How do YOU go about making YOUR videos for YouTube?

Of course that is IF you use YouTube.

Anyhow, I decided last night at the bar (good place for ideas huh?

), but only after a COUPLE beers, that I was going to upload TWO different types of songs to YouTube. (1) Some songs withOUT vocals (like a KARAOKE version) and (2) a complete version of songs WITH vocals and accompanying video. But I am still puzzled. When I do the video of me performing the song do I add another track of guitar along with the vocals? That way, at least I'm playing live and the video will show it. I am leaning towards that way so, I guess, that will mean I will leave ONE TRACK available for the added guitar (which will be added along with the vocals when I videotape it) instead of having the whole song finished and adding yet another guitar. Er, right?

What do some of you folks do?

I know about wwws.soundcloud.com and www.soundclick.com and I might use them IN ADDITION to YouTube but YouTube is the MAIN place for me. Or should I simply use all THREE places for the music?

I use Macromedia Flash to add my music to the video when I want more than my laptop webcam. I record my music in a separate program while the camera is filming and sync them up. I also like Flash when I animate too. The only downside to youtube for me is buffering and upload speed. Use the highest res you can upload in a reasonable time frame so it won't be too compressed when they convert it.

I used Microsoft Movie Maker, it's a part of Windows and/or a free download from M$.

First pick one or a group of representative photos. Load them into MMMM; then load in the mp3; click "Make music end with last photo." You're done! Now click "publish to YouTube." The file conversion is automagic.

Be forewarned, a 7+ minute video took nearly 2 hours to upload.

@Tommyc,

Thanks, will check that out a bit later. My plight, now, is as follows. I just tried a few different downloads of audio converter programs to convert my audio only music (which is in WMA format) to something acceptable to YouTube (such as MPEG4, AVI, WMV, FLV) but when I FINALLY found out that I could have used Windows Movie Maker which I have already have been using for all my previous YouTube videos (DOH!) I tried it. I uploaded the audio to Windows Movie Maker (without any pictures) and listened to it. YIKES!!! Horrible!! It sounded distorted and as if only SOME of the tracks were playing. Nowhere near as "good" as the uploaded to SoundCloud audio does. Obviously something happened during the conversion process. Something is clearly not right. Anyhow, what I did for all my previous YouTube stuff was, first, convert my videocamera recorded stuff with the help of a downloaded VIDEO converter program (because the recorded stuff was in the AVI format which was previously unacceptable by YouTube but now it is accepted) and then edited it in WMM. Then, of course, uploaded to YouTube. Easy. Done. But this is has got me stumped.

Out the door, will be back later to stress out some more.

@Don,

I think I saved my audio in the wrong format. I thought I saved it to MP3 but it's in WMA. Could try again.

In fact, yep, I see in Reaper that I rendered to WMA instead of MP3. WILL try again later.

Oh, also, it's not just the AUDIO I'm wondering about. I can understand the SLIDESHOW thing. But I'm wondering about if I want to be seen PLAYING the song on the video. I already know that I'll probably have to worry about the audio and video synching properly but I don't want to MIME to the song on guitar and vocals I actually want to play and sing along with it. Hell, I think I answered my own question.

So much stress, so little time.

P.S. How do I add a "signature" here?

I did a quick search and couldn't find the answer.

Click "My Home and Settings" near the top, then Personal Info and look for the box labeled Signature

WMA (Windows Media Audio) is a proprietary audio format owned by M$ and oftentimes don't play well with others. In fact, Audacity will not import .wma files (unless that's changed in version 2.0). Therefore, it's necessary to convert the file format to .mp3, .wav or etc.

I use this freebie: http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-dvd-video-software.htm

A caution - it wants install another toolbar so read during installation. It has a drag-n-drop GUI which makes conversions simple.

Since WMM is MS format .. and WMA is MS format, you would think they would work well together. I'd think they should work together just fine in WMM. Wonder why it doesn't? Seems silly.

Rharv, either I missed the point, or you did! The discussion, as I interpreted it, was: Trying to get YT to play WMA files. I recall that Audacity won't (or at least, wouldn't) play them. I have run into several audio apps that won't play well with them. I think it's reluctance to pay Bill what's his face for using his codecs.

I just went and tried loading a .wma file into the brand new version 2.0 of Audacity and got an error message similar to: Cannot import files of this type "due to patent restrictions!"

Just opened WMM and it will import .wma files so you have run me in tight little circles right back to quadrilateral uno. That's precisely what I had enumerated above...load the mp3 into WMM and upload to YT. You are just pushing my leg! Dad blamed Michigonians!

Actually, I just wanted to know how people do their YouTube thing. For ME, until I started computer recording, it was a simple matter of videotaping me doing the song playing guitar and singing live with a drum machine (some time ago) or with BIAB playing the backing tracks. But now that I've started with the computer recording of the songs how do I do this? Should I (1) complete the song and MIME it while videotaping? (2) Mime the guitar and sing the vocals live? (3) Add a guitar track (play the guitar and record it at the same time thu adding another track) while singing? Or (4) should I complete the song and simply (always?) do a SLIDESHOW with no videotaping the "performance" at all?

I always thought I was going to be videotaping me playing and singing live just as I have always done but now, thinking about it adn getting to that point, it's a bit more involved then I thought. Yep, I'm confused. ALSO, I can do TWO different things as well. (1) I can upload a KARAOKE type thing and ALSO (2) upload the same song with the vocals. Hope this isn't TOO confusing.

The thing about the WMA file is that I screwed up, I think. I should have simply rendered to MP3 in Reaper instead of WMA. But I certainly hope that an MP3 file will sound better after Windows Movie Maker does it's thing than the WMA file did cuz it sucked.

I thought it would sound as "good" as it does uploaded to SoundCloud but it doesn't. Not at all. I'm now hoping that if I render to MP3 it doesn't sound as bad as the WMA did. Will find out tomorrow.

from rokq22

Quote:

I uploaded the audio to Windows Movie Maker (without any pictures) and listened to it. YIKES!!! Horrible!! .. @Don,

I think I saved my audio in the wrong format. I thought I saved it to MP3 but it's in WMA. Could try again.

Sounded to me like he was saying his wma didn't work right in WinMovieMaker.
Maybe I did miss the point (?)
wma *should* load in WinMediaPlayer without issue, and not lose any quality

I would check my settings for rendering to WMA in Reaper, if that is what you used. WMA import into WinMediaPlayer should not sound bad.

Okay, will do tomorrow.

Again, however, I originally started this off as a PERFORMANCE issue for YouTube rather than a TECHNICAL ISSUE. But it turned that way. But that's okay too.

Start with an uncompressed wave in Movie Maker, you are compressing it twice if you don't. I think.

Good point Tommyc

rokq22: Great original post.

I am wondering the SAME thing: How to publish a video of my making featuring a song of my making and sychronizing the video appropriately.

Synch is the big issue with me...I don't have the foggiest idea how to do it, or what tools to utilize.

I'm hoping someone will enlighten us!

Personally, I have played with Windows Movie Maker, but only with "slides" and or course video that has a song playing over it (no synch required in that case...you know like kids running in the yard etc).

But...again to synch a song to any event (be it vocals, playing an instrument...whatever)---I'm clueless.

I'm hoping to get a handle on that...it sure would be fun!

Please...

We shall wait (and I'll be checking this thread often)...and see.

Well if you paly along with the original track, things should work fairly well for you. The trick would be in placing the clips you want to line up with the audio.
If you want exact, try something like Adobe Premier.
Depends a lot on what you got to spend.

You can nudge audio/video in WMM, it's just not as elegant.

Quote:

Start with an uncompressed wave in Movie Maker, you are compressing it twice if you don't. I think.

You may have aced it Tommy. Nice call.

Quote:

from rokq22
Quote:

I uploaded the audio to Windows Movie Maker (without any pictures) and listened to it. YIKES!!! Horrible!! .. @Don,

I think I saved my audio in the wrong format. I thought I saved it to MP3 but it's in WMA. Could try again.

Sounded to me like he was saying his wma didn't work right in WinMovieMaker.
Maybe I did miss the point (?)
wma *should* load in WinMediaPlayer without issue, and not lose any quality

Yes, I did, it sucked in Windows Movie Maker. I jsut wanted the AUDIO to work. But I ORIGINALLY meant for this topic to be something else. (That it branched out a bit is good for me as the probloem is somewhat related, I think). I did my original post BEFORE I tried to upload the WMA file to YouTube (just as an audio) and YouTube wouldn't go for it.

http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55744&hl=en-US

That's when, after some searching, I was lead to Windows Movie Maker (which I have had of course) so I tried the file there and it was bad.

The thing is that on SoundCloud it sounds good so, as usual, I'm stumped. (But my life's not over YET because of this. I'm determined!

) Never thought about it before (but seen TONS on YouTube) but the "SLIDESHOW" thing I might make use of down the road but for now I really just want the AUDIO to get to YouTube. But, granted, it's mostly a VIDEO w/AUDIO site not an AUDIO only like SoundCloud is. But I really didn't do ANYTHING because click on stuff. I clicked to get the WMA file to SoundCloud and it worked and I clicked to get the audio to WMM and it sucked.

But I'll try some more a bit later today.

Anyhow, I'm in the process of yet ANOTHER topic about something that has me stumped and, yes, I HAVE tried to solve the problem myself, just can't.

I did a Google about how to install the LAME .dll and now it works with both Reaper and Audacity. But why does RB seem to save to .SEQ files (and a few other strange) files? Why not MP3?

Oops, don't answer that, off to a new topic.

Quote:

Start with an uncompressed wave in Movie Maker, you are compressing it twice if you don't. I think.

Will try that.

Quote:

rokq22: Great original post.

I am wondering the SAME thing: How to publish a video of my making featuring a song of my making and sychronizing the video appropriately.

Synch is the big issue with me...I don't have the foggiest idea how to do it, or what tools to utilize.

I'm hoping someone will enlighten us!

Personally, I have played with Windows Movie Maker, but only with "slides" and or course video that has a song playing over it (no synch required in that case...you know like kids running in the yard etc).

But...again to synch a song to any event (be it vocals, playing an instrument...whatever)---I'm clueless.

I'm hoping to get a handle on that...it sure would be fun!

Please...

We shall wait (and I'll be checking this thread often)...and see.

Please, start a topic about SYNCING AS I would be interested in reading the responses on that!!

I did a Google and came up with this which should be of help:

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp...=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=4592eda312cd495&biw=1440&bih=758&bs=1

I probably would have asked the question myself when the time came but I'm not there yet but I know that videos that aren't synched don't look too good. Especially when playing live.

P.S. Oh, as per my original post, have to ask you. How are YOU going to do the performance? I think the best way (I JUST decided!!) is to to simply record the guitar (as an additional track) and also the vocals while filming. It's either that or I'd have to FAKE the playing while singing./ OR just play the backing tracks OR play the backing tracks through the computer speakers and play/sing live while filming (which is how I've been doing it all this time before deciding to record via the computer).

Folks, if this seems confusing it's because I'm having a hard to putting it into words. Or just making a mountain out of a molehill.

But it's basically just a head-trip. FLAN, we know, of course, that there is no synch issue if one was to film them self playing/singing to the backing tracks they've previously recorded as the sound would be captured as they were performing. Frankly, I might be leaning that way again. My ZOOM Q3 has a couple very good built-in mics (the reason I bought it to begin with!). I could get the songs 95% done on the computer then play them back and add the guitar and vocals while filming. The issue, of course, is if the audio is uploaded separately from the VIDEO. I just don't know what to do. And the SYNCH issue is yet another problem I'd probably have to contend with.

This may be a good starting point...I'm reading it now:

Video Editing Software

Quote: The issue, of course, is if the audio is uploaded separately from the VIDEO. I just don't know what to do. And the SYNCH issue is yet another problem I'd probably have to contend with.

This is what I want to do! I'm not "necessarily" concerned with a LIVE performance capture (that's too limiting!)...instead...

Like everything else you see (unless it is an actual LIVE performance) the video is a compliation of about 3-4 dozen takes!

All synched of course.

That is what I hope to achieve.

Thanks for the YouTube link...I'll check it out now...sweet.

That other link seems pretty cool, I sent those guys at support a related question...should hear back in a few days...I'm hoping I can accomplish what I want to with the Power Director 10 software...cheap to...like $50.

Flan-out!

In very basic terms you need to record the video of you playing along with the actual recording, so it is indeed in time with the recording. Then it is a matter of you trimming the video to sync with the audio track in an editor (like WMM) so it all lines up.

Slide the video to match the audio in the editing software. Like I said; it is much easier in something like Adobe Premeier, but can be done in WMM. CharlieG (a member here) uses a different software and gets it done nicely. Wish he would chime in .. but I think his solution is $$ also. Maybe a Sony product. Can't remember.

I should have known that more $$$ (for me at least) would be involved. (Let's see, I still gotta pay for Reaper but Audacity is free, thankfully.) The synch issue never crossed my mind, well, until NOW of course although I have noticed many videos that were out of synch and didn't like that. But it didn't dawn on my that would be an issue for ME because I never had to deal with uploading two different files and making then synch together. But, as with many things, I'm willing to pay for a program that will take the stress out of doing these things. (Yes, I could change the oil in my car myself but it's too much of a hassle for me).

Quote:

Like everything else you see (unless it is an actual LIVE performance) the video is a compliation of about 3-4 dozen takes!

All synched of course.

Wondering what you meant by that.

Previously, yes, it took me a long time to get stuff correct because if I messed up on a chord change or a solo or the vocals or the VERY end

I'd have to redo the whole thing. But when the stuff is already 95% completed (in RealBand, etc.) hopefully, it will take just a FEW times and the video would be done. But it would NEVER be a "compilation". Unless I read you wrong.

Check out this thread.

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=288559&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

Thanks, that was actually really good. And I do believe it answered my question of what FLAN was speaking about. The thing, for me, is that since most of my stuff are COVERS I really don't want to make anything like a "Music Video" which is what that was. I'm now realizing that because I'm now recording in the computer I have more OPTIONS then before so that's why I'm confused. I'm now thinking that the "Slideshow" thing WILL probably be cool to do somewhere down the line but, as of now, I think what I'll do for my next video is do what I have been doing. Simply play back the "finished" RealBand backing tracks (with my adding additional tracks of guitar to them) to the song and play/sing live while filming. After all, that was the reason I purchased the ZOOM Q3HD to begin with:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-Q3HD-Optical-...5986&sr=8-1

as well as buying a much better pair of computer speakers then I was using previously as well:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/10/altec-lansing-rolls-out-new-look-speakers-aplenty/

On the other hand, maybe I'll just stay here and ask questions and post 24/7 so I won't really have to make a final decision at all.

rok, that ZOOM camera is ridiculous...I want one NOW! That thing is cool.

Flan