If you want to start making video but are afraid you don’t have the tools to make high-quality content at home, think again. Some of the best content in the world right now is being shot with iphones and webcams, there’s never been a better time to get started with the tools at your disposal.
Today, we’re discussing some of the best video recording and live streaming software out there (both free and paid) to help you start making videos today.
Nextudio Episode #1: Let's Talk Video Software
Check out more at-home video tips and watch every episode of Nextudio!
Software to Help You Record Video at Home
Working from home is the perfect opportunity to start making professional-quality videos using the tools you most likely already have. These are a few of our favorite software for recording your videos at home.
Related Blog: How to Build a Professional-Quality Video Studio at Home
Soapbox by Wistia
Soapbox is one of the most versatile apps you can have on your computer. It comes to you in the form of a Chrome extension and lets you record professional-quality videos with just your webcam and a basic microphone.
Soapbox videos are great for a wide variety of situations:
- Helpful Videos: Creating a quick Soapbox video is an easy, quick, and effective way to communicate with your customers or clients as a teaching tool. You can explain software, data, etc., using the screen share function.
- Sales Videos: Use Soapbox to nurture leads by sending personalized videos to them with valuable information.
- Video Communication: You can even use Soapbox to communicate internally to explain projects or debrief after a meeting.
Soapbox also affords many customization and editing options after you’re done recording to let you show your screen, show yourself, or both. You can also choose your thumbnail, a CTA, and change the colors to match your branding.
Related Blog: Make Easy, Professional-Quality Videos With Soapbox by Wistia
QuickTime
Using QuickTime to record your video and audio to have a high-quality local copy of your files. It’s always a good idea to keep and store these files as a failsafe and just to have them in the future if you want to repurpose the content.
Live Video Software
If you’re looking for live video solutions for video conferences, meetings, classes, or to record a video with the collaboration of your team, you’ll want to check out one of these software.
Zoom
Zoom is a user-friendly video conferencing tool most widely known as the king of video meetings and the place where you can use funny backgrounds. But, it also has a lot of features and utilities that make it a fantastic overall live video tool.
The reason we recommend and use Zoom ourselves is because of the huge variety of things you can do with it:
- Remote Collaboration: As demonstrated in this very episode of Nextudio, you can create great video content with your team completely remotely.
- Private Meetings: Starting a private meeting is as easy as sharing the link and password with your recipient. This makes jumping into a call quick and simple.
- Functionality: Zoom has a lot of uses from live meetings to recording your own private videos, there’s a lot you can do with Zoom for content creation. You can also screenshare to help troubleshoot problems or explain something to many people live.
- Go Mobile: Another great feature is that Zoom is available on mobile devices so you can create or stream video on the go with your smartphone.
- Live Webinars: With Zoom, you have the ability to take your live events and bring them online through their webinar service.
Zoom comes free but with limitations like a 40 minute cap on meeting times, but there are upgrades available if you need more time or want access to more features.
Related Blog: How to Run Your Business While Working Remotely
Crowdcast
If you’re like us at Nextiny and you’ve recently had all of your planned events derailed, then your best option is to go digital. Crowdcast is a simple online streaming platform that lets you share your presentations, Q&A’s, classes, and more live online with your audience.
Crowdcast is the perfect solution to digital events because it’s easy to use for both the streamer and viewer and allows for audience engagement with comments and questions.
Another benefit is that it’s very friendly when it comes to compatible hardware. Almost any capture card, camera, and microphone can be used or, if you don’t have access to the fancy equipment, you can simply use your webcam and internal microphone.
Live Video On Social Media Platforms
Almost all of your favorite social media platforms now offer a streaming feature of some kind and most are available for free.
These services let you start a live stream directly on your own page for your audience. Plus, it automatically sends out a notification to everyone who follows you when you go live. Using these social media platforms for live streams is a simple and free way to engage your followers and help grow your social pages.
And, most will let you save the recording which can then be edited and re-used as new content on your website, blogs, or right back onto your social media.
Facebook Live is the most well-known social media streaming service but Instagram and LinkedIn also offer similar tools (though you have to be approved to stream on LinkedIn). YouTube also has a live streaming service.
What tools do you use to create videos? We’d love to hear some of your own solutions to live streaming and video production. Share with us on social media or drop a comment below!
For more home video production tips, check out every episode of NexTudio on the official channel!
