The Day I Finally Learned How to Record YouTube Videos (Without Losing My Mind)

The Day I Finally Recorded Something Worth Sharing

I’ve written blog posts. I’ve shipped side projects. I’ve even helped others create content. But somehow, I never recorded a single video.

Not one.

It wasn’t for lack of things to say. In fact, I always had too much I wanted to say — thoughts on design, productivity, ideas I believed could help someone. But every time I tried to actually record something, something got in the way. And most of the time, that “something” was me.

I didn’t know how to record YouTube videos — not technically, not emotionally.

The Tools Weren’t Helping

Let’s be honest: most screen recording tools are either too basic, too complex, or just plain frustrating.

OBS is powerful, but it’s also overwhelming. One wrong setting and you’re staring at a black screen.

QuickTime is fine — if you don’t need to capture audio.

Loom is great for teams, but if you’re not on the paid plan, limits hit fast.

And Chrome extensions? Most feel like duct tape solutions, with audio that desyncs or video that suddenly stops.

Each time I opened one of these, I felt the resistance build. It wasn’t just about the tech. It was the mental weight of another failed attempt.

Recording a YouTube video started feeling like this mountain I’d never climb.

What I Actually Needed -

how to record YouTube videos

It wasn’t another YouTube tutorial.

It wasn’t a list of video hook templates.

It wasn’t another microphone upgrade.

I just needed less friction. Less setup. Less fiddling.

What I wanted was simple:

Record my screen, webcam, and mic

Read a few notes without losing eye contact

Download or share the result — instantly

No downloads, no signups, no 30-minute tutorials

And weirdly, I found that — totally by accident.

The Day I Found ShotVu

I wasn’t even looking for it. I saw a link in a tweet that said:

"Record your screen and webcam with a built-in teleprompter. No installs. Just works."

Skeptical but curious, I clicked: ShotVu

In less than 30 seconds:

✅ My mic and webcam were detected

✅ I pasted my script into the teleprompter

✅ I hit record

✅ And just like that — I was talking.

No countdown timer bugs. No exporting. No crashes. Just a clean MP4 file and a shareable link.

It wasn’t fancy. But it worked. It worked when everything else had made me feel stuck.

The Recording Wasn’t Perfect — But It Was Done

I watched the final video.

The lighting was off.

I said “umm” more than I’d like.

My dog barked once in the background.

But guess what? I uploaded it anyway.

And someone watched it.

And someone emailed me to say it helped them.

That one message meant more than perfect lighting ever could.

The Real Fear Wasn’t the Tool

Looking back, the real thing that held me back wasn’t OBS or QuickTime. It was the idea that if I recorded something, it had to be great.

But no one creates great videos without creating their first messy, nervous, shaky one.

So this is me — writing a blog post not about how to go viral on YouTube, but about how to record your first video and feel good enough to hit "publish."

If You’re Like Me…

You’ve probably Googled “how to record YouTube videos” more times than you’d like to admit.

You’ve probably opened OBS and closed it without hitting record.

You’ve probably rewatched videos of other people thinking, “I could say that better.”

But you never pressed record.

I get it.

So let this be your sign.

Don’t wait until you’ve bought the perfect ring light.

Don’t wait until you’ve memorized your script.

Just open ShotVu, hit record, and say what’s on your mind.

Let it be imperfect.

Let it be real.

You might end up helping someone.

And even if no one watches it — you did something different. You broke the cycle. You stopped just consuming and started creating.

That alone is worth everything.

One More Thing

If you do try ShotVu, let me know. I’d love to watch what you make.

Because if someone like me — who spent years avoiding the camera — can hit record, so can you.

by the way if you need to test your webcam or test your microphone, you can use these links.

Thanks for reading.