How To Build a Professional Livestreaming Setup at Home For $500 — $2,000.
We went from everyone having a podcast to everyone having a live stream. Here’s how to stand out.
As CEO of Kindred, we’ve been pulling some of our event’s content plans forward so we can engage our community of business, nonprofit, and cultural leaders in important — and urgent — conversations at a time when it’s needed the most.
In doing so, I’ve spent a lot of (too much?) time figuring out how to build a setup that makes people say “whoa” in everything from a Zoom meeting to a webinar, to a live streamed “show”, in the confines of a small home office.
Just to give you an idea of the difference between using your laptop/desktop’s built-in webcam and a proper live streaming setup…
And you can buy it all at Amazon (if you want) — or, shop local — for anywhere between $500 to $2,000, depending on which of these items you may already have.
note: many of these items are accompanied by Amazon affiliate links which I’m primarily using just to see if anyone actually is reading this and finds it helpful.
The Camera Rig
This is where the bulk of the cost lies. If you already have a modern DSLR at home with a 16–50mm lens, that should suffice, so long as it has an HDMI output. I’m using a Sony Alpha A6100 Mirrorless Camera with 16–50mm Zoom Lens (~$700). With this lens, you can (just barely) successfully create that “bokeh effect”, where the background blurs, and draws attention to your face (this is why lighting is so important, but more on that later).
I have this camera mounted on a 5ft Articulating Arm Camera Mount (~$119), that clamps right onto my desk.
What I love about this is that it also makes it easier for me to take a run-of-the-mill video call while standing up (and pacing), which is good because it’s a little more, well, normal.
Now we’ve got to get the camera connected to the computer. For that, you’ll need a piece of hardware called a “video capture device” that enables the DSLR to be easily recognized as a webcam, and a cable that connects the DSLR to the capture device.
The “hot” capture device out there is the Elgato Keylink, but it’s nearly impossible to find anywhere, and if you can find it, sellers are price-gouging. The best alternative I’ve found is the AVerMedia Live Gamer Mini (~$110).
To connect it to the camera, you’ll need a micro HDMI cable like the Nanosecond Extreme Slim Micro HDMI Cable (~$25).
Speaking of cables, you’re not going to want to run out of battery life while live streaming, so I suggest a “dummy battery” that allows you to plug in your camera into AC Power.
The best value I found was this Gonine AC-PW20 AC Power Supply Adapter and DC Coupler Charger Set (~$29). It basically just connects to your camera like its normal battery, except you can plug it into the wall. No more battery anxiety.
The last part of the camera rig gives you a way to get the professional look of being able to read or glance at a teleprompter without having to spend the several hundred or thousands of dollars for a “professional” one. I recommend the Parrot Teleprompter 2 (~$139), which enables you to simply use your phone as a teleprompter source. When paired with PromptSmartPro ($~20) from the iOS app store, the teleprompter copy will actually scroll with your voice. Kind of mindblowing.
The Lighting
With lighting, it’s important to eliminate shadows and get a good “temperature”, so your face doesn’t look washed out — odds are you won’t be applying professional makeup every day at home.
I’ve found the best solution to be 2 of Elgato’s Key Lights (~$175 each), mounted to each corner of the desk, angled to face you. This creates an equally lit foreground. These are VERY difficult to find in stock right now, so if you really need a solution quickly, you can use 2 typical desk lamps on each corner of your desk (like these, ~$20 each), but just be sure to use bulbs that are around 3000 kelvin so you get a warm white glow (like these, ~$17 for 6 bulbs).
I also replaced the bulbs in my ceiling light fixture with daylight bulbs (like these, ~$9 for 6) for the best natural-looking light.
The Audio
You’ll want to have a microphone that is able record in what is called a “cardioid” (or heart-shaped) pattern, so it picks up your voice, and your voice alone.
My two recommendations here are the Blue Yeti (~$130) if you like a microphone that sits on your desk, or this clip-on USB Lavalier Lapel Microphone by Fifine (~$24). Both plug in via USB into your computer.
The Backdrop
This one is completely optional, but if you want to be able to use a green screen effect, rather than letting Zoom do its awkward magic, then this foldable 5'x7' green screen and stand by Padcaster (~$129) is for you. It sets up in minutes, and even though it takes some getting used to fold back up again, it’s a great bang for the buck, and you can even travel with it.
The Bottom Line
Not everyone has all of this stuff, but some of you may have some of it. I tried to give you enough options where you can cut corners where you need to without sacrificing too much quality. If you’ve got any questions about the setup, just ask me on Twitter.
Here’s what this setup is capable of producing (note, in episode 1 I didn’t have a teleprompter yet, and in episode 2, I mis-focused myself a bit, but you’ll get the idea):
I’m learning as I go, too, and I will update this post with new information/better products as I discover them.
Happy live streaming!
