How to Make Reaction Videos on YouTube

Lumi 24/04/2025

CleverGet All-in-One

1,794 views

When we see interesting content, we often share it with our family or friends. Watching the wonderful reactions of the people being shared is also part of the joy we get from viewing videos. Many bloggers have also caught on to this business opportunity and will make reaction videos of popular shows with their tweets. Such reaction videos have brought them many hits and airplay, and people seem to love finding empathy along the web. At the same time, bloggers can use this opportunity to express their opinions and spark a discussion in the comments section.

You might think, "Can I make a reaction video, too?" “What if I don't know how to get started?” That's okay. We've got one of the most detailed tutorials on how to make reaction videos, including capturing the original video, adding your narration, and trimming the details. Here are also listed some useful software programs for your reference. Take action now to make your first reaction video and see if it attracts more followers to your channel!

Part 1: What Is a Reaction Video

Reaction videos are where the creator records his or her reaction while watching certain content, including facial expressions, real-time comments, changes in feelings, etc. Such videos are typically posted on short online platforms such as YouTube, and creators often choose popular videos for their material. The original video can be popular music, movie trailers, funny videos, trick videos, game action, climax clips of TV shows, social events, reactions to receiving gifts, etc. The creator will attach another window to the original video, presenting his or her reaction from the webcam recording. The point of this type of video is whether the creator's reaction is real enough and whether it resonates with the viewer.

Depending on the content of the reaction video and the creators involved, it can be divided into the following two categories.

1. Common Types

The more common reaction videos tend to feature only the creator, who will either say funny asides to entertain the viewer as they watch the content of the original video or carefully analyze the phenomenon presented in the original video and provide more in-depth insights and thoughts. Viewers of these types of videos want to be entertained twice or to see other people's opinions on things as if they have a virtual friend to keep them company while they play on their cell phones.

2. Creative types: Duo Reactions, Expert Reactions

This type of reaction video is going to be a bit more complicated.
For duo reaction videos, creators must create a social and interactive atmosphere with their partners. Viewers want to see how a group of people see the same video differently and how they interact with each other.

Expert reactions require a qualified blogger to give professional analysis and thoughts on the original video. For example, a famous chef watches a cooking video posted by others and evaluates the steps and the finished product before giving his opinion on improving it. Viewers hope to be inspired to learn from such videos.

Part 2: Why Do Reaction Videos Go Viral Among People

Reaction videos have been going viral since 2007. Viewers are sometimes suddenly puzzled: why do bloggers attract many followers themselves when they're just watching content posted by others in a video? And why do people click through to other people's reaction videos so much?
First of all, these types of videos are very inexpensive to make. You just need to record the original video playing on the screen and your reaction from the webcam. Many screen recorders nowadays allow you to record both, and you don't need much editing and splicing. Just prepare what you want to say and give a realistic reaction.

Plus, people online are looking to find empathy. In a reaction video, viewers will feel an emotional link with the blogger, and feeling understood makes them feel comforted. Moreover, bloggers can express their opinions to show their personality and charisma, making viewers feel they have made virtual friends. A professional blogger will also be like a teacher, teaching everyone much knowledge.

Part 3: Top 7 Tools to Make Reaction Videos

Making a reaction video is very simple. Just capture the footage and record your reaction via webcam. You can capture the webcam while recording the original video or download the original video and add narration and commentary.

We've picked out 7 tools that can help you, including the best screen recorders,, video downloaders, and video editors. Before you get started, pick your favorite combination.

Screen Recorder/Video Downloader Tools

NO.1 Leawo Free Screen Recorder

Feature: Free, Windows-only

First of all, we recommend you try Leawo Free Screen Recorder. This program can record content from a screen, webcam, system sound, and microphone at the same time. That means you can collect all the material at once with it. Moreover, it supports output up to HD MP4, so viewers will never complain that your work is too blurry. The program also allows you to highlight the mouse, which you can apply to direct the viewer to the part you're focusing on. Leawo Free Screen Recorder is 100% free, and you don't need to pay for a subscription to unlock the full features.

NO.2 OBS Studio

Feature: Free, for Windows, macOS, Linux

As an open-source and free tool, OBS Studio is very powerful in recording the screen and has many customization options. Likewise, it supports simultaneous screen and webcam capture. It's best at recording gameplay, so it's great for creating game action, commentary, and reaction videos.OBS Studio also has a live-streaming feature, which makes it the best choice for game broadcasters. Only some users report that its interface is complicated and the buttons are not easy to find.

NO.3 CleverGet Streaming Video Recorder

Feature: paid, support recording streaming platforms

CleverGet Streaming Video Recorder can record online videos from almost all streaming platforms with 4K definition quality. You can also use it to record live streams. Surprisingly, it offers 5x recording speed, meaning it takes only one-fifth of the total video length to complete the recording. This way, you no longer have to wait too long to capture long videos for footage. CleverGet Streaming Video Recorder also helps you skip ads and stop pop-ups or borders from interfering with the recording screen. You don't need to constantly wait in front of the screen. It can finish the task automatically and save the recorded video.

NO.4 CleverGet All-in-One

Feature: paid, support downloading videos from streaming platforms

"Can I download the entire video first and then add my own reactions?" With CleverGet All-in-One, you don't have to spend time waiting for a long recording to finish. It supports you to download videos from more than 1,000 streaming sites such as YouTube, TikTok, HBO Max, Netflix, etc., and the highest output definition can be up to 8K. When you want to make a reaction video for a movie or a serial, CleverGet All-in-One is the best choice to help you capture the footage. You can choose to output the footage to MP4 or MKV format, and they are adapted with almost all video editing tools. In addition, the advertisements that were originally present in the videos you download will be removed.

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• CleverGet All-in-One

  - Download online videos from 1000+ sites at up to 8K resolution.
  - Download live-stream videos from various platforms without extractors.
  - Batch download several videos from your target playlists or channels.
  - Allow users to choose output resolution and formats for unlimited watching.
  - Download selected audio tracks and subtitles, or save subtitles as SRT.
  - Remove ads and pop-ups from downloaded videos for smooth watching.

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Editing Tools

Reaction videos can't be too long. So, you need to trim the footage and keep only the part you want to comment on. In this section, we'll recommend 3 good video editors to help you do that.

NO.5 DaVinci Resolve

Feature: free, Windows, macOS, Linux

First, you have to look at DaVinci Resolve. It's an all-in-one video editing software with industrial standards, and many movie professionals are using it. Its main features include video editing, color correction, adding visual effects, and audio adjustments, the most prominent of which is color correction. The program will provide you with a timeline where you will be able to perform all the editing operations. Its collaboration feature will also allow you and your team members to work on a project at the same time. However, DaVinci Resolve's interface is also admittedly complex, and the official manual provided is very, very long. Even for the simplest cropping of a video, you may have to perform many steps.

NO.6 CapCut

Feature: free, desktop & mobile

Much more newbie-friendly than the one above, CapCut was developed by TikTok's parent company. The video editing and trimming tools offered by this software work very well, and the available effects, music, and templates are in line with the latest trends. The software is best at creating social media videos and short videos, and it's a perfect fit for you to make reaction videos with it. CapCut also offers some AI features to automatically generate content that meets your needs. Note that the free version of CapCut may add watermarks to your exported videos.

NO.7 Leawo Video Converter Ultimate

Feature: paid, Windows, macOS

Leawo Video Converter Ultimate is software that converts and edits videos. Here, you are supported in converting the footage to a format more suitable for publishing on short video platforms and using the full set of video editing tools it offers. You can trim the video length, composite video clips, add watermarks, rotate the frame, and even apply 3D effects. You can also adjust video codec, bitrate, aspect ratio, frame rate, and other parameters to create the effect you want. If you don't need its DVD and Blu-ray disc processing functions on a daily basis, then applying the basic version named Leawo Video Converter will do.

Part 4: How to Make Reaction Videos on YouTube

Once you have your tools ready, you can get started. Here's a step-by-step guide that teaches you how to make a reaction video. We will use Leawo Free Screen Recorder as an example to start the narrative.

Step 1: Start by simply making a plan and selecting the video footage you want to use. Define your requirements for the window layout, i.e., which is more suitable for being played in a large window, your footage, or the original video.

Step 2: Get Leawo Free Screen Recorder on your computer. Launch it and finish the start settings.

Step 3: Go to the YouTube website and play the video you want to react to on the full screen.

Step 4: Open Leawo Free Screen Recorder. Expand the record area list and choose Record Full Screen.

Step 5: Then choose Record Camera. The content from your camera is presented in a small window. Drag the window to choose the right position. Set the System Sound and Microphone as the audio source.

Step 6: Click REC to start recording. React and say what you think when the YouTube video plays to the corresponding clip. When you finish, end the recording.

Step 7: Export the footage you record. Choose a video editor and modify your video.

Step 8: Download the edited video and upload it to YouTube.

Part 5: FAQs

Q1: How to make reaction videos on YouTube without copyright?

You can play as little of the original movie as possible, leaving only the necessary parts, and then make your point about those parts. If there is a citation, be sure to cite the source. Also, be careful not to use copyrighted background music. If you need to use it, first seek permission from the creator.

Q2: How do you make reaction videos without showing your face?

If you don't want the viewer to see your image, you can insert your narration while recording a video of the material on the screen. Or you can record the narration separately and then use a video editor to incorporate it into the original video.