When you want to learn how to do something new or need to fix something, what do you do? Many people use YouTube to figure out how to do something. Whether you’re creating animated explainer videos, interviews, or educational resources, a video tutorial is the most effective way to explain how to use a product, complete a task, solve a problem, or follow a procedure.
So how can you create a clear and understandable demo to help your target audience understand how to use your product, solve a problem, or make their life easier? Below are seven great tools for creating your own video tutorials.
Screen Capture Software
Screen capture software is a tool that will record your computer screen. Use it to create a video tutorial on how a product or process works. Capture the entire screen or just the relevant parts of it.
Open Broadcaster Software (OBS
OBS is a free and open source video recording software that runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.
To start recording your desktop:
- Click + in the Sources section and select Screen Capture.
- Change the source name to Desktop and click OK.
OBS features include:
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- Filter for multiple topics and video sources.
- Capture video and audio in real time.
- Audio mixer.
- Optimized settings panel and configuration options.
- Ability to pause recording.
Watch the complete video tutorial to help you set up and use OBS
Apowersoft Online Screen Recorder
Apowersoft is a free web based screenshot software. Capture whatever is displayed on your computer without downloading anything.
Key features include:
- Add annotations to videos such as numbers, text and shapes.
- Publish directly to Vimeo, Google Drive and YouTube.
- Export to AVI, MP4 or MKV.
- Share videos directly to the cloud.
- Add a webcam to the screenshot.
Watch the user guide video to get started with Apowersoft
Screencast-O-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic is an easy to use screen recorder. Both free and paid versions are offered.
Features include:
- Simultaneous recording of your screen and your voice.
- Easy to use.
- Record with a webcam, screen, or a combination of both.
- Zoom in or out or write text while recording.
- Trim records.
- Add signatures.
- Save to desktop.
- Publish to YouTube or Screencast-O-Matic
- Load scripted recording and record screen while listening to audio.
- Neewer USB microphone
- Rode NT USB
- Audio-Technica AT2020USB +
- Blue Yeti Nano Premium USB Microphone
- Sound effects library.
- Editing 3D video.
- Ready-made transitions to choose from.
- Reduce camera shake.
- Clean the lenses of your iPhone.
- Use AE / AF lock to improve focus.
- Use a tripod or selfie stick for stability.
- Placing your videos on YouTube will make them easier for target audiences to find as Google prioritizes YouTube videos in search results.
- Create playlists will organize your videos into appropriate categories.
- You can embed videos on your website and landing pages.
- YouTube has a built-in notification and subscription system.
- No ads or pop-ups on videos.
- High quality video display.
- Premium accounts have no video length limit.
Screencast-O-Matic offers a free version and two additional options: the Deluxe version for $ 1.50 / month and Premier for $ 4 / month. The paid versions offer additional features such as drawing while recording, videos longer than 15 minutes, and no watermarks.
Watch the Screencast-O-Matic tutorials and tutorials for detailed instructions on how to use the software.
High quality microphone, perfect sound
Most screen capture software includes the ability to record audio while the desktop is displayed. However, some built-in computer microphones muffle the sound.
Sound quality matters and contributes to the overall professionalism of your video. If you’re new to making video tutorials, try a USB microphone. They provide good sound quality, are affordable and require no additional hardware. Connect the cable to your computer and start recording.
Using the right microphone minimizes distractions from echoes and background noise.
Below are some suggestions for quality USB microphones:
All USB microphones are different. What works best for streaming games may not work for recording music or video tutorials. If you find that your sound still needs some work to remove noise or static, you can use Audacity
It is an easy to use open source multitrack audio editor. Audacity runs on many operating systems including Mac OS X, Windows, and GNU / Linux.
Video Editing Tools
Many screen capture software tools provide some editing capabilities. Others, like Screencast-O-Matic, require the Pro version to have access to editing effects such as captioning and painting on the screen.
If you want to make your video tutorials more engaging, your best bet is to use a video editing tool that goes beyond what’s included with some screen capture software.
The video editors below are free to use.
Blender
Mixer
Blender is a free and open source video editing software for Mac, Windows and Linux. Perform basic edits like stitching, video masking, and cropping.
Tenderloin
Shoot Cut
Shotcut is also a free, open source video editing software available on Linux, Windows, and Mac.
Shotcut supports a wide variety of video formats and offers helpful video tutorials to help users learn the software.
The two main features that set Shotcut apart from other free video editors are built-in timeline editing and 4K HD resolution support.
Available for Windows only, VideoPad is simple and easy to use for beginners.
Features include:
Users can export finished videos directly to YouTube and other social media platforms. Watch the video tutorial to learn how to use VideoPad
Camera
Screen capture is one of the ways to create an instructional video. Another way is to shoot live video. Whether you are shooting part or all of live video, you need a good camcorder. There is no need to hire a professional videographer or use expensive equipment.
You can create high quality videos with inexpensive hardware and even your smartphone, especially your iPhone.
Here are a few tips for shooting movies with your smartphone:
Lighting
To make your videos look professional, you must have the right lighting. It’s better to control lighting rather than relying on natural light, which can cause shadows or change quickly.
Clamp lights are inexpensive, versatile and can be installed in several ways. The downside of these light sources is the lack of scatter and dimming control, which can lead to harsh lighting.
For those on a higher budget, studio lighting kits can be purchased for between $ 100 and $ 500. They contain efficient diffusion materials and often use large fluorescent lamps.
Video Animation Tools
Adding animated video clips to a video tutorial can make it more interesting and interesting, as well as keep the audience’s attention. Animation can explain a complex idea, topic, product or service in easy-to-digest content.
It doesn’t take as much time or technical knowledge to create animations as it used to. Various animation and online presentation tools simplify the animation creation process.
Below are some of the tools to consider.
PowToon
PowToon
Use PowToon to create eye-catching animated videos and presentations.
Users can customize ready-made templates using a simple drag and drop interface. Powtoon has a tiered pricing structure, including a free version.
Renderforest
Renderforest
Create explanatory animated videos and slideshows with Renderforest It also has ready-made templates that can be customized using a simple drag and drop user interface.
Renderforest has a tiered pricing structure that includes a free version. It also offers the option to pay for a product if you want high definition video without watermarks.
Animoto
Animoto is a drag and drop video maker. Users can create impressive videos without the need for editing.
Animoto has a three-tiered pricing structure and offers a 14-day free trial. The personal plan is very affordable at $ 5 / month (billed $ 60 annually).
Hosting platforms
Once you’ve created a video tutorial, where are you going to post it? YouTube and Vimeo are the most famous and popular video hosting sites.
YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine and by far the most widely used video hosting platform.
It is free to use and has many benefits, including:
There is not much security on YouTube, so others might steal or copy your video. Avoid copyright infringement problems by not “borrowing” music that you are not legally entitled to use.
Vimeo
Vimeo offers users a professional interface and customization options. It provides a limited free version and four premium membership levels. If you need more control over your video content and more privacy, Vimeo is a good choice.
It has many other benefits, including:
Compared to YouTube, Vimeo is less susceptible to search engines. But there are many other hosting options out there including Wistia, Brightcove, Dailymotion, and Vidyard
The number of video tutorials featured on marketing platforms, websites and social media continues to grow. This is because they are more effective in demonstrating, explaining, or teaching than written content.
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