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The mistake that makes your videos unwatchable

By Lewis Whitter, wedding & events photographer (11+ years) · How we pick

The mistake that makes beginner videos unwatchable isn't the camera. It's the sound.

Viewers will forgive slightly soft footage, but they'll click away from muffled or echoey audio within seconds. The usual cause is filming too far from the microphone, usually the one built into your phone.

The fix is simple. Get the mic close to your mouth, around a hand's width away.

A cheap wireless lavalier clips on your shirt and does exactly that. Record in a small, soft room with curtains or a sofa, not an empty kitchen.

Then listen back on headphones before you post. Better sound will do more for your channel than a new camera.

Check the budget mic options below.

The mistake that makes your videos unwatchable
Photo: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0. Credits

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