Strategic Use of Creative Commons Copyright Law

How to Use Creative Commons Copyright Licenses [Complete Guide]

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

You might have noticed that, when you post a video, you get to choose how you want to copyright it: standard license, or creative commons. You’ve also probably noticed that when you looking for royalty-free music or stock footage a lot of it is licensed through creative commons.

So, what exactly are creative commons ?

To hold the copyright to a creative work means that you own it, and anybody who wants to use your work for anything (i.e. uses a song you composed in their YouTube video) has to do so on your terms. When you license your work through creative commons you do not give up your rights to your creative work (a common misconception).

When you use a creative commons license you are outlining the terms under which other creators are allowed to use your creations in their projects for free if they credit you for your work.

If you do not want anyone using your work for free in any context, you stick to traditional copyrighting.

But if you’ve created a piece of music, a photograph, or a clip that you wouldn’t mind other people using, potentially as a way to get your name out there, you might want to consider creative commons.

There are 6 different creative commons licenses. Which is right for you will depend on your answers to these two questions:

Are you okay with a creator making money off of something they create using your work?

Are you okay with a creator producing a derivative of your work?

To say ‘no derivatives’ is to say ‘I’m okay with people using it, so long as they don’t change it’. One example of a derivative is a techno remix of a song. If you are alright with other creators making derivatives of your work, you may also want to require them to ‘ShareAlike’. ShareAlike means that the creator of that techno remix of your song has to use the same creative commons license you used for your original to distribute the remix.

An example of a derivative someone might make of a YouTube video would be auto-tuning it to make a song or cutting up your video to make one that’s just ‘the funny parts’.

Here are the 6 creative commons licenses, and a chart you can use as a quick reference tool.

Attribution – CC BY

If you’re using music or other media with this license, all you need to do is credit the artist.

If you license your video this way, people can do whatever they like with any element of it (video or sound) so long as they credit you. I.e. if someone wanted to mute your clips and use you as stock footage in a bigger project, they could.

Attribution-ShareAlike – CC BY-SA

If you use music, photos, or any other media licensed this way, then you must both credit the artist and license your video this same way. Meaning, you can’t use YouTube’s standard license and must instead allow for others to use your work the way you are using the licensed media.

If you apply this license to your video, you’re saying you don’t mind people using all or portions of your video for their project so long as they allow others to use their work in the same way.

Attribution-NoDerivs – CC BY-ND

This one can get tricky.

Essentially, you can use media licensed this way so long as you don’t alter it or create a different version. For example, you can’t take a song licensed this way and use it in a mashup with another song. That part is clear. Where it gets tricky is when you want to use a song in your video.

Under normal copyright rules, using a royalty-free song in the background of your video would not count as creating a derivative. The definition of derivative according to creative commons is a bit broader and includes ‘syncing’. This means you can’t take an ‘Attribution-NoDerivs’ song and create any kind of music video for it.

For example, you can’t edit clips of yourself snowboarding so that they’re in sync with a song that has this license.

Whether or not you can play the song in the background of your vlog while you are speaking can be a bit of a grey area. In theory, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you’re accessing the music through a social site like SoundCloud then it might be best to ask the artist first.

There’s no reason to license your YouTube videos this way. If people cannot alter your video, all that’s left is for them to repost it. Even though they’d also be crediting you, they’d still essentially be stealing views and ad revenue from your original video.

Attribution-NonCommercial – CC BY-NC

If you’re using stock footage, music, or stock photos licensed this way then you should still be able to monetize your video. YouTube monetization and commercial use are different things. However, there is a lot of confusion about this issue, and chances are the rights holder intends for this license to mean ‘no monetization’.

What you definitely could not do with a NonCommercial license is to use the song/other media in an actual commercial for a product, including product placement that a brand is paying you for.

If you license your video this way, people can use it in whatever way they like so long as they credit you and don’t try to make money off of it. Once again, that doesn’t mean they can’t use it in a YouTube video which they monetize because, technically, they’d be making money off of the ad that ran ahead of the video and not the video itself.

The thing to be careful of with this license is that it’s not ‘ShareAlike’. So, if you license your video this way somebody could use your clips as stock footage and then provide them - as part of their project – for free to a third person to use in a project they were making money off of.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike – CC BY-NC-SA

Music and other media with an ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’ license can be used in and altered for your videos, so long as you aren’t making money off those videos. You must also use this same license for the video you create using elements licensed this way.

If you license your video this way, people can use it or a portion of it in their project if they credit you. They must also use this same license for their video if they do. This protects you from the situation where a third person who never licensed your original content is making money off of it.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs – CC BY-NC-ND

There aren’t many situations where you would be using media licensed this way in your YouTube videos. You can’t alter it, sync videos to it, or make money from any video that uses it.

You also probably shouldn’t use this license for your videos. ‘NoDerivs’ means there are not many ways people could use your content, except to repost full videos and steal your views.

Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor

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

You might have noticed that, when you post a video, you get to choose how you want to copyright it: standard license, or creative commons. You’ve also probably noticed that when you looking for royalty-free music or stock footage a lot of it is licensed through creative commons.

So, what exactly are creative commons ?

To hold the copyright to a creative work means that you own it, and anybody who wants to use your work for anything (i.e. uses a song you composed in their YouTube video) has to do so on your terms. When you license your work through creative commons you do not give up your rights to your creative work (a common misconception).

When you use a creative commons license you are outlining the terms under which other creators are allowed to use your creations in their projects for free if they credit you for your work.

If you do not want anyone using your work for free in any context, you stick to traditional copyrighting.

But if you’ve created a piece of music, a photograph, or a clip that you wouldn’t mind other people using, potentially as a way to get your name out there, you might want to consider creative commons.

There are 6 different creative commons licenses. Which is right for you will depend on your answers to these two questions:

Are you okay with a creator making money off of something they create using your work?

Are you okay with a creator producing a derivative of your work?

To say ‘no derivatives’ is to say ‘I’m okay with people using it, so long as they don’t change it’. One example of a derivative is a techno remix of a song. If you are alright with other creators making derivatives of your work, you may also want to require them to ‘ShareAlike’. ShareAlike means that the creator of that techno remix of your song has to use the same creative commons license you used for your original to distribute the remix.

An example of a derivative someone might make of a YouTube video would be auto-tuning it to make a song or cutting up your video to make one that’s just ‘the funny parts’.

Here are the 6 creative commons licenses, and a chart you can use as a quick reference tool.

Attribution – CC BY

If you’re using music or other media with this license, all you need to do is credit the artist.

If you license your video this way, people can do whatever they like with any element of it (video or sound) so long as they credit you. I.e. if someone wanted to mute your clips and use you as stock footage in a bigger project, they could.

Attribution-ShareAlike – CC BY-SA

If you use music, photos, or any other media licensed this way, then you must both credit the artist and license your video this same way. Meaning, you can’t use YouTube’s standard license and must instead allow for others to use your work the way you are using the licensed media.

If you apply this license to your video, you’re saying you don’t mind people using all or portions of your video for their project so long as they allow others to use their work in the same way.

Attribution-NoDerivs – CC BY-ND

This one can get tricky.

Essentially, you can use media licensed this way so long as you don’t alter it or create a different version. For example, you can’t take a song licensed this way and use it in a mashup with another song. That part is clear. Where it gets tricky is when you want to use a song in your video.

Under normal copyright rules, using a royalty-free song in the background of your video would not count as creating a derivative. The definition of derivative according to creative commons is a bit broader and includes ‘syncing’. This means you can’t take an ‘Attribution-NoDerivs’ song and create any kind of music video for it.

For example, you can’t edit clips of yourself snowboarding so that they’re in sync with a song that has this license.

Whether or not you can play the song in the background of your vlog while you are speaking can be a bit of a grey area. In theory, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you’re accessing the music through a social site like SoundCloud then it might be best to ask the artist first.

There’s no reason to license your YouTube videos this way. If people cannot alter your video, all that’s left is for them to repost it. Even though they’d also be crediting you, they’d still essentially be stealing views and ad revenue from your original video.

Attribution-NonCommercial – CC BY-NC

If you’re using stock footage, music, or stock photos licensed this way then you should still be able to monetize your video. YouTube monetization and commercial use are different things. However, there is a lot of confusion about this issue, and chances are the rights holder intends for this license to mean ‘no monetization’.

What you definitely could not do with a NonCommercial license is to use the song/other media in an actual commercial for a product, including product placement that a brand is paying you for.

If you license your video this way, people can use it in whatever way they like so long as they credit you and don’t try to make money off of it. Once again, that doesn’t mean they can’t use it in a YouTube video which they monetize because, technically, they’d be making money off of the ad that ran ahead of the video and not the video itself.

The thing to be careful of with this license is that it’s not ‘ShareAlike’. So, if you license your video this way somebody could use your clips as stock footage and then provide them - as part of their project – for free to a third person to use in a project they were making money off of.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike – CC BY-NC-SA

Music and other media with an ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’ license can be used in and altered for your videos, so long as you aren’t making money off those videos. You must also use this same license for the video you create using elements licensed this way.

If you license your video this way, people can use it or a portion of it in their project if they credit you. They must also use this same license for their video if they do. This protects you from the situation where a third person who never licensed your original content is making money off of it.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs – CC BY-NC-ND

There aren’t many situations where you would be using media licensed this way in your YouTube videos. You can’t alter it, sync videos to it, or make money from any video that uses it.

You also probably shouldn’t use this license for your videos. ‘NoDerivs’ means there are not many ways people could use your content, except to repost full videos and steal your views.

Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor

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

You might have noticed that, when you post a video, you get to choose how you want to copyright it: standard license, or creative commons. You’ve also probably noticed that when you looking for royalty-free music or stock footage a lot of it is licensed through creative commons.

So, what exactly are creative commons ?

To hold the copyright to a creative work means that you own it, and anybody who wants to use your work for anything (i.e. uses a song you composed in their YouTube video) has to do so on your terms. When you license your work through creative commons you do not give up your rights to your creative work (a common misconception).

When you use a creative commons license you are outlining the terms under which other creators are allowed to use your creations in their projects for free if they credit you for your work.

If you do not want anyone using your work for free in any context, you stick to traditional copyrighting.

But if you’ve created a piece of music, a photograph, or a clip that you wouldn’t mind other people using, potentially as a way to get your name out there, you might want to consider creative commons.

There are 6 different creative commons licenses. Which is right for you will depend on your answers to these two questions:

Are you okay with a creator making money off of something they create using your work?

Are you okay with a creator producing a derivative of your work?

To say ‘no derivatives’ is to say ‘I’m okay with people using it, so long as they don’t change it’. One example of a derivative is a techno remix of a song. If you are alright with other creators making derivatives of your work, you may also want to require them to ‘ShareAlike’. ShareAlike means that the creator of that techno remix of your song has to use the same creative commons license you used for your original to distribute the remix.

An example of a derivative someone might make of a YouTube video would be auto-tuning it to make a song or cutting up your video to make one that’s just ‘the funny parts’.

Here are the 6 creative commons licenses, and a chart you can use as a quick reference tool.

Attribution – CC BY

If you’re using music or other media with this license, all you need to do is credit the artist.

If you license your video this way, people can do whatever they like with any element of it (video or sound) so long as they credit you. I.e. if someone wanted to mute your clips and use you as stock footage in a bigger project, they could.

Attribution-ShareAlike – CC BY-SA

If you use music, photos, or any other media licensed this way, then you must both credit the artist and license your video this same way. Meaning, you can’t use YouTube’s standard license and must instead allow for others to use your work the way you are using the licensed media.

If you apply this license to your video, you’re saying you don’t mind people using all or portions of your video for their project so long as they allow others to use their work in the same way.

Attribution-NoDerivs – CC BY-ND

This one can get tricky.

Essentially, you can use media licensed this way so long as you don’t alter it or create a different version. For example, you can’t take a song licensed this way and use it in a mashup with another song. That part is clear. Where it gets tricky is when you want to use a song in your video.

Under normal copyright rules, using a royalty-free song in the background of your video would not count as creating a derivative. The definition of derivative according to creative commons is a bit broader and includes ‘syncing’. This means you can’t take an ‘Attribution-NoDerivs’ song and create any kind of music video for it.

For example, you can’t edit clips of yourself snowboarding so that they’re in sync with a song that has this license.

Whether or not you can play the song in the background of your vlog while you are speaking can be a bit of a grey area. In theory, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you’re accessing the music through a social site like SoundCloud then it might be best to ask the artist first.

There’s no reason to license your YouTube videos this way. If people cannot alter your video, all that’s left is for them to repost it. Even though they’d also be crediting you, they’d still essentially be stealing views and ad revenue from your original video.

Attribution-NonCommercial – CC BY-NC

If you’re using stock footage, music, or stock photos licensed this way then you should still be able to monetize your video. YouTube monetization and commercial use are different things. However, there is a lot of confusion about this issue, and chances are the rights holder intends for this license to mean ‘no monetization’.

What you definitely could not do with a NonCommercial license is to use the song/other media in an actual commercial for a product, including product placement that a brand is paying you for.

If you license your video this way, people can use it in whatever way they like so long as they credit you and don’t try to make money off of it. Once again, that doesn’t mean they can’t use it in a YouTube video which they monetize because, technically, they’d be making money off of the ad that ran ahead of the video and not the video itself.

The thing to be careful of with this license is that it’s not ‘ShareAlike’. So, if you license your video this way somebody could use your clips as stock footage and then provide them - as part of their project – for free to a third person to use in a project they were making money off of.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike – CC BY-NC-SA

Music and other media with an ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’ license can be used in and altered for your videos, so long as you aren’t making money off those videos. You must also use this same license for the video you create using elements licensed this way.

If you license your video this way, people can use it or a portion of it in their project if they credit you. They must also use this same license for their video if they do. This protects you from the situation where a third person who never licensed your original content is making money off of it.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs – CC BY-NC-ND

There aren’t many situations where you would be using media licensed this way in your YouTube videos. You can’t alter it, sync videos to it, or make money from any video that uses it.

You also probably shouldn’t use this license for your videos. ‘NoDerivs’ means there are not many ways people could use your content, except to repost full videos and steal your views.

Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor

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

You might have noticed that, when you post a video, you get to choose how you want to copyright it: standard license, or creative commons. You’ve also probably noticed that when you looking for royalty-free music or stock footage a lot of it is licensed through creative commons.

So, what exactly are creative commons ?

To hold the copyright to a creative work means that you own it, and anybody who wants to use your work for anything (i.e. uses a song you composed in their YouTube video) has to do so on your terms. When you license your work through creative commons you do not give up your rights to your creative work (a common misconception).

When you use a creative commons license you are outlining the terms under which other creators are allowed to use your creations in their projects for free if they credit you for your work.

If you do not want anyone using your work for free in any context, you stick to traditional copyrighting.

But if you’ve created a piece of music, a photograph, or a clip that you wouldn’t mind other people using, potentially as a way to get your name out there, you might want to consider creative commons.

There are 6 different creative commons licenses. Which is right for you will depend on your answers to these two questions:

Are you okay with a creator making money off of something they create using your work?

Are you okay with a creator producing a derivative of your work?

To say ‘no derivatives’ is to say ‘I’m okay with people using it, so long as they don’t change it’. One example of a derivative is a techno remix of a song. If you are alright with other creators making derivatives of your work, you may also want to require them to ‘ShareAlike’. ShareAlike means that the creator of that techno remix of your song has to use the same creative commons license you used for your original to distribute the remix.

An example of a derivative someone might make of a YouTube video would be auto-tuning it to make a song or cutting up your video to make one that’s just ‘the funny parts’.

Here are the 6 creative commons licenses, and a chart you can use as a quick reference tool.

Attribution – CC BY

If you’re using music or other media with this license, all you need to do is credit the artist.

If you license your video this way, people can do whatever they like with any element of it (video or sound) so long as they credit you. I.e. if someone wanted to mute your clips and use you as stock footage in a bigger project, they could.

Attribution-ShareAlike – CC BY-SA

If you use music, photos, or any other media licensed this way, then you must both credit the artist and license your video this same way. Meaning, you can’t use YouTube’s standard license and must instead allow for others to use your work the way you are using the licensed media.

If you apply this license to your video, you’re saying you don’t mind people using all or portions of your video for their project so long as they allow others to use their work in the same way.

Attribution-NoDerivs – CC BY-ND

This one can get tricky.

Essentially, you can use media licensed this way so long as you don’t alter it or create a different version. For example, you can’t take a song licensed this way and use it in a mashup with another song. That part is clear. Where it gets tricky is when you want to use a song in your video.

Under normal copyright rules, using a royalty-free song in the background of your video would not count as creating a derivative. The definition of derivative according to creative commons is a bit broader and includes ‘syncing’. This means you can’t take an ‘Attribution-NoDerivs’ song and create any kind of music video for it.

For example, you can’t edit clips of yourself snowboarding so that they’re in sync with a song that has this license.

Whether or not you can play the song in the background of your vlog while you are speaking can be a bit of a grey area. In theory, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you’re accessing the music through a social site like SoundCloud then it might be best to ask the artist first.

There’s no reason to license your YouTube videos this way. If people cannot alter your video, all that’s left is for them to repost it. Even though they’d also be crediting you, they’d still essentially be stealing views and ad revenue from your original video.

Attribution-NonCommercial – CC BY-NC

If you’re using stock footage, music, or stock photos licensed this way then you should still be able to monetize your video. YouTube monetization and commercial use are different things. However, there is a lot of confusion about this issue, and chances are the rights holder intends for this license to mean ‘no monetization’.

What you definitely could not do with a NonCommercial license is to use the song/other media in an actual commercial for a product, including product placement that a brand is paying you for.

If you license your video this way, people can use it in whatever way they like so long as they credit you and don’t try to make money off of it. Once again, that doesn’t mean they can’t use it in a YouTube video which they monetize because, technically, they’d be making money off of the ad that ran ahead of the video and not the video itself.

The thing to be careful of with this license is that it’s not ‘ShareAlike’. So, if you license your video this way somebody could use your clips as stock footage and then provide them - as part of their project – for free to a third person to use in a project they were making money off of.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike – CC BY-NC-SA

Music and other media with an ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’ license can be used in and altered for your videos, so long as you aren’t making money off those videos. You must also use this same license for the video you create using elements licensed this way.

If you license your video this way, people can use it or a portion of it in their project if they credit you. They must also use this same license for their video if they do. This protects you from the situation where a third person who never licensed your original content is making money off of it.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs – CC BY-NC-ND

There aren’t many situations where you would be using media licensed this way in your YouTube videos. You can’t alter it, sync videos to it, or make money from any video that uses it.

You also probably shouldn’t use this license for your videos. ‘NoDerivs’ means there are not many ways people could use your content, except to repost full videos and steal your views.

Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Youtube Shorts Success - Top 10 Steps to Stand Out

10 Expert Suggestions to Make Your YT Shorts Stand Out

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

To make it easier for its audience to find crisp and entertaining content, YouTube has recently come up with a dedicated “Shorts” feature.

Ideally, any YouTube user can find the Shorts option on the app to watch interesting videos of 60 seconds or less. Though, it might take a lot of effort to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing.

If you also want to go viral, then get to know about these YouTube Shorts tips that every content creator should follow.

YouTube Shorts Feature and Shorts Fund: Things to Know

Before we make you familiar with all kinds of YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, let’s cover some basics. Ideally, YouTube has recently come up with the Shorts feature to focus on short-length videos (and to rival Instagram Reels and TikTok).

You can now find the Shorts icon at the bottom panel on the YouTube app. Using it, you can watch or record short videos on YouTube easily. These are short-form clips of 60 seconds or less that you can create via the Shorts interface of the YouTube app.

The interface would let you record multiple videos at different intervals and add sound to your clips as well. Later, you can post these short clips on your channel to get more views on YouTube.

YouTube Shorts Fund

YouTube Shorts already hosts a massive number of more than 6 billion daily views as of now. To promote it, Google has come up with a YouTube Shorts Fund of $100M that would be rewarded to various content creators each month.

That is, a “Shorts Bonus” would be added to the account of content creators to appreciate their viral content.

Top 10 Tips for YouTube Shorts That You Must Follow

Now when we have covered all the basics, let’s get to know about some effective YouTube Shorts tricks that would help you come up with interesting content and get more audience for it.

Tip 1: Learn How to Shoot YouTube Shorts

Before you start posting videos on YouTube Shorts, you should know how the feature works. Ideally, you can find a dedicated option for Shorts from the bottom panel on the updated YouTube app. From here, you can watch Shorts or simply choose to create them as well.

You can give YouTube access to your smartphone camera before you start recording. To record anything, you can just tap and hold the red button (the recording icon) on the interface.

As you would release it, the recording would be stopped. In this way, you can seamlessly move from one scene to another without worrying about editing in post-production.

Tip 2: Stick to a Selective Niche

To have a consistent growth of audience on YouTube shorts, you should stick to a specific niche. If you search on YouTube, you can find short videos related to funny, inspirational, fitness, romantic, and all kinds of niches.

Most of the prominent content creators already apply these YouTube Shorts tips in which they first identify their target audience. Based on that, you can work on the type of content that you want to create and share to attain consistent growth on YouTube.

Tip 3: Add Appropriate Background Music to Your Short Videos

One of the best things about YouTube Shorts is that it lets us add a snippet of the music in the background, according to our content. Therefore, you must implement these tips for YouTube Shorts to make the most of this free feature of the app.

After recording your videos, you can tap on the “Sound” or the “Add Music” feature from the interface.

Now, YouTube will automatically load all kinds of trending music that you can use for free. If you want, you can enter the name of any song on the search option of YouTube shorts.

As you would select a track, it will automatically be loaded as the background music for your video. Though, you can also select a specific segment of the track and clip it accordingly to place it on your videos the way you like.

Tip 4: Insert Captions and Text Effects on Your Shorts

Apart from music, you can also add all kinds of text effects to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing. After you have recorded a video, you can just tap on the text option from the bottom/side panel of the app.

You can now type anything and place it on the video to make it more interesting. If you want, you can also implement these YouTube Shorts tips to add subtitles or pre/post video captions without any hassle.

Tip 5: Adjust the Playback Speed of YouTube Shorts

Since a lot of content creators are coming up with YouTube Shorts, you would have to walk an extra mile to make them more appealing. In these YouTube Shorts tricks, I would recommend adjusting the playback speed of the video.

After recording the video, you can tap on the speed icon from the bottom/side panel. Here, you can make your videos play in slow motion or fast forward (in a range of 0.3x to 3x). This will add seamless speed control features to your videos without any technical issues.

Tip 6: Consider the Overall Length of Your Shorts Video

Even though the maximum length of the YouTube Shorts videos is 60 seconds, you don’t have to make it so long. If you look at most of the popular videos on YouTube Shorts, then you will find that they are of less than 30 seconds in length.

Remember, your goal is to come up with crisp and interesting content via YouTube Shorts. To implement these YouTube Shorts tips, you can consider the ideal length of 30-45 seconds and only have essential content in your videos.

Tip 7: Use the Timer Feature to Shoot Your Videos Correctly

A lot of people make the rookie mistake of shooting their videos for too long in Shorts. Therefore, if you want to implement these YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, then consider using the timer feature of the app.

Before shooting the video, you can tap on the timer button from the bottom and set up a preferred duration for it (like 10 or 15 seconds). In this way, you can be sure that you won’t go overboard and keep your videos short automatically.

Tip 8: Set a Preferred Target Audience for YouTube Shorts

Great! Now when you have recorded and edited your video by applying these tips for YouTube Shorts, you are ready to post them. While posting your videos, you would be asked whether the video is targeted at kids or not. If the video is made for kids, then you should select the relevant prompt, as YouTube would improve the overall visibility of your videos in this case.

Though, if your videos are targeted at adults, then you should go with the second option instead. This would help you reach out to your target audience on YouTube easily.

Tip 9: Post Your YouTube Shorts the Right Way

Apart from setting the audience preferences of your YouTube Shorts videos, you should also take care of a couple of other things. For instance, you can consider making the visibility of your final video “Public” so that anyone on YouTube can watch it.

Besides that, it is also recommended to have the keyword “#Shorts” in the title of the video. You can also make the title of the video attractive and can even add a short description that would make your audience click on your YouTube video for sure.

Tip 10: Promote Your YouTube Shorts Video on Other Places

Lastly, posting the YouTube Shorts video is not enough, as you should also promote it to get more views. One of the best YouTube Shorts tips for promotion would be posting the snippet of the video as your Stories on YouTube.

You can also post your YouTube Shorts on other popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. by sharing their link. In this way, you can easily redirect your audience from other platforms and increase the visibility of your video.

Bonus Tip: Use a Professional Editor for Your YouTube Shorts Videos

As you can see after going through these YouTube Shorts tricks that the native tool of the app has limited editing options. Therefore, if you want to come up with better videos, then consider using a professional tool like Wondershare Filmora.

The desktop video editing tool has hundreds of filters, transitions, captions, stickers, and other effects to elevate the overall visual appeal of your videos. You can also access numerous AI-integrated features in Filmora and can directly export your videos in YouTube-compatible formats.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap, everyone! I’m sure that after following these expert YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, you can make the most of this newly added YouTube feature. You can consider following the above-listed YouTube Shorts tips to record your videos and make them interesting by adding sound and caption effects.

Though, if you want to make your videos even more appealing, then consider using a reliable and smart video editor like Wondershare Filmora.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

To make it easier for its audience to find crisp and entertaining content, YouTube has recently come up with a dedicated “Shorts” feature.

Ideally, any YouTube user can find the Shorts option on the app to watch interesting videos of 60 seconds or less. Though, it might take a lot of effort to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing.

If you also want to go viral, then get to know about these YouTube Shorts tips that every content creator should follow.

YouTube Shorts Feature and Shorts Fund: Things to Know

Before we make you familiar with all kinds of YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, let’s cover some basics. Ideally, YouTube has recently come up with the Shorts feature to focus on short-length videos (and to rival Instagram Reels and TikTok).

You can now find the Shorts icon at the bottom panel on the YouTube app. Using it, you can watch or record short videos on YouTube easily. These are short-form clips of 60 seconds or less that you can create via the Shorts interface of the YouTube app.

The interface would let you record multiple videos at different intervals and add sound to your clips as well. Later, you can post these short clips on your channel to get more views on YouTube.

YouTube Shorts Fund

YouTube Shorts already hosts a massive number of more than 6 billion daily views as of now. To promote it, Google has come up with a YouTube Shorts Fund of $100M that would be rewarded to various content creators each month.

That is, a “Shorts Bonus” would be added to the account of content creators to appreciate their viral content.

Top 10 Tips for YouTube Shorts That You Must Follow

Now when we have covered all the basics, let’s get to know about some effective YouTube Shorts tricks that would help you come up with interesting content and get more audience for it.

Tip 1: Learn How to Shoot YouTube Shorts

Before you start posting videos on YouTube Shorts, you should know how the feature works. Ideally, you can find a dedicated option for Shorts from the bottom panel on the updated YouTube app. From here, you can watch Shorts or simply choose to create them as well.

You can give YouTube access to your smartphone camera before you start recording. To record anything, you can just tap and hold the red button (the recording icon) on the interface.

As you would release it, the recording would be stopped. In this way, you can seamlessly move from one scene to another without worrying about editing in post-production.

Tip 2: Stick to a Selective Niche

To have a consistent growth of audience on YouTube shorts, you should stick to a specific niche. If you search on YouTube, you can find short videos related to funny, inspirational, fitness, romantic, and all kinds of niches.

Most of the prominent content creators already apply these YouTube Shorts tips in which they first identify their target audience. Based on that, you can work on the type of content that you want to create and share to attain consistent growth on YouTube.

Tip 3: Add Appropriate Background Music to Your Short Videos

One of the best things about YouTube Shorts is that it lets us add a snippet of the music in the background, according to our content. Therefore, you must implement these tips for YouTube Shorts to make the most of this free feature of the app.

After recording your videos, you can tap on the “Sound” or the “Add Music” feature from the interface.

Now, YouTube will automatically load all kinds of trending music that you can use for free. If you want, you can enter the name of any song on the search option of YouTube shorts.

As you would select a track, it will automatically be loaded as the background music for your video. Though, you can also select a specific segment of the track and clip it accordingly to place it on your videos the way you like.

Tip 4: Insert Captions and Text Effects on Your Shorts

Apart from music, you can also add all kinds of text effects to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing. After you have recorded a video, you can just tap on the text option from the bottom/side panel of the app.

You can now type anything and place it on the video to make it more interesting. If you want, you can also implement these YouTube Shorts tips to add subtitles or pre/post video captions without any hassle.

Tip 5: Adjust the Playback Speed of YouTube Shorts

Since a lot of content creators are coming up with YouTube Shorts, you would have to walk an extra mile to make them more appealing. In these YouTube Shorts tricks, I would recommend adjusting the playback speed of the video.

After recording the video, you can tap on the speed icon from the bottom/side panel. Here, you can make your videos play in slow motion or fast forward (in a range of 0.3x to 3x). This will add seamless speed control features to your videos without any technical issues.

Tip 6: Consider the Overall Length of Your Shorts Video

Even though the maximum length of the YouTube Shorts videos is 60 seconds, you don’t have to make it so long. If you look at most of the popular videos on YouTube Shorts, then you will find that they are of less than 30 seconds in length.

Remember, your goal is to come up with crisp and interesting content via YouTube Shorts. To implement these YouTube Shorts tips, you can consider the ideal length of 30-45 seconds and only have essential content in your videos.

Tip 7: Use the Timer Feature to Shoot Your Videos Correctly

A lot of people make the rookie mistake of shooting their videos for too long in Shorts. Therefore, if you want to implement these YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, then consider using the timer feature of the app.

Before shooting the video, you can tap on the timer button from the bottom and set up a preferred duration for it (like 10 or 15 seconds). In this way, you can be sure that you won’t go overboard and keep your videos short automatically.

Tip 8: Set a Preferred Target Audience for YouTube Shorts

Great! Now when you have recorded and edited your video by applying these tips for YouTube Shorts, you are ready to post them. While posting your videos, you would be asked whether the video is targeted at kids or not. If the video is made for kids, then you should select the relevant prompt, as YouTube would improve the overall visibility of your videos in this case.

Though, if your videos are targeted at adults, then you should go with the second option instead. This would help you reach out to your target audience on YouTube easily.

Tip 9: Post Your YouTube Shorts the Right Way

Apart from setting the audience preferences of your YouTube Shorts videos, you should also take care of a couple of other things. For instance, you can consider making the visibility of your final video “Public” so that anyone on YouTube can watch it.

Besides that, it is also recommended to have the keyword “#Shorts” in the title of the video. You can also make the title of the video attractive and can even add a short description that would make your audience click on your YouTube video for sure.

Tip 10: Promote Your YouTube Shorts Video on Other Places

Lastly, posting the YouTube Shorts video is not enough, as you should also promote it to get more views. One of the best YouTube Shorts tips for promotion would be posting the snippet of the video as your Stories on YouTube.

You can also post your YouTube Shorts on other popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. by sharing their link. In this way, you can easily redirect your audience from other platforms and increase the visibility of your video.

Bonus Tip: Use a Professional Editor for Your YouTube Shorts Videos

As you can see after going through these YouTube Shorts tricks that the native tool of the app has limited editing options. Therefore, if you want to come up with better videos, then consider using a professional tool like Wondershare Filmora.

The desktop video editing tool has hundreds of filters, transitions, captions, stickers, and other effects to elevate the overall visual appeal of your videos. You can also access numerous AI-integrated features in Filmora and can directly export your videos in YouTube-compatible formats.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap, everyone! I’m sure that after following these expert YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, you can make the most of this newly added YouTube feature. You can consider following the above-listed YouTube Shorts tips to record your videos and make them interesting by adding sound and caption effects.

Though, if you want to make your videos even more appealing, then consider using a reliable and smart video editor like Wondershare Filmora.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

To make it easier for its audience to find crisp and entertaining content, YouTube has recently come up with a dedicated “Shorts” feature.

Ideally, any YouTube user can find the Shorts option on the app to watch interesting videos of 60 seconds or less. Though, it might take a lot of effort to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing.

If you also want to go viral, then get to know about these YouTube Shorts tips that every content creator should follow.

YouTube Shorts Feature and Shorts Fund: Things to Know

Before we make you familiar with all kinds of YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, let’s cover some basics. Ideally, YouTube has recently come up with the Shorts feature to focus on short-length videos (and to rival Instagram Reels and TikTok).

You can now find the Shorts icon at the bottom panel on the YouTube app. Using it, you can watch or record short videos on YouTube easily. These are short-form clips of 60 seconds or less that you can create via the Shorts interface of the YouTube app.

The interface would let you record multiple videos at different intervals and add sound to your clips as well. Later, you can post these short clips on your channel to get more views on YouTube.

YouTube Shorts Fund

YouTube Shorts already hosts a massive number of more than 6 billion daily views as of now. To promote it, Google has come up with a YouTube Shorts Fund of $100M that would be rewarded to various content creators each month.

That is, a “Shorts Bonus” would be added to the account of content creators to appreciate their viral content.

Top 10 Tips for YouTube Shorts That You Must Follow

Now when we have covered all the basics, let’s get to know about some effective YouTube Shorts tricks that would help you come up with interesting content and get more audience for it.

Tip 1: Learn How to Shoot YouTube Shorts

Before you start posting videos on YouTube Shorts, you should know how the feature works. Ideally, you can find a dedicated option for Shorts from the bottom panel on the updated YouTube app. From here, you can watch Shorts or simply choose to create them as well.

You can give YouTube access to your smartphone camera before you start recording. To record anything, you can just tap and hold the red button (the recording icon) on the interface.

As you would release it, the recording would be stopped. In this way, you can seamlessly move from one scene to another without worrying about editing in post-production.

Tip 2: Stick to a Selective Niche

To have a consistent growth of audience on YouTube shorts, you should stick to a specific niche. If you search on YouTube, you can find short videos related to funny, inspirational, fitness, romantic, and all kinds of niches.

Most of the prominent content creators already apply these YouTube Shorts tips in which they first identify their target audience. Based on that, you can work on the type of content that you want to create and share to attain consistent growth on YouTube.

Tip 3: Add Appropriate Background Music to Your Short Videos

One of the best things about YouTube Shorts is that it lets us add a snippet of the music in the background, according to our content. Therefore, you must implement these tips for YouTube Shorts to make the most of this free feature of the app.

After recording your videos, you can tap on the “Sound” or the “Add Music” feature from the interface.

Now, YouTube will automatically load all kinds of trending music that you can use for free. If you want, you can enter the name of any song on the search option of YouTube shorts.

As you would select a track, it will automatically be loaded as the background music for your video. Though, you can also select a specific segment of the track and clip it accordingly to place it on your videos the way you like.

Tip 4: Insert Captions and Text Effects on Your Shorts

Apart from music, you can also add all kinds of text effects to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing. After you have recorded a video, you can just tap on the text option from the bottom/side panel of the app.

You can now type anything and place it on the video to make it more interesting. If you want, you can also implement these YouTube Shorts tips to add subtitles or pre/post video captions without any hassle.

Tip 5: Adjust the Playback Speed of YouTube Shorts

Since a lot of content creators are coming up with YouTube Shorts, you would have to walk an extra mile to make them more appealing. In these YouTube Shorts tricks, I would recommend adjusting the playback speed of the video.

After recording the video, you can tap on the speed icon from the bottom/side panel. Here, you can make your videos play in slow motion or fast forward (in a range of 0.3x to 3x). This will add seamless speed control features to your videos without any technical issues.

Tip 6: Consider the Overall Length of Your Shorts Video

Even though the maximum length of the YouTube Shorts videos is 60 seconds, you don’t have to make it so long. If you look at most of the popular videos on YouTube Shorts, then you will find that they are of less than 30 seconds in length.

Remember, your goal is to come up with crisp and interesting content via YouTube Shorts. To implement these YouTube Shorts tips, you can consider the ideal length of 30-45 seconds and only have essential content in your videos.

Tip 7: Use the Timer Feature to Shoot Your Videos Correctly

A lot of people make the rookie mistake of shooting their videos for too long in Shorts. Therefore, if you want to implement these YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, then consider using the timer feature of the app.

Before shooting the video, you can tap on the timer button from the bottom and set up a preferred duration for it (like 10 or 15 seconds). In this way, you can be sure that you won’t go overboard and keep your videos short automatically.

Tip 8: Set a Preferred Target Audience for YouTube Shorts

Great! Now when you have recorded and edited your video by applying these tips for YouTube Shorts, you are ready to post them. While posting your videos, you would be asked whether the video is targeted at kids or not. If the video is made for kids, then you should select the relevant prompt, as YouTube would improve the overall visibility of your videos in this case.

Though, if your videos are targeted at adults, then you should go with the second option instead. This would help you reach out to your target audience on YouTube easily.

Tip 9: Post Your YouTube Shorts the Right Way

Apart from setting the audience preferences of your YouTube Shorts videos, you should also take care of a couple of other things. For instance, you can consider making the visibility of your final video “Public” so that anyone on YouTube can watch it.

Besides that, it is also recommended to have the keyword “#Shorts” in the title of the video. You can also make the title of the video attractive and can even add a short description that would make your audience click on your YouTube video for sure.

Tip 10: Promote Your YouTube Shorts Video on Other Places

Lastly, posting the YouTube Shorts video is not enough, as you should also promote it to get more views. One of the best YouTube Shorts tips for promotion would be posting the snippet of the video as your Stories on YouTube.

You can also post your YouTube Shorts on other popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. by sharing their link. In this way, you can easily redirect your audience from other platforms and increase the visibility of your video.

Bonus Tip: Use a Professional Editor for Your YouTube Shorts Videos

As you can see after going through these YouTube Shorts tricks that the native tool of the app has limited editing options. Therefore, if you want to come up with better videos, then consider using a professional tool like Wondershare Filmora.

The desktop video editing tool has hundreds of filters, transitions, captions, stickers, and other effects to elevate the overall visual appeal of your videos. You can also access numerous AI-integrated features in Filmora and can directly export your videos in YouTube-compatible formats.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap, everyone! I’m sure that after following these expert YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, you can make the most of this newly added YouTube feature. You can consider following the above-listed YouTube Shorts tips to record your videos and make them interesting by adding sound and caption effects.

Though, if you want to make your videos even more appealing, then consider using a reliable and smart video editor like Wondershare Filmora.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

To make it easier for its audience to find crisp and entertaining content, YouTube has recently come up with a dedicated “Shorts” feature.

Ideally, any YouTube user can find the Shorts option on the app to watch interesting videos of 60 seconds or less. Though, it might take a lot of effort to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing.

If you also want to go viral, then get to know about these YouTube Shorts tips that every content creator should follow.

YouTube Shorts Feature and Shorts Fund: Things to Know

Before we make you familiar with all kinds of YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, let’s cover some basics. Ideally, YouTube has recently come up with the Shorts feature to focus on short-length videos (and to rival Instagram Reels and TikTok).

You can now find the Shorts icon at the bottom panel on the YouTube app. Using it, you can watch or record short videos on YouTube easily. These are short-form clips of 60 seconds or less that you can create via the Shorts interface of the YouTube app.

The interface would let you record multiple videos at different intervals and add sound to your clips as well. Later, you can post these short clips on your channel to get more views on YouTube.

YouTube Shorts Fund

YouTube Shorts already hosts a massive number of more than 6 billion daily views as of now. To promote it, Google has come up with a YouTube Shorts Fund of $100M that would be rewarded to various content creators each month.

That is, a “Shorts Bonus” would be added to the account of content creators to appreciate their viral content.

Top 10 Tips for YouTube Shorts That You Must Follow

Now when we have covered all the basics, let’s get to know about some effective YouTube Shorts tricks that would help you come up with interesting content and get more audience for it.

Tip 1: Learn How to Shoot YouTube Shorts

Before you start posting videos on YouTube Shorts, you should know how the feature works. Ideally, you can find a dedicated option for Shorts from the bottom panel on the updated YouTube app. From here, you can watch Shorts or simply choose to create them as well.

You can give YouTube access to your smartphone camera before you start recording. To record anything, you can just tap and hold the red button (the recording icon) on the interface.

As you would release it, the recording would be stopped. In this way, you can seamlessly move from one scene to another without worrying about editing in post-production.

Tip 2: Stick to a Selective Niche

To have a consistent growth of audience on YouTube shorts, you should stick to a specific niche. If you search on YouTube, you can find short videos related to funny, inspirational, fitness, romantic, and all kinds of niches.

Most of the prominent content creators already apply these YouTube Shorts tips in which they first identify their target audience. Based on that, you can work on the type of content that you want to create and share to attain consistent growth on YouTube.

Tip 3: Add Appropriate Background Music to Your Short Videos

One of the best things about YouTube Shorts is that it lets us add a snippet of the music in the background, according to our content. Therefore, you must implement these tips for YouTube Shorts to make the most of this free feature of the app.

After recording your videos, you can tap on the “Sound” or the “Add Music” feature from the interface.

Now, YouTube will automatically load all kinds of trending music that you can use for free. If you want, you can enter the name of any song on the search option of YouTube shorts.

As you would select a track, it will automatically be loaded as the background music for your video. Though, you can also select a specific segment of the track and clip it accordingly to place it on your videos the way you like.

Tip 4: Insert Captions and Text Effects on Your Shorts

Apart from music, you can also add all kinds of text effects to make your YouTube Shorts videos appealing. After you have recorded a video, you can just tap on the text option from the bottom/side panel of the app.

You can now type anything and place it on the video to make it more interesting. If you want, you can also implement these YouTube Shorts tips to add subtitles or pre/post video captions without any hassle.

Tip 5: Adjust the Playback Speed of YouTube Shorts

Since a lot of content creators are coming up with YouTube Shorts, you would have to walk an extra mile to make them more appealing. In these YouTube Shorts tricks, I would recommend adjusting the playback speed of the video.

After recording the video, you can tap on the speed icon from the bottom/side panel. Here, you can make your videos play in slow motion or fast forward (in a range of 0.3x to 3x). This will add seamless speed control features to your videos without any technical issues.

Tip 6: Consider the Overall Length of Your Shorts Video

Even though the maximum length of the YouTube Shorts videos is 60 seconds, you don’t have to make it so long. If you look at most of the popular videos on YouTube Shorts, then you will find that they are of less than 30 seconds in length.

Remember, your goal is to come up with crisp and interesting content via YouTube Shorts. To implement these YouTube Shorts tips, you can consider the ideal length of 30-45 seconds and only have essential content in your videos.

Tip 7: Use the Timer Feature to Shoot Your Videos Correctly

A lot of people make the rookie mistake of shooting their videos for too long in Shorts. Therefore, if you want to implement these YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, then consider using the timer feature of the app.

Before shooting the video, you can tap on the timer button from the bottom and set up a preferred duration for it (like 10 or 15 seconds). In this way, you can be sure that you won’t go overboard and keep your videos short automatically.

Tip 8: Set a Preferred Target Audience for YouTube Shorts

Great! Now when you have recorded and edited your video by applying these tips for YouTube Shorts, you are ready to post them. While posting your videos, you would be asked whether the video is targeted at kids or not. If the video is made for kids, then you should select the relevant prompt, as YouTube would improve the overall visibility of your videos in this case.

Though, if your videos are targeted at adults, then you should go with the second option instead. This would help you reach out to your target audience on YouTube easily.

Tip 9: Post Your YouTube Shorts the Right Way

Apart from setting the audience preferences of your YouTube Shorts videos, you should also take care of a couple of other things. For instance, you can consider making the visibility of your final video “Public” so that anyone on YouTube can watch it.

Besides that, it is also recommended to have the keyword “#Shorts” in the title of the video. You can also make the title of the video attractive and can even add a short description that would make your audience click on your YouTube video for sure.

Tip 10: Promote Your YouTube Shorts Video on Other Places

Lastly, posting the YouTube Shorts video is not enough, as you should also promote it to get more views. One of the best YouTube Shorts tips for promotion would be posting the snippet of the video as your Stories on YouTube.

You can also post your YouTube Shorts on other popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. by sharing their link. In this way, you can easily redirect your audience from other platforms and increase the visibility of your video.

Bonus Tip: Use a Professional Editor for Your YouTube Shorts Videos

As you can see after going through these YouTube Shorts tricks that the native tool of the app has limited editing options. Therefore, if you want to come up with better videos, then consider using a professional tool like Wondershare Filmora.

The desktop video editing tool has hundreds of filters, transitions, captions, stickers, and other effects to elevate the overall visual appeal of your videos. You can also access numerous AI-integrated features in Filmora and can directly export your videos in YouTube-compatible formats.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap, everyone! I’m sure that after following these expert YouTube Shorts tips and tricks, you can make the most of this newly added YouTube feature. You can consider following the above-listed YouTube Shorts tips to record your videos and make them interesting by adding sound and caption effects.

Though, if you want to make your videos even more appealing, then consider using a reliable and smart video editor like Wondershare Filmora.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox