Most of the time on a YouTube video goes into post-production: cutting out mistakes, fixing audio, adding captions, making a thumbnail people will click. The good news is that almost all of it can be done with free tools. The one thing worth paying for is a microphone, and we'll get to why.
This list leans towards tutorial and how-to channels, since that is the kind of video we make ourselves: screen recordings of setups, walkthroughs, demos.
Recording your screen
For tutorials, the screen recorder is the most important tool you have. Download it only from the official site; free "screen recorder" installers from random download pages are a well-known way to get malware.
- OBS Studio is the standard. Free, open source, and it handles scenes, webcam overlays, several audio sources and long recordings. It takes an evening to learn.
- Browser recorders such as ScreenApp need no install at all. Share your screen, pick whether to include audio, record, trim, download. Good for short videos and for machines where you can't install software.
- Built-in recorders on Windows and macOS also work for quick captures. Our guide to screen recording without downloading anything covers them.
Record at the size people watch
Editing
| Editor | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| DaVinci Resolve | Free version, paid Studio | Serious editing, colour, audio in one tool |
| Shotcut | Free, open source | Simple cuts on modest hardware |
| YouTube Studio editor | Free | Trimming, blurring, adding end screens after upload |
For tutorials, the editing you actually need is simple: cut the pauses and mistakes, zoom in on the part of the screen that matters, and add a title card. Don't spend a week on transitions. Viewers came for the answer.
Audio: the part worth paying for
People will watch slightly blurry video. They leave within seconds when the audio is echoey or full of hiss. A USB microphone placed close to your mouth makes a bigger difference than any camera upgrade.
For cleanup, Audacity is free and has noise reduction, compression and normalization. DaVinci Resolve's free version also includes a full audio workspace, so you may not need a separate tool.
Thumbnails and captions
- Thumbnails: Canva's free plan or any image editor. Large readable text, one clear image, high contrast. Check how it looks at phone size before uploading.
- Captions: YouTube generates automatic captions; correct them in YouTube Studio, since technical terms are where they fail. Captions help viewers who watch without sound, and people searching in other languages.
Turning meetings and webinars into videos
A lot of good tutorial content already exists as recorded calls: product demos, webinars, internal training. If you record meetings anyway, you can edit the best parts into videos. On Zoom, recording a meeting on a laptop is the starting point. On a self-hosted Jitsi server, local recording or Jibri can record meetings and even stream them straight to YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to start making YouTube tutorials?
A screen recorder, a decent microphone and a free editor. OBS Studio or a browser recorder for capture, a USB microphone for clear audio, and DaVinci Resolve or Shotcut for editing cover almost every tutorial channel.
What is the best free video editor for YouTube?
DaVinci Resolve if you want room to grow; it is a professional editor with a very capable free version. Shotcut is lighter and easier to learn on an older laptop. For quick trims, YouTube Studio's built-in editor is enough.
Is a browser screen recorder good enough for YouTube?
For short tutorials, yes. Browser recorders need no install and handle screen plus microphone well. For long recordings, several scenes, or a webcam overlay, a desktop recorder like OBS Studio gives more control.
How do I make my YouTube audio sound better?
Get the microphone closer to your mouth, record in a room with soft furnishings, and run noise reduction in Audacity or your editor. Viewers forgive average video far more easily than bad audio.
