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How to Quickly Make a Reaction Video for YouTube

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30 min read

The online world of content creation is an ever-changing space! As a content creator, it’s imperative to find cool ways to stand out. Reaction videos are a great way to do exactly that. They let you share your reactions to others’ content in real time! 

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Filming YouTuber reaction videos is a great way to share your personality and go viral in 2024. (Image source: Envato Elements.)

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make a reaction video for YouTube. We’ll work through the reaction videos for YouTube production process. Along the way, you’ll learn top tips to engage with content and interact with your audience in creative ways. This is a full guide to YouTuber reaction videos and how to make them.

It’s time to get started. Read on to learn all about reacting to a video and how to produce the perfect YouTuber reaction video of your own.

Why Make Reaction Videos for YouTube?

Most of us have seen others reacting to a video. These fun reaction clips are seemingly everywhere online in 2024. And of course, they’re tons of fun to watch. But why should you make reaction videos for YouTube? How can it help you as a content creator?

The reasons are many. Keep these in mind, and you’ll quickly see the value of making your own YouTuber reaction videos:

  • Connecting with new audiences. Reaction videos let you take advantage of the latest trending topics in social media. Joining a dynamic conversation lets you add your own voice to the discourse. Plus, it helps you reach those who haven’t previously viewed your channel.
  • Growing your social media brand. When you know how to do reaction videos, you can rapidly expand your social media brand and presence. You can rapidly connect with your followers and share your thoughts.
  • Promote content that you care about. YouTuber reaction videos let you promote content without having to produce it from scratch. You can share the work of others while giving your own reactions to it. You can be an active voice in the social media ecosystem centered around you and other content creators. 

As you can see, reaction videos for YouTube are a win-win in 2024 and beyond. Now, let’s learn how to do reaction videos, step by step.

How to Make a Reaction Video (Step by Step in 2024)

Reacting to a video is easy to do. The key is really preparation. Spend some time getting ready to react and record. When you do, you’ll create an impressive visual production viewers will enjoy. 

1. Choose Content to React To

The first step to building a YouTuber reaction video seems obvious: choosing content to react to. But don’t overlook devoting some time and effort to this. When you do, you’re setting the stage for success.

This is a lighthearted video from People vs. Food, a viral food YouTuber reaction channel:

So, how do you choose content to react to? While you can react to anything you find online, try to be intentional. It helps you get more mileage from your YouTuber reaction videos. I like to keep these basic rules in mind:

  • Focus on your niche. What kind of content does your channel normally share? If you’re a recipe channel, it might not make a lot of sense to react to a custom motorcycle video. Try to react to content that is complementary to what you normally share.
  • Consider audience wishes. If you run a viral channel, by definition, you’ll enjoy a lot of engagement with your audiences. Are they asking for a reaction video? If so, think of that as a perfect idea on what to produce. After all, there’s no better way to satisfy an audience than to give them what they ask for.
  • Stay in tune with viral trends. Remain engaged with videos that are viral, right now. These are often the best candidates for reaction videos. After all, why not join the most popular conversations that you can?

Use these guidelines to help you choose content to feature in your reaction videos for YouTube.

2. Prepare Your Recording Setup

Preparing to record your YouTuber reaction video is the next step. Reaction videos are different from almost any other type of content. Why? Because you’re both watching and recording video all at the very same time.

Think of reaction videos as candids. You’re viewing another video and responding to it in real time. You’ll need to be able to record in a spot where you can easily see another clip, while appearing on camera. 

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Using a ring light and a good camera helps your video recording look its best. (image source: Envato Elements.)

Secondly, you’ll want to ensure that you have a solid camera and lighting setup. It’s often useful to use a basic ring light to provide some illumination.

The last thing you want is for your face to be in shadow. Similarly, using a good camera really helps. I like to say that the best camera is the one you have with you. But for sharing online, it still pays to use a real camera, not your cell phone or webcam.

And finally, audio is key. It doesn’t matter how good your videos look if you can’t be heard. Even a relatively inexpensive USB microphone is far superior to any built-in mic. Investing even a few dollars here elevates the quality of your productions dramatically. 

3. Record a YouTuber Reaction Video

You’ve chosen reaction video content. And you’ve spent some time getting your studio or recording space ready for filming. Now, it’s time to get to the heart of the matter. Let’s look at how to do reaction videos for YouTube.

If there’s one thing I can stress here more than anything else: be expressive! Again, these are candid videos. The entire goal is to capture your live, real-time reactions to content that you are seeing. If you look bored, or mumble your way through the video, that’s very off-putting. Your audiences will desert you with incredible speed. 

This means that your delivery is key. Vocal intonations, surprised reactions, and facial expressions are hugely important! What does this really mean? You need to be authentic. After all, your channel has followers because viewers enjoy hearing from you. They want to see your authentic self. Keep this in mind as you record YouTuber reaction videos.

Last but not least: you’re starting a conversation with your viewers. You’re not simply recording a monologue where you narrate someone else’s video! Connect with your audience as you speak and inspire them to continue networking with you. Think of recording a reaction video as talking with your viewers - not talking to them. 

4. Edit and Prepare Your Reaction Video

Once you’ve finished recording your YouTuber reaction, it’s time to edit the finished product. It’s worth noting that this editing process will be unique from other edits that you may do.

Remember: you captured your reactions live and in real time. Thus, your edits won’t involve making every word of your narration perfect. After all, the whole point here is to be authentic, raw, and candid.

Some mistakes or bloopers are a perfectly normal part of the process. And in fact, these give many reaction videos a bit of added charm.

This viral reaction channel focuses on the reactions, but shows the original videos tucked in one corner.

When you edit, remember that you may want to show audiences the video you’re reacting to. You'll also share it with your own reactions. There are two ways to do this. First, you can use a split-screen video template. This way, you can show two clips at once on a single screen! Or, you can overlay your reaction video in a corner of the original video.

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Split-screen video templates from Envato Elements are a top tool to make winning YouTuber reaction videos!

Note: if you’re actually sharing another video in your clip, be sure you have permission. Don't share the work of others without authorization from the original content creator.

Of course, you can always simply share your reaction video, without showing the original video. For this, I like to leave a link to the other video in my YouTube captions. This way, your audiences can easily follow along with the video you’re filming a reaction to.

5. Share With Your Audience

Once you’re finished editing, it’s time for the big reveal! This is where you’ll share your YouTuber reaction video with the world. 

The first step, of course, is to upload your reaction video to your channel. But remember: YouTube is vast. It’s easy for your content to get lost. That means that promotion is key.

Be sure that you’re sharing your new video across all of your social media channels. This helps you hype your new videos and generate the “buzz” that leads to views and engagement.

This multicam reaction video features an array of content creators all at once!

One last tip: don’t go it alone! In reaction videos, it’s often a great idea to collaborate with the original content creators. It helps both of you. You can feed off each other’s videos and draw increased traffic. It’s a fun and easy way to connect with your global fanbase.

As you can see, it’s easy to learn about reacting to a video. When you make YouTuber reaction videos of your own, you can join the hottest viral conversations in 2024 and beyond. Don’t wait. You can’t afford to miss out. Put your new skills to work today. After all, you now know how to do reaction videos in just a few easy steps. 

Learn More About Video Recording Today

In this tutorial, you learned how to make a reaction video for YouTube. Along the way, we explored an array of ways to produce and edit YouTuber reaction videos. But as a video producer, you have many more creative ways to film and record. Below, we’ve gathered some of our best video recording tutorials. Each one will help you elevate your production skills in 2024 and beyond:

The Top Source for the Best Video Templates for 2024 (Unlimited Downloads)

Going viral with a YouTuber reaction video isn’t easy. But a great way to succeed is with a premium video template. These instantly elevate your productions and make them something special. The best source for premium video templates is Envato Elements. At Elements, you’ll find thousands of amazing video templates to choose from. 

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Envato Elements includes thousands of premium video templates, with more being added every day.

The Elements offer is unmatched: unlimited downloads. For a flat monthly rate, you can download and use as many amazing premium video templates as you want.

And that’s just scratching the surface. Elements includes millions of other digital assets, like fonts, stock videos, and music. All are included in the amazing unlimited-downloads offer.

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Simply type in your project needs. In seconds, Elements will deliver a perfect curated selection of (human-created) digital assets. They're chosen just for you, based on the goals you describe. They’re picked to suit exactly what you need.

So, what are you waiting for? Join Envato Elements today and enjoy the best content for all of your future projects. 

Start Making Your Own Reaction Videos for YouTube Today

YouTuber reaction videos are a great way to go viral in 2024 and beyond! Reacting to a video lets you share your thoughts, and enjoy the latest social media trends. Lean into the tips and tricks you learned above. With them, you have everything you need to make your own reaction videos for YouTube.

Why wait? Start producing your own reaction videos today. It’s the perfect way to grow your social presence, and capture new audiences! You'll be able to create amazing videos that audiences will love.