In the creator economy, there’s so much content online. People are constantly launching YouTube channels, podcasts, Instagram accounts, and blogs. For instance, there are now over 1.75 million podcasts with over 43 million episodes published.
Why should people choose to consume your content over others?
To attract a bigger audience, you need to create better content than the competition—and having the right equipment goes a long way. To simplify the content creation process, we created this list of the best content creator kits for vloggers, podcasters, and bloggers. You will find kits for creators with varying experience levels and budgets.
Video creators face the hardest challenge churning out content. You need to record both video and audio and then spend a lot of time editing. It’s a time-consuming task that can be made easier with better equipment.
So, here’s a list of cameras, tripods, lighting, and other video tools for creating vlogs and other video content that will generate maximum views.
If you’re new to creating video content and don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on a high-end camera, you can simply use your phone.
Most phones these days have cameras that record high-resolution videos. They are more portable than hefty cameras and work with selfie sticks and smartphone tripods that make things easier. Once you start earning from your content, you can buy a quality camera or rent one.
The Canon EOS Rebel is a powerful camera for taking photos and videos. It has a 24.1 megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, NFC technology, and built-in Wi-Fi. The EOS utility webcam beta software lets you convert your camera into a high-quality webcam.
The Canon EOS Rebel camera has more powerful features such as AI servo AF, a 9-point AF system, and an optical ViewFinder. It is the perfect camera for anyone starting out with videography.
If you don’t want a traditional camera but a better webcam as you’re creating more virtual interviews, or you want to record yourself while playing video games, the Logitech BRIO is perfect. Its resolution is four times more powerful than a regular HD webcam’s. It has other features like auto light adjustment, noise-canceling, and a three-field view to help you record the best video and audio.
SwitchPod is a Tripod “made for creators by creators”. It was founded by Pat Flynn who runs the Smart Passive Income blog and podcast.
The SwitchPod is lightweight, robust, and compact. It’s perfect for vloggers as you can switch to the handheld mode in seconds. It works with any camera—from DSLR to phones. You can also improve the functionality of the tripod by buying attachments such as SwitchPod ball head, Phone Tripod Adapter 2.0, and Quick Release Plate and Adapter.
If this is too high for your budget, you can check out the Torjim phone tripod ($22.99) and the Amazon Basics Camera Mount Tripod ($13.59).
The Lume Cude - Bi-Color LED Panel is a very portable lighting option. It’s just 5.95 inches wide and 3.15 inches tall, and it weighs 0.4 pounds. You can adjust the brightness depending on the shot. Along with the light, you get a cold shoe mount, softening diffuser, carrying pouch, and a micro USB charging cable.
If price isn’t an issue, get the Apture Light Storm c300d Mark. It offers a 5500K color temperature. Along with that, it has other features like quiet fan cooling, step-less dimming, a hyper reflector, and wireless remote control. You can also control it with the Sidius Link App. It is perfect for low-light environments and even overpowering sunlight.
Adobe Premiere Pro is among the best video editing software. It has a big learning curve, but once you grasp it, you will edit videos faster. You also have templates that simplify video editing.
For creators who don’t want to handle such an advanced software, there’s an alternative called Adobe Premiere Elements. Premiere Elements is also cheaper as you just need to pay a one-time fee.
Camtasia isn’t as advanced as Adobe Premiere Pro, but it is still a pretty advanced software. Along with the video editor, you also get access to a screen recorder. You will prefer it if you want to create explainer videos or video courses. It’s also cheaper and easier to use.
You can check out more video editing software here.
Here are a few more video tools that help you execute tasks other than editing.
Podcasting is a very time-consuming profession. You need to invite guests, prepare for the interviews, record the audio, edit, and publish it. The process requires several hardware, software, and hosting services to do things right. These are some of the best tools for creating and running a podcast.
The Maono AU-A04 is a nice and affordable plug-and-play USB mic. You simply connect it to your computer and use it without driver software or an external sound card. The condenser mic has a professional sound chipset that helps you record high-resolution audio. The pop filter and foam windscreen ensure your voice is clear.
The Rode Procaster Broadcaster is a good mid-range microphone for podcasters. It has a tailored-for-voice frequency response and a tight polar pattern. To help reduce plosives, it also has an internal pop-filter. Its made entirely of metal, which makes it quite sturdy. You can buy it with or without a USB Audio Interface.
Shure is a top-quality microphone for recording broadcasts like podcasts, and it isn’t too costly. You can use it whether you are creating pre-recorded or live podcasts. It’s got a dynamic cartridge with a smooth, flat, wide-range frequency response that helps capture clear speech and music. The advanced electromagnetic shielding helps reduce hums from the computer and other studio equipment.
The OneOdio Wired Over-Ear Headphone is a popular and affordable choice for amateur podcasters. It has large 50-millimeter speaker unit drivers and neodymium magnets that deliver clear speech and music. The soft padded cushions thwart noise and ensure you stay comfortable for hours while recording your podcast. It works with devices with a 3.5mm or 6.35mm audio jack.
This is a headphone with a large diaphragm. It has 40-millimeter drivers and neodymium magnets that supply a detailed and powerful sound. The closed-ear design reduces noise and offers long-lasting comfort. It’s also great for recording podcasts on the go as you can fold and carry it with you.
The Sennheiser HD-280 Pro is another closed-ear lightweight headphone. The extended frequency response helps produce warm and natural sounds. Its ergonomic design with earpads and headband padding also makes it highly comfortable to use during long podcasting sessions.
Spreaker is a recording software for podcasters. It has apps for both iOS and Android to help you record podcasts on the go. It even integrates with Skype, so you can invite guests and record your prodcasts virtually. Along with recording, it also has editing features.
You can trim recordings, import files, and merge them. Spreaker also lets you distribute your podcasts to platforms like Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
You might also want to check out BounceCast, a podcast recording software that helps edit and optimize your podcasts with its AI audio processing. Want more? Read our post on the best podcast recording software.
Audacity is a free and open-source audio editing software with 100 million downloads. It works on Mac, Linux, and Windows. Features like seeking and scrubbing will help you quickly locate spots to edit. You can copy, paste, cut, and delete audio. But it still has a bit of a learning curve. Also, there’s no direct support and some users complain about bugs.
You can also check out NoteTrackers Pro, an audio collaboration platform that makes it easy for different team members working on your podcast to enhance the audio. Want more? Read our post on the best audio editing software.
Buzzsprout is a more traditional podcast hosting service. It allows you to upload your podcast to its hosting service and list it on sites like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Stitcher. Along with this, you have tools such as podcast scheduling, episode optimization, analytics, transcriptions, and the ability to monetize your podcasts.
Podbean is another popular podcast hosting service that lets you host and monetize your podcasts. You can use the hosting to either deliver pre-recorded podcasts or livestream them. You can even host videos on it. Just like Buzzsprout, it allows you to distribute your podcast on other platforms and check performance with analytics. You can monetize your podcasts with ads or by selling premium content. Listeners can also donate to your podcast.
If you’re looking for a podcast hosting platform that lets you monetize your audio content, check out Soundwise. It’s the perfect solution for podcasters, coaches, and infopreneurs who want to create and sell digital audio products.
Blogging is an easier way to create content than podcasting or making videos. If you are good at writing, this is a form of content creation you can excel at.
At the most basic level, you’ll need a content management system (CMS) and a hosting service. You can also purchase several additional tools that will help you with writing and lead generation.
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform. It powers 43% of all websites and 65% of content management systems. Over 455 million websites run on WordPress. People use this CMS to not just run their blogs, but also to build websites. It’s popular because the platform is easy to use even if you have no experience with design or coding. You can also install plugins on your site and boost its functionality.
WordPress is free to use. But if you want a self-hosted WordPress site, you’ll need to pay for hosting. You can purchase this directly from WordPress itself or through third-party WordPress managed hosting services.
You must have come across Medium articles. The site has over 60 million active users. This platform is a good alternative for people who don’t want to go through the trouble of building and monetizing their own site.
You can publish articles on the platform and Medium will pay you based on the number of views you generate. You can also use Medium simultaneously with your own blog, to help promote content.
Ghost is a free and open-source blogging platform. Many people choose it over WordPress as it has more advanced features. You don’t need to install plugins separately. Also, unlike WordPress, you can install it in the sub-folder of your website. But it doesn’t offer as many integrations as WordPress.
Bramework is an SEO keyword research and AI writing tool that will help you speed up the content writing process. You can use it to find keywords that your audience is searching for. After finding keywords, you can directly get Bramework to use its AI writing assistant to write the content. It can also generate different headlines for your blog post.
The Basic, Starter, Professional, and Agency plans cost $9, $29, $59, and $119 per month, with a free 7-day trial. But you can get it for a one-time payment of just $79 on AppSumo.
Whether you write the post by yourself or with an AI writer, you need to edit it to eliminate grammatical errors and simplify the writing. A tool like Grammarly or Linguix can help quicken the process. It will highlight spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors and offer suggestions for fixing them. You can simply install the browser extension and use it on Google docs.
The premium plan costs $14.99 per month.
SendFox is a highly affordable email service provider. You can create forms, landing pages, autoresponders, and broadcasts with it. It's a powerful tool for building your email list and sending simple emails with the WYSIWYG editor. You can use it to create smart pages that display content from your social media accounts and podcasts.
You can get SendFox for life with a one-time payment of $49 on AppSumo.
Sumo is an advanced lead generation tool. It allows you to create customized opt-in forms like welcome mats, popups, and sticky bars to generate maximum leads from your blog or ecommerce store.
You can use Sumo to send emails, but it also integrates with many popular email service providers. Add Sumo to any website by copying and pasting a code or using the WordPress plugin or Shopify app.
There’s a lot of content out there, and people are creating even more. You can see it every time you log in to your email inbox or social media accounts.
Many of these content creators have already established a brand and audience. If you want people to choose your content over the competition’s, you need to create better content.
The most straightforward way to do this is to purchase the best equipment and software and churn out high-quality content. The tools we’ve shared will give you the edge you need. Go through the list again and buy the ones you like most.
You might also want to check out the AppSumo store to find the best software and templates. We have several lifetime deals that will save you hundreds of dollars.
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Here’s everything you need in your podcast starter kit to start your podcast today. Whether you’re on a tight budget or open to investing more, we’ve got you covered.
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