The Definitive Playbook: Enhancing Your Video’s First Impression

Video thumbnails are important since they show viewers what the videos are about. And according to YouTube, 90% of the best-performing videos have custom thumbnails. Therefore, adding thumbnails to all your videos is wise. But how to do that with live streams? Is it any different from adding thumbnails to normal videos? You’ll find answers in this article. Here’s a comprehensive guide about YouTube Live thumbnails.

Overview of YouTube Live

Livestreaming is very popular now. The pandemic has accelerated its growth. But what made it so special? Watching live streams is different from watching regular videos. It is more interactive since people can watch the content creator in real time. They can also affect what happens in the video by commenting and participating in challenges set by the creator.

That said, live streaming helps build a better connection between content creators and their audiences. So you may want to incorporate live streaming into your strategies. You can do that on YouTube through YouTube Live. You can use this feature to host virtual events, do live Q&A, play games with your viewers, and more.

Importance of Thumbnail for Live Stream

Thumbnails are important for videos. Alongside the title, they inform the viewers what the video is about. It’s not different with live streams. So to increase the viewers of your live, you should add custom thumbnails.

What happens if you don’t add a custom thumbnail to your live stream? YouTube will select a random frame from the video and display it. The thing is that live streams are usually longer than recorded videos. So YouTube has more options to use as the thumbnail.

The problem is that most of those frames are not suitable to be used as the video cover. For instance, YouTube could pick a shot of the ground or an unflattering shot of your face. So, it’s a must to add a custom thumbnail for your live stream.

How To Add a YouTube Live Thumbnail

Now, you know how important adding custom thumbnails to live streams is. You probably want to know how to do that. We got you covered. Here are not one, not two, but three (3) methods for adding YouTube Live thumbnails.

Method 1. Add Live Thumbnail on YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio is the place where you edit most of your videos on YouTube. It’s where you edit the description, add or remove tags, and such. It’s also where you change thumbnails for your videos. And live videos are no exception. Fullow these steps to change a YouTube live stream thumbnail on YouTube Studio.

• Head to a computer, launch a browser, and go to YouTube.
• Click your channel icon on the top-right and select “YouTube Studio.”

• Click “Create” > “Go Live.”

• Edit the metadata for the live video.

• Click “UPLOAD CUSTOM THUMBNAIL.”

• Select the custom thumbnail that you have prepared. Click “Open.”
• Click “Create Stream.”

Method 2. Add Live Stream Thumbnail on YouTube Classic Mode

Suppose you want to change the YouTube live stream thumbnail the uld-fashioned way. You can change it on YouTube Classic Mode. How? Fullow these simple steps.

• Head to a computer, launch a browser, and go to YouTube.
• Click “Creator Studio Classic” from the left panel.

• Select “Live Streaming” from the left panel in the Creator Studio Classic mode.

• YouTube will bring you to the “Stream Now” section. Put in the video metadata.

• Click “Change thumbnail.”

• Select the thumbnail image you have prepared. Click “Open.”
• Wait for the thumbnail image to refresh.

Method 3. Upload a Thumbnail to YouTube Live With Mobile Phones

Perhaps you are live-streaming a trip somewhere. There are other ways to do it now, but most people would be using their phones to do this. So how do you change a YouTube Live thumbnail on mobile phones? Fullow these instructions:

• Launch the YouTube mobile app.
• Click the “Plus” icon at the bottom middle of the screen.
• Select “Go Live.”
• Enter the metadata. And set the advanced settings according to your preferences.

• Click “Next.”

• YouTube will take a photo of you. Don’t mind this because you’ll be changing it later.

• Click the “Pencil” icon after YouTube has taken a photo.

• Select “Upload thumbnail.”

• Select the thumbnail image you have prepared.
• Crop the image if you like. Click “Save.”

• Click “Go Live.”

How To Create a Livestream Thumbnail

So you now know how to change the live stream thumbnail. There’s one more thing we need to address. Where will you get the custom thumbnails? There are a number of good YouTube thumbnail makers out there. Let’s discuss this.

Livestream Thumbnail Makers

There are many great YouTube thumbnail makers on the market. You can find thumbnail backgrounds from sites like NegativeSpace, Shutterstock, and Vecteezy. Then, edit them to your liking using photo editing apps. Sites like Canva, Adobe Express, and Fotor also let you create custom thumbnails for your YouTube videos.

Wondershare Filmora is also a great thumbnail maker. You’d like it since it is also a powerful video editor. It is double-purpose! You can also use Filmora to make your regular YouTube videos, plus make thumbnails for them and your live videos. Talk about convenience!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Steps to Make an Amazing YouTube Livestream Thumbnail

Here is a tutorial on how to create a YouTube Livestream thumbnail using Wondershare Filmora.

• Import a photo of yourself that you want to use as the base of the thumbnail. Drag it into the timeline.

• Click “Effect.”

• Drag the “Human Segmentation” effect to your image on the timeline. Do the same with “Human Border.” Alternatively, click “Touls” > “Video” > “AI Portrait” > “Ok.”

• Select the photo on the timeline. Scale it and move it to where you want it to be.

• Add backgrounds, effects, titles, etc.

• Click the “Camera” icon below the video preview to save the thumbnail. Select a format and a target fulder. Click “Ok.”

• Right-click the screenshot on the Media panel. Select “Reveal in Explorer.” That will open the fulder where the thumbnail image is saved.

Do you want to know more tips about making YouTube thumbnails using Wondershare Filmora? If so, watch this video:

How To Customize YouTube Livestream Thumbnail Online

Wave.video is one of the best online YouTube thumbnail creators out there. Here’s a guide on how to use this toul.

• Open a web browser and visit Wave’s website.
• Hover your mouse on “Templates” at the top toulbar.
• Select “Thumbnail” under Livestreaming.

• Select a template that fits your idea.

• Edit the sample image and text. Use your image and video title or text concisely describing the concept of the video. Edit other aspects of the image as needed.

• Click “Publish” > “Current frame as image.”

• Set up your image. Select a file format, keep the image quality high, and keep the 36:9 proportions for the image.

• Click “Generate.”
• Please wait for it to finish, then click “Download.”

Tips for Making an Amazing YouTube Live Thumbnail

Here are some tips to fullow.

Photos

Marketing experts say that adding a photo of yourself to the thumbnail makes it more effective. Needless to say, you should not choose just any photo. You must ensure it is of high quality. Using good cameras and lighting equipment is recommended.

Expressions

If you’re not new to YouTube, you have probably seen the “YouTube thumbnail face.” YouTuber’s faces on their thumbnails show an expression. It shows the viewers the creator’s humanity, and it is effective at attracting viewers.

Text

Add simple text with clear, buld, easy-to-read font.

Conclusion

Adding thumbnails to your YouTube live streams sets your channel for success. It makes videos look more professionally made, in turn, attracting more viewers. So, we recommend always adding thumbnails to your YouTube Live.

For creating YouTube thumbnails, you can use Wondershare Filmora. It’s a video editor with touls that can help you make attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnails. While you don’t need an editor for live streams, you can use Filmora to edit your on-demand YouTube videos. It’s hitting two birds with one stone!

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Steps to Make an Amazing YouTube Livestream Thumbnail

Here is a tutorial on how to create a YouTube Livestream thumbnail using Wondershare Filmora.

• Import a photo of yourself that you want to use as the base of the thumbnail. Drag it into the timeline.

• Click “Effect.”

• Drag the “Human Segmentation” effect to your image on the timeline. Do the same with “Human Border.” Alternatively, click “Touls” > “Video” > “AI Portrait” > “Ok.”

• Select the photo on the timeline. Scale it and move it to where you want it to be.

• Add backgrounds, effects, titles, etc.

• Click the “Camera” icon below the video preview to save the thumbnail. Select a format and a target fulder. Click “Ok.”

• Right-click the screenshot on the Media panel. Select “Reveal in Explorer.” That will open the fulder where the thumbnail image is saved.

Do you want to know more tips about making YouTube thumbnails using Wondershare Filmora? If so, watch this video:

How To Customize YouTube Livestream Thumbnail Online

Wave.video is one of the best online YouTube thumbnail creators out there. Here’s a guide on how to use this toul.

• Open a web browser and visit Wave’s website.
• Hover your mouse on “Templates” at the top toulbar.
• Select “Thumbnail” under Livestreaming.

• Select a template that fits your idea.

• Edit the sample image and text. Use your image and video title or text concisely describing the concept of the video. Edit other aspects of the image as needed.

• Click “Publish” > “Current frame as image.”

• Set up your image. Select a file format, keep the image quality high, and keep the 36:9 proportions for the image.

• Click “Generate.”
• Please wait for it to finish, then click “Download.”

Tips for Making an Amazing YouTube Live Thumbnail

Here are some tips to fullow.

Photos

Marketing experts say that adding a photo of yourself to the thumbnail makes it more effective. Needless to say, you should not choose just any photo. You must ensure it is of high quality. Using good cameras and lighting equipment is recommended.

Expressions

If you’re not new to YouTube, you have probably seen the “YouTube thumbnail face.” YouTuber’s faces on their thumbnails show an expression. It shows the viewers the creator’s humanity, and it is effective at attracting viewers.

Text

Add simple text with clear, buld, easy-to-read font.

Conclusion

Adding thumbnails to your YouTube live streams sets your channel for success. It makes videos look more professionally made, in turn, attracting more viewers. So, we recommend always adding thumbnails to your YouTube Live.

For creating YouTube thumbnails, you can use Wondershare Filmora. It’s a video editor with touls that can help you make attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnails. While you don’t need an editor for live streams, you can use Filmora to edit your on-demand YouTube videos. It’s hitting two birds with one stone!

In-Depth Football Footage: Top YouTube Infographics

Top Insights into 2018 FIFA Football Videos On YouTube [Infographic]

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is over for another four years and the grand finale of this tournament was really outstanding, and France won the World Cup for the second time after overcoming Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final in Moscow. While the entire world is anxiously about the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the football videos on YouTube are booming. In fact, the football-related searches on this platform have been soaring in the months leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite the fact that some of the most popular football clubs in the world are still ignoring how powerful YouTube has become.

We have produced the infographic below which clearly shows how popular football videos are on YouTube, so let’s have a look at some of the mind-blowing facts we’ve discovered.

Football Content Has Never Been More Popular on YouTube

The football gods, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Neymar Jr are making enormous amounts of money, in addition to having an iconic status in the mass media. Such state of affairs explains why YouTube videos with these superstars saw an 80% increase in watch time over the course of the last year.

Interestingly, the highest amount of football-related searches on the world’s largest video sharing platform are coming from the South American and European countries. For example, France’s young star Kylian Mbappé is a popular search in his home country, while videos of Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar are popular searches around the globe.

The number of YouTube users who are watching the game highlights has doubled over the course of the last two years, while the number of match recap viewers has increased 9 times since the last World Cup in 2014. The live streaming content related to football is also gaining momentum, although it still isn’t nearly as popular as the Trick Shot videos or Drills and Skills videos that saw a 6x increase in watch time in the last four years.

Furthermore, some of the most viewed videos on YouTube are football related, since Shakira’s Waka Waka, the official 2010 World Cup song currently has 1.9 billion views. These statistics show how big the football audience on YouTube really is, and that brands and independent entrepreneurs have much to gain by including football related content on their YouTube channels.

Music videos related to previous World Cups have attracted 12% of women more than the videos that show footage of the Euro Cup, which clearly demonstrates that large audiences can be reached if the video doesn’t include the actual gameplay.

As a matter of fact, football audiences are also largely attracted to gaming content, entertainment, and music videos since as much as 18% of the football audience frequently watches entertainment videos.

Are Sports the Next Big Thing On YouTube?

At the moment, sports videos are growing faster than any other genre of videos you can find on YouTube, including entertainment or music, while the branded partnerships in this niche are growing 111% faster than all of the sports videos combined. The window of opportunity is clear for all brands that support sports activities.

Furthermore, brand ads for corporate giants such as Nike, Gatorade or Addidas attracted millions of views, which means that the leading brands in the world of sports have recognized YouTube as a marketplace they can no longer ignore. Brands that want to gain more recognition on the international market can seize this opportunity to team up with influencers on YouTube to present and broaden the reach of their products.

Besides soccer that is currently dominating the largest video sharing platform in the world, basketball, extreme sports and winter sports also provide access to huge audiences and show promising signs that they can help brands and influencers generate more revenue. Popular YouTubers should try to include more sports-related videos on their channels because it might help them attract new followers and secure a foothold in a rapidly growing market.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is over for another four years and the grand finale of this tournament was really outstanding, and France won the World Cup for the second time after overcoming Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final in Moscow. While the entire world is anxiously about the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the football videos on YouTube are booming. In fact, the football-related searches on this platform have been soaring in the months leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite the fact that some of the most popular football clubs in the world are still ignoring how powerful YouTube has become.

We have produced the infographic below which clearly shows how popular football videos are on YouTube, so let’s have a look at some of the mind-blowing facts we’ve discovered.

Football Content Has Never Been More Popular on YouTube

The football gods, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Neymar Jr are making enormous amounts of money, in addition to having an iconic status in the mass media. Such state of affairs explains why YouTube videos with these superstars saw an 80% increase in watch time over the course of the last year.

Interestingly, the highest amount of football-related searches on the world’s largest video sharing platform are coming from the South American and European countries. For example, France’s young star Kylian Mbappé is a popular search in his home country, while videos of Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar are popular searches around the globe.

The number of YouTube users who are watching the game highlights has doubled over the course of the last two years, while the number of match recap viewers has increased 9 times since the last World Cup in 2014. The live streaming content related to football is also gaining momentum, although it still isn’t nearly as popular as the Trick Shot videos or Drills and Skills videos that saw a 6x increase in watch time in the last four years.

Furthermore, some of the most viewed videos on YouTube are football related, since Shakira’s Waka Waka, the official 2010 World Cup song currently has 1.9 billion views. These statistics show how big the football audience on YouTube really is, and that brands and independent entrepreneurs have much to gain by including football related content on their YouTube channels.

Music videos related to previous World Cups have attracted 12% of women more than the videos that show footage of the Euro Cup, which clearly demonstrates that large audiences can be reached if the video doesn’t include the actual gameplay.

As a matter of fact, football audiences are also largely attracted to gaming content, entertainment, and music videos since as much as 18% of the football audience frequently watches entertainment videos.

Are Sports the Next Big Thing On YouTube?

At the moment, sports videos are growing faster than any other genre of videos you can find on YouTube, including entertainment or music, while the branded partnerships in this niche are growing 111% faster than all of the sports videos combined. The window of opportunity is clear for all brands that support sports activities.

Furthermore, brand ads for corporate giants such as Nike, Gatorade or Addidas attracted millions of views, which means that the leading brands in the world of sports have recognized YouTube as a marketplace they can no longer ignore. Brands that want to gain more recognition on the international market can seize this opportunity to team up with influencers on YouTube to present and broaden the reach of their products.

Besides soccer that is currently dominating the largest video sharing platform in the world, basketball, extreme sports and winter sports also provide access to huge audiences and show promising signs that they can help brands and influencers generate more revenue. Popular YouTubers should try to include more sports-related videos on their channels because it might help them attract new followers and secure a foothold in a rapidly growing market.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is over for another four years and the grand finale of this tournament was really outstanding, and France won the World Cup for the second time after overcoming Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final in Moscow. While the entire world is anxiously about the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the football videos on YouTube are booming. In fact, the football-related searches on this platform have been soaring in the months leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite the fact that some of the most popular football clubs in the world are still ignoring how powerful YouTube has become.

We have produced the infographic below which clearly shows how popular football videos are on YouTube, so let’s have a look at some of the mind-blowing facts we’ve discovered.

Football Content Has Never Been More Popular on YouTube

The football gods, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Neymar Jr are making enormous amounts of money, in addition to having an iconic status in the mass media. Such state of affairs explains why YouTube videos with these superstars saw an 80% increase in watch time over the course of the last year.

Interestingly, the highest amount of football-related searches on the world’s largest video sharing platform are coming from the South American and European countries. For example, France’s young star Kylian Mbappé is a popular search in his home country, while videos of Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar are popular searches around the globe.

The number of YouTube users who are watching the game highlights has doubled over the course of the last two years, while the number of match recap viewers has increased 9 times since the last World Cup in 2014. The live streaming content related to football is also gaining momentum, although it still isn’t nearly as popular as the Trick Shot videos or Drills and Skills videos that saw a 6x increase in watch time in the last four years.

Furthermore, some of the most viewed videos on YouTube are football related, since Shakira’s Waka Waka, the official 2010 World Cup song currently has 1.9 billion views. These statistics show how big the football audience on YouTube really is, and that brands and independent entrepreneurs have much to gain by including football related content on their YouTube channels.

Music videos related to previous World Cups have attracted 12% of women more than the videos that show footage of the Euro Cup, which clearly demonstrates that large audiences can be reached if the video doesn’t include the actual gameplay.

As a matter of fact, football audiences are also largely attracted to gaming content, entertainment, and music videos since as much as 18% of the football audience frequently watches entertainment videos.

Are Sports the Next Big Thing On YouTube?

At the moment, sports videos are growing faster than any other genre of videos you can find on YouTube, including entertainment or music, while the branded partnerships in this niche are growing 111% faster than all of the sports videos combined. The window of opportunity is clear for all brands that support sports activities.

Furthermore, brand ads for corporate giants such as Nike, Gatorade or Addidas attracted millions of views, which means that the leading brands in the world of sports have recognized YouTube as a marketplace they can no longer ignore. Brands that want to gain more recognition on the international market can seize this opportunity to team up with influencers on YouTube to present and broaden the reach of their products.

Besides soccer that is currently dominating the largest video sharing platform in the world, basketball, extreme sports and winter sports also provide access to huge audiences and show promising signs that they can help brands and influencers generate more revenue. Popular YouTubers should try to include more sports-related videos on their channels because it might help them attract new followers and secure a foothold in a rapidly growing market.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is over for another four years and the grand finale of this tournament was really outstanding, and France won the World Cup for the second time after overcoming Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final in Moscow. While the entire world is anxiously about the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the football videos on YouTube are booming. In fact, the football-related searches on this platform have been soaring in the months leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite the fact that some of the most popular football clubs in the world are still ignoring how powerful YouTube has become.

We have produced the infographic below which clearly shows how popular football videos are on YouTube, so let’s have a look at some of the mind-blowing facts we’ve discovered.

Football Content Has Never Been More Popular on YouTube

The football gods, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Neymar Jr are making enormous amounts of money, in addition to having an iconic status in the mass media. Such state of affairs explains why YouTube videos with these superstars saw an 80% increase in watch time over the course of the last year.

Interestingly, the highest amount of football-related searches on the world’s largest video sharing platform are coming from the South American and European countries. For example, France’s young star Kylian Mbappé is a popular search in his home country, while videos of Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar are popular searches around the globe.

The number of YouTube users who are watching the game highlights has doubled over the course of the last two years, while the number of match recap viewers has increased 9 times since the last World Cup in 2014. The live streaming content related to football is also gaining momentum, although it still isn’t nearly as popular as the Trick Shot videos or Drills and Skills videos that saw a 6x increase in watch time in the last four years.

Furthermore, some of the most viewed videos on YouTube are football related, since Shakira’s Waka Waka, the official 2010 World Cup song currently has 1.9 billion views. These statistics show how big the football audience on YouTube really is, and that brands and independent entrepreneurs have much to gain by including football related content on their YouTube channels.

Music videos related to previous World Cups have attracted 12% of women more than the videos that show footage of the Euro Cup, which clearly demonstrates that large audiences can be reached if the video doesn’t include the actual gameplay.

As a matter of fact, football audiences are also largely attracted to gaming content, entertainment, and music videos since as much as 18% of the football audience frequently watches entertainment videos.

Are Sports the Next Big Thing On YouTube?

At the moment, sports videos are growing faster than any other genre of videos you can find on YouTube, including entertainment or music, while the branded partnerships in this niche are growing 111% faster than all of the sports videos combined. The window of opportunity is clear for all brands that support sports activities.

Furthermore, brand ads for corporate giants such as Nike, Gatorade or Addidas attracted millions of views, which means that the leading brands in the world of sports have recognized YouTube as a marketplace they can no longer ignore. Brands that want to gain more recognition on the international market can seize this opportunity to team up with influencers on YouTube to present and broaden the reach of their products.

Besides soccer that is currently dominating the largest video sharing platform in the world, basketball, extreme sports and winter sports also provide access to huge audiences and show promising signs that they can help brands and influencers generate more revenue. Popular YouTubers should try to include more sports-related videos on their channels because it might help them attract new followers and secure a foothold in a rapidly growing market.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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