Top 5 Best Lighting For Streaming in 2021

Whether you’re new to the game or an experienced YouTuber, you’ve probably realized the importance of lighting in your streams.

The right amount of light brings attention to your face and allows your audience to see your facial expressions and emotionally connect to you.

What Type of Light is Best For Streaming?

There are two types of light: hard light & soft light. The latter is considered a better option for streaming since they don’t create any hard shadows. Instead, they gently wrap around the object, making the additional lighting look fairly natural. 

On the other hand, hard lights are highly focused on the object, leading to hard shadows. It makes the objects look highly saturated, and the light almost looks artificial and unappealing. 

The hardness (or softness) of light depends on three major factors:

• Distance from the source: The closer the light is to the object, the softer it will be.
• Size of the light: The light from larger sources spreads over a larger area, making them softer.
• Angle: The angle of the light also decides whether it’s hard or soft. Lights with larger angles have lesser concentrations and will appear to be softer. 

Considering the benefits of soft light and how it adds to visual appeal, it’s recommended that you only use soft lights for your streaming. 

What Products Are Best For Soft Light?

Knowing that soft light should be used for lighting streaming videos isn’t enough. You also need to choose the right product that produces soft light for better performance. 

There are three common types of light sources for soft light:

1. Soft Boxes

Softboxes use bulbs instead of LEDs to produce soft light. They’re mounted on tall stands and have a huge surface area. They work on the principle of diffusing light. Softboxes have a second layer of reflection called the umbrella reflector, which diffuses the light and makes it softer. 

2. Ring Lights

Ring lights are trendy among video streamers and content creators. These lights use LEDs and are in the shape of a huge ring with a hollow center to place your camera. 

The design allows the light to fall uniformly on your face while the camera captures it from the perfect angle to maintain a natural look. Some ring lights also have the option to change the color and temperature of the light. 

3. LED Panels

LED panels have several tiny LEDs spread across an entire panel. Their working principle is very similar to ring lights. The only difference is that sometimes they also come with a removal diffuser that can soften the light further. 

Which One to Choose?

All three of these lights come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. They each serve their best in certain situations, and you need to select the ideal light type for your streaming.

If you want the light to focus on your face, go for a ring light or LED panel. These types of lights work best when you have a smaller frame with the focus centered on you.

However, if you plan to create a larger frame with a green screen, go for a softbox. A softbox helps you distribute the light uniformly to create a well-lit video for high-quality streaming.