124 - Essential Equipment for Video Content Creators (Most Under $100)

Upgrading your content doesn’t require a studio, a shopping spree, or a stack of complicated tech. A few well-chosen tools can dramatically improve how your videos and audio look and sound, without blowing your budget. 

In this solo episode, I share the equipment I use for recording short-form videos, livestreams, and podcasts, along with practical recommendations for creators at every stage. From tripods and lighting to wireless mics and desktop gear, you’ll hear exactly what’s worth investing in, and what you can skip.

Top Takeaways

🔹The right tools make a difference in content quality.

🔹Tripods help stabilize videos and improve viewer retention.

🔹Natural light is the best lighting option for videos.

🔹Investing in a good microphone is crucial for audio quality.

🔹Wireless lavalier microphones are now affordable and effective.

🔹Desktop microphones are essential for podcasting.

🔹Logitech webcams are reliable for video recording.

🔹Start with basic equipment and upgrade as needed.

🔷My 2-week LIVE Smarter, Faster, Fun Video Bootcamp starts again on Monday, January 26th. Learn more and sign up Click Here
Or visit BlackDogMarketingStrategies.com/SFF

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📌 When you’re ready to make creating engaging social media videos a priority, I offer 1:1 coaching and done-with-you video services. 😉 Click Here

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➡️ Need more? Check out the 300+ videos on my YouTube channel Click here for my YouTube channel

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For additional insights, connect with Annette Richmond and Black Dog Marketing Strategies on social media.
Substack: https://substack.com/@annetterichmond
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond/
YouTube: ...

Transcript

[00:00:00.00] 

Hi, I'm Annette Richmond. Thanks for joining me for today's episode. I get asked about what equipment I use all the time. Now, whether you're recording podcasts, live streaming, or creating short form videos, the right tools really do make a difference. Here's the good news. You really do not have to spend a lot of money to make your content look and sound professional. Today, I'm going to walk you through the exact equipment that I use and recommend. Nothing particularly fancy [00:00:30.02] or complicated, not even really expensive. Just practical tools that will upgrade your content without blowing your budget. Let's dive in. Let's start with tripods and phone amounts. I always say your smartphone is all you need, and that's true. But adding a tripod makes your videos instantly more watchable and way easier to record. Shaky footage is distracting. Then even if your message is solid, people won't stick around if the video [00:01:00.20] feels like it's not stable. I want to start with the small rig selfie stick tripod. Now, small rig changes their models all the time, but the small rig is a solid brand in my book. If you can buy One tripod, I recommend them.

[00:01:17.06] 

The one that I have is small enough to toss into a bag. It extends up to about 5 feet tall, and it also has a built-in remote, which makes hands-free recording a whole lot easier. Easier. It works whether you're recording at your desk, standing, or grabbing content on the go. If you want something flexible, portable, and useful in tight spaces, and to get at those strange angles, an adjustable suction cub mount is great to have. These attach to [00:01:47.10] almost any flat surface, windows, cabinets, even your refrigerator, with a vacuum seal. I have a few of them, and you can usually find them now for around $10. For context, I should let you know that I I probably have half a dozen tripods. I keep one in my car, one in my bag, and having one with me has saved me more time than I can count. When it comes to lighting, natural light is always your best friend. If you When you can, position yourself facing a window. I [00:02:18.03] record often in our sunroom because the glass on three sides gives a beautiful, even light. But when natural light isn't available, here are the tools that I rely on.

[00:02:28.09] 

I recently got the Wellece ring light. It's mainly more like a key light than a ring light as it doesn't have that typical ring around your face design. Now, it comes with an attachable phone mount and handy remote, which makes recording yourself really easy when you can turn the light on and off. If you wear glasses like I do,glare can be a problem with any light that's not natural light. So play with distance and angles to avoid reflections. I found that tilting the light up [00:02:58.12] toward the ceiling helps as long as your ceiling is white. Now on to microphones and lavaliers. If you can only invest in one piece of equipment, make it a lavalier microphone. People will tend to tolerate less the perfect lighting, but if your audio is harsh, muffled, or hard to understand, they are going to just scroll away. Now, wireless labs used to be expensive, but there are now great budget-friendly options. As a matter of fact, my first [00:03:29.01] wireless mic was a $20 clip on lavalier, and it made a huge difference in the sound quality. About a year ago, I upgraded to the Holly Landlark. Now, this little mic delivers excellent audio.

[00:03:41.12] 

It clips on magnetically and has a range of up to a thousand feet. It's a little bit pricier, but for the amount of video that I record, it's been well worth it. If you're newer or watching your budget, I've never recently released an affordable wireless system for around I own this one, too, and it performs well for the price. Overall, NEEWER, spelled N-E-E-W-E-R, is a solid brand. I have a few of their products. Let's [00:04:11.20] move on to desktop microphones. If you're recording on your computer, absolutely never use your webcam mic. It just sounds so horrible. An external mic is absolutely essential. Now, there are two main types of mics for your desktop. There's USB microphones microphones, which are plug and play. They plug right into your computer, and XLR microphones, which require an audio interface like a roadcaster. When I started my podcast in 2020, [00:04:42.10] I used the Blue Snowball made by Logitech, which, sadly, as far as I know, is no longer available. At the time, it cost about 50 bucks. The next step up in the Logitech line is a Blue Yeti. Currently, it's the most popular podcast mic, according to the podcast host 2024 Gear Survey, and it was a microphone that I had in use for several years.

[00:05:05.17] 

A few months ago, I did upgrade again to the Sure MV plus. It's what they call a hybrid mic. It's USB and XLR, which means I can plug it directly into my computer right now and still use it later if I decide to invest in an audio interface. If you prefer to record short form content on your desktop or your live streaming, or If you're recording a podcast like I am right now, the webcam I recommend is a Logitech [00:05:36.16] C920X HD Pro. I have a couple of them, and I've used Logitech webcams for years. Recently, picked up, as I mentioned, a second one for dual camera angles. Now, as you can see, Logitech is another one of my go-to brands. There are, of course, tons and tons of nice-to-have extras, things that are not essential but helpful. A gimbal stabilizer, if you record while walking, can be very, very helpful. An autotracking tripod like the [00:06:07.07] Asbot, which is what I have right now, somebody actually gave it to me as a gift, can be fun if you want to do something where you're walking and having the camera follow you around. Again, there are many more autotracking tripods out there right now at all different price points.

[00:06:25.02] 

Another little something that's handy to have is a silicone sticky mount with It's suction on both sides. It's something that you just toss in your bag and it costs about $10. That is something that you use on your phone with the silicone. It mounted on one side to your phone and the silicone on the other side mounted on a flat surface. It's great if you want to record in front of a window, you can just attach the silicone and then put it up on the window to get that natural light. Again, [00:06:55.12] these fall into the fun to have category but are certainly not required to create good solid quality video. What should you buy? I always say start with your smartphone. If you can, please do buy a wireless lavalier. As I mentioned, you can find very expensive models, and they will greatly improve the sound on your videos. You can buy a decent wireless lab and a tripod for under $100. Then add or upgrade equipment as [00:07:26.07] you grow. Most of the items I recommended here are under $50, and almost none are over $100. I think two are over $100. Prices on electronics are falling every day.

[00:07:38.07] 

My approach to buying equipment is simple. Buy the best solid, inexpensive equipment you can and then upgrade as you needed. For me, my approach is to use Amazon Prime days as equipment upgrade events. In 2024, I invested in a teleprompter, and in 2025, I got the Sure MV7 plus that I was longing for when it went on sale. So thanks again for joining me for this [00:08:08.07] episode. I hope you picked up a tip or two. If you found some value, please do share the episode with a friend. I bet they'll thank you. And I'll see you next time.