Crafting Effective YouTube Thumbnails & Banners

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Vlogventures in Cosmetics: How to Create Your Fashion-Forward Channel

How To Be A Beauty Guru on YouTube: Beauty Vlogger Set Up

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Beauty Vlogs are some of the most popular channels on YouTube. These vlogs are all about aesthetics, so it is important that the videos themselves are beautiful. When you are giving out tips on makeup or hair you want to use a setup that will make your results look their very best.

YouTube Beauty Vlogger Set Up

It’s easy to put together your own Beauty Vlog setup. There are four main elements; lighting, beauty supplies, backgrounds, and audio. Here are some tips on building your beauty guru set:

1. Light It Up

Beauty Vlogs need to have great lighting so that everyone can clearly see what you are doing and how amazing it looks. Make sure you have even light over your whole face by ‘front lighting’ your vlog. Front lighting means having a light source right in front of you.

Depending on your budget, you can either use a window as a front light or buy a diva ring light.

Using a Window: Face the window while you vlog and be careful that the camera’s shadow is not visible in your shot. Avoid using a window the sun is shining directly into. You want softer, more diffused, light for a beauty vlog.

Using a Ring Light: Mount your camera either inside the ring or right behind it on a tripod. Ring lights are powerful options for illuminating your entire face, and they are very popular with makeup vloggers.

Front lighting can make you appear flat against your background, so it is also a good idea to set up a backlight behind you to make you pop out. Setting up lights on either side of you can also help add dimension to your shot.

Check this tutorial to know more details:

2. Organize Your Makeup

Having to search for makeup or reach across to where you are storing your curling iron will kill your vlogging momentum. Creating a great look is the fun part of beauty vlogging, and probably the part you want to focus on. Not looking for your missing brush. The best way to set yourself up for a beauty vlog is at a desk or table where you can lay everything out neatly right in front of you.

3. Alter Your Background

Making your vlog look more professional can be as easy as dressing up your background. You do not want there to be a lot of clutter behind you, but you don’t want to shoot with your back to a plain beige wall either. One simple way to keep your background beautiful, but not distracting, is to use a backdrop. Just hang a sheet or other piece of fabric behind you. You can even use patterns and change your backdrop to match your makeup in different videos.

Another great way to disguise the room you are vlogging in, and make sure nothing behind you distracts your viewers, is to blur your background. You really stand out when your background is blurry and you are in perfect focus.

4. Be Audible

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you. Most cameras do not have great microphones, so you will need to use an external mic. To see what kinds of options you have make sure to read and watch “Best Microphone for YouTube - Top 5 Mics for YouTube Videos ”.

If you do not have access to an external mic then you may be able to get by without one for a while using software. Make sure there is no background noise competing with your voice, and download a free audio editing program called Audacity from Audacityteam.org. Using Audacity you will be able to improve a mediocre audio recording from your camera and make it usable. This is a popular option among YouTube gamers who record both video and audio from their webcams, but there is no reason it should not be useful for beauty gurus too.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Beauty Vlogs are some of the most popular channels on YouTube. These vlogs are all about aesthetics, so it is important that the videos themselves are beautiful. When you are giving out tips on makeup or hair you want to use a setup that will make your results look their very best.

YouTube Beauty Vlogger Set Up

It’s easy to put together your own Beauty Vlog setup. There are four main elements; lighting, beauty supplies, backgrounds, and audio. Here are some tips on building your beauty guru set:

1. Light It Up

Beauty Vlogs need to have great lighting so that everyone can clearly see what you are doing and how amazing it looks. Make sure you have even light over your whole face by ‘front lighting’ your vlog. Front lighting means having a light source right in front of you.

Depending on your budget, you can either use a window as a front light or buy a diva ring light.

Using a Window: Face the window while you vlog and be careful that the camera’s shadow is not visible in your shot. Avoid using a window the sun is shining directly into. You want softer, more diffused, light for a beauty vlog.

Using a Ring Light: Mount your camera either inside the ring or right behind it on a tripod. Ring lights are powerful options for illuminating your entire face, and they are very popular with makeup vloggers.

Front lighting can make you appear flat against your background, so it is also a good idea to set up a backlight behind you to make you pop out. Setting up lights on either side of you can also help add dimension to your shot.

Check this tutorial to know more details:

2. Organize Your Makeup

Having to search for makeup or reach across to where you are storing your curling iron will kill your vlogging momentum. Creating a great look is the fun part of beauty vlogging, and probably the part you want to focus on. Not looking for your missing brush. The best way to set yourself up for a beauty vlog is at a desk or table where you can lay everything out neatly right in front of you.

3. Alter Your Background

Making your vlog look more professional can be as easy as dressing up your background. You do not want there to be a lot of clutter behind you, but you don’t want to shoot with your back to a plain beige wall either. One simple way to keep your background beautiful, but not distracting, is to use a backdrop. Just hang a sheet or other piece of fabric behind you. You can even use patterns and change your backdrop to match your makeup in different videos.

Another great way to disguise the room you are vlogging in, and make sure nothing behind you distracts your viewers, is to blur your background. You really stand out when your background is blurry and you are in perfect focus.

4. Be Audible

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you. Most cameras do not have great microphones, so you will need to use an external mic. To see what kinds of options you have make sure to read and watch “Best Microphone for YouTube - Top 5 Mics for YouTube Videos ”.

If you do not have access to an external mic then you may be able to get by without one for a while using software. Make sure there is no background noise competing with your voice, and download a free audio editing program called Audacity from Audacityteam.org. Using Audacity you will be able to improve a mediocre audio recording from your camera and make it usable. This is a popular option among YouTube gamers who record both video and audio from their webcams, but there is no reason it should not be useful for beauty gurus too.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Beauty Vlogs are some of the most popular channels on YouTube. These vlogs are all about aesthetics, so it is important that the videos themselves are beautiful. When you are giving out tips on makeup or hair you want to use a setup that will make your results look their very best.

YouTube Beauty Vlogger Set Up

It’s easy to put together your own Beauty Vlog setup. There are four main elements; lighting, beauty supplies, backgrounds, and audio. Here are some tips on building your beauty guru set:

1. Light It Up

Beauty Vlogs need to have great lighting so that everyone can clearly see what you are doing and how amazing it looks. Make sure you have even light over your whole face by ‘front lighting’ your vlog. Front lighting means having a light source right in front of you.

Depending on your budget, you can either use a window as a front light or buy a diva ring light.

Using a Window: Face the window while you vlog and be careful that the camera’s shadow is not visible in your shot. Avoid using a window the sun is shining directly into. You want softer, more diffused, light for a beauty vlog.

Using a Ring Light: Mount your camera either inside the ring or right behind it on a tripod. Ring lights are powerful options for illuminating your entire face, and they are very popular with makeup vloggers.

Front lighting can make you appear flat against your background, so it is also a good idea to set up a backlight behind you to make you pop out. Setting up lights on either side of you can also help add dimension to your shot.

Check this tutorial to know more details:

2. Organize Your Makeup

Having to search for makeup or reach across to where you are storing your curling iron will kill your vlogging momentum. Creating a great look is the fun part of beauty vlogging, and probably the part you want to focus on. Not looking for your missing brush. The best way to set yourself up for a beauty vlog is at a desk or table where you can lay everything out neatly right in front of you.

3. Alter Your Background

Making your vlog look more professional can be as easy as dressing up your background. You do not want there to be a lot of clutter behind you, but you don’t want to shoot with your back to a plain beige wall either. One simple way to keep your background beautiful, but not distracting, is to use a backdrop. Just hang a sheet or other piece of fabric behind you. You can even use patterns and change your backdrop to match your makeup in different videos.

Another great way to disguise the room you are vlogging in, and make sure nothing behind you distracts your viewers, is to blur your background. You really stand out when your background is blurry and you are in perfect focus.

4. Be Audible

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you. Most cameras do not have great microphones, so you will need to use an external mic. To see what kinds of options you have make sure to read and watch “Best Microphone for YouTube - Top 5 Mics for YouTube Videos ”.

If you do not have access to an external mic then you may be able to get by without one for a while using software. Make sure there is no background noise competing with your voice, and download a free audio editing program called Audacity from Audacityteam.org. Using Audacity you will be able to improve a mediocre audio recording from your camera and make it usable. This is a popular option among YouTube gamers who record both video and audio from their webcams, but there is no reason it should not be useful for beauty gurus too.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Beauty Vlogs are some of the most popular channels on YouTube. These vlogs are all about aesthetics, so it is important that the videos themselves are beautiful. When you are giving out tips on makeup or hair you want to use a setup that will make your results look their very best.

YouTube Beauty Vlogger Set Up

It’s easy to put together your own Beauty Vlog setup. There are four main elements; lighting, beauty supplies, backgrounds, and audio. Here are some tips on building your beauty guru set:

1. Light It Up

Beauty Vlogs need to have great lighting so that everyone can clearly see what you are doing and how amazing it looks. Make sure you have even light over your whole face by ‘front lighting’ your vlog. Front lighting means having a light source right in front of you.

Depending on your budget, you can either use a window as a front light or buy a diva ring light.

Using a Window: Face the window while you vlog and be careful that the camera’s shadow is not visible in your shot. Avoid using a window the sun is shining directly into. You want softer, more diffused, light for a beauty vlog.

Using a Ring Light: Mount your camera either inside the ring or right behind it on a tripod. Ring lights are powerful options for illuminating your entire face, and they are very popular with makeup vloggers.

Front lighting can make you appear flat against your background, so it is also a good idea to set up a backlight behind you to make you pop out. Setting up lights on either side of you can also help add dimension to your shot.

Check this tutorial to know more details:

2. Organize Your Makeup

Having to search for makeup or reach across to where you are storing your curling iron will kill your vlogging momentum. Creating a great look is the fun part of beauty vlogging, and probably the part you want to focus on. Not looking for your missing brush. The best way to set yourself up for a beauty vlog is at a desk or table where you can lay everything out neatly right in front of you.

3. Alter Your Background

Making your vlog look more professional can be as easy as dressing up your background. You do not want there to be a lot of clutter behind you, but you don’t want to shoot with your back to a plain beige wall either. One simple way to keep your background beautiful, but not distracting, is to use a backdrop. Just hang a sheet or other piece of fabric behind you. You can even use patterns and change your backdrop to match your makeup in different videos.

Another great way to disguise the room you are vlogging in, and make sure nothing behind you distracts your viewers, is to blur your background. You really stand out when your background is blurry and you are in perfect focus.

4. Be Audible

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you. Most cameras do not have great microphones, so you will need to use an external mic. To see what kinds of options you have make sure to read and watch “Best Microphone for YouTube - Top 5 Mics for YouTube Videos ”.

If you do not have access to an external mic then you may be able to get by without one for a while using software. Make sure there is no background noise competing with your voice, and download a free audio editing program called Audacity from Audacityteam.org. Using Audacity you will be able to improve a mediocre audio recording from your camera and make it usable. This is a popular option among YouTube gamers who record both video and audio from their webcams, but there is no reason it should not be useful for beauty gurus too.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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