The 360-degree cameras that exist today in the market have very advanced features and very affordable prices, so many people are looking to acquire their own camera to record and upload their 360° videos to the Internet. Now, what are the steps to follow? How to Make 360 Video?
How to shoot 360-degree videos
To be able to edit and upload your 360-degree videos, it is necessary that you first obtain the audiovisual material, and that is achieved with a camera capable of recording this type of videos. A few years ago there were few models of this type of cameras, and at quite high prices, but the multiple technological advances have made it possible for the common user to have access to them. Currently, there is a high competition in the market for 360° cameras, so when buying it is necessary to take into account certain aspects to choose the device that best suits your needs.
How to choose a camera to make 360 videos?
To help you determine which camera is best for you, I explain briefly the features you should take into account before buying it:
- Video resolution: The minimum resolution I recommend is Full HD (1920x1080p) for each of the lenses.
- Battery life: The battery life must be able to withstand at least 1 hour of continuous video.
- Compatibility with other devices: Depending on the Smartphone you have, verify that you purchase a 360 Camera compatible with iPhone or Android.
- Storage space: If you want to learn how to make 360 videos, you will need practice, so it is very important that the 360° camera has a high storage capacity, either internal or through SD cards, I recommend having at least 32GB each time you go on an adventure.
- Possibility to submerge: It is not an essential characteristic but for some, it can be important. If your adventures include recording yourself in a coral bank, then try to buy an aquatic 360 Camera or one that at least offers the possibility of acquiring a case to submerge it without risks.
- Prices: As with any technological device, the prices are as varied as the models, so you can find a very simple 360 camera for about $60, up to a professional one over $3000.
Once you have the camera, the recording process is simple and depends on the model, so do not hesitate to consult your camera manual, as well as to check if you can download an app for your Smartphone to facilitate the process of creating your video 360.
How to edit 360-degree videos
Once you have your audiovisual material, the next step is to edit it. This process and the final result will depend on the program you use and your experience in video editing, although you do not need to be an expert to achieve a product with good quality. Currently, there are many programs dedicated to video editing, but to make things a little easier, I will recommend what I consider the best options:
Movavi 360 Video Editor
My first recommendation, due to its ease of use and versatility, is the editor of Movavi. This program makes the editing process much easier, as thanks to its learning curve, it is easy to master in a short time. You can add effects, texts, cut or join different videos to create a high quality 360° video.
Cyberlink PowerDirector 365
Cyberlink brings to you its PowerDirector 365, a quite complete editor in which you can also edit your videos 360° without many complications. It offers features such as video stabilization, to enhance those shaky shots, and the option to create a standard video from a 360° recording.
Adobe Premiere Pro
One of Adobe’s flagships, the world-renowned Premiere Pro could not be missing from the recommended ones. This software allows you to edit your 360° videos, make color correction, improve sharpness and many other options. It is the most complicated to learn from the 3 editing programs mentioned here, but it is quite complete.
How to upload 360 videos
Once your video has been edited, it’s time to upload it to Youtube, the popular video platform. From here on, what you have to do is add some information to your video so that Youtube interprets it as 360 degrees. This information is a trace of programming code called Metadata, which simply helps YouTube to understand the format of the video.
In order to proceed with the insertion of Metadata required by Youtube, this platform makes available for free a mini-application that will allow you to do this action in very few clicks, intuitively and extremely easy:
- The first thing you have to do is download the 360 VIDEO METADATA application from this link: https://github.com/google/spatial-media/releases/latest
- Double-click the downloaded file and unzip it.
- Double-click the Spatial Media Metadata Injector icon to open the application.
- Click OPEN to select your video 360 degrees
- When selecting the video file, you must make sure that you only have the My video is spherical (360) option selected from the three that appear.
- Click on INJECT METADATA. Select a save location and click SAVE.
- Now, you only have to upload the injected video to Youtube, in the same way, that you do with the rest of conventional videos.
- Click on the red Youtube button, and select your injected video. Click Open.
- It will lead you to another Youtube screen, where you will see a video upload progress at the top. Once the video is uploaded, another progress bar will appear, this time for VIDEO PROCESSING.
- Once it’s finished, you’ll be able to watch your video on Youtube. However, Youtube can take up to 1 hour to process your video at 100%, so maybe when you upload it you don’t see it in 360 degrees immediately. You will have to wait a few minutes until Youtube has processed it, to see it in 360 degrees and in maximum quality.
How to make 360 video | Conclusion
And that’s it. This is the step by step process of how to make 360 videos, edit them and upload them to the internet. It’s simple, with a little practice you will completely master this new technology that is at your fingertips.
Have you ever tried Adobe Premiere Pro for 360 video editing purpose? Let me know in the comment below!