Creating 360 degree videos is great way to showcase incredible moments, experiences, and locations of all varieties. The process has been made easy through the use of some great software and camera options. Here is an easy how-to guide for getting the gear, getting the software, and learning the process to capture, stitch, edit, and upload your amazing 360 videos.

Choosing the best 360 Camera Set-up

Recommendation: 6 GoPro Camera Rig (offered by 360 Heros and Freedom360)

Price: $200 – 600 (cameras not included)

Quality: Prosumer level quality (samples available here)

The 6 GoPro Camera set-up to shoot 360 video offers the best video quality but also requires understanding and time a intensive post production process (outlined below). If you’re willing to put in some learning hours and looking to make money filming in 360 this is definitely the direction you want to go.

Best entry level option: Richoh Theta

Price: $350

Of all the 360° cameras available right now, the Ricoh Theta S is probably the best immersive/VR camera for personal use. At $349.95 you’ll be able to shoot in 1080p HD at 30fps for up to 25 minutes at a time. There’s also the ability to livestream your 360° videos and the footage is transferable to your phone or mobile device without the need to hook up to a PC first. And yes, you can absolutely use this camera to shoot 360 degree video for YouTube! There’s also a cheaper (and more colorful model) available as well called the Theta m15.

How to Stitch 360 Video Footage

Program Recommendation: Kolor’s Autopano Video Pro software (available for purchase/ download from their website)

Using any multiple camera set up requires each individual video clip to be stitched with the additional camera clips to create a full seamless panorama image. The best software and current industry standard to handle video stitching is Kolor’s Autopano Video Pro software. For a detailed description of how to stitch your footage with Autopano Video Pro click here.

Editing 360 Video

Once you have created a seamless stitched video from all your cameras you can now edit your video as you would any traditional video. You can use advanced editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or basic video editing software like iMovie or GoPro Video Editor.

Uploading 360 Video to YouTube

To upload 360 video to YouTube there is one additional step required. You must download the 360 Video Metadata app to convert you video into a sphere that YouTube understands. Visit this page to download this simple tool for your Mac or PC. Simple select “open video” in the metadata app, click the “spherical” box and save the video. It will take a few seconds to convert the video and add the necessary coding required for YouTube streaming. Once it’s complete simply upload your video to YouTube as you normally would. It can take up to an hour to read the video and display it in 360 so don’t worry if when you first upload your video it is not in 360 format.

Have questions about making 360 videos? Comment on one of our 360 videos on YouTube: Moves Media YouTube Channel

Good luck making your 360 Video!