YouTube is a great platform for sharing your ideas and passions with the world. With each video, you might be able to help someone solve a problem, become part of someone's life in a meaningful way, or connect with other people who share what you love. If you're thinking about starting a YouTube channel but don't know where to start, check out this list of skills to learn. Some of them are technical skills like video editing, others are simply important for things like networking with other YouTubers and getting more views on your content. Read on to learn more!
Top 12 skills to learn to start a YouTube channel
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| Top 12 skills to learn to start a YouTube channel |
1. Equipment
Once you've got the camera and editing equipment, there are some additional things to consider. If you're going to be filming in a dark place, you'll need a tripod so your shots aren't shaky. You'll also want lights in case you want to add some lighting effects to your videos. A microphone is essential if you plan on recording audio while talking on camera—you don't want to sound like Darth Vader when it comes time for editing!
2. Platforms and software
You'll also need a variety of software to make your videos look and sound as good as possible. You can find a full list here:
Video editing software, including Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11, DaVinci Resolve 14 Lite, and Hit Film 4 Express.
Audio editing software such as Audacity or GarageBand Vocal Effects Library (for Mac).
Photo editing programs like Adobe Photoshop Elements 15.
And don't forget about other tools that are crucial for creating quality content on YouTube:
3. Video editing skills
Video editing is another important skill to learn if you want to start a YouTube channel. There are a few different types of video editing software, but they all do the same basic thing: they allow you to combine multiple clips into a single video, add music and effects, add titles and text to your clips, and more.
Here's how it works:
Import your footage into your video editor (iMovie or Premiere Pro, for example) by dragging it into the program or importing it from an external drive. You'll then be able to trim out parts of each clip that aren't relevant, which saves time later on when you're putting together all of those videos into one big piece. You can also use this time as practice for other skills like adding music or effects!
4. Shooting techniques
Use a tripod.
Use a good microphone.
Don't put the microphone too close to your camera because it will pick up breathing sounds and other noises that you don't want in your videos.
Don't put the microphone too far from your camera or else there won't be any sound at all!
Put the mic less than 6 inches away from someone's mouth, but not so close that their breath can get into it and make strange noises.
5. Audio techniques
Audio quality is one of the most important factors in how your videos are perceived. If your audio is bad, it can make or break a video.
Audio equipment: A microphone and headphones will help you record high-quality audio. You may also need other pieces of equipment depending on what you’re recording (e.g., a studio for interviews).
Audio editing: This skill involves cutting out unwanted parts of a recording as well as adding effects like reverb, compression, and EQ to help balance out the audio levels in each clip so they all sound is consistent with each other and aren’t too loud or quiet compared to others in the same sequence.
Audio effects: These include things like echo or distortion; these are used sparingly since they can be distracting if overused but can give creative flair when used sparingly!
6. Monetization
If you're serious about starting a YouTube channel, then it's time to think about monetizing. Making money from your videos is one of the most important things for getting started with your channel. You can't just have a lot of subscribers and high video views; you also need to make sure that people are actually watching those ads that appear before or during each video. The good news is that there are many different ways for YouTubers (or "content creators") to make money on their channels.
Sponsorships: Some companies will pay content creators to promote their products in a positive way. For example, if you're reviewing makeup brushes, then it wouldn't be out of place for a beauty brand like Sephora or MAC Cosmetics to sponsor one of your videos with them in exchange for advertising space within the video itself (and possibly even some free makeup brushes). As long as they aren't paying you more than what they normally charge consumers (since no company would want those costs passed onto them by advertisers), sponsorship deals are an easy way for brands and creators alike!
Ad revenue: This is where Google comes into play again—after all, they own YouTube! When someone views an ad-supported video on YouTube's website or mobile app, then Google takes care of paying out portions of its AdSense program back into our accounts based on how many views we receive from viewers' eyeballs glued intently upon our screen projections."
7. Networking skills
Use social media to connect with other YouTubers:
Twitter is the most obvious choice here. There are plenty of great YouTubers on Twitter and they often share tips, advice, and support for one another.
Facebook groups are also good places to meet other YouTubers. Some also have closed groups that you can request access to so that you can get advice from more experienced creators.
Use social media to connect with people in your industry:
This could include anyone from fellow bloggers or podcasters to editors at magazines who cover your niche topic or even just people who have a passion for your niche topic too but aren't necessarily involved in creating content about it yet (or maybe even ever).
8. Search engine optimization (SEO) skills
SEO is a set of techniques you can use to help people find your videos. It's not a magic bullet, but it is a long-term strategy that will help your video rank higher in search results and bring in more views. Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing process, not a one-time activity.
A lot of people think SEO is about getting links from high authority sites like Wikipedia or YouTube itself—which can be very effective—but there are other things you can do yourself to get started with SEO today!
9. Title creation
When you're creating a title for your video, keep these points in mind to get the most out of it:
Keep it short and catchy. The shorter your title, the more likely people are to click on it.
Make sure it's easy to understand. You want viewers to be able to quickly understand what they'll get out of watching your video without having any prior knowledge of what that might entail or why they should watch (or not watch) at all.
Make sure it's memorable and easy to remember through repeated exposure over time—which isn't necessarily the same thing as being catchy!
Make sure it's searchable by using relevant keywords when possible; for example, if I was uploading a video about how I learned Spanish from scratch and only ever spoke English before starting this project, my keyword would probably be "how-to learn Spanish". You can also use symbols like #hashtags which let users know where other related videos may exist within their search results (though this isn't always necessary).
10. Analytics skills
Understanding your analytics is the first step to creating a successful YouTube channel. Analytics are the numbers that tell you how many people are watching, how long they're watching, where they're coming from, and what devices they're using to watch. Analytics can help you understand what's working and what's not.
If you want your videos to be seen by more people, then it's important that you know what kind of content resonates with your audience. Analytics will show you which of your videos are popular based on views and engagement (likes, comments, and shares).
You'll also want to pay close attention to how people interact with each video because this gives valuable insight into what kind of content works best for them - whether it's funny or educational or something else entirely!
11. On-camera skills
Practice in front of a mirror. This is the most obvious place to start honing your on-camera skills. Make sure there's enough light so you can see yourself clearly, and try to mimic all of the things I just mentioned: looking natural and relaxed, smiling naturally, making eye contact with whoever might be watching (in this case, yourself), and so on.
Practice in front of friends or family members who are willing, to be honest about what works and what doesn't work for them as viewers—and know that if they think something doesn't work for them as viewers, it probably won't work for others people either! A lot of people have trouble being critical when it comes time for others' performances, but if someone isn't willing to tell me when my video isn't working well enough yet—or even why they don't like it—then I'll never get any better at making videos! You should also ask these people questions: How long do they think each video should last? What kinds of topics would most interest them? How often would they want me to upload new ones?
12. Creativity and imagination
You have to be creative and imaginative to start a YouTube channel. It's not just about the content you create, but also the way it’s shot. You want your viewers to be engaged and intrigued by what they see, so think about how you can make this happen in different ways.
You should also be original when making content for your channel. It's possible that someone else has already made similar videos before, so don't just copy what they did – come up with an idea that is unique and innovative!
If being creative and being original are important aspects of creating good content on YouTube, then these two things go hand-in-hand with one another: if people can recognize something as being new or unconventional, then there’s more chance they will pay attention!
There are some very specific things you can do to help build your YouTube channel
Be consistent. In order to build your audience, you need to be able to post regularly. If you're going to do a video once a month, that's fine—as long as it's polished and professional. But if you're only going to post every few months, there isn't much incentive for viewers or subscribers to come back as often.
Create content people want (and share). If your videos don't offer something useful or compelling for viewers, they probably won't bother watching them in the first place! That doesn't mean every video needs to be educational; sometimes it can be fun just watching other people play games on YouTube instead of doing them yourself! Just make sure they're not too long-winded—no one wants an hour-long cooking show when all they wanted was some quick cooking tips from their favorite chef!
Conclusion
We hope that this post has inspired you to start your own YouTube channel, or at least given you some ideas about how to grow the one you already have! Remember to never lose sight of what you learned in step one: passion. It’s a powerful tool, and if you can keep it at the center of your channel, you’ll find success even without spending hours upon hours learning everything else on this list.