Everything You Need to Make Better TikTok Videos – CNET

Making a viral TikTok almost seems like chance. Almost.

Luck does have some say in whether a video on TikTok gets millions of views. A random low-quality video from a creator with a hundred followers might go viral because it’s funny, entertaining or even tragic, but for the TikTokers who make videos every day, it’s what goes on behind the scenes that can be the recipe for success.

And the behind the scenes involves everything surrounding the camera.

Maybe it’s a ring light perfectly illuminating a person’s face in a makeup tutorial, or maybe it’s the hidden wireless microphone capturing high-quality audio in a comedy skit. You’d be surprised at all the accessories that go into making some of these high-quality TikTok videos. And while buying them is not a guarantee that your videos will go viral, you can definitely improve your videos tenfold.

In this story, we’ll take a look at over 30 accessories, includes LED lights, carbon-fiber tripods, directional microphones and so much more so that you can start producing higher-quality videos on TikTok. Here’s what you need to know.

While you’re here, check 11 privacy settings you should probably change on TikTok and what you need to know about TikTok.

Before we start: Why should you trust me?

I live in Los Angeles, and besides being a writer at CNET, I work on film sets, mostly as a production sound mixer. That doesn’t mean everything I say is golden, but I have a good understanding of what goes into producing high-quality features, short films, music videos — and, yes, even TikTok videos.

Start with better lighting

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Ring lights aren’t your only options, though. If you already have a tripod or stand for your phone or camera, you can buy standalone LED lights, like this mobile LED light with a clip and two-pack LED light video kit, to give you more options for lighting placement. A backlight, which is a light shining from behind you, can be key to separate you from the background in a video.

If you’re trying for something more colorful, there is this Rgbic floor lamp and these Govee smart LED light bars. Different color lighting can give your video a more exciting energy. Red lighting can scream danger while blue lighting can be more peaceful.

 And if you’ve got some money to spend, there’s this Neewer two-pack dimmable lighting kit to give you more powerful and customizable lighting for bigger and more complicated setups.

Get something to hold your phone

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If the Sensyne tripod isn’t what you’re looking for, you have alternatives. The 10-inch Ubeesize phone tripod has flexible legs you can wrap around pretty much anything, like a branch or a pole, if you want more daring or adventurous angles. If you want to shoot with a DSLR or GoPro, Amazon has its own 50-inch lightweight tripod, which will work with pretty much any camera you got. There’s also the tiny carbon-fiber Pocket Tripod, which holds your phone and any angle and collapses into the shape and size of a credit card. You can just toss it into your wallet and go.

And if you want to splurge, Sandmarc’s carbon-edition tripod for your iPhone is a lightweight, compact but heavy-duty tripod built for more harsher conditions, especially if you’re shooting TikTok videos out in the wild.

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You most likely picked your phone case to protect your device and prevent something like screen damage, but cases out there can also help you out when you’re shooting TikTok videos.

Sandmarc’s Pro Magsafe cases for the iPhone, for example, serve not only as protection for your phone but also as an attachment case for Sandmarc’s various lenses and filters. If you want a more cinematic look, with lens flares and bokeh, you can add an anamorphic lens. Shooting a skate video for TikTok? Throw on a fisheye lens. Add motion blur to your videos with the motion variable filter. Tons of options to up your TikTok video game.

You can also find a phone case to hold your phone while you shoot a video, in lieu of a traditional tripod. The Casekoo MagicStand has a magnetic ring stand, so you can position your phone in landscape or portrait orientation, and adjust it from there. The Bellroy Mod phone case also has a stand, which doubles as a wallet for your cards and cash.

If you’re somewhere without a place to easily set up phone the Octobuddy Max phone case has suction cups on the back so that you can stick your phone to any mirror, window or other smooth surface to capture your videos. If you’re shooting a video in the car, on the train or in your bathroom, this case is a must.