YOUTUBE VIDEO EDUCATION
One important element of growing as a producer is continuous education. I am an avid YouTube watcher, and I enjoy learning from the thousands of free available video content for my niche. From 'How to EQ properly', to 'How to choose the right plugins", there are so many videos at my disposal. But sifting through content takes time and effort. There is a lot of good and junk content out there. So how do you choose? The following are a few helpful tips for you to begin your online production education.
Organization is the Key
So you've gone to YouTube, pulled up a few informative videos, and you have to keep doing a keyword search each time you want to go back to that good video. What can you do to save that information? Use your bookmark feature to save content! I've created bookmarks and folders for each of my saved videos. For instance I have a main 'Recording Tips" folder and inside this folder I have a breakdown of folders for my recording interests such as, "Plugins", "EQ", "Compressors", etc. This way when I find a related video, I immediately save it to the proper folder for reference. Keeping organized this way helps me to find information faster and to have an immediate reference if i need a refresher on a topic. By creating enough sub folders on your interests, organizing your favorites will be a breeze. The following is a guide to using Google Bookmarks.
Use Reputable Sources
Since speed is key with gathering content, why go "willy-nilly" searching aimlessly. There is a better and more efficient way. If you already know the name of the developer of your equipment or software, the name of that fantastic vocal coach, or the name of that talent firm in your area---then that's where you begin. For example, I enjoy my Propellerhead Reason10 recording software. I use if to record, mix, and master my own music. Here's a question, would it make more sense for me to type in keywords "EQ techniques" or "EQ techniques with Propellerhead Reason 10"? Sure they both will grant results, but the point I'm making here is to utilize the name of your products, persons, etc, to find what you're looking for. It may not always produce results, but it will narrow down your search results to a specific and useful video instead of wasting time all over the place. Names matter. There are a lot of so-called "experts" on a variety of topics on YouTube and many share great information, but again, to utilize your time efficiently, add a reputable name or brand to your search.
Utilize Recommendations from Friends
This is a great way to build your library. We share everything from quotes to pictures online. So why not get into a habit of sharing great videos. If you know that your friend is big into mixing and you come across an informative and interesting mixing video--then why not share that link. This not only applies to recording, but to any interest. You may even want to have a group of friends share the kind of content you are looking for. For example: "If anyone could recommend an informative mastering video, please share that link with me". What this creates is a way for you to cover more video grounds much quicker. Remember this is how to use YouTube more efficiently. Ten friends doing a content search will yield that many more results, and if you are very specific about what you're looking for, your friends will be instrumental in building a solid video library with you!
Read Video Comments
This is probably one of the best tips I can share with you and it's a freebie! If you find a cool video, for example one about microphone placement, check out the comment section below. Now some of the comments can be downright nasty, but stay with me---the comments section is truly a goldmine of shared information! Here other viewers will share their products, their opinions, their likes or dislikes, and their attitudes. But what you're looking for is more links to great information. Many viewers will also share similar videos or content in their comments. The video may be about microphone placement, and one viewer decides to share a link to a good microphone on sell today, or a link to a video about the variety of mics to use in your sessions. It may take some time to go through a few of these comments, but I always find more great video links by doing this---and did I mention it's FREE!
So to recap---get your library organized with bookmarks and folders. Only use reputable sources to get going faster and to find content relevant to your needs. Utilize your friends recommendations to build your library quicker. And find more links by using the comment section from other viewers.
Hope this helps you to become a more efficient and knowledgeable YouTube researcher!
Love and Life
Dray