Common Video and Audio Issues

Here on the Udemy Review team we see a ton of similar issues with course videos. We wanted to pass
on our expertise so you can avoid making these same mistakes! And, as always, remember that we’re
here to help -- just post in the Studio and we will help you solve any and all technical problems.

Q “I’m filming my videos with HD settings but it still looks blurry when I upload it to Udemy! What’s
happening?!”
A Not to worry! This is one of the most common issues we see. If your video was filmed in HD but
still looks blurry you’re either 1) Compressing the video file or 2) Exporting it incorrectly.

Never compress your video files -- it just makes them look worse! Use the Udemy Bulk
Uploader to deal with those big files. They’ll be uploaded in no time, and stay crystal clear.
Manually check that you are exporting your video files out of your video editor with HD
(1280x720) settings. To see how to do this in your own editing software (Camtasia, Final Cut
Pro, iMovie, etc), check out this resource by Vimeo.

Q “I have a microphone but my audio still sounds super tinny! It sounds like I’m recording my sound
in a tin can -- help!”
A Tinny audio is a common issue, but one that’s pretty easy to fix -- especially if you already have
a microphone! Tinny audio generally means that the room you’re recording in has not been
effectively sound-proofed. Follow theses silly-sounding (but very effective) tricks for sound-
proofing your recording room.

Hang a few blankets on the wal (off camera), lay a blanket on the surface your computer is
on, and throw some pillows/blankets/rugs on the floor -- anything to dampen the echo of the
sound bouncing off of the walls!
Run your audio track through a software like Audacity to remove any lingering tinnyness.
Do not record in a kitchen or bathroom -- there are too many hard surfaces (like tiled walls
and marble countertops) -- and loud appliances (like refridgerators). These will all make it
hard to capture great audio.
 Q “I want to film an amazing course, but I have no equipment and no money to spend. What can I do?”

A For some specific equipment recommendations, skip ahead to the next page of this worksheet
to see some brands we recommend. However, try and make do with what you have around the
house (within reason -- your videos do need to be HD and your audio does need to be clear).
Have a ton of lights you can set up for your recordings? Great! Have Powerpoint 2007 or 2010?
Awesome -- you can create a video directly in there!
Have a computer or smart phone that can shoot in HD? Super -- you can use that as a camera
(and follow this resource for your webcam, and this for your smartphone).

Video Lecture Equipment

First things first -- no need to go out straight away and purchase all new equipment for your courses!
Follow these steps to check if your existing equipment will work:

Google is your friend! Type the name, make, and model of your camera into Google (for instance,
“Canon Rebel t3i). A link to an Amazon.com product page should be one of the first offerings, click
on that, and then just do a search on the page for “HD”. Do you see “Full HD”; “720p”; or “1280x720”?
Then you’re good to go!
Still have the user manual lying around? Fantastic (and we’re impressed with your organizational
skills)! You should be able to see whether it shoots in 720p HD in the manual.
Ask in the Studio! Just post with your make and model of your camera, and see if any other
instructors knows the answer. Chances are, someone else out there has the same camera you do…

Get the Look: Udemy Mentors

Want to invest in a new microphone, camera, or lighting kit? Cool beans. Take a look at these
suggestions from some of our favorite instructors.

How to Upload a Test Video

Uploading a test video is easy. Once you’ve created your short. ~30 second test of your audio, camera,
and lighting set-up, follow the directions in this article for help with uploading your video, sharing it to
the Udemy Studio, and talking to our Review team.
Production Checklist
Use this checklist to make sure that you’re hitting all of the technical requirements for a high quality
video. Don’t be scared by all of the technical specs -- we’ll walk you through everything, we promise!
(And, if you’re ever confused, just post in the Udemy Studio for help).

First things first: are you shooting a “talking head” style video, or a screencasted video? We’ve broken
down the checklist into two sections, so go ahead and find your starting point.

TALKING HEAD VIDEO SCREENCASTED VIDEO

Camera set to HD settings: 1280x720 Software set to HD settings: 1280x720

Microphone connected to camera
Studio is soundproofed; sound-dampening
materials placed on walls and floors
Lighting is even, balanced, bright, and
without shadows
Background is appropriate and non-
distracting
Videos are exported from video editing
software with HD (1280x720; 16:9) settings.
Videos are not compressed
Videos are uploaded directly to Udemy via
our bulk uploader
Microphone connected to computer
Studio is soundproofed; sound-dampening
materials placed on walls and floors
Computer desktop is clear and free of
distracting elements
Videos are exported from video editing
software with HD (1280x720; 16:9) settings.
Videos are not compressed
Videos are uploaded directly to Udemy via
our bulk uploader

Recommended Brands: Production Equipment

There are a ton of different microphones, cameras, and lighting kits out there that will all work perfectly
for shooting your course. Just make sure to check that your camera shoots in HD (1280x720) settings,
and that your microphone is recording clear, white-noise-free, audio. For those of you who do want
some specific recommendations, we’ve listed a few of our instructor community’s favorite brands of
production equipment.

CAMERAS LIGHTING KITS

iPhone (model 4 or later) Wistia Do-It-Yourselk Kit
Gopro cameras Amazon 3 Piece Lighting Kit
Camcorders that shoot in HD (like this one)
DSLR cameras (like this one) SCREEN RECORDING SOFTWARES
Camtasia
MICROPHONES Camtasia for Mac
Blue Yeti Screenflow
Audio-Technica Lavalier

Udemy Bulk Uploader

If you only pay attention to one thing in this entire worksheet (which we hope you don’t do, but just in
case!) download the Udemy Bulk Uploader. You can drag and drop all of your files into the uploader and
let it run -- all of your course files (videos, PDFs, slides, etc) will be uploaded into your account library.
Then, you can just associate each of the files with the correct lecture and you’ll be up and running in no time.