Table of Contents
Creating an amazing streaming setup with LED lights
Lighting is crucial when building a streaming setup. Most of you may interpret light as an aspect that doesn’t require too much attention. Even though, when you check on the video you just recorded, you cannot understand why the video quality is so deficient even when it was recorded with maximum quality.
Yes, lighting is the main suspect for that crime and that’s why you should keep reading this article.
Now that we have your attention, feel free to discover that you’re not a bad camera person at all. Nevertheless, that’s not the core meaning of this note but to understand the basics of streaming lighting.
Let’s be honest, streaming has been a gigantic trend in the last few years with the rise of platforms like Twitch and thousands of people transmitting from home while the pandemic. The competition got fierce, and that implies a tremendous concern regarding content quality. And by quality, of course, we’re talking about visuals.
You can be a master on the subject you’re covering through your channel, the quality of content may fit just perfectly in there, but that is not enough for the streaming business. As a visual medium, there’s no other glitch in the success machine than looking good; and that’s how lights come to the matter.
What do you need for your streaming setup?
The first things you need are video and audio sources that capture the content and broadcast it through a streaming device like a desktop or a laptop. Then it is required to configure an encoder that transforms the audio and video into streamable files to be shared on the Internet.
Connect the encoder to a streaming platform – like OBS – through the URL the platform provides and then you’re ready to transmit your content. This simple process requires essential equipment like a camera, a microphone, and a capture card, but none of it will matter if there isn’t a decent light for the setup.
Just imagine, working so hard on building the perfect place just for poor lighting to mess around with your recording. This is why it’s indispensable that everything on the recording set is illuminated properly since it’s the complement to the message you want to send on the broadcast.
What lights to use for streaming?
It is not about a specific lamp or a LED lights system. What you need for a streaming lighting setup is to comprehend the basics about illuminations for audiovisual productions.
As a starter notion, you need to be aware of your surroundings and take advantage of the light sources that might be present. Of course, you can have artificial sources like lamps and ceiling lights, but you should also consider natural light from the windows.
After looking around the room, you need to identify that single spot that gets all the light and position yourself and the camera facing that spot. Never, under any circumstance, give your back to the strong light sources, because they might blow your video.
How do I get the perfect lighting for streaming?
Now that your strongest light source is pointed toward your face, it’s time to get some fun and adopt the principles of two- and three-point lighting. As you won’t require any sophisticated equipment for this, LED lights surely can do the trick.
Two-point lighting
If the room that you selected as a broadcast set for streaming doesn’t have too much of a powerful natural light source, then it’s time to draft some LED lights for good two-point lighting.
This basic notion for audiovisual lighting setup involves positioning two lamps pointed toward the target – that being you -. Instead of putting them right in front of your face, place the lamps to either side (left and right) and angle them toward your face. It is the correct way to go with this.
Another tip is to grade one of those lights brighter than the other. Doing that, it will provide a sense of shadow and depth to your persona and a professional look to the production.
Three-point lighting
Three-point lighting is best suited to separate the anchor from the background with a halo effect. The two separate LED lamps in front of you might leave a lot of shadows on your back, so a third lamp installed right on a corner behind you can dissipate those shadows correctly.
Using hue bulbs is a great way to create a cool environment that the spectator’s eye might find pleasant.
Is a ring light worth it for streaming?
Sure, a LED ring light is a popular and affordable solution for any starting streamer. First of all, it might be a great light source to have in front of you. Just place a ring light right behind your camera and you’ll see incredible results.
Meanwhile, you cannot rely on this light source for too long. The idea is to increase the visual quality of your streams progressively. So, before you get enough budget to buy a couple of LED light lamps for two-point lighting, feel free to use an affordable ring to start.
What are the LED lights that streamers use?
The subject of LED solutions for streaming lights is too vast. You can settle an out-of-this-world streaming studio with a lighting system 100% based on LED. Once you cover the basic notions of illumination that we discussed previously, all that you have to do next is to customize your setting.
LED lights in strips are terrific to accent your space. There are innumerable products in the market that can make your home studio more appealing, but no one is such a clever and affordable solution as a LED light strip.
Using dim tones of colors in the background that change from time to time can keep the audience’s attention as it gives a sense of freshness to the human eye.
Also, do never underestimate the power of a really cool lamp. At LED Lights Mood we have a catalog with the coolest lamps out there. Take a look at our shop section to find that unique piece that will be the game changer of your streaming set.
By subscribing to our weekly newsletter, LED Lights Mood will send you customized ideas for your new or already-existing stream setup. Click here to subscribe to the LED Lights Mood weekly newsletter.
