Multicam 2-Person Video Podcast and Live Streaming Setup Gear Guide

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Have you ever watched an interview-style video podcast like The Diary of a CEO, Rich Roll, or Impact Theory and wish you could create a similar, slick 3-camera setup for your 2-person video podcast?

Well, you’re not the only one! We get FOMO, too. We’ve put together this exact setup for clients but never for our own podcast.

So we made the FOMO-driven decision to finally record Content Jefe Podcast LIVE using a 3-camera podcast setup and documented the whole thing on our Pod Sound School YouTube channel so you don’t sit and stew in your FOMO and instead get hands-on putting all this equipment together.

Below, we’ll break up this super fun video podcast and live-streaming, 2-person MULTI-CAM SETUP (well, that was a mouthful) into step-by-step chunks.

We will go over: 

1. SECTION 1 — How to Capture Video: Cameras and Lenses

2. SECTION 2 — Lighting

3. SECTION 3 — How to Record and Stream Audio — including 2 pieces of equipment YOU WANT TO USE to make your shots more dynamic and make recording your podcast LIVE much more fun for you and your audience

4. SECTION 4 — Streaming and Recording Software & Settings

You can use this setup in your own podcast studio to record your podcast LIVE with a cohost or guest.

Like I said above, we tested this exact 3-camera setup and recorded our video podcast Content Jefe LIVE on YouTube so you can check out the final results in this video: YouTube + Podcasting + Streaming + Multi-Cam: Equipment, Strategy, and Workflow

Recording your podcast this way allows you to:

• interact with your audience LIVE 

• easily turn one piece of content into multiple pieces — because it provides you with audio and video content you can repurpose and post on different platforms 

If you’re new here, welcome to Pod Sound School! I’m Veronica, the marketing director and coach inside our programs, and I’m here to get you in front of the microphone and behind the camera making stand-out content that generates real ROI. 

We’re going to cover a lot, get ready to take some notes, and let’s get started.

So because this is complex, let’s simplify this 3-camera setup by breaking it down into 4 sections.

SECTION 1: CAMERAS and LENSES 

Let’s talk about CAMERAS, LENSES, and How to Capture Video using multiple cameras.

For this specific setup, we’re using 3 Sony cameras:

• 2 Sony a7 Mark III Mirrorless Cameras

• 1 Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera

Why use THREE cameras for a 2-person video podcast setup? 

We’re using 3 cameras to have 3 different shots: 

• one of me

• one wide-angle shot that shows both of us and our whole podcast setup

• one of Stephen

This 3-camera setup is common for interview-style shows like The GaryVee Audio Experience, The Table With AO, and On Purpose with Jay Shetty. 

In these shows, the host and the guest sit across from each other, and the camera shot switches from the host to the guest and occasionally to a wide angle showing both individuals.

But even more important than the cameras, the lenses play a key role in building a podcasting or live-streaming experience that makes your audience feel like they are right there with you at the table.

So, let me show you the lenses we used for these 3 shots.

1. THE LENS FOR THE MIDDLE, WIDE-ANGLE SHOT

Let’s talk about this lens in the middle that we attached to our Sony ZV-E10. 

It can be very tricky to get the shot wide enough to see both people but not so wide that it sees the other two cameras. 

For our setup, we use a Sigma 16mm Lens.

• It allows us to bring the camera closer to us while still keeping us both in the frame

• It’s also perfect if you’re recording in a small space because it makes the room look bigger, and you can be closer to the camera.

2. THE LENS FOR STEPHEN’S SHOT

The lens that we’re using on Stephen is a Sony FE 35mm Lens.

This is also a great lens, but if you pay attention, Stephen looks farther away from the camera than I look in my active speaker shot, and you can see more of the room. 

This is because this lens has a wider field of view, which captures more of the surrounding environment than a 50 mm lens (the lens we used for my shot).

3. THE LENS FOR VERONICA’S SHOT

The lens for my shot is a Sony FE 50mm Lens.

This is one of my favorite lenses to use because it gives me that cinematic look, focusing on me while blurring the background.

This lens also adds a lot of detail and creates the illusion of being closer to the camera, which can be more engaging for your audience.

How to Set Up the Cameras for High-Quality Scene Compositions:

Here’s a tip: When it comes to the scene composition (or how objects, people, and elements are arranged in your shot)...  

…since we are used to seeing one person on the left and one on the right from the wide-angle shot, you’ll have more continuity when you switch between shots if you keep each person placed more toward the left or right side of their own shot.  

So in this example, since I’m on the left, we’ll place me on the left side of my shot, and vice versa with Stephen.

Don’t Forget the Tripods:

Also, notice that we have our cameras (with the right lenses) sitting on these sturdy camera tripods from Neewer to protect our investment.

• 2 Neewer Portable Tripods

• 1 Neewer Horizontal Tripod

You don’t want to use flimsy tripods holding your expensive cameras and lenses.

Now, how in the world do we power up these 3 cameras? 

Good question!

We don’t want to use batteries because we risk the batteries running out in the middle of recording or livestreaming our podcast. 

Not to mention, it’s a tremendous amount of hassle to keep batteries charged.  

We always forget to charge our batteries! 😭

So, instead of using regular batteries, we use dummy batteries. 

• 2 Kimaru Dummy Battery Kits for Sony ZV-E10

• 1 Gonine Dummy Battery Kit for Sony a7 III

But they’re not dummy, they’re VERY smart. 😉

A dummy battery goes inside a camera’s battery compartment but has a power cable that can be connected to an outlet so that power can be constantly supplied to the camera.

So, after we connect our three dummy batteries, we are good to go.

But wait a minute, how do we record the video, and where? 

And more importantly, how do we switch the shot between the 3 cameras? 

Let’s solve the mystery. Let me show you.

The cameras are all connected to a camera switcher board using HDMI cables 

• 1 Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro camera switcher

• 3 Micro HDMI to HDMI Cables - 10ft

Important! Use the chart below to confirm your device interface before buying HDMI cables. It’s easy to buy the wrong one. Trust me.

This camera switcher board with all these fun buttons allows Stephen to switch between shots while we’re recording LIVE.

By the time we get everything set up, Stephen will have so many buttons he’ll look like a pilot! 👨🏻‍✈️✈️

So with the buttons on the camera switcher, he’s able to switch from: 

• my shot when I’m talking

• to his shot when he’s talking

• to the wide-angle shot

Then, we connect the ATEM Mini Pro to the Elgato 4K HDMI Cam Link to a USB adapter which connects to Stephen’s laptop.

Confused yet? It’s just these 2 items:

• 1 Elgato 4K HDMI Cam Link (to turn our DSLR cameras into professional webcams for our livestream)

• 1 USB C to USB 3.0 Adapter [2 Pack] for Mac computers ($6.99)

Alright, our cameras are all plugged in and connected to the camera switcher! 

So let’s move on to the next section LIGHTING because lighting is important.

PRIVATE COACHING

Now, before we jump into lighting, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and thinking, “There’s no way I can tackle all this podcasting stuff by myself.”

You don’t have to do it alone. We work 1-on-1 with CEOs and business owners to set up their video podcasts. 

To Learn More About Our PRIVATE 1-ON-1 COACHING, Click Here

GROUP COACHING

We also have a group coaching program in which you, along with myself, Stephen, and your peers, launch an impressive show packed with strategy and guaranteed ROI.  

To Find Out More About Our GROUP COACHING PROGRAM, Click Here

SECTION 2: LIGHTING

Okay, let me show you the lighting we use here in the studio. 

We use these 2 types of lights:

• 1 KEY light

• 4 FILL lights (2 for each speaker)

Our KEY Light Setup:

For our key light, we’re using this gigantic light, the Aputure 120d II, to illuminate our entire setup.  

NOTE: The Aputure 120d II does NOT come with a stand or softbox so you have to buy those separately. 

I recommend you buy: 

• a C-stand so it supports the weight of this heavy light 

• as well as a softbox 

We use the Neweer Hexadecagon Softbox on our Aputure light.

Our FILL Light Setup:

For our fill lights, we use:

• 2 sets of Neweer LED panel lights 

• with their respective softboxes << need affiliate link

We use 2 lights directed at me so I look more alive 🧛🏽‍♀️ and 2 lights at Stephen so he looks less like a zombie. 🧟‍♂️

Okay, now that we have our cameras and lights all set up in the studio, let’s move on to the next section.

SECTION 3: How to Record and Stream AUDIO

We are using the RODE Podcaster Bundle - Black for our audio recording gear.

This bundle from RODE includes:

• 2 RODE PodMic XLR Dynamic Microphones

• These 2 microphones are on these 2 slick-looking RODE microphone boom arms 

• We wore 2 really cool RODE headphones to hear each other and listen to the fun music and sound effects while recording LIVE

• We used 2 XLR cables to connect the microphones to this fun, colorful board and we also connected our headphones to that same board

So what is this mysterious board? It’s not that mysterious. It’s the RODECaster Duo, and it’s an audio interface and an audio mixer.

The RODECaster Duo allows you to:

• plug in microphones and headphones

• connect your phone via Bluetooth

• drag and drop your sound effects and music into the fun, colorful, integrated sound pads

With this device, podcast creators can:

• record their podcast LIVE

• add sound effects and an intro and segment music, making live streaming super fun

Or if they are not recording LIVE, the RODECaster Duo can be used as an audio interface. 

We connected the RODECaster Duo to Stephen’s Laptop. As you can see, he has a LOT on his plate managing the camera switcher and the RODECaster Duo.

Ideally, you want to have a production assistant managing all these buttons off-camera because it can get tricky, and the person doing it can’t fully get into the conversation because they have to pay attention to all the technical stuff.

In this case, Stephen is the one running the show and pressing all the buttons.

And I am the talent 🎬, the queen 👸🏽, the diva 🎤, the celebrity 🎥 …I don’t bother with buttons. 🤣

How much does our MULTICAM 2-person video live stream setup cost? 

If you’re wondering how much our setup costs, I tallied up the total below so you don’t have to. This is if you purchased everything in May 2024 (not including sales tax of course).

Here’s the math:

3-CAMERA 2-PERSON VIDEO PODCAST & LIVE STREAMING SETUP

1 RODE AUDIO PODCASTING BUNDLE: $1,322.99 (save approximately $86.92)
RODE Podcaster Bundle - Black

Includes:

• 2 RODE PodMic XLR Dynamic Microphones ($99.99 each)

• 2 RODE microphone boom arms ($129.99 each)

• 1 RODECaster Duo audio interface and mixer ($499.99)

• 2 XLR cables ($34.99 each)

• 2 RODE headphones ($189.99 each)

• $1,409.91 TOTAL if you bought everything individually

3 CAMERAS: $3,794

• 2 Sony a7 Mark III Mirrorless Cameras ($1,498 each)

• 1 Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera ($798)

3 LENS: $2,965

• 1 Sigma 16mm Lens ($369)

• 1 Sony FE 35 mm Lens ($1,298)

• 1 Sony FE 50mm Lens ($1,298)

3 CAMERA TRIPODS: $194.05

• 2 Neewer Portable Tripods ($42.03 each)

• 1 Neewer Horizontal Tripod ($109.99)

3 CAMERA BATTERIES: $81.77

• 2 Kimaru Dummy Battery Kits for Sony ZV-E10 ($23.39 each)

• 1 Gonine Dummy Battery Kit for Sony a7 III ($34.99)

1 CAMERA SWITCHER: $441.95

• 3 Micro HDMI to HDMI Cables - 10ft ($13.99 each)

• 1 Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro camera switcher ($295)

• 1 Elgato 4K HDMI Cam Link ($97.99)

• 1 USB C to USB 3.0 Adapter [2 Pack] for Mac computers ($6.99)

5 LIGHTS & SOFTBOXES: $1,799.41

• 1 Aputure Light Storm 120d II ($759)

• 1 Neewer Hexadecagon Softbox ($58.49)

• 1 C-stand ($147.98)

• 2 sets of 2 Neewer LED panel lights ($348.29 per 2-pack)

• 2 sets of 2 Neewer softboxes for the panel lights ($68.68 per 2-pack)

GRAND TOTAL: $10,599.17

Alright, that’s all of our gear for this setup and now we can move on to the last section.  

If you’re finding value in this information, do me a favor and share this blog post with a friend who also wants to make a video podcast.

Last but not least, let’s talk about streaming and recording Settings.

SECTION 4: STREAMING and RECORDING Settings

What we want to do is see if there's a way that we can maximize the quality of our recordings that we're going to capture while we're doing our live stream. So that after the fact in the edit, we have higher-quality footage to edit.

What software will help you record high-quality footage?

There are many different ways you can record high-quality audio because the ATEM Mini is plugged into your computer already.

• You can use screen recording software like Descript or ScreenFlow 

• You can also use OBS for this as well, which is what I did in this experiment

OBS is a FREE download and it's something I cover in detail in this video right here. This is where we actually create a multi-camera setup with one camera.

We were able to create 3 different camera shots using only ONE camera by setting up a “virtual camera” inside of OBS. With the virtual camera in OBS, we were able to create 3 scenes from one wide-angled camera.

But in addition to using it as a virtual camera, you can also record using OBS. 

OBS gives you the options to:

• recording at a very high-quality 

• or even record at a lossless quality — no data is lost — which is pretty much the same quality that the ATEM Mini is pumping out

Where should you save these large video files?

Ideally, you would have an external drive attached to your computer where that footage could be recorded and saved to. 

There are some workarounds to get that footage to work properly and to record properly on your computer. 

Hard drive space is always going to be one of those headaches (wa-wah) that you're just going to have to deal with when you're in the business of LONG-FORMAT content creation.

How to record a higher-quality version of your live stream for repurposing on other channels or platforms:

So Veronica and I did a LIVE stream on our YouTube channel. While streaming, we ALSO wanted to capture high-quality recordings that we could give to our editor and then publish the edited version of this live stream as a podcast episode on our Content Jefe podcast here on YouTube and on Spotify for Podcasters.

So while we were streaming using StreamYard to YouTube, I was also using OBS to record the same output before it hit the internet.

Video Quality: StreamYard vs. OBS 

Let's take a look at the difference in quality we get when we download our recording from StreamYard versus OBS.

Here are 2 examples so that you can see the difference in video quality:

StreamYard’s Video Quality:

Notice in StreamYard’s recording that there are a lot more digital artifacts, meaning little things moving around on the frame that aren't really there, and the overall quality just isn't as nice. It's not as clear. You don't really see as much detail in our faces or the setup.

OBS’s Video Quality:

With the OBS, I would still like to see higher quality. Next time we experiment with this, I'm going to try the tremendously large file size option in OBS. 

I may also try to use Descript or ScreenFlow to see how my computer handles recording the camera input that way.

One Final Tip for Saving a Step in your Workflow:

Make sure that when you are recording to your computer, whether it's Descript, ScreenFlow, or OBS, that you also have the audio recording from whatever audio interface (like Reaper or Adobe Audition) you're using so that you get the good audio and the good video being recorded together. This way you won't have to sync that after the fact which is another saved step of work.

Should you use a 3-camera setup for your podcast?

Here's a good time to make a decision as to whether or not this whole setup with three different cameras is worth the effort or is a smart implementation at the stage your podcast is at right now.

You're really going to have the best results with a setup like this when you have an assistant working for you on set or a technician helping you with all of this.

My Recommendation:

If you're new to streaming and if you're new to video podcasting, I recommend you start with ONE camera. This video right here is the one that we did with the same audio setup, but we used one camera and we used OBS and I show you exactly how to get that virtual camera set up in OBS.

So go check out that video or this blog post where I break it down step by step. It'll help you make the decision whether you want to use three cameras or just one, and still be able to do the camera switching method without the ATEM Mini and just use a mouse or the arrows on your keyboard.

Not checking out this OBS hack would really be a mistake.

WATCH THIS VIDEO OR READ THE POST ABOVE:

Try This Multicam 2-Person Video Podcast and Live Streaming Setup

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Implementing a multicam setup for your 2-person video podcast can significantly enhance the production quality and engagement of your content.

By following the recommendations outlined in this blog post, you can create a professional-looking, dynamic podcast or live stream that rivals some of the top interview-style shows out there.

Here are the key takeaways from this guide:

Camera Setup: Utilize 3 cameras to capture different shots, including individual close-ups and a wide-angle view of both hosts. Carefully choose lenses to achieve a high-end pro look.

Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial. Incorporate key and fill lights to ensure both hosts are well-lit and look alive.

Audio Recording: Invest in quality microphones and an audio interface to capture clear and crisp audio. Consider using a mixer to incorporate sound effects and music while you’re LIVE streaming.

Streaming and Recording Settings: Explore different software options, like OBS and StreamYard, so you can record high-quality footage and streaming your podcast LIVE.

Start Simple, Scale Gradually: If you're new to video podcasting, consider starting with a single-camera setup before transitioning to a multicam setup.

But if you’re ready to go for it, don't let the complexity intimidate you — use the guide above, dive in, experiment, and enjoy the process of creating standout video podcast content.