Free: Explore YouTube’s 9 Premium Full-Length Christmas Flicks

Watch 9 Free Full Length Christmas Movies On Youtube

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are looking for Christmas entertainment this season you may be quick to look towards a provider like iTunes or Netflix to give you some excellent Christmas movies. The good news is that you can also find a number of excellent classic Christmas movies on YouTube. Accessing these movies on YouTube while to save your rental fees as well as make sure that you can have a steady stream of Christmas entertainment whoever you might be visiting over the holiday season. Here are some of the top 10 classic movies that you can find for free on YouTube right now.

1. The nutcracker 1990

The Nutcracker is a holiday classic that many people seek out every year on the stage. This family ballet classic was filmed by the Pacific Northwest ballet in a huge and lavish version of the production in 1986. This still stands as one of the best versions of the Nutcracker ever captured on film and you can watch it for free on YouTube. You can find the Nutcracker at :

2. A smoky mountain Christmas

A Smoky Mountain Christmas is a film from 1986 directed by Harry Winkler and starring Lee Majors and Dolly Parton. The full musical fairy tale can be found online on YouTube and it’s about a country singer who is trying to spend a quiet Christmas holiday at home. She suddenly becomes involved with a mysterious mountain man, an evil witch and is forced to protect seven orphans over the holidays. This film can be found at:

3. Ernest saves Christmas

This film from 1989 features Jim Varney and his most famous character Ernest in a holiday Christmas movie that is an instant classic. This film is very funny and a favorite amongst some of the Ernest films for many. This Christmas movie from 1989 can be found at:

4. A Christmas story

A Christmas story has long been one of the favorite Christmas movies for many families. In this film from 1983 we travel back in time to a traditional 1940s Christmas. In this film we follow the nine-year-old Ralphie who is looking for the famous red Ryder BB gun for Christmas and will stop at absolutely nothing to get it. A Christmas story can be found at:

5. Richie Rich’s Christmas wish

In this film from 1998 we hear the story of the richest kid in the world on Christmas. In this film we see the richest in the world wishing that he had never been born with the wish coming true. Richie needs to find himself a new wishing machine and a way out of the parallel universe he gets stuck in to get back to his family. You can find this film at:

6. On the second day of Christmas

This film stars the hulk Mark Ruffalo in one of his earlier roles as a store employee who catches a con woman trying to steal from a department store on Christmas. His character agrees to be responsible for the con woman and her niece over the holidays to prevent them from staying with social services. A romance develops! This 1997 film can be found at:

7. Santa Who?

Santa who is a film from the year 2000 starring Leslie Nielsen. In this holiday classic Santa suffers a severe case of amnesia on Christmas Eve and needs to recover for Christmas day in order to make it through and deliver presents to all of the good children of the world. See if Santa gets his Christmas memories back by watching Santa Who here:

8. A Christmas Carol

In this film from 1984 George C Scott brings to life the role of Ebenezer Scrooge from the perspective of the Charles Dickens novel. This is heavily been regarded as one of the most accurate versions to the Charles Dickens story. Although it may not have all of the special effects of some of the other versions of a Christmas carol this is still one of the favored versions of the story out there. You can watch this 1984 film here:

9. Miracle on 34th street

In this recreation of the original film from 1947 this shortened full-length version from 1955 per trade is the classic story of santa on trial. A department store Santa suggests that he’s the real santa and goes on trial to prove it. In this version of miracle on 34th Street starring Thomas Mitchell and Macdonald Carey we learn who really believes in Santa Claus. You can find this classic film here:

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are looking for Christmas entertainment this season you may be quick to look towards a provider like iTunes or Netflix to give you some excellent Christmas movies. The good news is that you can also find a number of excellent classic Christmas movies on YouTube. Accessing these movies on YouTube while to save your rental fees as well as make sure that you can have a steady stream of Christmas entertainment whoever you might be visiting over the holiday season. Here are some of the top 10 classic movies that you can find for free on YouTube right now.

1. The nutcracker 1990

The Nutcracker is a holiday classic that many people seek out every year on the stage. This family ballet classic was filmed by the Pacific Northwest ballet in a huge and lavish version of the production in 1986. This still stands as one of the best versions of the Nutcracker ever captured on film and you can watch it for free on YouTube. You can find the Nutcracker at :

2. A smoky mountain Christmas

A Smoky Mountain Christmas is a film from 1986 directed by Harry Winkler and starring Lee Majors and Dolly Parton. The full musical fairy tale can be found online on YouTube and it’s about a country singer who is trying to spend a quiet Christmas holiday at home. She suddenly becomes involved with a mysterious mountain man, an evil witch and is forced to protect seven orphans over the holidays. This film can be found at:

3. Ernest saves Christmas

This film from 1989 features Jim Varney and his most famous character Ernest in a holiday Christmas movie that is an instant classic. This film is very funny and a favorite amongst some of the Ernest films for many. This Christmas movie from 1989 can be found at:

4. A Christmas story

A Christmas story has long been one of the favorite Christmas movies for many families. In this film from 1983 we travel back in time to a traditional 1940s Christmas. In this film we follow the nine-year-old Ralphie who is looking for the famous red Ryder BB gun for Christmas and will stop at absolutely nothing to get it. A Christmas story can be found at:

5. Richie Rich’s Christmas wish

In this film from 1998 we hear the story of the richest kid in the world on Christmas. In this film we see the richest in the world wishing that he had never been born with the wish coming true. Richie needs to find himself a new wishing machine and a way out of the parallel universe he gets stuck in to get back to his family. You can find this film at:

6. On the second day of Christmas

This film stars the hulk Mark Ruffalo in one of his earlier roles as a store employee who catches a con woman trying to steal from a department store on Christmas. His character agrees to be responsible for the con woman and her niece over the holidays to prevent them from staying with social services. A romance develops! This 1997 film can be found at:

7. Santa Who?

Santa who is a film from the year 2000 starring Leslie Nielsen. In this holiday classic Santa suffers a severe case of amnesia on Christmas Eve and needs to recover for Christmas day in order to make it through and deliver presents to all of the good children of the world. See if Santa gets his Christmas memories back by watching Santa Who here:

8. A Christmas Carol

In this film from 1984 George C Scott brings to life the role of Ebenezer Scrooge from the perspective of the Charles Dickens novel. This is heavily been regarded as one of the most accurate versions to the Charles Dickens story. Although it may not have all of the special effects of some of the other versions of a Christmas carol this is still one of the favored versions of the story out there. You can watch this 1984 film here:

9. Miracle on 34th street

In this recreation of the original film from 1947 this shortened full-length version from 1955 per trade is the classic story of santa on trial. A department store Santa suggests that he’s the real santa and goes on trial to prove it. In this version of miracle on 34th Street starring Thomas Mitchell and Macdonald Carey we learn who really believes in Santa Claus. You can find this classic film here:

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are looking for Christmas entertainment this season you may be quick to look towards a provider like iTunes or Netflix to give you some excellent Christmas movies. The good news is that you can also find a number of excellent classic Christmas movies on YouTube. Accessing these movies on YouTube while to save your rental fees as well as make sure that you can have a steady stream of Christmas entertainment whoever you might be visiting over the holiday season. Here are some of the top 10 classic movies that you can find for free on YouTube right now.

1. The nutcracker 1990

The Nutcracker is a holiday classic that many people seek out every year on the stage. This family ballet classic was filmed by the Pacific Northwest ballet in a huge and lavish version of the production in 1986. This still stands as one of the best versions of the Nutcracker ever captured on film and you can watch it for free on YouTube. You can find the Nutcracker at :

2. A smoky mountain Christmas

A Smoky Mountain Christmas is a film from 1986 directed by Harry Winkler and starring Lee Majors and Dolly Parton. The full musical fairy tale can be found online on YouTube and it’s about a country singer who is trying to spend a quiet Christmas holiday at home. She suddenly becomes involved with a mysterious mountain man, an evil witch and is forced to protect seven orphans over the holidays. This film can be found at:

3. Ernest saves Christmas

This film from 1989 features Jim Varney and his most famous character Ernest in a holiday Christmas movie that is an instant classic. This film is very funny and a favorite amongst some of the Ernest films for many. This Christmas movie from 1989 can be found at:

4. A Christmas story

A Christmas story has long been one of the favorite Christmas movies for many families. In this film from 1983 we travel back in time to a traditional 1940s Christmas. In this film we follow the nine-year-old Ralphie who is looking for the famous red Ryder BB gun for Christmas and will stop at absolutely nothing to get it. A Christmas story can be found at:

5. Richie Rich’s Christmas wish

In this film from 1998 we hear the story of the richest kid in the world on Christmas. In this film we see the richest in the world wishing that he had never been born with the wish coming true. Richie needs to find himself a new wishing machine and a way out of the parallel universe he gets stuck in to get back to his family. You can find this film at:

6. On the second day of Christmas

This film stars the hulk Mark Ruffalo in one of his earlier roles as a store employee who catches a con woman trying to steal from a department store on Christmas. His character agrees to be responsible for the con woman and her niece over the holidays to prevent them from staying with social services. A romance develops! This 1997 film can be found at:

7. Santa Who?

Santa who is a film from the year 2000 starring Leslie Nielsen. In this holiday classic Santa suffers a severe case of amnesia on Christmas Eve and needs to recover for Christmas day in order to make it through and deliver presents to all of the good children of the world. See if Santa gets his Christmas memories back by watching Santa Who here:

8. A Christmas Carol

In this film from 1984 George C Scott brings to life the role of Ebenezer Scrooge from the perspective of the Charles Dickens novel. This is heavily been regarded as one of the most accurate versions to the Charles Dickens story. Although it may not have all of the special effects of some of the other versions of a Christmas carol this is still one of the favored versions of the story out there. You can watch this 1984 film here:

9. Miracle on 34th street

In this recreation of the original film from 1947 this shortened full-length version from 1955 per trade is the classic story of santa on trial. A department store Santa suggests that he’s the real santa and goes on trial to prove it. In this version of miracle on 34th Street starring Thomas Mitchell and Macdonald Carey we learn who really believes in Santa Claus. You can find this classic film here:

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you are looking for Christmas entertainment this season you may be quick to look towards a provider like iTunes or Netflix to give you some excellent Christmas movies. The good news is that you can also find a number of excellent classic Christmas movies on YouTube. Accessing these movies on YouTube while to save your rental fees as well as make sure that you can have a steady stream of Christmas entertainment whoever you might be visiting over the holiday season. Here are some of the top 10 classic movies that you can find for free on YouTube right now.

1. The nutcracker 1990

The Nutcracker is a holiday classic that many people seek out every year on the stage. This family ballet classic was filmed by the Pacific Northwest ballet in a huge and lavish version of the production in 1986. This still stands as one of the best versions of the Nutcracker ever captured on film and you can watch it for free on YouTube. You can find the Nutcracker at :

2. A smoky mountain Christmas

A Smoky Mountain Christmas is a film from 1986 directed by Harry Winkler and starring Lee Majors and Dolly Parton. The full musical fairy tale can be found online on YouTube and it’s about a country singer who is trying to spend a quiet Christmas holiday at home. She suddenly becomes involved with a mysterious mountain man, an evil witch and is forced to protect seven orphans over the holidays. This film can be found at:

3. Ernest saves Christmas

This film from 1989 features Jim Varney and his most famous character Ernest in a holiday Christmas movie that is an instant classic. This film is very funny and a favorite amongst some of the Ernest films for many. This Christmas movie from 1989 can be found at:

4. A Christmas story

A Christmas story has long been one of the favorite Christmas movies for many families. In this film from 1983 we travel back in time to a traditional 1940s Christmas. In this film we follow the nine-year-old Ralphie who is looking for the famous red Ryder BB gun for Christmas and will stop at absolutely nothing to get it. A Christmas story can be found at:

5. Richie Rich’s Christmas wish

In this film from 1998 we hear the story of the richest kid in the world on Christmas. In this film we see the richest in the world wishing that he had never been born with the wish coming true. Richie needs to find himself a new wishing machine and a way out of the parallel universe he gets stuck in to get back to his family. You can find this film at:

6. On the second day of Christmas

This film stars the hulk Mark Ruffalo in one of his earlier roles as a store employee who catches a con woman trying to steal from a department store on Christmas. His character agrees to be responsible for the con woman and her niece over the holidays to prevent them from staying with social services. A romance develops! This 1997 film can be found at:

7. Santa Who?

Santa who is a film from the year 2000 starring Leslie Nielsen. In this holiday classic Santa suffers a severe case of amnesia on Christmas Eve and needs to recover for Christmas day in order to make it through and deliver presents to all of the good children of the world. See if Santa gets his Christmas memories back by watching Santa Who here:

8. A Christmas Carol

In this film from 1984 George C Scott brings to life the role of Ebenezer Scrooge from the perspective of the Charles Dickens novel. This is heavily been regarded as one of the most accurate versions to the Charles Dickens story. Although it may not have all of the special effects of some of the other versions of a Christmas carol this is still one of the favored versions of the story out there. You can watch this 1984 film here:

9. Miracle on 34th street

In this recreation of the original film from 1947 this shortened full-length version from 1955 per trade is the classic story of santa on trial. A department store Santa suggests that he’s the real santa and goes on trial to prove it. In this version of miracle on 34th Street starring Thomas Mitchell and Macdonald Carey we learn who really believes in Santa Claus. You can find this classic film here:

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Enhancing Video Signals with YouTube Cards

How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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