Like many people, you may be looking to take advantage of social media to promote your music or other business activities. There are many ways to get great exposure, such as YouTube or other vlogging, live streaming via Instagram or Facebook, podcasting, and more. And as you’ve undoubtedly seen, there’s a variety of types of content out there ranging from professionally polished videos, to on-the-spot interviews and travel podcasts from remote locations.
But even if you don’t have a rock star budget or a full-time video staff, there are creative ways to get your music and your message out there and sounding good.
An increasing number of social media influencers and journalists are relying on their mobile devices for capturing spur-of-the-moment interviews, podcasts, YouTube videos or other DIY content. Today’s smartphones offer incredible video quality and can be a great alternative to heavy and expensive video gear when you’re a one-person operation or your budget number doesn’t have a lot of zeros at the end. However, smartphones still lack high-res audio quality.
One simple fix is to use an unobtrusive external mic specially designed for smartphones. Some examples are the iRig Mic Cast 2, iRig Mic Cast HD, and iRig Mic Video Shotgun mic. They all attach to your mobile device with a secure magnetic mount, and will give you crystal clear voice recording, without any additional batteries needed.
Did you know you can also live stream your music using a mobile device? Live streaming used to be a large production, but now, with an iPad or other tablet – or even a smartphone – and the right app, you can be up and running in no time. To combat the dreaded audio quality issue, simply use an audio interface. One option for keeping your rig streamlined, portable and inexpensive is the iRig Stream, which was designed specifically to connect directly to a mobile device. It combines multiple audio sources down to one track for recording or streaming in mono or stereo; there are two line-level RCA inputs for quick connection to mixers, keyboards and outboard gear; and a unique headphone/microphone jack lets you listen and talk over the stereo input simultaneously.
Suppose you’ve decided to get serious about your in-house social media video production. Now what?
We’ve all seen polished, professional-looking videos on smaller social media channels and wonder what their secret is. Well, it’s no lie that having the right video editing software and skills can do wonders, but if the raw video footage is poorly lit, unstable, or sounds bad, it can’t always be fixed later on. Paying attention to these elements can make a big difference in the quality of your videos, and there are many options available to address each of them, as well as a wealth of online tutorials and articles that can help you learn more about each area.
When you’re ready to take the first step toward creating your own video studio, you can get some very noticeable results without having to break the bank for gear, thanks to the rise in popularity of DIY studio rigs. One example is the iRig Video Creator Bundle. It contains an iRig Mic Lav lapel mic; the iKlip Grip Pro combination desktop tripod/handgrip/full-size tripod/selfie stick with Bluetooth shutter; and a USB-powered 6” LED ring light with adjustable color and brightness that mounts onto the top of the iKlip Grip Pro. The HD Bundle features a larger light and an iRig Mic HD 2 digital condenser USB mic.
With a little research and some practice, your social media content will be the envy of others in no time!
For more information on the products mentioned in this article, please visit www.ikmultimedia.com/contentcreator
