTube Premium?

02 Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

What is YouTube Premium?

This streaming service was initially launched in 2014 and was later rebranded in 2018 as YouTube Premium. It includes YouTube music and other features that Google added to it. You can download content, perform background playback and even get access to YouTube original content. Note that this came at a cost as its price was raised. But what remains is that you get value for your money.

1. What service is included in the Premium subscription?

The Premium subscription is an after-sought service that includes these services.

Background play: It allows one to play your videos in the background, enabling you to use the app as a music player.

Offline playback: Easily view your videos on your phone or tablet. It means you can download a video or music and play them while not on the internet.

Ad-free videos: Say goodbye to popular ads with YouTube Free subscription. You already catered for your freedom in the subscription.

YouTube Music Premium: YouTube music is available for free even though you won’t download it for offline playback on this tier.

Flip between apps swiftly: Your videos will continue playing even if you switch to another app. You can flip apps on your device, like check emails, read Twitter, scroll to texts and still play your videos.

2. The price of a YouTube Premium subscription

YouTube Premium isn’t different from other services. Like most streaming services, you get family and student plans. YouTube Premium costs your $6.99 monthly subscription for students’ plans. You, however, need to verify that you are a student. A family plan comes at $17.99 per month, where you can add up to five members. Single YouTube Premium will cost you $11.99 a month

3. Does YouTube Premium provide an annual plan?

No. YouTube Premium does not provide an annual plan. You can only pay your subscription per month.

4. What is the difference between YouTube TV and YouTube Premium

Even though they sound similar, YouTube TV and YouTube Premium are different in many aspects. While YouTube Premium is a paid subscription, YouTube TV is a live streaming service. Let’s explore more differences.

What is included

If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, then you unlock other streaming features. These include watching YouTube without ads on its apps, managing offline viewing, playing your videos in the background, and getting YouTube Music, among others.

You can watch various channels over the internet with YouTube TV, live. It offers you close to 90 channels cutting across lifestyle, news, entertainment, sports, etc. Likewise, you can stream live broadcasts from top networks like NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. It will also splash your screen with news channels from BBC America, CNN, FOX News, etc.

Cost

When it comes to pricing, YouTube Premium costs $11.00 per month with a free, one-month trial for new subscribers. It also has different plans for students and families. On the other hand, YouTube TV starts at $64.99 per month. However, first-time subscribers can get a free offer of up to one week at no cost. This rate may seem high, but it is competitive with other live TV streaming services.

Accessibility

YouTube TV is readily available on the web, mobile platforms, and media streaming devices like Fire TV and Chromecast. You can also download the YouTube TV app to enjoy it on players like game consoles and PlayStations. For YouTube Premium, you’ll easily access it by subscription.

However, there are areas where both YouTube TV and YouTube Premium overlap. Both will let you watch YouTube Originals.

You will also enjoy your videos without adverts interruption. Additionally, it would be best to have an internet connection to stream your videos before downloading. And after downloading and saving your files, you can stream them offline on YouTube Premium.

So, which is better?

YouTube Premium subscribers think it’s the better choice. For one, if you like entertainment from services like Hulu, Netflix, Disney, and much more, then YouTube Premium has you covered than YouTube TV.

Q&A: Is YouTube Premium subscription available in all countries?

● YouTube Premium is not available in some countries. The likely reason is that those countries’ laws prevent it from being offered.

● But worry less, you can still access YouTube Premium even if it’s not available in your country. You can switch to an alternative county and stream videos.

  • Make a quick switch by first clicking the “Country” button on the bottom of the YouTube homepage. Here, you’ll view various available countries where YouTube Premium is accessible.
  • Then click any country of choice to switch to. It will give you that country’s YouTube version.
  • You can also change your language if it presents a foreign language video and description. Just click on the “Language” button on the page.
  • Finally, access and play any YouTube premium video virtually from the country you switched to.

Is YouTube Premium worth subscribing to?

Even with the lack of YouTube Premium annual subscription, it still beats all odds to subscribe to this streaming service.

1) Offline playback

Office playback is one reason why YouTube lovers opt for the Premium subscription. Saving your videos for offline listening gives you more advantages than needing to be online to stream your videos. You can do it by simply checking for the “Download” icon below the video you wish to save on your device for later watching. You are then free to stream your files at any time, on the go!

2) Free of ads at last

YouTube streaming is much better without ever interacting with adverts. There are no pop-ups with the Premium version, letting you enjoy every bit of your video streaming. Again, such interruptions aren’t healthy for a tutorial session. Without ads, you can fully concentrate on video playing, letting you get quality value for your time.

3) Get original content

By fact, it is clear that this platform lets you interact with high-end artists who dwell on giving original content to their viewers. You’ll get a perfect chance to subscribe to artists who offer content, i.e., exclusive to the paid tier.

4) Included Google Play Music for free

It’s a double party for YouTube Premium subscribers. You have the advantage of getting Google Play Music when you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium. More so, the Google Play library gives you tones of music from their library. Combined with YouTube Premium offers, you won’t have any reason not to feel entertained from any genre of choice.

Some improvements will go a long way

Despite all the reasons to subscribe to YouTube Premium, it still needs a minor improvement to perfection.

  • The YouTube Premium service’s availability is limited compared to the initial YouTube version. Therefore, some countries prohibit its usage and are only accessible in about 70 countries. Hopefully, it will be available worldwide so that no user is limited.
  • YouTube Premium subscription does not give any discounts on any of the subscriptions. And being that it has no yearly subscriptions, the amount remains the same whether you opt for one month or pay it times 12 for the year. There should be some considerations for offers, primarily when you cover the one-year payments.
  • Some users feel the price is higher than other streaming services. However, YouTube claims to offer free Google Play music. Perhaps this is the reason for the slight rise.
  • This streaming service lacks some extras like rentals and charged station subscriptions. Other features like “lyrics” to the songs have also not been catered for. Likewise, some extra information like the title or genre of the video you watch is not included. These small extras could go a long way if they were to be added.
  • YouTube Premium also seems to pay attention to celebrities other than YouTubers. Most originals are not exclusive to Premium subscribers, while you can watch them with ads on a free account.

Conclusion

● Amidst the many YouTube subscriptions, YouTube Premium has come a long way. Additionally, it hasn’t covered all the countries just yet. However, it has eliminated the presence of annoying ads that are prominent with the free YouTube service. More so, you get free access to Google Play Music, among other added values. Despite those, the app still needs some improvements in its services to incorporate YouTube Premium subscribers in its walk fully.

Also read:

  • Title: "[New] Charting a Course Essential Equipment for YouTube Enthusiasts"
  • Author: Kevin
  • Created at : 2024-06-10 00:24:45
  • Updated at : 2024-06-11 00:24:45
  • Link: https://youtube-videos.techidaily.com/new-charting-a-course-essential-equipment-for-youtube-enthusiasts/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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"[New] Charting a Course Essential Equipment for YouTube Enthusiasts"