Quick Tips: Adding Captions in YouTube Videos

How To Add Captions to YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

The Ultimate Compilation of Top 10 Free YouTube Spaces for Digital Illustrators

10 Best Free YouTube Channel Art Makers

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

There are tons of free YouTube channel art makers online, so it’s easy for anyone to make their channel page look great without purchasing an expensive program like Photoshop. Let’s have a look at some of the best free YouTube channel art makers.

1. Wondershare PixStudio
2. BeFunky
3. Canva
4. Crello
5. Fotojet
6. Fotor
7. Snappa
8. Adobe Spark
9. Picmonkey
10. Adobe PhotoShop

YouTube Channel Art Makers You Should Try This Year

1. Wondershare PixStudio

Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform provides a wonderful creative design solution for you. Just trough drag and drop templates, and then use photos/text/elements to design. After the simple and fast design, One-Click to download your creations, and share to your Facebook, Instagram Story, and YouTube Thumbnails, etc. immediately.

2. BeFunky

This online platform for photo editing features Photo Editor, Design, and Collage Maker modes. Each mode can be used for the production of images you can use on your YouTube channel. The editor’s Design mode contains hundreds of templates that can be used to create banners and other types of visual content.

- The BeFunky online editor also has a Pro version that costs $2.91 per month.

- You can share your photos on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest directly from the editor.

- Some YouTube banner templates are only available if you upgrade to the Pro version of the software.

3. Canva

Despite the fact that Canva offers some photo editing tools, it is mostly a platform for graphic designers who need an easy way to collaborate with big teams on different projects. This online image editor enables you to design social media posts, marketing materials, and YouTube channel art.

- In order to use Canva, you must first open an account.

- Saves time on creating YouTube channel art.

- Incredibly easy to use.

4. Crello

With a photo library that contains over 3500 free images and more than 10,000 templates, Crello is one of the best online tools you can use to design your YouTube banners. YouTube channel art can be created with Crello in just 4 simple steps.

- Free, but additional designed elements may cost you as much as $0.99.

- Countless YouTube channel art templates.

- Rich font library.

5. Fotojet

Like most online photo editors, Fotojet has three different modes and its Design mode is frequently used as a tool for things like YouTube channel art and video thumbnails. However, Fotojet isn’t a free platform, even though the free trial period is available (we include it on this list because the trial period would be enough for a lot of people to get their channel art done). The pricing plans vary from $3.33 per month to $6.99, depending on the plan.

- Features a large collection of YouTube banner templates.

- Fast, simple, and easy to use.

- Some options may not be available during the trial period.

6. Fotor

Besides being one of the best online photo editors, Fotor is also a very decent design tool that functions well as a YouTube channel art maker. Fotor’s banner maker feature lets you choose a preset design and insert new text within seconds, and it also allows you to add multiple layers to your images.

- Outstanding photo editing capabilities.

- Functional design.

- Free, but a Pro version is also available.

7 . Snappa

Everyone loves beautiful images, but we often don’t have the time to create them. Snappa is designed to save you time in each step of the process of creating stunning YouTube channel art. Furthermore, this online tool features thousands of high-resolution images, and it allows you to easily add text or graphics to your designs.

- Free and Paid versions of Snappa are available.

- Powerful resizing

- Pro and Team pricing plans provide unlimited downloads.

8. Adobe Spark

Turning your ideas into compelling visual stories is easy with Adobe Spark because it provides all the graphic design tools you’ll ever need to create art for your YouTube channel. With more than 50.000 royalty-free photos, 3500 templates, and over 200 fonts Adobe Spark seems to be the ultimate tool for designing YouTube banners, thumbnails, and even pictures you feature in your videos.

- Free, although a Premium option is available for $9 per month.

- Remarkable sharing capabilities.

- Provides an endless source of inspiration through artwork shared by the Adobe Spark community members.

9. PicMonkey

PicMonkey was once a free online design tool but now you’ll have to pay for it. You’re definitely getting a lot more with this paid online design tool. Unlike most of the online design tools that we have previously mentioned, in PicMonkey, you can toggle between layers like you can in PhotoShop, select from a variety of blending options, and you also have the ability to draw and erase. In this entire list, it’s the closest tool you’ll get to PhotoShop.

10. Adobe PhotoShop

Last and definitely not the least on our list is Adobe PhotoShop, professional design software that you will have to install onto your computer. You can design your own channel art from scratch or customize pre-made templates to fit your brand.

Do you have a free YouTube channel art maker to recommend?

Touch Up Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used YouTube video editing software , Filmora allows YouTubers to create videos with plentiful effects, templates, and presets. Download the free trial version to have a try.

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

There are tons of free YouTube channel art makers online, so it’s easy for anyone to make their channel page look great without purchasing an expensive program like Photoshop. Let’s have a look at some of the best free YouTube channel art makers.

1. Wondershare PixStudio
2. BeFunky
3. Canva
4. Crello
5. Fotojet
6. Fotor
7. Snappa
8. Adobe Spark
9. Picmonkey
10. Adobe PhotoShop

YouTube Channel Art Makers You Should Try This Year

1. Wondershare PixStudio

Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform provides a wonderful creative design solution for you. Just trough drag and drop templates, and then use photos/text/elements to design. After the simple and fast design, One-Click to download your creations, and share to your Facebook, Instagram Story, and YouTube Thumbnails, etc. immediately.

2. BeFunky

This online platform for photo editing features Photo Editor, Design, and Collage Maker modes. Each mode can be used for the production of images you can use on your YouTube channel. The editor’s Design mode contains hundreds of templates that can be used to create banners and other types of visual content.

- The BeFunky online editor also has a Pro version that costs $2.91 per month.

- You can share your photos on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest directly from the editor.

- Some YouTube banner templates are only available if you upgrade to the Pro version of the software.

3. Canva

Despite the fact that Canva offers some photo editing tools, it is mostly a platform for graphic designers who need an easy way to collaborate with big teams on different projects. This online image editor enables you to design social media posts, marketing materials, and YouTube channel art.

- In order to use Canva, you must first open an account.

- Saves time on creating YouTube channel art.

- Incredibly easy to use.

4. Crello

With a photo library that contains over 3500 free images and more than 10,000 templates, Crello is one of the best online tools you can use to design your YouTube banners. YouTube channel art can be created with Crello in just 4 simple steps.

- Free, but additional designed elements may cost you as much as $0.99.

- Countless YouTube channel art templates.

- Rich font library.

5. Fotojet

Like most online photo editors, Fotojet has three different modes and its Design mode is frequently used as a tool for things like YouTube channel art and video thumbnails. However, Fotojet isn’t a free platform, even though the free trial period is available (we include it on this list because the trial period would be enough for a lot of people to get their channel art done). The pricing plans vary from $3.33 per month to $6.99, depending on the plan.

- Features a large collection of YouTube banner templates.

- Fast, simple, and easy to use.

- Some options may not be available during the trial period.

6. Fotor

Besides being one of the best online photo editors, Fotor is also a very decent design tool that functions well as a YouTube channel art maker. Fotor’s banner maker feature lets you choose a preset design and insert new text within seconds, and it also allows you to add multiple layers to your images.

- Outstanding photo editing capabilities.

- Functional design.

- Free, but a Pro version is also available.

7 . Snappa

Everyone loves beautiful images, but we often don’t have the time to create them. Snappa is designed to save you time in each step of the process of creating stunning YouTube channel art. Furthermore, this online tool features thousands of high-resolution images, and it allows you to easily add text or graphics to your designs.

- Free and Paid versions of Snappa are available.

- Powerful resizing

- Pro and Team pricing plans provide unlimited downloads.

8. Adobe Spark

Turning your ideas into compelling visual stories is easy with Adobe Spark because it provides all the graphic design tools you’ll ever need to create art for your YouTube channel. With more than 50.000 royalty-free photos, 3500 templates, and over 200 fonts Adobe Spark seems to be the ultimate tool for designing YouTube banners, thumbnails, and even pictures you feature in your videos.

- Free, although a Premium option is available for $9 per month.

- Remarkable sharing capabilities.

- Provides an endless source of inspiration through artwork shared by the Adobe Spark community members.

9. PicMonkey

PicMonkey was once a free online design tool but now you’ll have to pay for it. You’re definitely getting a lot more with this paid online design tool. Unlike most of the online design tools that we have previously mentioned, in PicMonkey, you can toggle between layers like you can in PhotoShop, select from a variety of blending options, and you also have the ability to draw and erase. In this entire list, it’s the closest tool you’ll get to PhotoShop.

10. Adobe PhotoShop

Last and definitely not the least on our list is Adobe PhotoShop, professional design software that you will have to install onto your computer. You can design your own channel art from scratch or customize pre-made templates to fit your brand.

Do you have a free YouTube channel art maker to recommend?

Touch Up Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used YouTube video editing software , Filmora allows YouTubers to create videos with plentiful effects, templates, and presets. Download the free trial version to have a try.

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

There are tons of free YouTube channel art makers online, so it’s easy for anyone to make their channel page look great without purchasing an expensive program like Photoshop. Let’s have a look at some of the best free YouTube channel art makers.

1. Wondershare PixStudio
2. BeFunky
3. Canva
4. Crello
5. Fotojet
6. Fotor
7. Snappa
8. Adobe Spark
9. Picmonkey
10. Adobe PhotoShop

YouTube Channel Art Makers You Should Try This Year

1. Wondershare PixStudio

Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform provides a wonderful creative design solution for you. Just trough drag and drop templates, and then use photos/text/elements to design. After the simple and fast design, One-Click to download your creations, and share to your Facebook, Instagram Story, and YouTube Thumbnails, etc. immediately.

2. BeFunky

This online platform for photo editing features Photo Editor, Design, and Collage Maker modes. Each mode can be used for the production of images you can use on your YouTube channel. The editor’s Design mode contains hundreds of templates that can be used to create banners and other types of visual content.

- The BeFunky online editor also has a Pro version that costs $2.91 per month.

- You can share your photos on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest directly from the editor.

- Some YouTube banner templates are only available if you upgrade to the Pro version of the software.

3. Canva

Despite the fact that Canva offers some photo editing tools, it is mostly a platform for graphic designers who need an easy way to collaborate with big teams on different projects. This online image editor enables you to design social media posts, marketing materials, and YouTube channel art.

- In order to use Canva, you must first open an account.

- Saves time on creating YouTube channel art.

- Incredibly easy to use.

4. Crello

With a photo library that contains over 3500 free images and more than 10,000 templates, Crello is one of the best online tools you can use to design your YouTube banners. YouTube channel art can be created with Crello in just 4 simple steps.

- Free, but additional designed elements may cost you as much as $0.99.

- Countless YouTube channel art templates.

- Rich font library.

5. Fotojet

Like most online photo editors, Fotojet has three different modes and its Design mode is frequently used as a tool for things like YouTube channel art and video thumbnails. However, Fotojet isn’t a free platform, even though the free trial period is available (we include it on this list because the trial period would be enough for a lot of people to get their channel art done). The pricing plans vary from $3.33 per month to $6.99, depending on the plan.

- Features a large collection of YouTube banner templates.

- Fast, simple, and easy to use.

- Some options may not be available during the trial period.

6. Fotor

Besides being one of the best online photo editors, Fotor is also a very decent design tool that functions well as a YouTube channel art maker. Fotor’s banner maker feature lets you choose a preset design and insert new text within seconds, and it also allows you to add multiple layers to your images.

- Outstanding photo editing capabilities.

- Functional design.

- Free, but a Pro version is also available.

7 . Snappa

Everyone loves beautiful images, but we often don’t have the time to create them. Snappa is designed to save you time in each step of the process of creating stunning YouTube channel art. Furthermore, this online tool features thousands of high-resolution images, and it allows you to easily add text or graphics to your designs.

- Free and Paid versions of Snappa are available.

- Powerful resizing

- Pro and Team pricing plans provide unlimited downloads.

8. Adobe Spark

Turning your ideas into compelling visual stories is easy with Adobe Spark because it provides all the graphic design tools you’ll ever need to create art for your YouTube channel. With more than 50.000 royalty-free photos, 3500 templates, and over 200 fonts Adobe Spark seems to be the ultimate tool for designing YouTube banners, thumbnails, and even pictures you feature in your videos.

- Free, although a Premium option is available for $9 per month.

- Remarkable sharing capabilities.

- Provides an endless source of inspiration through artwork shared by the Adobe Spark community members.

9. PicMonkey

PicMonkey was once a free online design tool but now you’ll have to pay for it. You’re definitely getting a lot more with this paid online design tool. Unlike most of the online design tools that we have previously mentioned, in PicMonkey, you can toggle between layers like you can in PhotoShop, select from a variety of blending options, and you also have the ability to draw and erase. In this entire list, it’s the closest tool you’ll get to PhotoShop.

10. Adobe PhotoShop

Last and definitely not the least on our list is Adobe PhotoShop, professional design software that you will have to install onto your computer. You can design your own channel art from scratch or customize pre-made templates to fit your brand.

Do you have a free YouTube channel art maker to recommend?

Touch Up Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used YouTube video editing software , Filmora allows YouTubers to create videos with plentiful effects, templates, and presets. Download the free trial version to have a try.

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

There are tons of free YouTube channel art makers online, so it’s easy for anyone to make their channel page look great without purchasing an expensive program like Photoshop. Let’s have a look at some of the best free YouTube channel art makers.

1. Wondershare PixStudio
2. BeFunky
3. Canva
4. Crello
5. Fotojet
6. Fotor
7. Snappa
8. Adobe Spark
9. Picmonkey
10. Adobe PhotoShop

YouTube Channel Art Makers You Should Try This Year

1. Wondershare PixStudio

Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform provides a wonderful creative design solution for you. Just trough drag and drop templates, and then use photos/text/elements to design. After the simple and fast design, One-Click to download your creations, and share to your Facebook, Instagram Story, and YouTube Thumbnails, etc. immediately.

2. BeFunky

This online platform for photo editing features Photo Editor, Design, and Collage Maker modes. Each mode can be used for the production of images you can use on your YouTube channel. The editor’s Design mode contains hundreds of templates that can be used to create banners and other types of visual content.

- The BeFunky online editor also has a Pro version that costs $2.91 per month.

- You can share your photos on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest directly from the editor.

- Some YouTube banner templates are only available if you upgrade to the Pro version of the software.

3. Canva

Despite the fact that Canva offers some photo editing tools, it is mostly a platform for graphic designers who need an easy way to collaborate with big teams on different projects. This online image editor enables you to design social media posts, marketing materials, and YouTube channel art.

- In order to use Canva, you must first open an account.

- Saves time on creating YouTube channel art.

- Incredibly easy to use.

4. Crello

With a photo library that contains over 3500 free images and more than 10,000 templates, Crello is one of the best online tools you can use to design your YouTube banners. YouTube channel art can be created with Crello in just 4 simple steps.

- Free, but additional designed elements may cost you as much as $0.99.

- Countless YouTube channel art templates.

- Rich font library.

5. Fotojet

Like most online photo editors, Fotojet has three different modes and its Design mode is frequently used as a tool for things like YouTube channel art and video thumbnails. However, Fotojet isn’t a free platform, even though the free trial period is available (we include it on this list because the trial period would be enough for a lot of people to get their channel art done). The pricing plans vary from $3.33 per month to $6.99, depending on the plan.

- Features a large collection of YouTube banner templates.

- Fast, simple, and easy to use.

- Some options may not be available during the trial period.

6. Fotor

Besides being one of the best online photo editors, Fotor is also a very decent design tool that functions well as a YouTube channel art maker. Fotor’s banner maker feature lets you choose a preset design and insert new text within seconds, and it also allows you to add multiple layers to your images.

- Outstanding photo editing capabilities.

- Functional design.

- Free, but a Pro version is also available.

7 . Snappa

Everyone loves beautiful images, but we often don’t have the time to create them. Snappa is designed to save you time in each step of the process of creating stunning YouTube channel art. Furthermore, this online tool features thousands of high-resolution images, and it allows you to easily add text or graphics to your designs.

- Free and Paid versions of Snappa are available.

- Powerful resizing

- Pro and Team pricing plans provide unlimited downloads.

8. Adobe Spark

Turning your ideas into compelling visual stories is easy with Adobe Spark because it provides all the graphic design tools you’ll ever need to create art for your YouTube channel. With more than 50.000 royalty-free photos, 3500 templates, and over 200 fonts Adobe Spark seems to be the ultimate tool for designing YouTube banners, thumbnails, and even pictures you feature in your videos.

- Free, although a Premium option is available for $9 per month.

- Remarkable sharing capabilities.

- Provides an endless source of inspiration through artwork shared by the Adobe Spark community members.

9. PicMonkey

PicMonkey was once a free online design tool but now you’ll have to pay for it. You’re definitely getting a lot more with this paid online design tool. Unlike most of the online design tools that we have previously mentioned, in PicMonkey, you can toggle between layers like you can in PhotoShop, select from a variety of blending options, and you also have the ability to draw and erase. In this entire list, it’s the closest tool you’ll get to PhotoShop.

10. Adobe PhotoShop

Last and definitely not the least on our list is Adobe PhotoShop, professional design software that you will have to install onto your computer. You can design your own channel art from scratch or customize pre-made templates to fit your brand.

Do you have a free YouTube channel art maker to recommend?

Touch Up Your YouTube Videos with Filmora

As one of the most widely used YouTube video editing software , Filmora allows YouTubers to create videos with plentiful effects, templates, and presets. Download the free trial version to have a try.

Richard Bennett

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

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