Last updated on January 23rd, 2024 at 02:30 am
If you’re a YouTuber out to make a living or earn part-time revenue out of the video-sharing platform, you would have invested quite a bit in equipment to get your channel going.
With the physical side of things taken care of, you would now have to look at the software side of things.
These are essential tools that will help you grow your channel. But then they can cost you a fortune, With a tight budget or no budget, do you have to forget about using these tools and wait until you have the budget to do so?
No, you don’t have to. There are many free essential tools for YouTubers out there. Yes, you don’t have to take out even a dime to use them. They would be ideal for you if you’re a beginner just learning the ropes of growing a YouTube channel.
Whether it’s a YouTube SEO tool, a video editor, or a thumbnail creator you’re looking for, there’s always a free version somewhere that will serve your needs.
These are some of the free essential tools for Youtubers you would want to try out.
TubeBuddy
Competition to rank on YouTube across almost all niches is pretty stiff. You would need to appropriately optimize your videos with the necessary keywords, tags, and so on, to stay ahead of the pack.
TubeBuddy will assist you in that direction.
The free version among others, offers the following features, albeit in a limited way:
- Insta-Suggest
- Keyword Explorer
- Search Explorer
- Tag Lists
- Tag Rankings
- Tag Sorter
- View and Copy Video Tags
These features alone will take your videos to the next level compared to others who don’t optimize their videos for YouTube search.
TubeBuddy comes in the form of a free web browser extension. It is available for popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge, and Safari.
Also, you don’t have to worry about running foul of YouTube guidelines as it is certified by them.
Check out TubeBuddy. This is one of the best free essential tools for YouTubers you should use.
Canva YouTube Thumbnail Creator
Creating a good first impression is crucial on YouTube, especially when there are thousands of videos out there.
One way of doing it is through an eye-catching thumbnail. A thumbnail is what a viewer looks at first before the text title of the video.
It’s crucial that you have the right thumbnail size and the right fonts and color combination to attract the viewer’s attention.
You may think this would require you to master design software. That’s not necessary.
With Canva you just work with templates by switching images, replacing text and background colors.
You can create eye-catching thumbnails within minutes once you get the hang of it.
There are templates for the tutorial, business, health, food, and travel videos, among many others.
There are templates for the tutorial, business, health, food, and travel videos, among many others.
Once you have a little experience working with these templates, you can start designing a template from scratch with the blank template feature. Canva is definitely a lifesaver for YouTubers who don’t have Photoshop skills.
Head to Canva and sign up for a free account.
YouTube Audio Library
As you may have already known, YouTube views copyright seriously. If you’re seriously thinking of growing your YouTube channel, you should stay away from copyrighted content.
This applies to music. You can’t just include your favorite music with your YouTube videos. You may end up with a copyright strike or a Content ID claim.
To save you this trouble, YouTube is offering free music clips and sound effects through the YouTube Audio Library.
You can download music from here and include them with your videos without worrying about copyright issues.
There are many other sites offering copyright-free music. However, if you want peace of mind, opt for the music content over at YouTube’s Audio Library. Never mind if others are also using these clips.
You can access these clips through your YouTube Studio after logging into your account.
At the time of writing, there are about 1,100 clips available for use. New clips are added every month.
You don’t have to offer credit for using any of these clips. YouTube will do it for you in the description box if it is needed.
This is one of the free essential tools for YouTubers. So, don’t pass up the opportunity to use this resource.
Check out the YouTube Audio Library.
HitFilm Express Free Video Editor
It requires no mention that video editing is crucial to publishing quality videos on YouTube.
That said, you don’t have to run out and buy a pro-level video editing program with all the bells and whistles that you don’t really need.
All you need is a free video editor like Hitfilm Express.
With it, you can perform basic but important tasks like cutting, adding transitions and titles.
You can also color correct and grade your YouTube videos. To make your videos eye-catching, there are extensive free effects, including 3D ones.
To help you get up to speed with HitFilm Express, free tutorials are provided in the form of masterclasses.
Check out HitFilm Express.
Bandicam Free Screen Recorder
One of the easiest ways to get started with a YouTube channel is to create software tutorials.
You wouldn’t need any expensive cameras, or lighting equipment for this, save a good microphone, which is optional.
But the one tool you’ll really need is a screen recorder. There is premium-grade screen recording software like Camtasia Studio. It will set you back by $300.
But if you’re getting started, you can make do with a free screen recorder like Bandicam.
With this free screen recorder, you can record any screen activity on your computer, including games.
Audio recording is supported as well. You can also make use of the webcam overlay if you want to appear in the video to provide explanations or commentary.
Real-time drawing is also supported to help your viewers understand the points you’re trying to get across.
Tutorials are provided to help you get started with Bandicam.
The free version would require you to register if you don’t want the Bandicam watermark left on your final video.
Check out Bandicam.
Social Blade
Social Blade is a website that monitors social media statistics on such platforms as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
If you’re starting out on YouTube, you may be wondering whether the niche you have chosen is profitable or not.
The best way to find out is to study a competitor’s channel and get the statistics. What kind of statistics can you get?
If you’re looking at the niche profitability angle, you can get information on a channel’s earnings.
Some channels may have thousands of views but may not be earning much. This will give you an indication of the potential of the niche. Anyway, you would have to study a few similar channels before making a prediction.
You don’t have to register to use the service. Just head to Social Blade and enter the YouTube channel ID and you’ll get to view the statistics of other channels.
There’s also a Social Blade extension for Chrome that lets you monitor statistics without the need to visit the Social Blade website.
The above are some top free essential tools for YouTubers. Check them out, based on your needs.
