Do you notice some Facebook Live Videos that you watch look and sound amazing, while others are difficult to see or hear? The reason why is because they are using Facebook Live Videos tools besides their mobile device to improve the quality of their livestreaming videos.
On this episode of Social Snacks, you’ll learn about ten Facebook Live Video tools that can help you improve the video and audio quality of your Facebook Live Videos.
This way when you use Facebook Live Video on your Facebook Page, you can make sure your videos look and sound their best everytime!
Let’s take a look at the Facebook Live Video tools that I personally use when I’m broadcasting to my audience.
10 Must-have Facebook Live Video Tools
Below is a list of the tools and equipment that I use for Facebook Live Videos.
One thing to remember, you can use the equipment for Facebook Live Videos as well as for other videos you create for Facebook, Periscope, Blab, YouTube or any other video platforms, so think of it as an investment in your business.
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1. Facebook Pages Manager
Besides having a mobile device, the first tool you’ll need is the Facebook Pages Manager App. Without it, you won’t be able to create Facebook Live Videos.
If you like, you can also use the Facebook mobile app instead when creating Facebook Live videos.
Download Facebook Pages Manager2. A Tripod
Another tool you’ll need to help you create better Facebook Live Videos is a tripod.
Personally, I use the Manfrotto Pixi Evo Tripod.
I chose this tripod for my Facebook Live Videos because not only is it portable, but you can raise and lower it. This way you don't have to crouch down to get in front of your camera.
It can also be converted into a great selfie stick and the head rotates so that you can switch between horizontal and vertical Facebook Live Videos.
Get a tripod3. Stabilize Your Facebook Live Videos
Do you notice how some Facebook Live Video broadcasts shake?
This is because chances are, the person filming doesn’t have a stabilizer.
Not only can a stabilizer help your videos not shake, but some of them can help you expand your usage of Facebook Live Videos as the needs of your business grow.
The Facebook Live Video tool I use to stabilize my videos is the R1 Pro by Shoulderpod.
As I mentioned, it can help to stabilize my videos. It can also hold my phone when I’m broadcasting to my audience and be used to house other equipment listed below.
Stabilize my Facebook Live Videos4. A Tripod Mount
In order to attach your mobile device to any tripod, you’ll need a way to mount it.
Because technology changes and we tend to get a new mobile device every couple of years, I like to use a piece of equipment that can adjust to different devices.
For that, I use the S1 by Shoulderpod in order to hold my phone and attach it to my tripod.
While you can purchase one for around $5, it's usually poorly constructed and breaks after a couple of uses. I made the investment in a quality mount because it’s holding a phone that costs between $200 and $500.
This mount is also made of stronger materials and it expands and contracts to fit different types of devices.
Get a tripod mountShoulderpod S1 Review – How to film better videos with your smartphone
5. Additional Lenses
Now that you have a way to increase the height of your camera, another one of the Facebook Live Video tools I recommend using are lenses.
While the one on your mobile device will get the job done, you can improve it.
Not only can you improve the rear camera, but if you’re using the front camera for live video as most users are, it’s typically very low quality.
By adding a lens kit such as the Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens Kit, you can give your Facebook fans and customers better quality video.
For example, the kit I mentioned gives you four lenses; fisheye, wide-angle, 10x macro and 15x macro.
This way you can use them for different types of Facebook Live Videos you may be broadcasting.
The macro lens is great for showing the details of something up-close, such as jewelry. If you’re in real estate and giving a tour of a property, you may want to use the wide-angle lens instead to give viewers a better idea of what the place is like.
Get a lens kit6. Portable Lighting
Whenever you’re broadcasting Facebook Live Videos, it is important to have optimal lighting.
Having extra lighting makes for a better viewing experience.
If you’re going to be on-camera, your audience can also see you better. This way they can build a deeper emotional connection with the person that they are watching.
One of the Facebook Live Video tools I use for adding lighting to my videos is the Genaray LED light. You can also check out the Manfrotto Lumimuse 6 LED light as well.
Both are extremely portable and they attach to the R1 Pro stabilizer by Shoulderpod that I mentioned earlier.
Brighten your live videos7. External Microphone
If there is two things that can create a poor experience with viewers, it’s a video that is too dark and poor audio.
The onboard microphone for nearly all mobile devices isn’t that great. Audio is scratchy, hollow, and it picks up every little noise, which can distract from your live videos.
This can lead to your Facebook Live Videos being difficult to hear.
To fix this issue, I recommend you get an external microphone.
The microphone I use is the Rode VideoMic Me + Windshield.
Because it is a shotgun microphone, it captures audio that’s in front of it.
If you’re going to be on-camera, you will come in loud and clear and it will sound fantastic to your viewers.
This particular microphone also works with both iOS and Android devices and it’s extremely portable and lightweight.
Improve my audio8. Bluetooth Remote
Do you want to be able to start and stop videos?
I always keep a bluetooth remote with me.
This one by Hisy, is about the size of a quarter and can help you get your videos started without needing to keep adjusting your camera and microphone.
It also works great when you want to take a group photo or start recording a video and the video camera is far away.
Add a remote9. Portable Battery Charger
If you plan to use live video a lot in your business, one of the essential Facebook Live Video tools you must have is an external battery.
Any type of livestreaming uses a lot of battery.
That’s why you should always have an extra battery with you.
Personally, I use a MyCharge portable battery.
This one in particular is 12000mAh and includes all of the cables you need to charge an iOS or Android device.
It also has a USB port to be able to charge a third device such as a tablet.
It is important to get a bigger external battery for Facebook Live Videos because most of the smaller batteries you get only charge part of your device.
This one charges your device as well as other devices.
Keep streaming my Facebook Live Videos10. Carrying Case
As you can see, there are a number of Facebook Live Video tools that can help to improve the quality of your video and audio.
You’ll want to have a carrying case so that you can take this equipment with you (it’s extremely portable).
I’m a big fan of the Manfrotto Professional Shoulder Bag 30. It’s sturdy and has enough space for all of your Facebook Live Video tools that you need to carry with you.
Get a bag for my Facebook Live Video ToolsOver to You
Rather than broadcast videos that are sub-par, have poor audio and don’t necessarily make your business look great, you now have the right Facebook Live Video tools to create high quality content to share with your fans and customers.
While it’s a small investment in your businesses social media strategy, remember, you can also use these tools for other livestreaming services and video projects you work on.
If you have additional questions on the Facebook Live Video tools that I mentioned, please let us know about them by posting them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or in the comments below.
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Not bad at all! Love the article and bookmarked it. Seems very useful for video marketing generally (don’t have to mainly Facebook Live Video).
Thanks for sharing Christian!
Absolutely @nicregi:disqus! You can use these tools for more than just Facebook Live video. Periscope, YouTube, Vimeo, webinars, etc. It is important to think about the big picture if you’re planning on using video on other channels as well. Thanks again for stopping by and commenting. I really appreciate it!
Excellent point @nicregi:disqus. Besides the ones @ckarasiewicz:disqus mentioned, are there others where you see having these tools can help a business?
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Hi Christian, I used to be able to hold the camera horizontally on a gimbal while doing live videos. With the update to IOS 10, I find that my videos now appear sideways on facebook. Do you have a solution?
Great question @ieatishootipost:disqus. One thing I would check is whether you have your accelerometer locked. I’ve heard from some users who have had this happen as well, but for everyone who gets sideways video, others aren’t having any issues. I would try deleting the app and downloading a fresh copy to see if this fixes it.
We just tested this with some of our clients and it was working for them – no sideways video. Another thing you’ll want to look into is to see if you have the latest version of iOS 10. They’ve released a few updates since it was rolled out.
Another solution is to make sure you’re not using the iPhone’s “zoomed” mode (which makes all the icons larger). This interferes with Facebook Live’s ability to rotate the screen. As soon as I switched the phone to “standard” (it’s in your display settings), the FB Live app worked perfectly in landscape mode.
We believe they have since fixed this @BrianJBurgess:disqus. Can you confirm on your end too?
Hi,
thank you for this beautiful article ! I have just a big problem with a rode microphone (with R1 Shoulderpod) : when i’m doing a facebook live video, my sound is really not clear because with my phone network i have a very lot of interfeence… if i want to have a clear sound, i must active airplane mode (so… i can’t do live) 🙁
Have you a solution ?
Good question. I haven’t come up with a fix short of putting your device in do not disturb mode when you are using Facebook Live. This would allow you to still broadcast on Facebook Live without having to be in airplane mode.
Turn on Airplane mode.
Then turn on wifi.
Connect to wifi and Facebook.
You won’t get any calls.
Don’t forget to put the device to silent mode, as there might be a sound by receiving email, whatsapp, as the wifi is on.
Have you tried adjusting the items you get notifications for? This issue isn’t just for one type of mic. By adjusting your notifications, you can minimize what pops up during your Facebook Live sessions, which should reduce the interference you are getting.
Hm i really think it’s not notifications. Because i tried a lot of tests on Facebook Live page (with 0 fans) and i have always the problem. But it’s strange because when i use my handsfree microphone (no bluetooth), it works.
Pretty sure it’s a notifications issue. We run Facebook Live videos often and when we get notifications, there ends up being feedback in the live video when using a third-party mic sometimes.
So you think if i just desactive Facebook notifications (messenger ? FB application ? Pages notifications are also desactived), it can work ?
It’s not just those notifications, it’s all notifications on your mobile device.
I get what you’re saying. this is a year later but still. I have feedback when I have my phone in regular mode, and I have/had to turn my wifi on and then shoot, with my phone in airplane mode. It’s not notifications. It’s your service interfering with the mic.
I have traveled to lots of stores and consulted with lots of “nerds” and haven’t been able to find a way to do Facebook live with a wireless mic and my android phone. I’ve tried bluetooth and I also have a sennheiser mic that is actually made for a proper video camera. The problem is that every time I use Facebook live, my phone defaults to either the internal mic or wired mic instead of the bluetooth headset (which I’ve tried to use as a “mic”). What I’m ultimately trying to do here is Facebook live or ANY video of a person who is wearing a wireless mic which connects to my phone. I’ve had no success connecting a wireless mic of any kind to my cell phone. Any geniuses out there that can help me?- Thanks
The problem isn’t Facebook. You can’t just connect a mic
to anyone smartphone or tablet. You have to be using the right connection. The mic either doesn’t have enough power and you need phantom power or you need to have the right cable you’re plugging it into the phone with. Which model mic do you have? Which model phone are you trying to plugin to?
I am open to two different options. For either option, I want to connect the mic to my LG G5, which uses android. I am using the “soundabout” app, which also allows me to connect to a wired external mic. This external mic works fine, even with Facebook live- however, I’m interested in using a wireless mic. I either want Facebook live to default my bluetooth headset (ANY bluetooth headset) or I want Facebook live to default to my sennheiser wireless lav. please see attached photo for sennheiser option