There is no doubt that YouTube has become the place for online video viewing. There are over 20 hours of videos uploaded every single minute on this video sharing site, and there is no sign of decline. So how do you stand out from all the other videos out there? Well, if you’re uploading videos of you playing over backing tracks, then having really good audio is one way to do this.
So many people just play the backing track and then record their guitar with the microphone on their camcorder picking up both the guitar and the backing track at the same time. This is not the best way to get the sound. Usually the camera mic is very bad and will pick up a lot of room sound which will give you a very bassy, unfocused sound. You will then be left a great video, but less than stellar audio. I would say about 80% of the YouTube videos I see are like this.
If you want to get more views, comments, and likes, one thing you can do is to concentrate on making the audio sound great. It is not really that hard, but will take some extra time. You’ve spent all this time practicing and learning how to play the guitar, why not learn how to make your video sound great as well as look good.
In the video below I will show you exactly how to get good audio with your video.
Hopefully that will convince you to start paying more attention to the audio when recording videos. A few items will be needed for you to achieve better audio.
What You Will Need
- Audio Recording Software - If you’re on a Mac then use Garageband. If your on Windows, then Audacity or any other recording program. You can download Audacity for Free here. Many audio interfaces come with some kind of software to record with as well.
- Audio Interface - There are many to choose from, and in this Blog Post Tutorial I explain how to use a mixer and a usb device. There are also many other usb interfaces to choose from as well. I haven’t tried this one yet, but it looks very promising. It also comes with a Free copy of Pro Tools Lite. I’m a huge Pro Tools fan.
M-Audio Fast Track Pro - Video Editing Software – If you’re on a Mac, then you can use iMovie. If you’re on a PC then I recommend using Adobe Premiere Elements 9. You can even try it for Free for 30 days. Retail on this software is $79.99. Not a bad price I think. Here’s where you can check it out. Adobe Premiere Elements
- Video Camera – If you don’t have one already, then I would recommend the Kodak Zi8. It costs around a $100 and is HD. Check it out here. Kodak Zi8
There will be a slight learning curve, but the difference in sound from your videos will be dramatically better if you do this. If you don’t have any backing tracks to record over, check out this page for a Free BB King Style track you can download. Check it out here.
Have a question or an opinion? Leave a comment below.
This was very helpful. The video quality is very good what camera did you use?
Thanks,
Ray
Thanks. This was recorded using a Canon HV30 and Camtasia.
Hi John,
Just ran across your web site. Great work your are doing man!. After watching your tutorial I wonder: Since you’re miking your cab in the same room you have your PC, how come your cab mike doesn’t pick up any sound from your computer speakers when you play and record your guitar/AMP over backing track ? Is it because your cab microphone has a pickup pattern that provides good isolation from surrounding noise ? or is there something I’m missing ?
Regards!
Richie
Thanks. The cabinet mic does pic up a little but the guitar amp is in an isolation box. Mic is cardiod.
Hi John,
Great tutorial, very helpful. Could you please give more info about video recording? For example, how did you set the lights and got that black background? I have cannon eos camera that can shoot HD movies, but my videos don’t look that professional because of bad lights and background scene which is my room full of stuff.
Thanks,
Stefan
Thanks for the comment. Lighting has a lot to do with it. You’ll need high wattage bulbs, umbrellas, light stands, and a video muslin backdrop with stands. Don’t let any sunlight in when shooting video. It will ruin the video. Setting the white balance and the exposure on the camera is key. If you don’t do it, you’ll get very blown out and bad colors. Ebay has a lot of inexpensive video kits, so you may want to try that.
I use 2 of these lights. http://www.homedepot.com/buy/lighting-fans/light-bulbs/tcp/68-watt-300w-springlight-soft-white-1-pack-e-39234.html Hope that helps.