Content creators couldn't live without these tools in 2022

It's never been more exciting to create online content, and 2022 was no exception. There's an app or hardware out there that can make your job easier, more fun, and even easier. As you can see, there are many tools available, which can be overwhelming. There's so much that you can miss. Every year, I take a look at the latest products and services available and share with you some of my favorite tools and services. The standard bearers of audio and video creation seemed to have become pretty obvious in the past year when it came down to hardware. Software is where the fun begins. Some apps are completely new and others add interesting twists to existing apps. Let's take a look at some of the most intriguing. Video and livestreaming Ecamm Live is quickly becoming the top streaming service for creators. It's intuitive and not as complicated as other broadcasting software. I have recommended it before. Ecamm Live is currently in beta and is truly a brand new app.

Ecamm Live remains the best choice for Mac-based streamers.
Credit: Mashable Screenshot

Multistreaming is now possible on multiple platforms such as Twitch, YouTube and many more. Restream is a separate service that allows multistreaming. I recommend that people without fast internet access use these services. Ecamm Live integrates this feature into its streaming software. This is great if you have an ISP plan that can handle it. Ecamm Live now allows you to record your camera and audio inputs separately, so that you can create a completely new video with the same content. You can even repurpose the content you have recorded to make a podcast. This is a popular trend among creators. You can also grab audio from a Twitch livestream and make it a podcast. You can also trim the long-form content to be uploaded on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. There are many apps that can help you do this. Repurpose.io, chopcast, and other apps allow users to quickly cut up content, resize video to fit specific platforms such as Instagram Reels or TikTok, and add overlays for social media-friendly videos. Timebolt, which I have recommended previously, scans the video for any lulls and cuts out any silence. This app is perfect for those who want to make their live video into podcast episodes.

TimeBolt automatically removes silence from your videos.
Credit: TimeBolt

The Shure MV7 is the best USB microphone option if you are looking for hardware recommendations. The quality of the Shure MV7 is comparable to its older sibling, the Shure SM7B. This has been the standard for professional audio recording. Rode's Rodecaster Pro is a better choice than any other cheaper options if you have XLR microphones that you wish to use over USB. A fully functional soundboard that can be used as a standalone recording device could prove to be extremely helpful in your creator workflow.

Credit: Shure

The Elgato Cam Link will transform almost any DSLR or mirrorless camera to a webcam, producing better quality video than any other "real" webcam. Elgato still offers the best lighting solution to streamers thanks to its Key Lights. These can be switched on and off and can also be adjusted via a mobile application. The Mac Mini M1 is still my favorite computer for creators. It's the most powerful and affordable. If you are a creator who is willing to spend more, then the 14-inch Macbook Pro with M1 Pro chip might be the right choice. M1 Pro's performance is 60% better than the M1. Social media content However, I prefer social media tools that facilitate content research and allow me to track conversations about trending topics.

Reddit has everything. You can also use Gummy Search to find content ideas.
Credit: Mashable Screenshot

Reddit is an excellent resource for content creators looking for anything and everything to discuss. GummySearch, a Reddit tool, allows users to monitor trending posts and other relevant conversations. It works in a similar way to Google Alerts, but for Reddit. Twitter is another great place to search for topics to write content. Bird Search is an iOS app that allows you to do deep searches on the platform and find content based upon specific attributes such as top tweets or tweets with most likes containing a search term. Xnapper, a super-easy tool, gives you full control over how your screenshots are designed. Xnapper can help you create background images for tweets, add a border, or round edges to it, and then automatically resize it according to your needs.

Xnapper can help you make your screenshots look great quickly if you have a lot.
Credit: Mashable Screenshot

ZoZo App is a great app for sharing the same content across social media. This iOS app adds keyboard shortcuts for your iPhone or iPad keyboard. It allows you to convert any type of item, such as a link, photo or text template, into a single-click button on your phone. Pivo is a motion-tracking smartphone camera mounting that allows you to load all your social media links and then post them using a single click. Pivo can be used to follow you around the room while you shoot video. It was amazing how accurate it was in locating an individual and following them around. After reviewing the videos, I was pleasantly surprised at how accurate it was in tracking an individual and following them around the room. It's amazing to see the AI-generated content. There are real concerns about their use, but that's another story. When using AI tools, it is important to remember that they are tools. These apps can be used to break writer's blocks or to help you think of new creative directions to take your story. These apps should not be used for final output. It is the only AI writer that I have seen that offers fact checking, at least on a consumer level. Katteb's fact-checked outputs are a great place to start if you're a YouTuber, podcaster or blogger looking for line suggestions for scripts. The outputs I tested were accurate in my tests, which is impressive considering my experience with AI writers who often make incorrect claims. Wordplay, meanwhile, can be used to create longer forms of website content. Wordplay seems to be focused on search engine optimization targeting. This is a good thing for creators, who can edit the AI output in their own voice and not have to worry about boring SEO keyword targeting.

Credit: PastePal

Linguix and Grammarly offer writing tools that are easy to embed into everyday workflows. Grammarly and Linguix offer writing tools that can be embedded into everyday workflows. These include sentence rewrite options and grammar checks. I copy and paste links to YouTube clips, Twitch streams, and podcast episodes all the time. It is helpful to be able save those links across all my devices, as they can be cumbersome and long. PastePal is a cross-platform Mac and iOS app that preserves all your copy and paste history and lets you access them from your desktop or mobile device. It is a great way to save time and not have to switch between different apps when copying links to share on social networks. This category is full of great web apps, and it can be really difficult. You can't use all of them, so you have to choose what works best for you. All things start with a topic or a story. Creators should use RSS reader apps if they don’t have them, to keep up with the latest news at their favorite sites. Feedly is the most popular, but there are many. Old-school RSS experts will still long for the once-defunct Google Reader. BazQux Reader was my first application to emulate the Google Reader feel.

Google Reader deja vu?
Credit: BazQux Reader

Creators need to organize everything after finding sources and links. A good bookmarking tool is essential. It's not easy to find the right RSS reader. But it is difficult to find the best tool to manage your bookmarks. Your personal preference is all that matters. Raindrop.io is a long-standing favorite. This year, I discovered a few options that are worth looking into. Marqly and Guardo, two new bookmark managers. Both have similar pinboard layouts that make it easy to find links. However, each one has its own unique features. Marqly, for example, allows you to highlight text and save it within the link that you bookmark so you can easily refer to specific parts of the website. Guardo's best feature is the ability to make your bookmark list public, so that you can share links among collaborators. Anybox and Marklog are two other great bookmarking tools I found. Marklog and Anybox are two other great bookmarking options I came across. I use Twitter's built in bookmarks feature to save many tweets that I want to refer to again, so Marklog's ability connect to my Twitter account to automatically pull in and organize bookmarks was very useful. Anybox is the best choice for users who prefer to manage bookmarks via desktop apps. They can also be synced to mobile devices via the cloud. Session Buddy, if you only want to save things locally, and Toby, for a cloud-based option.

Lunatask helps you keep your projects on the right track.
Credit: Lunatask

To avoid getting overwhelmed while creating content, you should have a to-do-list. Lunatask is a great tool for creating to-do lists specific to creative projects. It offers more options to help you track what needs to get done. It allows you to easily prioritise tasks and push back other tasks. You can also track their status. It is useful for keeping up to date with podcast episode release dates and publishing content. It also has a built in journaling feature. However, if you need a full-fledged note app for writing down ideas, I recommend Upnote. Walling is a visual planning and media creation app that allows you to visualize your ideas and create a kind of pinboard with text, links and media. There are many online services and mobile apps to choose from, as well as hardware recommendations. These recommendations will help you in your content creation efforts in 2023 and beyond.