How to Make Your YouTube Videos Look More Professional

How to Make Your YouTube Videos Look More Professional

If you’ve been making videos on YouTube for a while, you might be ready to take things to the next level. Maybe your channel is beginning to feel like it’s just a home for silly unedited clips that no one will ever watch.

Or maybe you have this great idea for a new video series that you think would work better if it was produced with more care and attention to detail.

It’s never too early to start thinking about making your YouTube videos look more professional, especially if you want viewers to continue subscribing.

Here are some tips for doing just that.

Plan Before You Record

Make a list of things you want to get right, and then write down the equipment and resources you’ll need to do it.

There are many things you can do to improve the look of your videos, but some are more important than others.

If you have terrible audio, for example, your viewers will be able to ignore everything else. If you have a limited budget, it’s best to start with the fundamentals. You’ll need a decent camera, a way to record good audio, and adequate lighting.

Get a Decent Camera

The camera is the one piece of equipment you can’t skimp on. If you’re serious about putting out great content and building a YouTube channel that people will want to watch, you need to invest in a good camera that will look professional enough to hold its own on the internet. You don’t need to go as far as renting a RED camera, but a DSLR or mirrorless camera is a must.

Record in 4K (or at least 720p)

Some people swear by recording in 4K, but there’s no real reason to go that extreme unless you’re doing something exceptional.

720p resolution is more than enough if you want to create professional-looking content. Just record your videos in a 16:9 aspect ratio; otherwise, they won’t look right when they’re uploaded to YouTube.

If you want to go even further, you can make sure your videos are 24 or 30 frames per second, which looks smoother and more cinematic. If you don’t have the option to record video in high-resolution, don’t worry.

You don’t have to downscale your video. YouTube will upscale it to a higher resolution, so you won’t notice the difference. If you have the option to record in 1080p, though, you should record in 4K instead.

Add B-Roll and Continuity Footage

This concept comes from the world of film and video production. B-roll refers to all the additional footage that you cut between the takes of your main shots. This might include close-ups of the props and set, or wide shots of the surroundings.

 B-roll shots are used to make your video look more professional, and they also make it easier to edit your clips.

If you’re struggling to get your video to flow, you could try shooting and editing in B-roll footage to make your video seem more polished. Continuity footage is the footage you shoot that continues from your main shots.

For example, if you’re shooting an outside scene, you’ll want to shoot some footage of the scenery in the early morning or late afternoon to make it look like the same day. Continuity footage is subtle, but it makes your video look more professional.

Add Audio Mixing and Color Grading

One of the best ways is to invest in a decent microphone. You don’t need to go all out and buy an expensive microphone, but it’s important to buy one that’s of a decent quality. Boom mics may look professional, but they don’t sound very good.

Instead, you can use a lavalier mic that’ll sit on your lapel or be clipped to your shirt. If you only have the budget for one piece of new equipment, make it a microphone. It’s the one thing that will make the most difference to the overall quality of your videos.

Once you’ve got the basics sorted out, you can start to add more bells and whistles to your videos. Color grading should be done on a computer after you’ve edited your footage, but it’s an easy way to make your videos look better.

Additionally, a video background remover can come in handy to clean up any extra noise on your video and help with more accurate color correction.

Most video editing software will allow you to add a filter, or you can add them manually in After Effects or Premiere Pro. Color grading is a bit of an art, but it’s one that every YouTube creator should learn.

Add Animation or Motion Graphics

If you’re only just starting with YouTube, you shouldn’t worry about adding professional motion graphics and animations to your videos. They’re best left to the pros who have experience in graphics.

You’re better off using easy-to-use tools that don’t require too much tech know-how. It might be better to hold off on adding these elements to your videos if you’re starting. You might not be able to create truly professional animations and motion graphics just yet.

Wrapping Up

If you’re serious about making your YouTube channel more successful, you need to put in the effort to improve the quality of your videos. It’s not enough to just hit “record” and hope for the best.

If you follow these tips, you should be able to make your videos look more professional and improve your channel as a whole. From there, it’s up to you to build on that initial success and make your channel bigger than ever.

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