UtechSmart Venus Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse

Admittedly I got this mouse to play Final Fantasy XIV because it has 12 customizable buttons on the side! But it’s actually come in handy with editing my videos in Final Cut Pro since you can program the buttons as shortcuts and actions. Super nifty!

Apple MacBook Pro 14

I’ve been using this beast of a laptop to run my entire business and all three of my YouTube channels since 2022. A big reason why I’m on a Mac is because of my favorite program, Ecamm Live, which is Mac only. Ecamm is what I use to record all my videos and do all of my livestreams. My laptop slides into a caddy underneath my desk.

Elgato Stream Deck

This is mostly known as a live-streaming tool but I use it for so much more than that. The Stream Deck allows me to easily switch scenes in Ecamm and that basically cut my editing time in half. Here’s a video I did about Ecamm (when I switch scenes in this video, I’m using the Stream Deck). I also use it for shortcuts on my computer like emojis or opening up programs.

SAMSUNG T5 Portable SSD

Storage is such an important part of my workflow since I keep EVERYTHING: raw footage, final video files, livestreams, podcasts, etc. I wanted a drive that was fast enough for me to edit off of and I also wanted something durable. I have 3 of these now.

Shure MV7

All of my audio is recorded with this mic. I also got my custom colored from colorware.com. Because it’s an XLR mic, you do need an audio interface to go with it. I love this mic so much!

RK Royal Kludge S98 Mechanical Keyboard

So I know this isn’t exactly part of a YouTube studio setup but I have to share my keyboard because I absolutely love it. It can connect via bluetooth, it’s super cute, and the sound of the keysssss! 🤩

Elgato Wave Mic Arm Low Profile

In the past, I’ve used microphones that were mounted on a stand which sat on my desk. But it’s been so nice to use a boom arm since it frees up desk space. I also really like this one since it’s low vs. coming down from overhead, which is what I had before.

Elgato Cam Link 4K

This little tool is the thing that allows me to use a DSLR camera as a webcam. With this, I’m able to connect my camera to Ecamm and from there, I can record videos, livestream, and have crystal clear meetings on Zoom.

Husky 6 ft. Workbench

In case you’re looking for a desk for your home office, let me suggest this workbench instead! It’s a bit longer than your average desk but I love it! I have so many things clamped and screwed into this thing and thankfully, it can handle it all since it’s heavy duty!

Nanlite PavoTube 30C 4’ LED Tube Light

This is the light that I have on the floor behind my couch to add more dimension to my purple wall. You can set it to whatever color you want. They’re super versatile!

Falcon Eyes RX-818

This is the main light that lights up the foreground aka me! Being able to adjust the color and the color TEMPERATURE is important. It also comes with a diffuser that you can take on or off. We mounted this light to the ceiling so it’s out of the way. It points towards the wall in front of me and the light bounces back to my face.

Govee Smart Light Bulbs

I have two lamps that use these bulbs throughout my studio. I used Philips Hue Bulbs before but when I upgraded to the Sony ZV-E1, they flicker on camera. So I switched to the Govee Smart Light Bulbs and they’re perfect! They’re RGB so you can set them to whatever color you want.

LED Flood Lights

I have two of these on the floor of my YouTube background pointing upwards at the walls to brighten things up and make things look more dynamic.

Elgato Prompter

This has been one of the biggest level up’s in my studio in the past few years. My Elgato Prompter is basically permanently attached to my camera. I never use my camera in my studio without the prompter attached. I like putting Zoom meetings here so I can actually look at the person while we’re talking. It’s also handy for reading outlines and bullet points!

Elgato Green Screen

This green screen is so nifty. I use it whenever I create screenshare tutorials or when I record gameplay. It allows me to overlay my video on top of the screen recording in a really cool way. Here’s a video where I explain how I use it.

Rodecaster Duo

This is the newest addition in my studio, the Rodecaster Duo. My Shure MV7 is an XLR mic so it needs an audio interface. Also, since my studio is used for all different formats of video (pre-recorded video, livestreams, gameplays, podcasting), I needed something that could help me control my audio easily. This solved a lot of the headache, especially when Tom uses a second mic for when we do The Couple’s Table. It’s so much easier to make sure our audio levels are balanced. Check out Tom’s review on the Rodecaster Duo here.

Remote Control Outlet Wireless Switch

Instead of crawling and reaching all around my room to turn on all my video and aesthetic lights, we hooked the lights up to a wireless remote using this thing and it’s been life changing! I can turn on everything with the push of a button, all while sitting at my desk!

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light

I have two of these now and I’ll probably get a third. These are my favorite lights that I use as accent lighting in my videos but also to set the vibe when I’m just working in my office. The app has a BUNCH of different light combinations and effects so it’s fun to play around with!

Govee Ceiling Light

After I used one of the Govee Strip Lights for years and loved it, these are really the only lights I get now, including replacing my ceiling fan light with this Govee Ceiling Light. Not only is it super bright when I need it to be a room light, but it’s RGB so again, you can have it be any color. It also has a glow ring on top of the light that reflects onto the ceiling for an extra added vibe, yeah!

Vine LED String Lights

You don’t actually see these in my YouTube videos since they’re not in my video background but I have two of these in my office that are basically on whenever I’m in my room. I love them because they’re LED and they add a nice touch of texture to my wall and book nook.

Texture Wall Panels

When we redesigned my office/studio, I really wanted to create a space that DIDN’T feel like a bedroom and adding texture to the walls made a huge difference. These are PVC wall panels that you can cut to whatever size you need and we used double sided tape to stick them to the wall.

Cable Management Wire Caddies

Cable management… the ongoing work in progress for anyone who has a home office and especially if you have a home YouTube studio. We got these metal wire caddies that we screwed into my Husky workbench and MAN, it has made the biggest different for keeping the cable jungle organized and out of sight!

Reusable Cable Ties

You know what else has made the biggest difference with cable management? A big pack of these things! These are great for the long wires that have a lot of extra hanging slack. They’re also great for keeping wires together or “sticking” them to tripods or whatever else without having to deal with adhesive. They come in different sizes and in black or white!

Cable Tubing Sleeve

I have this in black and white. I used the half inch black sleeve for cable management underneath my desk. I used the quarter inch white sleeve to cover the black cords that ran along my walls. You can also cut the sleeve to whatever length you need.

My entire video setup is built off of my favorite tool which is Ecamm Live. I use Ecamm for anything that has to do with a camera (streaming, pre-recorded videos, tutorials, screen shares, Zoom calls, etc). Ecamm is only available for Macs but because it’s been such a game changer for me, I recommend people consider making the switch from PC to Mac. It’s makes the process of video production not only EASY but FUN. Here’s a video where I talk about how I use Ecamm. Give Ecamm a try with a free trial.

Canva is my go-to tool for all things graphics, overlays, and animations. I use Canva for thumbnails, end cards, banners, lower-thirds, social media content, and other graphics. Graphic design is an essential part of running a YouTube channel and if you don’t want to learn Photoshop, Canva is for you! I have several videos and tutorials about using Canva - check out the playlist here. I used Canva on the free plan for years but now that I’m on the pro plan, I wish I had upgraded sooner!

I caption every single one of my videos, which may sounds like a lot of work, but Descript makes it super easy. It’s been my go-to caption tool for years now. It’s also great to put burned in captions onto short, vertical content!

For years, I used the YouTube audio library for my music needs. It’s not bad but I just out-grew it. Epidemic has 35,000+ tracks and 95,000+ sound effects and the music doesn’t sound like royalty-free music, if you know what I mean. Their search engine is also pretty incredible. I’ve always been able to find exactly what I’m looking for within 5 minutes of searching.

I have been using Squarespace to build websites for years. This website was build using Squarespace. It’s relatively easy to use and the templates make everything look good. I do think that Leadpages’ web designer is a lot easier to use but if you’re looking to create a traditional website where you need content management (i.e. a blog), I would definitely recommend Squarespace.

I use Buzzsprout to host, publish, and distribute my two podcasts: The Couple’s Table and From 1 to 100. They make it really easy to connect to all the major podcast platforms like iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play. They also have magic mastering to make sure that your audio sounds its best.