You can start UGC with the phone you own, a window, and CapCut. If you want to spend money, spend it in this order: a $30 phone tripod, a $40–60 LED panel light, and a $20–30 clip-on wireless mic. Total under $150. Skip the ring light, the DSLR and the paid editing software until brands are paying you regularly.
Every month someone DMs me a screenshot of a $400 “UGC creator starter bundle” and asks if they need it. No. You need about four things, and two of them you already have. Here’s my real setup, what it cost, and what I bought and regretted.
The stuff you already own
Your phone. I shoot everything on an iPhone. Any iPhone 12 or newer, or a Pixel or Samsung from the last few years, is more than enough. Brands do not ask what you filmed on. They ask if the video looks good.
Settings that matter: 4K at 30fps, HDR off (it looks weird on other people’s phones), and tap-and-hold on your face to lock exposure so the brightness stops jumping when you move a product. Also wipe the lens. I’m serious. Half of “my videos look blurry” is a fingerprint.
A window. The best light in my apartment is the north-facing window in my living room between 10am and 2pm. It’s soft, it’s free, and it makes skin look like skin. I filmed my first twenty videos with nothing else.
What I bought, in the order I’d buy it again
1. Phone tripod with a flexible head: about $25–35
The first thing to buy. Not for fancy shots, but so you can be in the video with both hands free to hold the product. I have a small one that stands on my desk and a taller one for full-body outfit or “get ready with me” shots. Look for a Bluetooth remote included; it saves you running back and forth.
2. One LED panel light: about $40–60
Not a ring light. I’ll say it again because it’s the most common mistake: ring lights make your eyes look like you’ve got two donuts in them, and every brand marketer can spot it. Get a small rectangular LED panel with adjustable brightness and color temperature, put it on a little stand at 45 degrees to your face, slightly above eye level, and you get the “soft window at 11am” look at 8pm on a Tuesday. This one purchase made my videos look professional overnight.
If you want to spend a bit more later, a second cheap panel behind you on the opposite side adds depth. Optional.
3. Clip-on wireless mic: about $20–30
You don’t need it for ASMR or product-only videos. You need it the moment you talk to camera in a room with a fridge, an AC unit or NYC traffic outside. The little wireless lav mics that plug straight into your phone are cheap and make you sound like you know what you’re doing. Brands notice audio more than you’d think, because they’re going to put your video next to their own ads.
4. A white foam board or poster board: $5
Buy it at any drugstore or art store. Hold it or lean it opposite your light and it bounces light back onto the shadow side of your face. It is the cheapest upgrade in this whole list and it’s the one I’d fight for.
That’s the kit. Tripod, panel light, mic, foam board. Roughly $100–130. Everything else is nice-to-have.
Apps: all free
- CapCut for editing. Captions, trims, speed ramps, trendy transitions when a brief asks for them. It’s what 90% of UGC creators use.
- Notes app for scripts. I write the hook and three bullet points, that’s the script.
- Google Sheets for tracking brands, pitches and invoices. This spreadsheet became my brand database, so start it early.
- Canva for a quick thumbnail or a rate card PDF. If you want mine, it’s the free download at the bottom of this page.
What I bought and regret
- A ring light. Used it for a month, now it’s a very expensive coat hook.
- A “vlogging” camera. Beautiful, and I never use it, because transferring files and color-matching to my phone footage took longer than filming.
- A premium editing subscription in month one. I didn’t know enough to use any of the features. Wait until you’re doing several videos a week.
- A giant backdrop. Brands want your video to look like a real person’s home, not a studio. My cream wall and my bookshelf work better than anything I bought.
The “looks expensive” tricks that cost nothing
- Film during the day next to a window, camera between you and the window.
- Keep the background simple and a bit out of focus: hold the product closer to the camera than the wall.
- Clean up what’s behind you. One plant, one candle, done.
- Use a neutral, warm-toned top. Bright white and busy patterns steal attention from the product.
- Shoot more than you need. Brands love when you can send an extra hook variation without refilming.
If your apartment is tiny, mine is too, and I wrote a whole guide on filming UGC in a small space. The short answer is that you need about four feet and a window.
Total, honestly
Phone (already have) + window (free) + tripod ($30) + LED panel ($50) + mic ($25) + foam board ($5) = about $110. Add a second light later if you want. Everything else you can earn your way into after your first few paid deals. Which, if you pitch properly, is a few weeks away, not a few months.
Frequently asked
What equipment do you need to start UGC?
A smartphone from the last 3–4 years, a tripod and natural light. A small LED light and a clip-on mic are the first upgrades worth buying. Nothing else is required.
Do you need a ring light for UGC?
No. Ring lights create a flat look and a ring reflection in your eyes that brands recognize instantly. A single soft LED panel at 45 degrees looks far more like an ad.
What app do UGC creators use to edit?
Most use CapCut (free) for captions, cuts and trending formats. InShot and VN are fine too. Premiere or Final Cut are not necessary for vertical video.
Is an iPhone good enough for UGC?
Yes. Any iPhone from the 12 onwards, or a recent Samsung or Pixel, shoots better than what most brands need. Clean the lens, lock exposure, and film in 4K at 30fps.
NYC beauty UGC creator. I make product videos for skincare, makeup and wellness brands, and I write about how the business side actually works.
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