Best Webcam for Online Music Lessons via Zoom

After purchasing and testing several webcams for online piano lessons over the years, here are my current thoughts (as of 2024):

• The best cost-effective webcam for Zoom music lessons is the Logitech Brio (view price on Amazon).

• The best webcam overall is the Elgato Facecam Pro (view price on Amazon).

Note that this article was originally published in 2020 and has since been updated. Also note that I may earn commissions on qualifying purchases from links in this article.

Logitech Brio

Although I feel the Brio falls short in terms of the ability to customize it, it makes up for this with its large field of view, clear picture, and ease of use. Additionally, it has stood the test of time and has a large number of positive reviews.

It's also worth mentioning that the Brio works very well as an overhead webcam, especially compared to other similar cameras. The image is generally straighter and the field of view options are very helpful for getting the framing right. If you are looking for a cost effective overhead webcam, this is the one to get.

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Wide Field of View

The Brio webcam has many other features, which I will get into shortly, but the importance of having a wide field of view cannot be overstated. The reason I believe this is so important is because of how close it allows you to setup the camera to where you are sitting. This is perfect for cramped spaces or situations where the camera can’t be more than an arms reach or so from where you are sitting.

Most other webcams have a 78 degree FOV, which means that these cameras don’t see as much in the shot compared to the Brio. The narrower the field of view is, the farther away you will have to place your camera. In my experience, this makes things more awkward when you are actually teaching and need to access notes or control anything on your computer.

With the Logitech Brio, you can keep the camera just out of arms reach, right behind your laptop. This means that your laptop and other equipment will be out of shot while still you will still appear to be looking directly at the camera. The convenience of this feature, at least for teaching online music lessons, cannot be overstated.

4k, HDR, Rightlight, and Other Features

The Logitech Brio is equipped with many advanced features that most other webcams do not support. This includes the ability to record in 4K, high dynamic range, better color saturation, and sharper views compared to other webcams, and decent lowlight performance.

The Logitech Brio has many other features, most of which are intended to cater towards streamers, so I don’t feel the need to mention them here. Outside of the great field of view, I consider the other features of this camera as helpful but non essential for teaching purposes.

Issues with Exposure

One thing to consider is that the “Right Light” feature, which automatically adjusts exposure, white balance, and other things, cannot be disabled. You can set the exposure manually, but the camera performance is not nearly as good.

My advice is to keep bright lights out of the shot and preferably behind the camera (facing the subject) to avoid exposure issues. This is true of most webcams, but it is especially true of the Brio because of how the "Right Light" feature works.

A Better Alternative: The Elgato Facecam Pro

While the Brio is a great cost-effective webcam for lessons, it is certainly not the best webcam overall. The Brio is somewhat dated at this point, being that it has been out for several years now. If you are willing to pay more, there is a notably better option.

In my opinion, the best webcam that you can buy right now, especially for music lessons (and for use as an overhead webcam) is the Facecam Pro (view on Amazon).

This camera is one of very few that truly bridges the gap between typical webcams and entry level mirrorless cameras (which are significantly more involved and expensive).

The software makes it incredibly easy to get the framing perfect, especially when used overhead. This is the camera that I currently use in my overhead shots (as of 2024). However, it works very well as a general camera because of the large sensor and great color accuracy.

If you can afford it, definitely get the Facecam Pro. Note that Elgato also makes a newly updated version of the Facecam (non pro). While this is a very good camera, the sensor is not as large as the pro. Also, the shot isn't as straight when used overhead. It might make sense to use a regular Facecam as a side profile camera and the Facecam Pro overhead. Alternatively, just get two Facecam Pros!

In Summary

Back in 2020 (when I originally wrote this article), I preferred the Logitech Brio. At the time, it was easily the best option. Since then, many new webcams have entered the market. However, most of them lack the wide field of view and field of view adjustments that are found on the Brio. For this reason, I still recommend the Brio if you are looking for a cost effective option.

Once the Facecam Pro came out, I upgraded from the Brio and haven't looked back. The Facecam Pro is a significantly better camera in every way.

On a side note, if you are interested in learning about all of the equipment I use to run my online piano lesson studio, definitely check out this post.

This post was originally published on the Clarion Clavier blog in March, 2020. It has since been updated and relocated to this site.