How to record an online course

How do you plan an online course before recording?

Start with one sentence: what will the learner be able to do after the course? Every lesson has to serve that outcome; if one does not, it belongs in a different course.

Then build the structure from the top down:

1. The outcome, in one sentence.
2. Modules: the big steps towards that outcome. Three to seven modules is a common shape.
3. Lessons inside each module, with one idea per lesson.
4. An exercise or a task at the end of each module, so the learner uses what they have just watched.

If you are not sure people want the topic, test it before you film. A webinar, a live workshop or a small pilot group soon shows which parts people are ready to pay for.

The format can change from lesson to lesson. Pick whichever suits the content:

• a talking head, where you speak straight to the camera;
• a talking head with slides, for definitions, figures and diagrams;
• a screen recording, for software and anything done on a computer;
• a demonstration: hands, a product or a technique filmed close up.

A common and costly mistake is to start filming before the structure is fixed. One change in module three can then mean re-recording half the course.

Should you script your lessons or speak from notes?

A full script on a teleprompter gives you exact wording, and it is easy to translate and subtitle later. The catch is rehearsal: a script read for the first time on camera sounds read.

A bullet-point outline sounds more natural. Expect more retakes and a longer edit, though, because you will be searching for words on camera.

The middle way suits most lessons: script the opening, the definitions and the summary word for word, and talk through the examples from bullet points. Either way, write for the ear. Keep sentences short, give each one a single idea, and mark the pauses and the stressed words.

Prepare slides in the final aspect ratio, usually 16:9, with large type and few words. They support what you say and should not repeat the script line by line.

What equipment do you need to record an online course?

Spend in this order: sound, light, camera, background. Viewers put up with an average picture far longer than with sound they have to strain to hear.

For sound, a lapel (lavalier) microphone or a dynamic microphone close to your mouth beats the one built into a camera or laptop. Record in a quiet room without echo: curtains, a rug and soft furniture help; bare walls and hard floors work against you. There is more on this in how to improve audio quality.

For light, put one large, soft source in front of you, slightly above eye level. Avoid mixing it with daylight from a window: daylight shifts during a long session, and the lessons stop matching.

A modern phone or webcam is enough to start with, as long as the sound and the light are right. Lock the focus and the exposure, so the picture does not change every time you move. Keep the background calm and uncluttered, and use the same one for the whole series.

How do you record lessons so they look consistent?

Record in batches. Film several lessons in one session in the same clothes, the same light and the same framing, and change only between modules, if at all. Learners then move from one lesson to the next without noticing a jump.

Before the first take of the day:

• record 30 seconds, then play back both the sound and the picture;
• check the framing: eyes about a third of the way down the frame, with a little space above the head.

Look into the lens, because that is where the learner is, and talk to one person. If you stumble, pause and start the sentence again; there is no need to restart the lesson, as the editor will cut the gap. A clap or a clear pause before each retake helps the editor find it. Speaking on camera has more on eye line and pace.

Wear solid mid-tone colours. Fine stripes and small checks flicker on camera, large logos distract, and jewellery rattles against a lapel microphone with every gesture.

How do you edit and publish an online course?

The edit runs in a fairly fixed order:

1. Remove failed takes and long pauses.
2. Switch between camera angles, or between you and the slides.
3. Clean the sound and bring it to an even level.
4. Correct the colour so every lesson matches.
5. Add titles and the logo.
6. Add subtitles if you need them; budget them as a separate step.
7. Export the finished lesson.

If you film the lessons yourself, you can still hand over the edit: Baltic Podcast Studio also edits footage shot elsewhere, and editing is billed by the hour.

You can publish on a course platform such as Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi or Udemy, in a members' area on your own website, or as unlisted YouTube links for a small group. Each needs the files in a common format, and MP4 is the safe default.

Short lessons pay off later. When a price, a tool or a rule changes, you re-record one lesson and leave the rest of the module as it is.

How do companies record training videos for employees?

Employee training videos cover onboarding, safety rules, product training, internal tools and compliance refreshers. They differ from a paid course in a few ways. The speaker is often a manager rather than a presenter, and the content changes more often. In Latvia, a company frequently needs the same video in Latvian, Russian and English.

A few habits make training videos easier to produce and to use:

• one task per video, so people can find the one they need;
• a whole series recorded in one day;
• the same set and graphics throughout, so the series looks like one product;
• subtitles or separate language versions planned from the start, because each version needs its own takes (see how to translate a video).

If you would rather not build a set of your own, you can record a video course in the studio. Baltic Podcast Studio in Riga records a series in blocks with the same design throughout, and longer series cost less per episode: 5% off for 5 episodes or more, 10% off for 10 or more. Course prices are on the full price list.