Introduction Hey guys! Alot of you may not know me since I linger in the shadows of this forum
, but I am here to try and provide a guide on how to start a rather successful gaming channel on YouTube. But since there is so much to go over and I could never go over all of it in a single shot, I decided that I would split this up into different parts, where I would go over most of the aspects of creating an maintaining a YouTube channel. Since this is the first part, I thought that it would be appropriate to make this about all the necessary items such as the equipment. So anyways guys, I really do hope that this guide can help at least some people. I know that this isn't the best, but I've given it my best shot. Enjoy! 
, but I am here to try and provide a guide on how to start a rather successful gaming channel on YouTube. But since there is so much to go over and I could never go over all of it in a single shot, I decided that I would split this up into different parts, where I would go over most of the aspects of creating an maintaining a YouTube channel. Since this is the first part, I thought that it would be appropriate to make this about all the necessary items such as the equipment. So anyways guys, I really do hope that this guide can help at least some people. I know that this isn't the best, but I've given it my best shot. Enjoy!
Choosing a Recording Platform
Before you actually make your YouTube channel, I would highly suggest planning on what platform you want to plant on recording. Now the reason I say this is because, both PC and Consoles require a bit of an investment to record on and I doubt that a lot of people have the money to invest in both recording software, PC parts and on top of that a PVR to record on both PC and console. So before you begin make sure to select one that you are most comfortable with.
How to Decide What Platform to Record On (By "Platform" I mean PC or console)
- Do you feel comfortable playing on PC or Console?
- What platform do you have the most games for?
- What platform has games that you think will attract your type of audience?
- Can your PC handle recording?
- Personal preference
PC Recording Options
- Fraps
- Dxtory(My Personal choice)
- Bandicam
- PlayClaw
- HD PVR
- Elgato Game Capture HD
- AverMedia Live Gamer Portable
- AverMedia Game Capture HD (Only 100 bucks on Amazon!)
So now that we have picked out what we want to record on and what we want to record it with. It's time to choose a software that we can use to edit all of our videos! And no Patrick Windows movie maker is not a valid editing software....(Failed humor attempt) Many companies offer many different and popular solutions such as Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. But the problem with this is that the software is extremely expensive and can go up to $800! Lucky for us, the same companies make dumbed down versions of the same editing software for A LOT less money. Here's a list of the most popular software.
Most Popular Budget Friendly Software
- Sony Movie Studio Platinum
- Adobe Premiere Elements
- Final Cut Express
So basically nowadays if you want to have a rather successful channel you're going to need some form of commentary on your videos (Excluding montage channels) and no one like a webcam microphone, mostly for the reason that they tend to pick up a lot of background noise, don't sound good at all and will make your videos seem completely un-professional. Now this doesn't mean that you have to go and pick up a professional XLR set up for 300 dollars. No! Especially since you're just starting and testing the waters so making an investment that huge would be a mistake. All I'm simply saying is that there are alot of great headsets out there that have great mics for around 50 dollars. When I first started I was using a Logitech G330 Gaming headset that I picked up at my local Fry's electronics store (If you want to hear what it sounds like, visit EthosLab channel) Also if you do your own research you can find plenty of headsets with great microphones!
Total Cost
So frankly guys, I'm not going to lie. This will eat at your wallet, and personally I never even realized how much I really had until I stopped and did research on what it would be like to start from a standing point. And I just wanted to stop and say thank you to all my subscribers who watched my videos, because without them I would have never even gotten the money for the awesome equipment I have now! (Oh and also my family
)PC Recording Approach (Assuming you already have a decent PC)
- Recording Software $30-$50
- Editing Software $50-$800
- Microphone $45-$300
Console Recording Approach
- Recording Device (PVR) $100-$200
- Editing Software $50-$800
- Microphone $45-$300
What I use (Since People on YouTube ask. Even though none of my subs are here
)- Elgato Game Capture HD $180
- Sony Vegas $600
- Audio Technica AT2020 $150
Anyways I really do hope you enjoyed this guide!
