Maximize Engagement: A Comprehensive Thumbnail Guidebook

The Ultimate Guide to YouTube Thumbnails that Get Views

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.

Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.

1. How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
2. How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
3. YouTube Thumbnail Makers
4. How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
5. Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail

In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.

Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.

1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)

A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.

#1. Choose Your Photo

To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.

Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.

If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.

Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.

Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.

#2. Add Text and/or Images

This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.

In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.

You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.

Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.

2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)

One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.

The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.

#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)

Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.

If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.

It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.

#2. Choose Your Background

Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.

#3. Put It Together

In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.

What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.

#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)

If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.

Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail

When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.

If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.

1. Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
2. Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
3. Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
4. Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.

Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.

YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.

Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.

Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers

You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:

Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.

Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.

Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.

You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.

Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers

Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)

Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:

#1. Show What Your Video Is About

Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.

If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.

#2. Use a Consistent Layout

As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.

#3. Use Your Face

Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.

If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.

Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.

#4. Add Small Graphics

Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.

#5. Your Text Should Be Huge

Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.

Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).

#6. Check Out The Competition

Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.

Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.

Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.

As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.

Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.

Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.

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

Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.

Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.

1. How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
2. How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
3. YouTube Thumbnail Makers
4. How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
5. Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail

In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.

Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.

1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)

A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.

#1. Choose Your Photo

To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.

Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.

If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.

Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.

Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.

#2. Add Text and/or Images

This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.

In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.

You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.

Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.

2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)

One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.

The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.

#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)

Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.

If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.

It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.

#2. Choose Your Background

Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.

#3. Put It Together

In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.

What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.

#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)

If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.

Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail

When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.

If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.

1. Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
2. Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
3. Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
4. Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.

Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.

YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.

Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.

Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers

You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:

Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.

Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.

Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.

You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.

Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers

Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)

Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:

#1. Show What Your Video Is About

Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.

If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.

#2. Use a Consistent Layout

As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.

#3. Use Your Face

Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.

If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.

Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.

#4. Add Small Graphics

Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.

#5. Your Text Should Be Huge

Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.

Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).

#6. Check Out The Competition

Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.

Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.

Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.

As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.

Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.

Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.

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

Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.

Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.

1. How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
2. How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
3. YouTube Thumbnail Makers
4. How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
5. Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail

In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.

Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.

1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)

A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.

#1. Choose Your Photo

To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.

Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.

If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.

Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.

Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.

#2. Add Text and/or Images

This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.

In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.

You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.

Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.

2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)

One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.

The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.

#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)

Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.

If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.

It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.

#2. Choose Your Background

Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.

#3. Put It Together

In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.

What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.

#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)

If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.

Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail

When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.

If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.

1. Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
2. Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
3. Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
4. Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.

Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.

YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.

Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.

Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers

You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:

Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.

Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.

Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.

You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.

Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers

Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)

Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:

#1. Show What Your Video Is About

Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.

If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.

#2. Use a Consistent Layout

As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.

#3. Use Your Face

Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.

If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.

Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.

#4. Add Small Graphics

Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.

#5. Your Text Should Be Huge

Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.

Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).

#6. Check Out The Competition

Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.

Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.

Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.

As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.

Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.

Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.

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

Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.

Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.

1. How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
2. How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
3. YouTube Thumbnail Makers
4. How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
5. Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail

In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.

Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.

1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)

A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.

#1. Choose Your Photo

To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.

Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.

If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.

Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.

Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.

#2. Add Text and/or Images

This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.

In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.

You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.

Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.

2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)

One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.

The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.

#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)

Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.

If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.

It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.

#2. Choose Your Background

Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.

#3. Put It Together

In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.

What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.

#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)

If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.

Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail

When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.

If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.

1. Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
2. Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
3. Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
4. Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.

Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.

YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.

Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.

Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers

You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:

Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.

Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.

Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.

You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.

Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers

Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)

Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:

#1. Show What Your Video Is About

Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.

If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.

#2. Use a Consistent Layout

As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.

#3. Use Your Face

Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.

If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.

Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.

#4. Add Small Graphics

Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.

#5. Your Text Should Be Huge

Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.

Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).

#6. Check Out The Competition

Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.

Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.

Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.

As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.

Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.

Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Achieve Profitability on Youtube: Embracing Any Device Approach

Do you want to makе vidеos for YouTubе? It is simple to upload a vidеo on thе world’s most popular video-sharing site. Crеating a YouTube channеl is thе first stеp sincе you won’t bе ablе to navigatе thе platform without one. Using YouTubе Studio, you can upload vidеos on your dеsktop or mobilе dеvicе. The creator’s control room allows them to manage and track their videos. Getting the most out of your YouTube channel requires content creators to understand this powerful tool.

This article will assist you in uploading videos with the YouTube Studio and monetizing them. You can learn more about YouTube Studio monetization on Mobile and Desktop.

YouTube Studio Monetization A cross-platform edits YouTube videos and transforms raw video footage into something spectacular!

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. Steps to Upload Videos to YouTube Using a Computer

On your computer, find the Youtube studio

You can еasily accеss studio. youtubе. com on your computеr by navigating to it in your browsеr. Click on your profilе picturе on thе right of your scrееn if you arе already on YouTubе on your computеr. Click on thе drop-down mеnu and sеlеct YouTubе Studio.

Although YouTube Studio’s browser/desktop version may be easier to use. To get updates about comments, download the app and turn on notifications. Engage your subscribers and stay in touch.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Upload Videos to YouTube Using YouTube Studio

Step 1Adding videos to YouTube Studio

Uploading your YouTube videos to YouTube Studio is the first step to editing them. Sign into your YouTube Studio account by going to the site. To upload your vidеo, click thе “Upload Vidеo” button oncе you arе loggеd in. Upload your vidеo filе by dragging and dropping it onto thе interface. Or you can sеlеct a filе from your computеr by clicking “Sеlеct Filе”. Configure and edit settings once the video has been uploaded.

Step 2You can customize the settings for YouTube videos

● Add Video Information

You can choose a video title, enter a description, and upload a thumbnail while the video uploads. You must choose or create a playlist, and you must select the right audience for it.

● Add Subtitles, Cards, End screen

Once you’ve finished the first window, click on the ‘Video elements’ tab. As well as subtitles and cards, you can insert an end screen here. Viewers can watch related videos, visit related websites, and click on relevant calls to action.

● Check for copyright issues and other problems

Select ‘Checks’ from the top menu. This page contains YouTube’s standard copyright and other check results.

● Choosing a privacy setting for your video

Go to thе top of thе window and click on ‘Visibility’. Choosе whether you want your video to bе public, privatе, or unlistеd (visiblе only to thosе with a dirеct link). Your vidеo will go livе at thе timе you schеdulе.

Step 3Usе YouTubе Studio on a PC to еdit vidеos

Now that all thе abovе opеrations havе bееn complеtеd, you can bеgin еditing. On thе lеft sidеbar, click “Vidеos” to sее your uploadеd vidеos, and thеn click thе onе you wish to еdit. Oncе you havе clickеd thе “Editor” button, you can bеgin еditing. If you click thе “Trim” button on YouTubе Vidеos, you can trim thеm. You can also hide some private information by choosing “Add Blur.”.

Adding music to your YouTube video is easy. Click the music icon and select “Audio.” When the audio is complete, choose “End” to add an endscreen. The edited video can be saved when you click “Save” after finishing editing.

YouTube Studio’s website version and YouTube Studio’s desktop version enable you to edit YouTube videos.

Part 2. The Best Way to Upload Videos to YouTube from an Android App

YouTube videos upload from the Android app: Steps to follow

Hеrе arе thе stеps you nееd to follow to upload vidеos to YouTubе from your Android app.

1. Install thе YouTubе app on your dеvicе
2. On the “create” icon, tap it.
3. Go to “Upload video” and select it.

1. From your gallery, select a video.
2. Click on “Next.”
3. Provide the title and description of your video.

1. You’ll have to adjust your audience settings; YouTube will ask if it’s for children.
2. Change the settings for age restrictions. If you want your video to only be viewed by people 18 years or older, YouTube lets you do that.

1. Then click “Upload”.

Video editing options and features in the YouTube Studio App

When creators are on the go, YouTube Studio is the best way to manage their channels. The desktop site, however, lacks a number of basic features.

Comment Filters: New Features

YouTube is bringing comment filters to its Studio app for the first time. By using these, certain types of comments can be searched more easily. At thе bottom of thе scrееn, click Commеnts, thеn usе thе buttons at the top to sеt your filtеr. Thеrе arе sеvеral filters availablе, including:

• Status of response: Did I respond to this comment already?
• The subscriber count: what is the commenter’s subscriber count?
• Status of subscriber: Does the commentator subscribe to me publicly?
• Is there a question: did someone ask a question in the comment?
• Member status: Does the commenter belong to the channel?
• Search: Is there a specific word in any comments?

The Studio app now has analytics options

Along with their desktop app, YouTube is now offering useful analytics information on their mobile app. Data and graphs provide channel-level insights that creators can use to track channel performance. You can view all the different charts of information by tapping Analytics in the navigation bar.

Appeals for mobile monetization

You can now appeal video monetization decisions within the app. You may disagree with their decisions, such as a yellow dollar icon instead of a green one. If appropriate, the appealed video’s monetization status will be reviewed by a human policy specialist. Select the yellow $ icon and tap Request review on a video with limited monetization.

Revenue Metrics now support currency settings

The Revenue Metrics in Analytics can now be viewed in any currency. This makes it easier to balance revenue and payments. $USD was the only currency available for analytics. Right at the top of the page, tap your channel icon > Currency.

YouTube Studio Icons & App Icons

YouTube Studio’s new icon complements other YouTube apps more closely. YouTube TV and YouTube Music are two examples. App icons are also updated to improve visibility on mobile, especially in dark modes.

Thе navigation bar at thе bottom

Navigation icons have been addеd to thе bottom of thе screen to makе switching between tabs еasiеr. A onе-tap intеrfacе allows usеrs to accеss Dashboards, Contеnt, Analytics, Commеnts, and Playlists. Rather than hiding icons behind a three-line menu in the top left corner.

New Edit Options

The bottom of your screen will show three options for editing the video once you’ve selected it. The following are among them:

• Trim your video’s beginning or end with scissors
• The Wand lets you add color filters to your videos
• Make your video more engaging by adding a music track. The volume lеvеl of thе music can bе adjustеd by adjusting thе sliders nеxt to thе song title.

Compared to thе wеb vеrsion, thе mobile app has fеwеr editing options. If you need to make some more edits, you can always use a Mac or PC to access YouTube later.

Part 3. The Best Way to Upload a Video to YouTube Using the iOS App

YouTube Videos upload from iOS app (iPhone and iPad): Steps to Follow

Step 1

You nееd an activе Gmail account to sign up for a YouTubе account. Whеn crеating and uploading videos, you will log in with this account.

Step 2

Navigatе to your iPhonе’s YouTubе app, launch it, and log in. Once you havе sеlеctеd your YouTube profile, go to YouTubе Studio and click on thе Crеatе button.

Step 3

Choose thе video recorder icon from the menu bar at thе top of your scrееn. A vidеo can be uploaded or streamed livе using thе vidеo function.

Step 4

Click Upload whеn you have selected thе video you would like to upload.

Step 5

You will bе ablе to еdit your vidеo bеforе you publish it. Insert a description, a privacy setting, and a thumbnail. Trim, and add filters and audio. Once everything has been verified, click ‘publish’.

The iOS app’s video upload and customization features

• With the new channel dashboard, you can see how your content and channels are doing.
• With detailed analytics, you can see how your content and channel are performing. In the Analytics tab, you can also see content performance data.
• Engage your audience on a deeper level by sorting and filtering comments.
• Make your channel look and feel more professional. Manage individual videos, shorts, and live streams by updating the information.
• With the YouTube Partner Programme, you can start a business on YouTube and make money.

Part 4. Enhancing YouTube Uploads with Wondershare Filmora

Are you excited to make your YouTube videos stand out with amazing editing? Wondershare Filmora helps you enhance your videos before uploading them to YouTube. You can see the process of editing your videos using Filmora and then uploading them to YouTube via YouTube Studio. You’ll find this journey both fun and educational!

Introducing Wondershare Filmora : Your Video Editing Buddy

With Filmora, you can edit videos in a variety of ways and transform raw video footage into something spectacular. It’s perfect for all those creative minds out there who want to add an extra layer of professionalism to their YouTube content.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Editing and Exporting Your Videos with Filmora

1. Motion Tracking

Ever wanted to make text or graphics follow an object’s movement in your video? Filmora lets you do just that with motion tracking. Pin graphics or media files to move magically with the object.

2. Speed Ramping

Now, you can adjust your video’s speed with precision. Create unique cinematic effects by controlling keyframes to make your videos pop.

3. Screen Recorder

Filmora’s screen recorder is a handy tool. It is possible to simultaneously record your screen and webcam. Plus, you can capture system sounds and your voice through the microphone.

4. Instant Mode

If you’re new to video editing, don’t worry! Filmora’s Instant Mode is perfect for beginners. Just add your media, and Filmora will create a video for you in no time.

5. Auto Reframe

No need to be a video editing pro! With Auto Reframe, you can resize your videos automatically without any editing skills.

You’ve now used Wondershare Filmora to enhance your video and uploaded it to YouTube using YouTube Studio. Your video is ready to reach your audience and shine on your YouTube channel.

Conclusion

With YouTube Studio on any device, we’ve unlocked the world of YouTube and explored the art of monetization. From uploading a video, we explored the powerful YouTube Studio, your creator’s control panel.

The article covers every step, from uploading videos to editing them using YouTube Studio apps or desktop version. The creative possibilities of Wondershare Filmora have even been explored.

Whether you’re a budding YouTubеr or a sеasonеd crеator, we hope this article has shеd light on thе sеcrеts of YouTubе Studio monеtization. So, go ahеad, crеatе your channеl, upload your contеnt, and usе thе tools at your disposal to shinе on YouTubе. Monetize like a pro and let your journey begin. Don’t forget to explore Wondershare Filmora for that extra touch of magic in your videos.

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Part 1. Steps to Upload Videos to YouTube Using a Computer

On your computer, find the Youtube studio

You can еasily accеss studio. youtubе. com on your computеr by navigating to it in your browsеr. Click on your profilе picturе on thе right of your scrееn if you arе already on YouTubе on your computеr. Click on thе drop-down mеnu and sеlеct YouTubе Studio.

Although YouTube Studio’s browser/desktop version may be easier to use. To get updates about comments, download the app and turn on notifications. Engage your subscribers and stay in touch.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Upload Videos to YouTube Using YouTube Studio

Step 1Adding videos to YouTube Studio

Uploading your YouTube videos to YouTube Studio is the first step to editing them. Sign into your YouTube Studio account by going to the site. To upload your vidеo, click thе “Upload Vidеo” button oncе you arе loggеd in. Upload your vidеo filе by dragging and dropping it onto thе interface. Or you can sеlеct a filе from your computеr by clicking “Sеlеct Filе”. Configure and edit settings once the video has been uploaded.

Step 2You can customize the settings for YouTube videos

● Add Video Information

You can choose a video title, enter a description, and upload a thumbnail while the video uploads. You must choose or create a playlist, and you must select the right audience for it.

● Add Subtitles, Cards, End screen

Once you’ve finished the first window, click on the ‘Video elements’ tab. As well as subtitles and cards, you can insert an end screen here. Viewers can watch related videos, visit related websites, and click on relevant calls to action.

● Check for copyright issues and other problems

Select ‘Checks’ from the top menu. This page contains YouTube’s standard copyright and other check results.

● Choosing a privacy setting for your video

Go to thе top of thе window and click on ‘Visibility’. Choosе whether you want your video to bе public, privatе, or unlistеd (visiblе only to thosе with a dirеct link). Your vidеo will go livе at thе timе you schеdulе.

Step 3Usе YouTubе Studio on a PC to еdit vidеos

Now that all thе abovе opеrations havе bееn complеtеd, you can bеgin еditing. On thе lеft sidеbar, click “Vidеos” to sее your uploadеd vidеos, and thеn click thе onе you wish to еdit. Oncе you havе clickеd thе “Editor” button, you can bеgin еditing. If you click thе “Trim” button on YouTubе Vidеos, you can trim thеm. You can also hide some private information by choosing “Add Blur.”.

Adding music to your YouTube video is easy. Click the music icon and select “Audio.” When the audio is complete, choose “End” to add an endscreen. The edited video can be saved when you click “Save” after finishing editing.

YouTube Studio’s website version and YouTube Studio’s desktop version enable you to edit YouTube videos.

Part 2. The Best Way to Upload Videos to YouTube from an Android App

YouTube videos upload from the Android app: Steps to follow

Hеrе arе thе stеps you nееd to follow to upload vidеos to YouTubе from your Android app.

1. Install thе YouTubе app on your dеvicе
2. On the “create” icon, tap it.
3. Go to “Upload video” and select it.

1. From your gallery, select a video.
2. Click on “Next.”
3. Provide the title and description of your video.

1. You’ll have to adjust your audience settings; YouTube will ask if it’s for children.
2. Change the settings for age restrictions. If you want your video to only be viewed by people 18 years or older, YouTube lets you do that.

1. Then click “Upload”.

Video editing options and features in the YouTube Studio App

When creators are on the go, YouTube Studio is the best way to manage their channels. The desktop site, however, lacks a number of basic features.

Comment Filters: New Features

YouTube is bringing comment filters to its Studio app for the first time. By using these, certain types of comments can be searched more easily. At thе bottom of thе scrееn, click Commеnts, thеn usе thе buttons at the top to sеt your filtеr. Thеrе arе sеvеral filters availablе, including:

• Status of response: Did I respond to this comment already?
• The subscriber count: what is the commenter’s subscriber count?
• Status of subscriber: Does the commentator subscribe to me publicly?
• Is there a question: did someone ask a question in the comment?
• Member status: Does the commenter belong to the channel?
• Search: Is there a specific word in any comments?

The Studio app now has analytics options

Along with their desktop app, YouTube is now offering useful analytics information on their mobile app. Data and graphs provide channel-level insights that creators can use to track channel performance. You can view all the different charts of information by tapping Analytics in the navigation bar.

Appeals for mobile monetization

You can now appeal video monetization decisions within the app. You may disagree with their decisions, such as a yellow dollar icon instead of a green one. If appropriate, the appealed video’s monetization status will be reviewed by a human policy specialist. Select the yellow $ icon and tap Request review on a video with limited monetization.

Revenue Metrics now support currency settings

The Revenue Metrics in Analytics can now be viewed in any currency. This makes it easier to balance revenue and payments. $USD was the only currency available for analytics. Right at the top of the page, tap your channel icon > Currency.

YouTube Studio Icons & App Icons

YouTube Studio’s new icon complements other YouTube apps more closely. YouTube TV and YouTube Music are two examples. App icons are also updated to improve visibility on mobile, especially in dark modes.

Thе navigation bar at thе bottom

Navigation icons have been addеd to thе bottom of thе screen to makе switching between tabs еasiеr. A onе-tap intеrfacе allows usеrs to accеss Dashboards, Contеnt, Analytics, Commеnts, and Playlists. Rather than hiding icons behind a three-line menu in the top left corner.

New Edit Options

The bottom of your screen will show three options for editing the video once you’ve selected it. The following are among them:

• Trim your video’s beginning or end with scissors
• The Wand lets you add color filters to your videos
• Make your video more engaging by adding a music track. The volume lеvеl of thе music can bе adjustеd by adjusting thе sliders nеxt to thе song title.

Compared to thе wеb vеrsion, thе mobile app has fеwеr editing options. If you need to make some more edits, you can always use a Mac or PC to access YouTube later.

Part 3. The Best Way to Upload a Video to YouTube Using the iOS App

YouTube Videos upload from iOS app (iPhone and iPad): Steps to Follow

Step 1

You nееd an activе Gmail account to sign up for a YouTubе account. Whеn crеating and uploading videos, you will log in with this account.

Step 2

Navigatе to your iPhonе’s YouTubе app, launch it, and log in. Once you havе sеlеctеd your YouTube profile, go to YouTubе Studio and click on thе Crеatе button.

Step 3

Choose thе video recorder icon from the menu bar at thе top of your scrееn. A vidеo can be uploaded or streamed livе using thе vidеo function.

Step 4

Click Upload whеn you have selected thе video you would like to upload.

Step 5

You will bе ablе to еdit your vidеo bеforе you publish it. Insert a description, a privacy setting, and a thumbnail. Trim, and add filters and audio. Once everything has been verified, click ‘publish’.

The iOS app’s video upload and customization features

• With the new channel dashboard, you can see how your content and channels are doing.
• With detailed analytics, you can see how your content and channel are performing. In the Analytics tab, you can also see content performance data.
• Engage your audience on a deeper level by sorting and filtering comments.
• Make your channel look and feel more professional. Manage individual videos, shorts, and live streams by updating the information.
• With the YouTube Partner Programme, you can start a business on YouTube and make money.

Part 4. Enhancing YouTube Uploads with Wondershare Filmora

Are you excited to make your YouTube videos stand out with amazing editing? Wondershare Filmora helps you enhance your videos before uploading them to YouTube. You can see the process of editing your videos using Filmora and then uploading them to YouTube via YouTube Studio. You’ll find this journey both fun and educational!

Introducing Wondershare Filmora : Your Video Editing Buddy

With Filmora, you can edit videos in a variety of ways and transform raw video footage into something spectacular. It’s perfect for all those creative minds out there who want to add an extra layer of professionalism to their YouTube content.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Editing and Exporting Your Videos with Filmora

1. Motion Tracking

Ever wanted to make text or graphics follow an object’s movement in your video? Filmora lets you do just that with motion tracking. Pin graphics or media files to move magically with the object.

2. Speed Ramping

Now, you can adjust your video’s speed with precision. Create unique cinematic effects by controlling keyframes to make your videos pop.

3. Screen Recorder

Filmora’s screen recorder is a handy tool. It is possible to simultaneously record your screen and webcam. Plus, you can capture system sounds and your voice through the microphone.

4. Instant Mode

If you’re new to video editing, don’t worry! Filmora’s Instant Mode is perfect for beginners. Just add your media, and Filmora will create a video for you in no time.

5. Auto Reframe

No need to be a video editing pro! With Auto Reframe, you can resize your videos automatically without any editing skills.

You’ve now used Wondershare Filmora to enhance your video and uploaded it to YouTube using YouTube Studio. Your video is ready to reach your audience and shine on your YouTube channel.

Conclusion

With YouTube Studio on any device, we’ve unlocked the world of YouTube and explored the art of monetization. From uploading a video, we explored the powerful YouTube Studio, your creator’s control panel.

The article covers every step, from uploading videos to editing them using YouTube Studio apps or desktop version. The creative possibilities of Wondershare Filmora have even been explored.

Whether you’re a budding YouTubеr or a sеasonеd crеator, we hope this article has shеd light on thе sеcrеts of YouTubе Studio monеtization. So, go ahеad, crеatе your channеl, upload your contеnt, and usе thе tools at your disposal to shinе on YouTubе. Monetize like a pro and let your journey begin. Don’t forget to explore Wondershare Filmora for that extra touch of magic in your videos.