Record Quality Webcam Videos That Look and Sound Great

Recording footage with a webcam is an easy and convenient way to make videos. However, many webcam recordings suffer from poor video and audio quality. You can make a few adjustments before recording with a webcam that improve the quality of your videos.

Many computers come with a webcam built-in at the top of the screen. If it doesn't or if you don't like the built-in webcam, purchase a webcam that connects to the computer. It's also possible to use digital camcorders as webcams by connecting them to your computer and recording directly onto the hard drive.

Set Up Your Audio Recording

Most computers have built-in microphones, but you'll get better sound quality when using an external microphone. Even a basic desktop microphone that connects to the computer improves the audio quality of webcam recordings.

Position the Webcam

Many webcam recordings feature people staring at their computer screen, while the webcam stares down at them from above. To avoid this, place the webcam at eye level. If your webcam is fixed, look into the webcam and not at the recording screen for the best presentation quality.

Clean Up the Background

Many webcam videos are recorded in homes or bedrooms, and the intimacy of the setting is part of the charm. It's important that the background isn't cluttered or distracting and that nothing inappropriate shows on the screen. You don't want background objects to protrude awkwardly from your main subject's head.

Adjust the Lighting

The brighter the light is, the better a webcam recording looks. For a simple solution, use household lamps to approximate three-point lighting. The main subject's face should be brightly lit with no odd shadows.

Record, Record, Record

Once your equipment is set up, you're ready to record with your webcam. The nice thing about webcam video is that it's easy to do multiple takes until you get a perfect video but viewers aren't looking for perfection. You can usually get away with quick takes and off-the-cuff videos when the sound and lighting are right.

Adjust the quality of your webcam recording. Most webcams let you adjust the format and compression of the video. If quality is important, increase the resolution and decrease the compression. If file size and speed are the critical factors, record smaller, lower-resolution video files.

Use your webcam to livestream video. These same instructions work whether you're recording directly to a computer, exporting the video to a site such as YouTube, or streaming the video live.