Level Up Livestreams with a MacBook Pro

How do you level up your live streams if you’re using a Macbook Pro?  

In this post, I’m going to give you five different ways you can do this, each of which, will give you better video on your Macbook Pro. 

Let’s start with the elephant in the room, Apple has not upgraded the Macbook Pro Camera forever, in fact, you can only get a decent camera on the top-of-the-range iMac Pro, so trying to improve the 720p camera in a Macbook is like plastering over a 5-inch wound. 

You can upgrade by grabbing an external Webcam like the Logitech C920 series but just remember webcams are webcams and the majority are not great. 

Even though the MacBook Pro’s camera is not the best, there are a few things you can do to maximize this device, especially if you don’t want to invest a lot of money on another camera, or Pro gear, just yet.  

Here are five practical tips to improve your live stream quality: 

Filming at eye level 

The majority of people I see using a Macbook Pro camera as their main camera, are doing so whilst the camera is on a desk or worse on their lap, the problem with this is the dreaded nostril view. 

You know the deal right? You can see straight up the nostrils not to mention the fact that you are looking down at your viewer (a dominant position). 

So how do you solve this problem? A decent laptop stand from Amazon will position the Macbook screen at eye level, not only is this better for you as a user (as in it’s actually a health benefit, good for your eyes and posture) but it will also put you on a neutral level with the viewer, far better if you’re trying to sell a product or service to them. 

Lighting 

Most cameras struggle to get a good image if the lighting in the room is bad, even day time natural light can cause some issues for the Macbook so I always recommend getting some kind of artificial lighting, one relatively cheap option is a Ring Light, if you want to check this out, head over to the freebies section and grab my Starter & Pro Gear Guide 

I have a video about artificial lighting, do check that out for more tips.  

Audio 

Now we can give the Macbook Pro a break here, as the MacBook Pro’s built-in mic is pretty good actually, especially if you’re quite close. But if you need some distance from your MacBook to live stream, then I recommend that you use an external mic.  

The Blu series of microphones is a good option. If you need to be even further away, another good option is the Rode Wireless GO.  

If you’re running a workshop, masterclass, mastermind, or anything where you are a short distance away and moving a lot, the Wireless Go really is your friend, combine it with a lapel for a better aesthetic too. 

Your viewer will forgive a poor-quality image but NEVER poor-quality sound. 

Software 

If you want to level up your live streams then there’s no better investment than a copy of Ecamm Live, Ecamm Live is a live streaming platform available only to Mac. With Ecamm, you can record your screen, use multiple cameras, add overlays and so so much more (keep an eye on my YouTube Channel for more on this in the future).  

It is a fantastic software.  

One feature that I love about it is that it allows you to use your iPhone as a webcam by simply connecting the camera via a USB cable. Boom! 

Clean Your Lens 

This is probably the most important tip I can give to any MacBook user—you have to clean the lens of your camera. I know this is a very simple tip, but I can’t say this enough. A lot of people tend to really forget about this before they live-stream with their MacBook.  

When you open your MacBook, sometimes, you touch the lens with your fingers (which might be oily or dirty), this basically smudges the lens and affect the camera quality, I can’t tell you how many people I have seen with dirty lenses and a simple clean would improve their videos so so so so much.   

If you take nothing else from this post but you remember to clean your lens, it was all worth it. 

That’s it, we’re done, simple and easy tips to improve your Macbook videos/streaming, please don’t ask me to invest £500, £2000, or £10,000 in your course or programme if you’re not prepared to invest some money in making sure you’ve got a good picture, sound, lighting, and decent software.
Sure, there are plenty of laptop lifestyle entrepreneurs but don’t you want to come across loud and clear wherever possible? 

And if you need more help with this, I got you covered inside my YouTube For Business membership where we help small business owners and entrepreneurs to confidently, create consistent video content. 

That’s all video makers, see you next time.