How to Create a Basic Home YouTube Studio for Less Than $100

junio 19, 2020

How to Create a Basic Home YouTube Studio for Less Than $100

If you’ve been thinking of trying your hand at vlogging or starting a YouTube channel, it might surprise you to learn that you can create a nice-looking “YouTube Studio” setup at home for less that $100. In this video, Boston-based videographer Kellan Reck takes you step-by-step through the whole process.

Reck is a filmmaker by trade, primarily working as an editor and cinematographer for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. As such, he knows a thing or two about capturing a good-quality footage with really nice gear, but as he explains in this video, you don’t have to break the bank to create a solid home studio for vlogging.

For this little studio setup, Reck was able to turn a basic corner desk shot with crappy overhead lighting into something that looks and feels pretty professional by simply buying a cheap light, a lav mic, a little neon light for decoration, and some low-end sound panels that do double duty as background decoration while dampening the echo in the room a bit.

The final setup looks like this:

This is just the most basic version, of course. That’s how you keep the price down so low. If you’re willing to spend a bit more money, you can pick up one or two small LED panels or a couple of tube lights for accent lighting and really start to create some separation and depth.

These don’t have to cost a lot. An Aputure MC will run you $90, or you can pick up a NanLite PavoTube II 6C for only $100. Either of these can be used for accent or practical lighting in your new “YouTube Studio,” and they’re equally useful if you want to add a splash of color to product shots (like the photos from our Mac vs Razer review).

But now we’re getting ahead of ourselves. If you want to see how Reck got the results he created with just $100 worth of lighting and audio gear, check out the full video up top. And if you want to dive a bit deeper down the “should I start a YouTube channel” rabbit hole, this recent video by photographer Sean Tucker is a must-watch.