#4 Spend a little

We all know YouTube membership is free, of which I am very grateful. If you plan to provide good quality content for your viewers, though, you may have to spend a little money along the way. You already know the importance of video quality, so you probably saw this coming already.

The most you would probably spend is on a decent camera. You cannot have original content without a video camera, correct? Whether it be an actual camcorder or a simple webcam, it is totally up to you. I suggest doing research on a product before purchasing it, that way you know the level of reliability.

Another crucial item is an audio input source, also known as a microphone. While many computers today have mics built-in, it is sometimes better to use an external one. For example I use an Apple iSight as my webcam for video blogging, but I am not too fond of its onboard mic. Instead I invested in an
affordable (around $20) desktop mic from Logitech that provides higher quality.

Most cameras come with video editing software of some kind, but sometimes they are a bit lackluster. If you feel you need to, invest in some affordable software that fits your liking. However you may already have software and not even realize it. If you are a Windows user, then you most likely have Windows Movie Maker pre-installed on your system. For Mac users your option would be iMovie, which
is what I actually use as my primary editing application. There are also plenty of free alternatives floating around on the Web, so I suggest searching around.

And finally comes in your lighting equipment. If you plan to record in a poorly lit environment, then I highly recommend investing in a cheap lamp of some kind. I bought my IKEA desk lamp for no more than $20 on eBay and absolutely love it. A simple light can make things that much better.