Lighting Equipment to make your TikTok Shop Livestream Pop!

If you're looking to upgrade your TikTok livestreams, the first place you should start is in improving your lighting. Here are our top tips and recommendations for affordable lighting that will make viewers stop to watch your next TikTok E-Commerce broadcast.

Why is lighting so important?

Lighting is vital for a quality livestream, and can really make a significant difference to how professional and eye-catching your stream is. Most of the time, when scrolling through a TikTok feed, the thing that will get a viewer to stay on a video rather then scrolling to the next one is the visual quality. A viewer is more likely to scroll past a video with dim, uneven lighting that makes the stream look low quality, especially if you're selling a product!

Instead, consider the visual appeal of your stream. Is your host lit appropriately? Can you see what they're doing? Can you see the product they're selling?

Especially when selling clothes or makeup, for example, it's important to be able to accurately represent the colour of the product to ensure that the customer knows what they're buying. You don't want your customers sending items back because they don't look the same as in the video! Proper lighting can avoid this issue by providing a clear view of the goods in the stream and not putting any colour cast on the footage.

Lighting your TikTok Livestream

Ambient or natural light doesn't have to be excluded completely for your lighting to look high quality. Just focus on the subject and/or host and you'll be able to draw attention to the most important parts of the stream. You can also light the background if you'd like to (more on this below). 

LED Lighting

LED Panels and Ringlights are your best option for creating flattering and encompassing lighting for your streams without breaking the bank. Position your lights in front of you, a little higher than eye-level to avoid harsh shadows on the face. 

Ringlights have been used by content creators for many years now for a number of reasons. The diffusion cover on the ringlight diffuses and softens the light to make it flattering on the skin, and the round shape of the light provides a wide spread of light around the face, and can also create flattering round catchlights in your eye. The design of the ringlight also allows for a handy smartphone mount in the middle to allow you to film steadily and from somewhere central. 

PIXAPRO RICO140 14" LED Ring Light	RICO240B MKII 46cm LED Ringlight	Godox LR160 19" Bi-Colour LED Ring Light

Strip Lighting will offer a similar effect; as long as you've got more than one small light, you should be able to light yourself and the product easily. Our Ziggy and TIRA strip lights are perfect for this, and as separate lights, can be adjusted as needed! (If you've already got a smartphone stand solution, the Ziggy set is great for you, or, if you need a smartphone mount, choose the TIRA Set.)

These strip lights allow you more flexibility with the lighting to move the individual strips where needed without having to adjust your whole setup. The design of these also allows you to move the strips in a curved shape around the face to light the sides, unlike a ringlight which is usually set face-on. 

PIXAPRO ZIGGY 5600K HandHeld LED Tube Stick Twin Kit (No Stands)	PIXAPRO TIRA Double Arm LED Strip Light With 240cm Air Cushioned Stand

Fluorescent Lighting

If a ringlight or striplight isn't quite enough to evenly light you when shooting at more of a distance, or if you're streaming with multiple people, then try fluorescent lighting instead. Fluorescent lighting kits consist of a stand, bulb head and softbox or umbrella. One or two of these heads will light up your background and the modifiers will help provide a wider spread of light across your set.

These are great for a more permanent setup if you don't need it to be super portable such as podcasts or studio streams. Make sure you have space for these - if you're shooting in a more enclosed area, try an LED Ringlight or Striplight first.

PIXAPRO EzyLite Softbox Single Continuous Lighting Kit With 85W Bulb	PIXAPRO Dual 85w EzyLite Studio Continuous Softbox Lighting Kit	PIXAPRO UNILiTE E27 Continuous Lighting Twin Kit

RGB Lighting

RGB lights are a really fun and easy way to add some more interest to the background of your livestream. If you're looking for a way to add something eye-catching and colourful, especially if you're shooting somewhere plain and minimalist like a spare room or studio space, then something like an RGB tube or feature on the wall can do this. 

RGB or practical lighting in the background like lamps can also make the stream seem cosier and more natural, and can offset harsh and plain lighting from LEDs and fluorescent lighting. 

PIXAPRO Rainbow Series 320-Degree RGB LED Neon Light Tube	GODOX TL30 8W RGB LED Tube Light Video Film Production	PIXAPRO NEON RGB Flex IP67 Waterproof RGB LED Light Rope With Bluetooth Functionality

Elevate your TikTok Livestream game by using high-quality (yet affordable) LED and fluorescent lighting and see just how many more viewers you get to stick around! 

Got questions about the lighting in this blog? Get in touch at info@essentialphoto.co.uk and our advisors can help.