Starting a YouTube channel for trading card games is very easy and you don’t need to spend a lot of money on your equipment and software. I was inspired by GalacticGod and SimplyUnlucky to shoot TCG videos on YouTube. I started Awesome Card Games on May 31, 2011. Improving my channel has always been my most important goal. I always want to make better videos for my audience to enjoy every minute of my videos. I am not going to tell you what types of videos to shoot for your channel. That decision is yours to make. The genre has a variety of videos to create for fun. There are deck profiles, discussions, games, interviews, news, and openings. Pick which videos are best for you.
I am going to make a list of useful equipment and resources to aid your channel’s development. You need to know how to start a channel before you can decide which videos you are going shoot for your channel. I had to learn from experience. I rushed into making my channel before I was truly ready. Last year I felt my channel was truly ready to publish content on a regular basis with the basic tools that are needed for every TCG channel.
Get The Right Equipment
First, you need to buy the right equipment and software. One of the biggest mistakes by many YouTubers is starting a channel too early without the proper equipment. Quality is your key to success. Nobody is going to look at poor quality videos. You can grow a larger audience by providing videos with good quality.
1. Your Smartphone is Your Camera
Everyone can record videos with smartphones, and quality of cameras in smartphones have greatly improved throughout the years. You most likely have a quality camera in your pocket. You do not need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a camera. Your smartphone provides the camera to film your videos.
I recommend buying a smartphone with at least the capability to film videos in 1080 HD. 4K is the best quality for your picture. Apple’s iPhones and Samsung’s smartphones are the ideal smartphones for recording videos. I recommend the following smartphones.
Recommended Smartphones:
- iPhone 11
- iPhone SE
- Galaxy S20
I edited my videos in Windows Live Movie Maker. It is a free program from Microsoft. It is not as powerful as some video editors. However, it gets the job done. I place my intro, video, and outro in a video’s layout. The music is added after everything is perfectly placed together. One video will take at least an hour to edit and create in HD.
2. Tripod
Next, you need to purchase a tripod for your smartphone. Nobody wants to watch a video with shaky hands. Your smartphone needs to be stable when you are filming videos. A tripod stabilizes your smartphone, and it makes filming videos very easy. There are many tripods for smartphones, and the majority of tripods support most phones.
Recommended Tripods
- Acuvar 50″ Inch Aluminum Camera Tripod
- SUNYI Lightweight Aluminum Camera Tripod
3. Microphone
Videos need good audio for viewers to clearly understand the content. I made the mistake of not using a microphone when I started my YouTube channel, and I do not want you making the same mistake. Purchase a microphone for your smartphone. It will create clear and wonderful audio for videos. Viewers can easily understand you, and will enjoy your videos.
Recommended Microphones
- PoP voice Professional Lavalier Lapel Microphone
4. Fiverr!
Fiverr is an awesome website with many talented individuals. People offer their services for at least five dollars. There are people that can help enhanced your channel. People make intros, outros, thumbnails, and graphics for videos. Find an experienced artist who makes intros and outros. I purchased my channel’s intro and logo on Fiverr, and I had a good experienced with the sellers. Your channel will look professional in no time.
5. Do NOT Use Copyrighted Materials
Finally, a lot of people make the assumption that every piece of media on the internet is free. The truth is some materials are owned by their rightful owners. Never use music and photos without the owner’s permission or without a license. You will not be able to legally monetize your videos without rights to a song. You may lose your channel if you take the risk of using a person’s copyrighted materials in a video.
YouTube offers free music for everyone on the site. There is music for every genre available for your videos. I am always looking for heavy metal music to add to my videos. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for every song before adding it into your video. Some artists require credit in the video’s description and others do not have any requirements.
I shot a few matches on videos two weeks ago. I noticed an issue with the audio because there was background noise from a football game on TV at my hobby store. I replaced the original audio with free music from YouTube. I avoided a strike and kept my video 100% my property. Nobody can claim my video.
The Final Word
All in all, YouTube channel is fun pastime, and it requires a lot of hard work. I am still a long ways away from being where I want to be. I am still learning new methods to improve my content. I hope my tips have helped newcomers prepare themselves before filming content without any ideas on how to set up a channel. Have fun shooting your videos!
