How I Survived Starting a YouTube Channel in 2020
When I decided to start recording Whisky Riffs episodes at the end of 2019, I hadn’t yet published any YouTube videos that I had edited—just a couple of quick single-take videos of my guitar playing. It was a crash course in trying to figure out what hardware and software I would need to publish my first episode in early January. I decided to use my iPhone 11 Pro as my camera and bought a UBeesize 54-inch tripod to position it. Our 850 square foot apartment didn’t have much room, but I found an angle that would allow me to sit in our bedroom by the window without showcasing our bed.
From my research I knew that the most important aspects of recording were lighting and audio. Personally, I wouldn’t watch a YouTube video with bad audio, so I decided to get a lavalier microphone. The PowerDeWise mic had a long cord, plugged directly into my iPhone (with the Lightning adapter), and only cost $22. Audio was covered. Lighting was next.
After I set up my iPhone on the tripod, I noticed that the light from the windows wasn’t going to work with this camera angle. I couldn’t use the daylight as a lighting recording trick. After more research I placed another Amazon order for the Neewer 2 Pieces Bi-color 660 LED Video Light and Stand Kit. It only cost $135 and would give me dimming and color temperature control.
For video recording I bought the FiLMiC Pro app, which allowed me to control 4K recording and white balance better than the Camera app. This app also connected to their FiLMiC Remote app, so I could monitor and control the recording on my iPad. My whole recording setup cost me less than $200. Not bad.
Before recording my first episode, I wrote an outline. This is the same format that I’ve used for most every episode in that first year. I also wrote a script and did my research on the whisky I was showcasing in episode 1.
At the beginning of January, I recorded that episode. The guitar riffs were harder because I needed to use GarageBand to record the audio and sync that with the video from my iPhone. Luckily, I already had a Scarlett 2i2 USB interface and a nice mic. Naturally, I recorded way too much tasting content and way too many riffs. Editing was my next challenge.
I had previously tried editing video with iMovie on my MacBook Pro, but it was frustratingly slow and lacked decent title tools. Back to more research to find LumaFusion, a fantastic video editing app for the iPad. Since my 2018 iPad Pro was two years newer than my Mac, it also handled 4K video editing better. There was no plan to publish in 4K on YouTube, but I wanted to be able to zoom into the whisky and my guitar and still have a sharp HD video. If you’re interested in learning more about my editing process, let me know and I’ll write a separate article detailing that.
My first episode was out for public consumption on January 7, 2020. By my third video on January 23, my channel hit 110 subs and I was able to own the WhiskyRiffs name on YouTube—giving me early momentum.
And I continued to publish at least once a week for several months, while keeping notes about my mistakes. My episode log also included which guitar I used, the music style, and the whisky for each episode.
My iPhone was also used to record all the b-roll footage with FiLMiC Pro as the primary app and the built-in Camera app for the slow-motion pours.
At the end of April I was gifted a pair of Elgato Key Lights. The diffusion glass on these helped soften my lighting and having an app to control the settings was a nice improvement. I had my eye on buying a camera too, but most wouldn’t improve my videos enough for the price—until Sony announced the ZV-1. It was designed to fit the type of videos I was recording so I put in my preorder on Amazon at the end of May and waited… impatiently. While waiting, I also decided that I wanted to stop tripping over the mic cord and bought the Rode Wireless Go Microphone System.
The ZV-1 didn’t arrive until late in June and 2020 was wearing me down by then. I thought the new camera would give me more incentive, but I only recorded and published five episodes in the June through August timeframe.
At the start of September we moved to a larger apartment a few blocks down the street. I had to rethink my “studio” location. Our bedroom was bigger and I had more space to explore, but what would I change? I decided to stand up and buy a pub table to have in front of me. This allowed me to showcase the whisky more and position the camera as a direct shot, instead of the awkward angle of our old space. More than any new gear, this reinvigorated my desire to shoot video.
My last investment in 2020 was one more improvement to my lighting: a softbox. I was struggling to add more light using my Elgato Key Lights and not add distracting glare from my glasses. After diving back into the YouTube research life, I decided on a Sokani X60 COB Light and a Selens Hexadecagon Softbox. This combination was small enough to tuck aside when I wasn’t recording, but large enough to diffuse light at a close distance.
There were some other minor improvements, like a camera handle rig for my ZV-1. This allowed me to attach a quick shoe plate to my camera and still access the battery and SD card without removing it. That meant I could switch tripods quickly for my main shot, guitar video, and b-roll shots. It’s amazing how much these inexpensive additions sped up my setup, recording, and tear-down processes. Because my studio is also my home office and—more importantly—our bedroom, I can’t leave any of this recording gear in place. Everything I buy for my videos must be able to be set up quickly to record and tucked away efficiently afterwards. Something about having lighting and video cameras positioned by our bed doesn’t sit well with my wife.
Below is a list of my main equipment for recording each episode. Chat with me on Twitter if you have any questions.
Sony ZV-1 Camera with Vlogger Accessory Kit and UURig Handle Grip Bracket
Sokani X60 V2 LED COB Video Light and a Selens Hexadecagon 65cm Umbrella Softbox
Two Elgato Key Lights (one reflected off a wall and one to side light the whisky)
Neewer N55CR tripod with extra ball heads and quick shoe plates
Here’s my guitar gear for recording the riffs:
GarageBand for iPad
And of course, my lovely guitars:
2019 Taylor 314ce acoustic guitar
2017 PRS CE 24 “Angry Larry”
2016 Fender American Professional Stratocaster
