Advancements in technology have made high-quality video cameras more accessible than ever. Many creators have become well-known for the beautiful visuals in their videos, with Sam Kolder and Matti Haapoja being two of those.

When watching some of your favorite YouTubers, you might become inspired to start your own channel. At the same time, you may feel intimidated by how good their videos look. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you from beginning your creative journey.

Believe it or not, you don’t actually need a proper camera to start a YouTube channel. So, this is how you can begin making and uploading videos using your current tools.

1. Set Your Phone Camera to 4K

Photo of a person recording videos

You’ll often see YouTube videos shot in 4K—and while having a camera can help, many smartphones are also capable of shooting footage at this level. If your phone can shoot in 4K, you should change this before recording your videos.

Setting the right frames per second is also a good idea. In most cases, you should keep your phone shooting at 30 frames per second. Doing so will help ensure your footage doesn’t move too fast or slow.

If your phone can only shoot videos in 1080p, don’t worry; that should be more than good enough when you’re getting started. You can still use editing software like Adobe Premiere Rush to combine your clips and upload them to YouTube.

2. Find a Stable Surface for Talking Head Videos

Talking head videos are a great place to start if you’re unsure about what you should share on your YouTube channel. To record these, you’ll need to find a way to keep your phone stable while you speak—and you can choose from plenty of places in your house.

If you’re stuck for ideas, you can try resting your smartphone against a pile of books. Alternatively, you can keep your device close to a wall that it can lean on. Another possible option is to use boxes and other forms of storage.

Ideally, the above will only be a temporary solution. Invest in a tripod as soon as possible; doing so will make it much easier to focus on recording your videos.

3. Get a Microphone (If Possible)

two black microphones headphones on office desk in podcast studio

When you start a YouTube channel, captivating the attention of people who might be interested in your content is essential. One of the best ways to keep them engaged is by ensuring that your audio is easy to listen to.

While iPhone audio is better than it used to be, you’re still better off purchasing a microphone. You’ll find plenty of different kinds, including some that you need to plug into your computer and others that are wireless. You don’t necessarily have to pay a lot for a good microphone, either.

When recording your video, you can plug your microphone into your computer and begin recording the audio. Later, you can sync your footage and the sound together.

4. Use Your iPad to Edit Video Content

magic keyboard for ipad air and ipad pro on table

Your YouTube videos should show signs of progress as you upload more frequently. However, getting the reps in when you begin—and building momentum—is essential. If you want to reduce the friction between recording and uploading your videos, consider editing them on your iPad.

If you're shooting videos on your iPhone, you can use AirDrop to move files to your iPad quickly and wirelessly. And, aside from Premiere Rush, you can use various other apps to edit videos from your tablet. For example, iPad users can get DaVinci Resolve for free—and on some devices, the app even lets you edit 4K videos.

Once you're done editing, you can upload it directly to YouTube from your tablet.

5. Use Lighting to Your Advantage

Man wearing a beanie and showing a tablet creating a vlog using a ringlight and mobile phone

Lighting is another core component of creating interesting YouTube content, and you should use what you’ve got to your advantage. If you don’t have any accessories, face a natural light source.

Before you begin recording, you should also make sure that you haven’t got auto exposure switched on. Otherwise, your levels might change as the video progresses—and as a result, you may find that editing is more time-consuming.

If you’ve got more of a budget, consider investing in other lighting sources. For example, you can try using a ring light to light youself evenly or a softbox to avoid harsh shadows on your face.

6. Make Interesting Content

recording video on smartphone

Good production and a big budget help, but you can’t expect to grow a channel if your content isn’t engaging. You can almost guarantee that other people have similar interests to you, but it’s your job to determine how you can package your videos in a way that appeals to them.

While many people will tell you to niche down, you don’t necessarily have to initially. Think of your YouTube videos from a storytelling perspective; you need a beginning, middle, and end. Ideally, you’ll identify a pain point for your audience and provide tips on how they can fix this.

You might need to experiment with different titles and thumbnails to determine what does and doesn’t work. And if you want your content to rank in YouTube search results, you should do keyword research for your videos.

7. Save Up for a Proper Camera

iphone camera showing video mode and recording a camera

Sure, you can use your smartphone to get your YouTube channel off the ground. But at some point, you’ll probably outgrow that device. Good cameras can cost a lot of money, so it’s worth beginning to save for one as soon as possible.

You can save up for a camera by keeping part of your paycheck if you have an ordinary job. Similarly, you can consider freelancing; with just a smartphone, you can create Reels, TikTok videos, and YouTube Shorts for potential clients.

And when buying a camera, you don’t always need to get something brand new. Instead, consider browsing through some of the best websites for buying second-hand photography gear.

8. Promote Yourself Away From YouTube

instagram facebook twitter applications iphone

Uploading consistently to YouTube is one way to grow your audience, but it’s not the only thing that should be a part of your strategy. Promoting your content in other places will also help you build an audience; you can choose Instagram, Twitter, and several other social platforms.

If you’re unsure how to promote your YouTube channel, consider starting by making snippets of your videos and sharing them as short-form content. You can also talk in more depth about your favorite topics on your social media profiles and tell your loved ones about your new project.

You Don’t Need Fancy Equipment to Begin a YouTube Channel

It’s easy to think that you need an expensive studio set-up and camera before you’re ready to start a YouTube channel. However, the truth is quite different. You can easily get things underway by using your smartphone; all you need is to understand the basics.

Knowing how to light your videos will go a long way, and so will producing suitable audio. On top of that, you should think about the story you want to tell—and how this will appeal to your audience. Over time, you can scale your equipment.