Captivate Audiences: Techniques for Livestreaming Video in Spherical Views on YouTube

How to live streaming 360 video to youtube

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

• Part1.Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC
• Part2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

1. Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC

Step 1: First of all you need to get ready with your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Now visit the official website of Theta 360 in order to download your dedicated live streaming application.

Step 3: Get your application and install it on your Mac or PC as per need.

Step 4: It is time to plug in to your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera using your PC.

Step 5: Now select your device ‘Ricoh Theta S’ and then hit Okay.

Step 6: You will find option to register to application with your respective device. Select and hit register.

Step 7: As soon as your registration process is complete then un-plug your USB cable.

Step 8: It is time to turn the Ricoh Theta device to Live Mode; you simple need to press the top power and lower video button simultaneously to directly switch to the live mode.

Step 9: Once your device enters into Live Stream mode then a Led will start blinking on your device that represents your device is live at this moment.

Step 10: Now you need to plug in the USB cable again with your computer.

Step 11: Visit the official site of OBS and download your software; install it on your system.

Step 12: Go to create scene option and then switch to create sources.

Step 13: Select video capture device as your source from drop down menu.

Step 14: Now from available list select Theta UVC as your active video capture source.

Step 15: You need to adjust screen as per your requirements.

Step 16: Now move to YouTube and then hit New Live Events option.

Step 17: Complete the basic information.

Step 18: You need to move to advanced settings now; select 360 live stream option and then create event.

Step 19: Now complete the ingesting settings and finally select create new stream option.

Step 20: As soon as your event is created then you will be able to find your stream name on screen, copy it and simply paste it on OBS window.

Step 21: It is time to return to OBS settings and then you need to paste that copied name on stream key option.

Step 22: Once all above settings are complete then click start stream option from your OBS window and you will soon be able to find your 360 live on YouTube.

2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

Step 1: Get ready with your Allie 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Visit YouTube and then hit the option to create your live event.

Step 3: It is time to download your Allie Application and then get it installed on your device.

• Prefer to use this link if you are working on iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/app/allie-home/id1063986074
• Android users need to visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icrealtime.allie

Step 4: As soon as you have downloaded your app then simply turn on the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and air plane mode on your device.

Step 5: Simply open your Allie application and then connect your camera.

Step 6: Now users need to hit stream icon on screen.

Step 7: You will be asked to fill the necessary information about your video. It is also possible to make adjustments regarding video quality. Once you are done with all required settings then hit Submit option.

Step 8: Soon your video will become live; note that you can also share your live video via SNS platform with other viewers.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

• Part1.Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC
• Part2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

1. Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC

Step 1: First of all you need to get ready with your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Now visit the official website of Theta 360 in order to download your dedicated live streaming application.

Step 3: Get your application and install it on your Mac or PC as per need.

Step 4: It is time to plug in to your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera using your PC.

Step 5: Now select your device ‘Ricoh Theta S’ and then hit Okay.

Step 6: You will find option to register to application with your respective device. Select and hit register.

Step 7: As soon as your registration process is complete then un-plug your USB cable.

Step 8: It is time to turn the Ricoh Theta device to Live Mode; you simple need to press the top power and lower video button simultaneously to directly switch to the live mode.

Step 9: Once your device enters into Live Stream mode then a Led will start blinking on your device that represents your device is live at this moment.

Step 10: Now you need to plug in the USB cable again with your computer.

Step 11: Visit the official site of OBS and download your software; install it on your system.

Step 12: Go to create scene option and then switch to create sources.

Step 13: Select video capture device as your source from drop down menu.

Step 14: Now from available list select Theta UVC as your active video capture source.

Step 15: You need to adjust screen as per your requirements.

Step 16: Now move to YouTube and then hit New Live Events option.

Step 17: Complete the basic information.

Step 18: You need to move to advanced settings now; select 360 live stream option and then create event.

Step 19: Now complete the ingesting settings and finally select create new stream option.

Step 20: As soon as your event is created then you will be able to find your stream name on screen, copy it and simply paste it on OBS window.

Step 21: It is time to return to OBS settings and then you need to paste that copied name on stream key option.

Step 22: Once all above settings are complete then click start stream option from your OBS window and you will soon be able to find your 360 live on YouTube.

2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

Step 1: Get ready with your Allie 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Visit YouTube and then hit the option to create your live event.

Step 3: It is time to download your Allie Application and then get it installed on your device.

• Prefer to use this link if you are working on iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/app/allie-home/id1063986074
• Android users need to visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icrealtime.allie

Step 4: As soon as you have downloaded your app then simply turn on the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and air plane mode on your device.

Step 5: Simply open your Allie application and then connect your camera.

Step 6: Now users need to hit stream icon on screen.

Step 7: You will be asked to fill the necessary information about your video. It is also possible to make adjustments regarding video quality. Once you are done with all required settings then hit Submit option.

Step 8: Soon your video will become live; note that you can also share your live video via SNS platform with other viewers.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

• Part1.Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC
• Part2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

1. Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC

Step 1: First of all you need to get ready with your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Now visit the official website of Theta 360 in order to download your dedicated live streaming application.

Click here

Step 3: Get your application and install it on your Mac or PC as per need.

Step 4: It is time to plug in to your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera using your PC.

Step 5: Now select your device ‘Ricoh Theta S’ and then hit Okay.

Step 6: You will find option to register to application with your respective device. Select and hit register.

Step 7: As soon as your registration process is complete then un-plug your USB cable.

Step 8: It is time to turn the Ricoh Theta device to Live Mode; you simple need to press the top power and lower video button simultaneously to directly switch to the live mode.

Step 9: Once your device enters into Live Stream mode then a Led will start blinking on your device that represents your device is live at this moment.

Step 10: Now you need to plug in the USB cable again with your computer.

Step 11: Visit the official site of OBS and download your software; install it on your system.

Step 12: Go to create scene option and then switch to create sources.

Step 13: Select video capture device as your source from drop down menu.

Step 14: Now from available list select Theta UVC as your active video capture source.

Step 15: You need to adjust screen as per your requirements.

Step 16: Now move to YouTube and then hit New Live Events option.

Step 17: Complete the basic information.

Step 18: You need to move to advanced settings now; select 360 live stream option and then create event.

Step 19: Now complete the ingesting settings and finally select create new stream option.

Step 20: As soon as your event is created then you will be able to find your stream name on screen, copy it and simply paste it on OBS window.

Step 21: It is time to return to OBS settings and then you need to paste that copied name on stream key option.

Step 22: Once all above settings are complete then click start stream option from your OBS window and you will soon be able to find your 360 live on YouTube.

2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

Step 1: Get ready with your Allie 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Visit YouTube and then hit the option to create your live event.

Step 3: It is time to download your Allie Application and then get it installed on your device.

• Prefer to use this link if you are working on iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/app/allie-home/id1063986074
• Android users need to visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icrealtime.allie

Step 4: As soon as you have downloaded your app then simply turn on the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and air plane mode on your device.

Step 5: Simply open your Allie application and then connect your camera.

Step 6: Now users need to hit stream icon on screen.

Step 7: You will be asked to fill the necessary information about your video. It is also possible to make adjustments regarding video quality. Once you are done with all required settings then hit Submit option.

Step 8: Soon your video will become live; note that you can also share your live video via SNS platform with other viewers.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

• Part1.Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC
• Part2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

1. Stream 360 to Youtube via Ricoh Theta S and OBS on PC

Step 1: First of all you need to get ready with your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Now visit the official website of Theta 360 in order to download your dedicated live streaming application.

Step 3: Get your application and install it on your Mac or PC as per need.

Step 4: It is time to plug in to your Ricoh Theta S 360 camera using your PC.

Step 5: Now select your device ‘Ricoh Theta S’ and then hit Okay.

Step 6: You will find option to register to application with your respective device. Select and hit register.

Step 7: As soon as your registration process is complete then un-plug your USB cable.

Step 8: It is time to turn the Ricoh Theta device to Live Mode; you simple need to press the top power and lower video button simultaneously to directly switch to the live mode.

Step 9: Once your device enters into Live Stream mode then a Led will start blinking on your device that represents your device is live at this moment.

Step 10: Now you need to plug in the USB cable again with your computer.

Step 11: Visit the official site of OBS and download your software; install it on your system.

Step 12: Go to create scene option and then switch to create sources.

Step 13: Select video capture device as your source from drop down menu.

Step 14: Now from available list select Theta UVC as your active video capture source.

Step 15: You need to adjust screen as per your requirements.

Step 16: Now move to YouTube and then hit New Live Events option.

Step 17: Complete the basic information.

Step 18: You need to move to advanced settings now; select 360 live stream option and then create event.

Step 19: Now complete the ingesting settings and finally select create new stream option.

Step 20: As soon as your event is created then you will be able to find your stream name on screen, copy it and simply paste it on OBS window.

Step 21: It is time to return to OBS settings and then you need to paste that copied name on stream key option.

Step 22: Once all above settings are complete then click start stream option from your OBS window and you will soon be able to find your 360 live on YouTube.

2.Live Stream from Allie 360 Camera to YouTube on Mobile

Step 1: Get ready with your Allie 360 camera unit.

Step 2: Visit YouTube and then hit the option to create your live event.

Step 3: It is time to download your Allie Application and then get it installed on your device.

• Prefer to use this link if you are working on iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/app/allie-home/id1063986074
• Android users need to visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icrealtime.allie

Step 4: As soon as you have downloaded your app then simply turn on the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and air plane mode on your device.

Step 5: Simply open your Allie application and then connect your camera.

Step 6: Now users need to hit stream icon on screen.

Step 7: You will be asked to fill the necessary information about your video. It is also possible to make adjustments regarding video quality. Once you are done with all required settings then hit Submit option.

Step 8: Soon your video will become live; note that you can also share your live video via SNS platform with other viewers.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

From Photos to Feeds: Selecting the Best 9 Gear Upgrades

Smartphone Camera Accessories Vloggers Should Try to Improve Recording

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

As smartphone camera technology is rapidly advancing, more and more people are using smartphones as their primary vlogging device. They’re convenient and they draw the least amount of attention. But since most smartphones weren’t made specifically for vlogging, there’s a lot of room to make them more suitable for that purpose. Here is a list of the nine best smartphone camera accessories for vloggers.

Table of Contents 1. PORTABLE CHARGER2. TRIPOD MOUNT3. ANTI-GRAVITY CASE4. SELFIE RING LIGHT5. DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE6. LENS SET7. FILMMAKING RIG8. FILMMAKING RIG9. GIMBAL

1. RAVPower Portable Charger

Vlogging uses a lot more power. If you’re planning to vlog all throughout your day with your phone, you need a portable way to charge it back up. RAVPower has a great line up of portable chargers with multiple USB inputs that hold a total charge of more than 20,000 mAh. With that amount, you can fully charge your smartphone more than 6 times! I own one myself and it’s been great for me during my travels. A 22,000 mAh charger goes for about $42 USD.

2. Arkon Tripod Mount

The Arkon tripod mount is a great portable tripod option that you can get at the fair price of around $20 USD. Not only does it have bendable legs, like the more expensive Joby GorillaPod tripod, that you can wrap around all kinds of structures, but it also comes with the smartphone mount, which Joby sells separately. Another great thing about the Arkon tripod is that its smartphone mount can be rotated so that you can position your phone to film in either widescreen or portrait mode.

3. Mega Tiny Anti-Gravity Case

For all the flat surfaces that the bendable legs of the Arkon tripod mount can’t wrap around, Mega Tiny’s anti-gravity cases will do the job of holding your iPhone or Android phone in one fixed position. These cases can stick to glass, mirrors, metal, and more. They range from $20 to $30 USD.

4. FLII Selfie Ring Light

As much as smartphone camera technology has advanced, phone cameras still underperform when it comes to filming video in low-light. In low-light, your footage is very grainy because your phone is equipped with a small camera sensor, an engineering choice by the manufacturers to keep the size of the phone small. A handy accessory that you can use to get more light is the FLII selfie ring light. This ring light clamps onto your phone and emits a neutral white light. You can clamp this light to either side of your phone, depending on whether you want to use your rear-facing camera or your front-facing camera. This selfie ring light sells for around $16 USD.

5. RODE VideoMic Me

The mic that is already built into your phone is equally sensitive to the sounds that come from behind the phone as it is to the sounds that are in front of the phone. This can be problematic when you’re trying to vlog in selfie mode while there’s a loud concert on the other side. One smartphone accessory that can improve the sound that you record from your phone in these situations is the RODE VideoMic Me. This mini directional shotgun mic plugs right into your phone’s headphone jack and sells for around $60 USD. In windy conditions, the dead cat windshield that it comes with does a great job of minimizing noise from the wind. In quiet, indoor conditions where you are the only person speaking, this device performs no better than your phone’s internal microphone. Your phone will also have to be in airplane mode to prevent the Rode VideoMic Me from recording unwanted clicking noise caused by background processes performed by your phone. So you wouldn’t want to use this for livestreaming.

6. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set

Aukey makes a 3-in-1 lens set that you can clamp onto your smartphone so that you can vlog at different focal lengths. The 3-in-1 set comes with a wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, and a macro lens. The clamp it comes with is long enough for these lenses to reach any camera on a smartphone, not just those of iPhones which are positioned close to the phone’s outer edge. To get the most out of these lenses, you’ll have to use them without your phone’s protective case on. Although you are free to use this lens set on either your phone’s rear-facing camera or front-facing camera, the metal housing of these lenses is likely to show up in your footage when you use them with your front-facing camera. So, instead of having your recorded image stretch to the ends of a 16:9 ratio rectangular frame, your recorded image will look as if it is contained inside a circle. This lens set sells for around $30 USD.

7. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone

There’s many more accessories that you can take advantage of if you don’t limit yourself to just smartphone camera accessories. Sound and lighting equipment made for stand-alone cameras perform much better too. Many of these accessories are meant to connect to the camera “shoe” (a bracket on top of the camera that accessories can be attached to). Smartphones don’t come with these kinds of shoes. So, to take advantage of these higher quality accessories, you’ll need some kind of camera rig for your smartphone that also comes with shoes. The iOgrapher Go offers this at around $60 USD. This accessory comes with three shoes.

8. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Manfrotto’s TwistGrip System does a similar job to the above iOgrapher Go. This system also comes with three shoes. An advantage the TwistGrip System has over the iOgrapher Go is that it is much more portable. Its three connected parts can be detached to take up less space in your bag. This system sells for around $50 USD.

9. Zhiyun Smooth-Q 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones

My favorite smartphone camera accessory that I own is the Zhiyun Smooth-Q gimbal stabilizer. This gimbal is very effective in helping you record smooth video. Using the app that it comes with, you can even preset this gimbal to smoothly pan and rotate from a starting position to an ending position, giving you the opportunity to film beautiful time lapses. You can get this device at around $100 USD.

Polish Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface, which saves much time. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

As smartphone camera technology is rapidly advancing, more and more people are using smartphones as their primary vlogging device. They’re convenient and they draw the least amount of attention. But since most smartphones weren’t made specifically for vlogging, there’s a lot of room to make them more suitable for that purpose. Here is a list of the nine best smartphone camera accessories for vloggers.

Table of Contents 1. PORTABLE CHARGER2. TRIPOD MOUNT3. ANTI-GRAVITY CASE4. SELFIE RING LIGHT5. DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE6. LENS SET7. FILMMAKING RIG8. FILMMAKING RIG9. GIMBAL

1. RAVPower Portable Charger

Vlogging uses a lot more power. If you’re planning to vlog all throughout your day with your phone, you need a portable way to charge it back up. RAVPower has a great line up of portable chargers with multiple USB inputs that hold a total charge of more than 20,000 mAh. With that amount, you can fully charge your smartphone more than 6 times! I own one myself and it’s been great for me during my travels. A 22,000 mAh charger goes for about $42 USD.

2. Arkon Tripod Mount

The Arkon tripod mount is a great portable tripod option that you can get at the fair price of around $20 USD. Not only does it have bendable legs, like the more expensive Joby GorillaPod tripod, that you can wrap around all kinds of structures, but it also comes with the smartphone mount, which Joby sells separately. Another great thing about the Arkon tripod is that its smartphone mount can be rotated so that you can position your phone to film in either widescreen or portrait mode.

3. Mega Tiny Anti-Gravity Case

For all the flat surfaces that the bendable legs of the Arkon tripod mount can’t wrap around, Mega Tiny’s anti-gravity cases will do the job of holding your iPhone or Android phone in one fixed position. These cases can stick to glass, mirrors, metal, and more. They range from $20 to $30 USD.

4. FLII Selfie Ring Light

As much as smartphone camera technology has advanced, phone cameras still underperform when it comes to filming video in low-light. In low-light, your footage is very grainy because your phone is equipped with a small camera sensor, an engineering choice by the manufacturers to keep the size of the phone small. A handy accessory that you can use to get more light is the FLII selfie ring light. This ring light clamps onto your phone and emits a neutral white light. You can clamp this light to either side of your phone, depending on whether you want to use your rear-facing camera or your front-facing camera. This selfie ring light sells for around $16 USD.

5. RODE VideoMic Me

The mic that is already built into your phone is equally sensitive to the sounds that come from behind the phone as it is to the sounds that are in front of the phone. This can be problematic when you’re trying to vlog in selfie mode while there’s a loud concert on the other side. One smartphone accessory that can improve the sound that you record from your phone in these situations is the RODE VideoMic Me. This mini directional shotgun mic plugs right into your phone’s headphone jack and sells for around $60 USD. In windy conditions, the dead cat windshield that it comes with does a great job of minimizing noise from the wind. In quiet, indoor conditions where you are the only person speaking, this device performs no better than your phone’s internal microphone. Your phone will also have to be in airplane mode to prevent the Rode VideoMic Me from recording unwanted clicking noise caused by background processes performed by your phone. So you wouldn’t want to use this for livestreaming.

6. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set

Aukey makes a 3-in-1 lens set that you can clamp onto your smartphone so that you can vlog at different focal lengths. The 3-in-1 set comes with a wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, and a macro lens. The clamp it comes with is long enough for these lenses to reach any camera on a smartphone, not just those of iPhones which are positioned close to the phone’s outer edge. To get the most out of these lenses, you’ll have to use them without your phone’s protective case on. Although you are free to use this lens set on either your phone’s rear-facing camera or front-facing camera, the metal housing of these lenses is likely to show up in your footage when you use them with your front-facing camera. So, instead of having your recorded image stretch to the ends of a 16:9 ratio rectangular frame, your recorded image will look as if it is contained inside a circle. This lens set sells for around $30 USD.

7. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone

There’s many more accessories that you can take advantage of if you don’t limit yourself to just smartphone camera accessories. Sound and lighting equipment made for stand-alone cameras perform much better too. Many of these accessories are meant to connect to the camera “shoe” (a bracket on top of the camera that accessories can be attached to). Smartphones don’t come with these kinds of shoes. So, to take advantage of these higher quality accessories, you’ll need some kind of camera rig for your smartphone that also comes with shoes. The iOgrapher Go offers this at around $60 USD. This accessory comes with three shoes.

8. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Manfrotto’s TwistGrip System does a similar job to the above iOgrapher Go. This system also comes with three shoes. An advantage the TwistGrip System has over the iOgrapher Go is that it is much more portable. Its three connected parts can be detached to take up less space in your bag. This system sells for around $50 USD.

9. Zhiyun Smooth-Q 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones

My favorite smartphone camera accessory that I own is the Zhiyun Smooth-Q gimbal stabilizer. This gimbal is very effective in helping you record smooth video. Using the app that it comes with, you can even preset this gimbal to smoothly pan and rotate from a starting position to an ending position, giving you the opportunity to film beautiful time lapses. You can get this device at around $100 USD.

Polish Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface, which saves much time. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

As smartphone camera technology is rapidly advancing, more and more people are using smartphones as their primary vlogging device. They’re convenient and they draw the least amount of attention. But since most smartphones weren’t made specifically for vlogging, there’s a lot of room to make them more suitable for that purpose. Here is a list of the nine best smartphone camera accessories for vloggers.

Table of Contents 1. PORTABLE CHARGER2. TRIPOD MOUNT3. ANTI-GRAVITY CASE4. SELFIE RING LIGHT5. DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE6. LENS SET7. FILMMAKING RIG8. FILMMAKING RIG9. GIMBAL

1. RAVPower Portable Charger

Vlogging uses a lot more power. If you’re planning to vlog all throughout your day with your phone, you need a portable way to charge it back up. RAVPower has a great line up of portable chargers with multiple USB inputs that hold a total charge of more than 20,000 mAh. With that amount, you can fully charge your smartphone more than 6 times! I own one myself and it’s been great for me during my travels. A 22,000 mAh charger goes for about $42 USD.

2. Arkon Tripod Mount

The Arkon tripod mount is a great portable tripod option that you can get at the fair price of around $20 USD. Not only does it have bendable legs, like the more expensive Joby GorillaPod tripod, that you can wrap around all kinds of structures, but it also comes with the smartphone mount, which Joby sells separately. Another great thing about the Arkon tripod is that its smartphone mount can be rotated so that you can position your phone to film in either widescreen or portrait mode.

3. Mega Tiny Anti-Gravity Case

For all the flat surfaces that the bendable legs of the Arkon tripod mount can’t wrap around, Mega Tiny’s anti-gravity cases will do the job of holding your iPhone or Android phone in one fixed position. These cases can stick to glass, mirrors, metal, and more. They range from $20 to $30 USD.

4. FLII Selfie Ring Light

As much as smartphone camera technology has advanced, phone cameras still underperform when it comes to filming video in low-light. In low-light, your footage is very grainy because your phone is equipped with a small camera sensor, an engineering choice by the manufacturers to keep the size of the phone small. A handy accessory that you can use to get more light is the FLII selfie ring light. This ring light clamps onto your phone and emits a neutral white light. You can clamp this light to either side of your phone, depending on whether you want to use your rear-facing camera or your front-facing camera. This selfie ring light sells for around $16 USD.

5. RODE VideoMic Me

The mic that is already built into your phone is equally sensitive to the sounds that come from behind the phone as it is to the sounds that are in front of the phone. This can be problematic when you’re trying to vlog in selfie mode while there’s a loud concert on the other side. One smartphone accessory that can improve the sound that you record from your phone in these situations is the RODE VideoMic Me. This mini directional shotgun mic plugs right into your phone’s headphone jack and sells for around $60 USD. In windy conditions, the dead cat windshield that it comes with does a great job of minimizing noise from the wind. In quiet, indoor conditions where you are the only person speaking, this device performs no better than your phone’s internal microphone. Your phone will also have to be in airplane mode to prevent the Rode VideoMic Me from recording unwanted clicking noise caused by background processes performed by your phone. So you wouldn’t want to use this for livestreaming.

6. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set

Aukey makes a 3-in-1 lens set that you can clamp onto your smartphone so that you can vlog at different focal lengths. The 3-in-1 set comes with a wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, and a macro lens. The clamp it comes with is long enough for these lenses to reach any camera on a smartphone, not just those of iPhones which are positioned close to the phone’s outer edge. To get the most out of these lenses, you’ll have to use them without your phone’s protective case on. Although you are free to use this lens set on either your phone’s rear-facing camera or front-facing camera, the metal housing of these lenses is likely to show up in your footage when you use them with your front-facing camera. So, instead of having your recorded image stretch to the ends of a 16:9 ratio rectangular frame, your recorded image will look as if it is contained inside a circle. This lens set sells for around $30 USD.

7. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone

There’s many more accessories that you can take advantage of if you don’t limit yourself to just smartphone camera accessories. Sound and lighting equipment made for stand-alone cameras perform much better too. Many of these accessories are meant to connect to the camera “shoe” (a bracket on top of the camera that accessories can be attached to). Smartphones don’t come with these kinds of shoes. So, to take advantage of these higher quality accessories, you’ll need some kind of camera rig for your smartphone that also comes with shoes. The iOgrapher Go offers this at around $60 USD. This accessory comes with three shoes.

8. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Manfrotto’s TwistGrip System does a similar job to the above iOgrapher Go. This system also comes with three shoes. An advantage the TwistGrip System has over the iOgrapher Go is that it is much more portable. Its three connected parts can be detached to take up less space in your bag. This system sells for around $50 USD.

9. Zhiyun Smooth-Q 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones

My favorite smartphone camera accessory that I own is the Zhiyun Smooth-Q gimbal stabilizer. This gimbal is very effective in helping you record smooth video. Using the app that it comes with, you can even preset this gimbal to smoothly pan and rotate from a starting position to an ending position, giving you the opportunity to film beautiful time lapses. You can get this device at around $100 USD.

Polish Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface, which saves much time. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

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As smartphone camera technology is rapidly advancing, more and more people are using smartphones as their primary vlogging device. They’re convenient and they draw the least amount of attention. But since most smartphones weren’t made specifically for vlogging, there’s a lot of room to make them more suitable for that purpose. Here is a list of the nine best smartphone camera accessories for vloggers.

Table of Contents 1. PORTABLE CHARGER2. TRIPOD MOUNT3. ANTI-GRAVITY CASE4. SELFIE RING LIGHT5. DIRECTIONAL MICROPHONE6. LENS SET7. FILMMAKING RIG8. FILMMAKING RIG9. GIMBAL

1. RAVPower Portable Charger

Vlogging uses a lot more power. If you’re planning to vlog all throughout your day with your phone, you need a portable way to charge it back up. RAVPower has a great line up of portable chargers with multiple USB inputs that hold a total charge of more than 20,000 mAh. With that amount, you can fully charge your smartphone more than 6 times! I own one myself and it’s been great for me during my travels. A 22,000 mAh charger goes for about $42 USD.

2. Arkon Tripod Mount

The Arkon tripod mount is a great portable tripod option that you can get at the fair price of around $20 USD. Not only does it have bendable legs, like the more expensive Joby GorillaPod tripod, that you can wrap around all kinds of structures, but it also comes with the smartphone mount, which Joby sells separately. Another great thing about the Arkon tripod is that its smartphone mount can be rotated so that you can position your phone to film in either widescreen or portrait mode.

3. Mega Tiny Anti-Gravity Case

For all the flat surfaces that the bendable legs of the Arkon tripod mount can’t wrap around, Mega Tiny’s anti-gravity cases will do the job of holding your iPhone or Android phone in one fixed position. These cases can stick to glass, mirrors, metal, and more. They range from $20 to $30 USD.

4. FLII Selfie Ring Light

As much as smartphone camera technology has advanced, phone cameras still underperform when it comes to filming video in low-light. In low-light, your footage is very grainy because your phone is equipped with a small camera sensor, an engineering choice by the manufacturers to keep the size of the phone small. A handy accessory that you can use to get more light is the FLII selfie ring light. This ring light clamps onto your phone and emits a neutral white light. You can clamp this light to either side of your phone, depending on whether you want to use your rear-facing camera or your front-facing camera. This selfie ring light sells for around $16 USD.

5. RODE VideoMic Me

The mic that is already built into your phone is equally sensitive to the sounds that come from behind the phone as it is to the sounds that are in front of the phone. This can be problematic when you’re trying to vlog in selfie mode while there’s a loud concert on the other side. One smartphone accessory that can improve the sound that you record from your phone in these situations is the RODE VideoMic Me. This mini directional shotgun mic plugs right into your phone’s headphone jack and sells for around $60 USD. In windy conditions, the dead cat windshield that it comes with does a great job of minimizing noise from the wind. In quiet, indoor conditions where you are the only person speaking, this device performs no better than your phone’s internal microphone. Your phone will also have to be in airplane mode to prevent the Rode VideoMic Me from recording unwanted clicking noise caused by background processes performed by your phone. So you wouldn’t want to use this for livestreaming.

6. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set

Aukey makes a 3-in-1 lens set that you can clamp onto your smartphone so that you can vlog at different focal lengths. The 3-in-1 set comes with a wide-angle lens, a fisheye lens, and a macro lens. The clamp it comes with is long enough for these lenses to reach any camera on a smartphone, not just those of iPhones which are positioned close to the phone’s outer edge. To get the most out of these lenses, you’ll have to use them without your phone’s protective case on. Although you are free to use this lens set on either your phone’s rear-facing camera or front-facing camera, the metal housing of these lenses is likely to show up in your footage when you use them with your front-facing camera. So, instead of having your recorded image stretch to the ends of a 16:9 ratio rectangular frame, your recorded image will look as if it is contained inside a circle. This lens set sells for around $30 USD.

7. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone

There’s many more accessories that you can take advantage of if you don’t limit yourself to just smartphone camera accessories. Sound and lighting equipment made for stand-alone cameras perform much better too. Many of these accessories are meant to connect to the camera “shoe” (a bracket on top of the camera that accessories can be attached to). Smartphones don’t come with these kinds of shoes. So, to take advantage of these higher quality accessories, you’ll need some kind of camera rig for your smartphone that also comes with shoes. The iOgrapher Go offers this at around $60 USD. This accessory comes with three shoes.

8. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Manfrotto’s TwistGrip System does a similar job to the above iOgrapher Go. This system also comes with three shoes. An advantage the TwistGrip System has over the iOgrapher Go is that it is much more portable. Its three connected parts can be detached to take up less space in your bag. This system sells for around $50 USD.

9. Zhiyun Smooth-Q 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones

My favorite smartphone camera accessory that I own is the Zhiyun Smooth-Q gimbal stabilizer. This gimbal is very effective in helping you record smooth video. Using the app that it comes with, you can even preset this gimbal to smoothly pan and rotate from a starting position to an ending position, giving you the opportunity to film beautiful time lapses. You can get this device at around $100 USD.

Polish Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface, which saves much time. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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