Vidnik: From iSight to YouTube in 2 Clicks

If you want to be the next lonelygirl15 or Angry Video Game Nerd, Vidnik makes the process a snap. The freeware application from Google Mac developer David Phillip Oster lets you record video segments using your Mac’s iSight camera and upload them directly to YouTube in just a few clicks. It’s ideal for video diaries that require little editing or for a quick video response to a popular YouTube clip.

Once you’ve recorded yourself ranting about politics, playing the guitar or trying out your standup comedy routine, your video will show up in a list of others you’ve recorded or added to the Vidnik library by dragging it onto the app. After it’s recorded, just set its title, description, category and tags, and click upload to have it blasted to your YouTube account. Vidnik offers very basic video editing features like cutting and deleting sections of a clip. You can also take videos recorded using the software to another post-production app like iMovie or Final Cut Pro, but that somewhat defeats the purpose of taping in Vidnik.

Vidnik is freeware, but it’s still in the early stages of development. I’ve experienced a considerable amount of lag in playback during recording, and many people have reported a discrepancy between the sound and picture timing when uploading to YouTube. However, Osters says he is actively working to fix these issues and improve the software. Vidnik’s simplicity has a lot of potential to become the standard for Mac users who regularly produce YouTube content. Give Vidnik a download, and you could already be on your way to becoming a YouTube celebrity.