YouTube will be adding mid rolls to eight-minute long videos at the end of July.
I’m going to show you how you can turn this setting on, so you can get the most out of your YouTube channel, boost your CPM revenue, making a little bit more money, especially just before Christmas and all of this US election stuff.
Add Mid Rolls To 8 Minute Videos on YouTube [From July 2020]
Now, for some of you that already have videos over 10-minutes long, you know how this works. You can either automatically place things in based on the YouTube algorithm, and it will generate adverts in seemingly the best places, but it’s not always perfect. Or you can add them yourself using the video editor.
I did a video on how to add to your own mid rolls. I’ll put it in the info cards up here.
Now, all it’s doing is moving from 10 minutes to 8 minutes.
So now there’s more videos that are relevant. It may even be that they’ve noticed on the platform that people are just under the 10-minute threshold.
How many videos have you seen recently that are nine minutes and 30-odd seconds?
So, this moves it a little bit down and four minutes with a mid roll seems about right.
What you need to do is go to your Monetization page and you will see a warning.
You can click here to see more information, which basically says that we’re going to be readjusting them for eight-minute mid rolls.
You don’t always have to use the mid rolls if you don’t want to, but there’s also this option setting where you can now choose between: “Yes, I want to opt in. No, I don’t want to.”
If you opt in, it will help you set all of your future videos from eight minutes on, and even retro set the old ones for you as well.
Final words
If you want to know how these mid rolls work, once again, there’d be an info card here, or if you want to make money outside, I’ve done a play list and a video that you can see here somewhere on this screen.
I highly advise against this and this isn’t the stereotypical thing. I’m going to twist it in a different angle, right? Because everybody knows that it’s annoying, right?
You may be growing your numbers. You may do fantastically well. Your name may be Tom or Tim or Ten, and if you know who that is recently and who can, he’s gone.
But sub for sub hurts you. It inflates your number. It makes you feel egotistically brilliant. Wait, but what it actually does is it means more time you publish that video, that sub or that person who’s not watching your videos doesn’t engage with your content.
And YouTube goes, “Oh, okay. He just got 20 new subscribers. None of them watched, maybe their content is not good enough. Maybe we weren’t right.”
You put out a video and it’s not engaged with. You don’t get that comment or that like, or any form of shares, so they are zombies, they are hopeless.
And if you choose to push out your content to a random percentage of your subscriber base, and you’ve inflated that subscriber base with a hundred really fantastic people at a million really crappy zombies, and 10% of that will go to mostly zombies that do nothing.
That’s a fantastic video, but nobody cares, so then YouTube’s going to go, “We don’t care either.”
It’s all in your heads, what you should focus on is the 10 or 20 that really focus and really care about you, than the 50 that aren’t real.
It’s a metric for vanity, only.
Final Words
Now, if you want to see the full interview, click on this video here, remember to subscribe for regular tips and tutorials, and I’ll see you soon.
I can help you get more views on your video in just 15 seconds. This one little tip can help skyrocket your engagement and keep people watching for longer.
YouTube is based on engagement, how you hook people, how you keep them engaged and how quickly you can deliver on what you’ve promised. That is why you need to have a perfect hook.
See, with the first 15 seconds of this video, I’ve told you what this video happens to be about, upset that expectations, and I will be delivering that value.
It’s the first 15 seconds of all of your videos that needs to set that expectation, then people will stay around for longer, they will engage for longer throughout the entire videos because they know that they’re going to get what they want.
Then that video will get promoted more because it’s been engaged with, it’s delivered exactly what they’re expecting and therefore it will get those comments, and those likes that YouTube looks to feed the algorithm.
So that’s the short version, but how does this actually work out?
Well, one, you’ve made a promise with your thumbnail and your title. In this case, I’ve promised you that I can help you get more views in 15 seconds, and I can. Just, it’s your 15 seconds, not this 15 seconds.
In the first 15 seconds of your video, you need to echo the sentiment of your title, your thumbnail, and promise some form of delivery.
I’m here to teach you that 15 second hook. You’ll notice in the first 15 seconds of all of my videos, I tell you what the video happens to be about. I’m going to show you an end screen. I’m going to monetize your Facebook page. I’m going to show you how to use the video chapters.
I deliver that in the first 10, 15 seconds, then that way, you know, “Oh, OK. So I did come for that title and it did come for what he’s promising, and he is now showing me that that will be delivered.”
Why is that so important?
Well, in any era of click baits and people having been cheated on so many times in the past, you’ve clicked on the title and that’s like, “Wow, you can’t believe this exploding car,” and then you’re 15 minutes in before they actually show it to you.
People have got used to that lie and people have got used to clicking away because they know they have the power to go and have a look at another tutorial in my case.
So, if you echo the sentiment of the title, they then know that, “Okay, I came here for chocolate cake and they promise that they will make a chocolate cake. They’ve echoed that chocolate cake within the first 10, 15 seconds.”
So effectively you’ve already told them, “Hey, you’re in the right place. Just hold my hand, sit down, get a cup of tea and I’ll deliver.”
Two, this helps you set the expectations you’ve promised at the start of the video. That even if the whole video is 7, 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes long, that they will get the thing that they’ve asked for and the longer the video, hopefully the better explained it is.
Three, deliver that value, whatever you’re promising within the first 10 to 15 seconds, do that thing as soon as possible without padding out the runtime.
Now this is me explaining the first 15 seconds, but I also at the start of this video very quickly summarized exactly what it is, sort of the hook out. If you hook them, they’ll watch for longer. If they watch for longer, YouTube loves you. Bingo.
This is me expanding on that idea. This is me explaining every fine detail of the theory and why it works and how it works for people that want to hear the nitty gritty and understand the systems behind it.
Final words
But if the video only needs to be two minutes long, don’t make it 15 because people know that when they’re being conned these days. If it’s too long and it’s not delivering, people will click away and you really need to focus on retention.
You have a collection of videos you really, really love, and you wanna put into a YouTube playlist. Maybe it’s music, maybe it’s videos for you to watch later. That’s what we’ll talk about today, how to make a YouTube playlist.
How do you make a playlist on YouTube? – There are 3 main ways to make a playlist on YouTube. Channel Dashboard Menu, Mass Adding from Content Page or adding videos from the Video Watch Page.
Channel Dashboard
To make a new playlist from the YouTube Studio Dashboard – Go to your channel dashboard and on the right hand menu click playlist.
Click New Playlist, give it a title and pick if it is public, unlisted or private.
Fill in the description, and then start adding videos from the watch page or your video library.
Mass Add Videos
This is the fastest method for adding your own videos into a new playlist.
Go your creator dashboard, videos page, tick the boxes of the videos you want to add to a playlist.
You will now see a black bar at the top of the videos page with the option to add to playlist. You can select existing playlists or click “New Playlist”.
When clicking “New Playlist” you will have the option to add a title and set the viability – public, unlisted or private – and the videos selected will be automatically added to that new playlist.
Video Watch Page
If you are looking to start a playlist from a video you have just watched this is the fastest way to make a new playlist.
Go to the video you want to watch and click the “Save +” option from under the video.
It will then give you the option to add to existing playlists, the Watch Later queue, or to “Create Playlist”.
You will now have the option to name the new playlist and set its privacy setting – public, unlisted or private.
What is a YouTube playlist?
A YouTube playlist groups videos together. These videos could be created by you or someone else on YouTube. You don’t have to be a creator to make playlists – it’s a way to organize videos with similar characteristics, or as a reminder for later.
Maybe you want to make a playlist of your favourite music videos, or a audio track list to study to. Everyone is used to the idea of a music playlist, so a video playlist is a curation in the similar vein but with more visual elements.
For example – Maybe you really love films and you want to keep an eye out for the up coming movies you want to catch in the cinema by collecting movie trailers in a playlist.
Alternatively, you admire a specific business leader and you want to curate a playlist of motivational quotes, speeches and interviews they have on YouTube.
And importantly – If you are a YouTube creator a YouTube playlist is a good way to group similar content together to help your subscribers discover related videos. That way they are more likely to binge on the playlist, video after video, in a more organic passive manner rather than manually clicking and searching for the next clip.
In a nutshell, playlists make it easy for viewers to find the videos they want to watch – with a few simple clicks, videos are saved and sorted.
Why Make YouTube Playlists?
YouTube as a platform is growing at an alarming rate.
Did you know YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine on the internet?
In fact it is the 2nd largest search engine on the internet and is owned by the LARGEST search engine on the internet – Google!
That means you are constantly swimming into an ever increasing river of new content, videos, articles, songs, channels, influences, tv shows, game trailers and opinions.
The best way to use this huge library of content is to either curate what you love for yourself, or as a creator help curate your content for others.
And you know if YouTube is automating something – that’s a hint that they find it useful to boost watch time and to grow a brand. So why not give YouTube a hand and start grouping them together yourself!
Creating playlists with a strong focus on keywords gives your channel (and your videos!) more opportunities for exposure to YouTube users.
If no one can find your video, it doesn’t matter how fabulous your content is – you’ll still be missing out on the opportunities a YouTube channel provides.
2. Binge-able Content For Your Subscribers
Playlists can be pinned to your channel home page to make it look active and full of videos.
Think of this like a super market shelf. When you go shopping you look at the shelves and they give you options to choose from. This means you can select what product makes you happy and suits your needs.
In this case I have a few playlists on my home page that group my content together in a theme.
This give my audience a choice of what they want to learn from me and what content they wish to consume – Business, YouTube Hacks, YouTube Feature Tutorials, Personal Vlogs etc
When you first start creating your YouTube channel, this home page is empty and only displays your latest videos and a collection of playlists.
This can look ugly and doesn’t maximise the potential your content has to draw in new viewers or even to start a binge watch session.
You can customise this channel homepage by activating the YouTube Custom Channel Layout.
3. Make It Easy For People To Find Your Videos
I have made 3 videos a week, every week for nearly 3 years. This means I have a large back catalog of videos that people will love but might find it hard to sift through and find.
That is where a playlist can help!
YouTube Video Playlists can be a great way to curate the viewing experience and help them locate your topics faster.
On my channel I teach YouTube tricks and tips, making money from YouTube, how to get more views – and many other related topics.
However, someone who is looking to learn how to add end screens to YouTube videos might not want to watch a 17 minute deep dive into How to improve YouTube video CPM.
Playlists can help funnel your audience into a better viewing experience.
I split my 480+ videos into playlists that are 8-15 videos long at most. That way people can get a collection of related videos that all answer a similar question and make them binge-able for the viewer.
For example – Maybe you found my video about “How to use YouTube to Grow A Business” and would like to learn about youtube affiliate income, how to get brand deals and how to boost video cpm. I can put all of these videos into a playlist and it encourages the viewer to sit down with a cup of tea, a notepad and watch for 3-4 videos longer than just a single video on its own.
4. Playlists Are Content!
Anybody who has started a YouTube has heard the the old mantra that “the more you post the more views you will get” – “you can only grow if you publish regularly”.
There is something in this but its not a hard and fast rule!
ALSO… there is a sneaky trick that could help you pad out how many pieces of “content” you make on YouTube.
Did you know that the only why YouTube can see you have made new content is by a new content id? What that means is that jumble of letters and numbers.
But when you make a Playlist that also makes a new content id – so you do not have to crank out video are to video to make content for YouTube to eat. Playlists will also give signals to YouTube that you are still active and something else for them to rank.
Make YouTube Playlists on Mobile
You can also make playlists while on the go. This can be a good way to save ideas, make a travel playlist or build out something to binge watch while you are out the house… or on the toilet (hiding from your 4 year old who won’t give you 5 minutes to yourself).
If you need help with making playlists on your mobile device then check out the video below.
Faster, easier to worth with and smaller files in Adobe Premiere Pro with these 4K Export Settings!
Today we are going to deep dive into what 4K video is, why it’s slowly replacing 1080p and what settings to use to make it painless to use!
Just because you’re shooting in 4K, that doesn’t mean you have to work in 4K. For many projects, 1080p is good enough.
The benefit of shooting in 4K is a quadrupled resolution, allowing you to zoom in cleanly since you have a much better source video to work with.
This is perfect for cutting to close-ups, effectively eliminating jump-cuts from your finished product entirely.
This effect can commonly be seen in single-camera interviews, where the perspective shifts between a wide full-body shot and a close-up shot of the interviewee talking. Pull it off well and it can be used for dramatic effect to add emphasis and connect better with the subject.
Even if your end product will be 1080p, shooting 4K will deliver a higher quality down-sampled image.
Capturing four times the amount of information you need won’t produce an image that’s four times better looking, but the end result will be noticeably sharper.
You’ll also reduce the chance of color banding, since most cameras record 4K at a higher bitrate. That means more color detail is captured, which will vastly improve gradual changes, like deep blue skies or other solid colors.
Sometimes the camera makes all the difference. Many modern mirrorless, digital SLR, and cinema cameras shoot 4K using larger sensors, effectively down-sampling a 6K or 8K image to 4K (like the relatively cheap Sony a6300, above). The Panasonic GH5 even does 6K video and 4K video at a bit-rate of 400 megabits-per-second.
Yes, there are many 1080p cameras that will shoot better HD footage than a cheap 4K camera.
What Is 4K? Do I need 4K Video?
We hear the word 4K every day in several places such as on youtube picture quality, gaming, in the specification of electronic devices like cameras, television, laptop, etc.
But what did this term mean? 4K means a digital resolution of approximately 4000 pixels; there are several different resolutions in 4K. 4K aka UHD (Ultra-high Definition), has a standard resolution as a 4K digital television of 3840*2160 with narrow borders, or 4096*2160 without borders – as popular in movies.
The picture quality of 4K content is very sharp, colorful, and professional; 4k quality enhances the user experience. It highlights every detail of the videos, let us have a quick eye on some of the advantages and disadvantages of 4K picture quality.
4K YouTube Videos vs 1080p YouTube Videos
4K is known as Ultra High Definition (UHD), whilst 1080P is simply labelled High Definition. As their names imply, 4K UHD has a considerably higher resolution than 1080P HD video. 4K resolution is exactly 3840 x 2160 pixels, whilst 1080P consists of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
The 4K designation refers to the close to 4000 horizontal pixels. Traditionally, resolution had been labelled according to vertical pixels and in the case of 1080P, 1080 vertical lines make up that high definition resolution. By comparison, 4K features 2160 pixels vertically; a considerable increase.
At an aspect ratio of 16:9, 4K contains almost four times the number of pixels on a screen compared with 1080P technology – more than eight million pixels for 4K and just two million pixels for 1080P.
This massive difference brings about some important advantages for 4K when one compares it to the quality of a 1080P video.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!
2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos
I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
5. Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
If you’ve decided to go down a vlogging route and have started creating and publishing Youtube videos, then you need to make sure you promote your YouTube channel so your videos don’t flop.
It’s really easy to publish your content but without promotion how are people going to find your videos and see your content?
I’ve put together 10 brilliant ways to promote your Youtube channel and increase your views, a few simple changes to your normal Youtube tasks could see a big traffic change.
[1] Make sure your titles are engaging
Just like any other form of social media or blogging you want people to click into your content, the only way to do this is make sure people are drawn into your content and want to click.
Make sure you use persuasive writing, ensure its clear what your viewers will get out of the video, and most importantly solve a problem for your viewer.
Look at your current titles and decide would you click on it? Do you know what the video would be about?
71% of my traffic on my YouTube channel is from search that I won because I used TubeBuddy and VidIQ to optimize my titles, descriptions and tags.
[3] Promote yourself
If you’ve got a number of videos, the ideal action is for your watchers to watch all of the content.
Make sure you reference your older videos in new ones, leave links in the description and then if your watchers are interested its easy for them to find your older link and click through
[4] Share across platforms
Most social media platforms have a native video uploader, upload a snippet of your video with links to the full Youtube video.
This way wherever your audience are they have a very clear direction of how to access your Youtube videos.
It may be that they don’t usually use Youtube to find content but if it lands on their facebook feed they’re more likely to click through – clicking through from external websites shows Youtube that your content is valuable and is more likely to increase your ranking
If you need help with sharing your videos and building your brand – check out my resources page, packed with great tools I use personally to help grow my brand and get noticed on YouTube.
[5] Subscribe Buttons
You can subscribe to Youtube videos by clicking in the description, but a lot of viewers won’t read the description or even click through to subscribe.
You need to make it abundantly clear WHY they should subscribe to your channel and make sure you add a nice big subscribe button within your video.
Our brains are hardwired to react to visuals so make sure with every video you upload a custom thumbnail image which is bright and details what your video will do.
While YouTube will auto create a thumbnail, by creating a custom one you can make sure your viewers can see instantly what your video will be about.
If you’re going to spend the time to create a professional looking thumbnail, start with the proper sizing and dimensions.
Per YouTube’s guidelines, your thumbnail image should be 1280 x 720 pixels, with a minimum width of 640 pixels. An aspect ratio of 16:9 is ideal as it’s used most often in YouTube players and previews.
Be honest & accurate in your thumbnails
If you click bait users to viewing your videos by misleading them with thumbnails and headlines, this will hurt your brand and reputation.
Not only that, but YouTube will stop showing your videos in search results if your bounce rates are too high.
The thumbnail is meant to give context, so providing an image that does not depict what is in the video will harm you rather than benefit you. Find the most important point or part of your video and create your thumbnail around that.
[7] A complete profile
Many people skip straight to creating content but don’t skip out on your profile it’s a really important aspect to making sure your viewers return.
Maintain a consistency across your other social media channels / website and most importantly have very visible contact details.
If your channel is going well then companies may want to contact you for sponsorship deals, your watchers may want to send you an email
Why have Multiple Social Media Accounts?
Having a social media presence is key things for companies in this day and age.
Especially with the different types of social media accounts out. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. is key to get the word out about your company, brand, youtube channel or blog to your chosen target audience.
Social media has been a growing trend for businesses over the last few years, and for good reason. Before you begin dabbling with multiple social media sites, a strategy needs to be put in place that includes:
Consistency: Instead of posting when you have time, post something at the same times every day so your audience knows when to expect it.
Engagement: Interact with your audience through social media, whether it’s by answering questions they post or by asking questions yourself.
Images: Don’t just post links and text. People love pictures and infographics. Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. Businesses that have used infographics have grown in traffic 12% more than those that don’t.
This will increase your reach to people without accessibility issues too, so many people watch videos with their phones on mute you’d be amazed how many are skipped over if they don’t have subtitles it’s a really untapped market you need to address.
Why Accessibility Matters
It’s time to set a universal standard for accessibility. How many people have visited your channel and left without complaining because of its inaccessibility?
There are 466 million people around the world who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Up to 71% of people with disabilities leave a page immediately if it is not accessible.
How do the statistics of videos with captions compare to video content without subtitles?
When it comes to watch time, subtitled videos increase view time by more than 12% and are watched an average 91% to completion. In comparison, videos without subtitles are only watched 66% to completion. When subtitles are included, 80% more people watch videos to completion.
[9] High Quality Content
Let’s be fair, you can create rich SEO descriptions, fill out all your profile, have active subscribe buttons etc. etc. but if your content is weak then people won’t return, they probably won’t even watch the entirety of your current video.
Just like any other form of blogging / vlogging or social media content will always be king. Make sure the videos you are creating are what your ideal audience would be looking for, that the video ultimately answers a problem, that you’re clear and engaging and most importantly that you are yourself.
Anyone can create a factual video what makes your videos unique is you. So inject some personality and let your viewers really get to know the person behind the camera
Hopefully if your videos are doing well you will start getting comments on your videos – answer them! Respond to your fans and engage with your community.
These are your viewers and subscribers, by making them know you ‘see’ them they’re more likely to return to your new content. Plus engage enough and you will get ideas for new Youtube videos, questions they need answering – its basically free market research very specifically from your audience.
So there you have it, 10 ways you can improve your current Youtube promotion with just a few simple changes.
Everyone’s on YouTube, from Dwayne Johnson to Huda Kattan to your neighbors. What started as a steaming platform has turned into the second largest search engine and a reliable way to market products and services. Everyone wants to know How To Start A YouTube Channel!
YouTube has given us internet celebs like Logan Paul and PewDiePie. It’s also helping people make millions. All that you need is a YouTube channel and a decent number of views and subscribers.
In this article, we’ll tell you how to start a YouTube channel so you can begin your YouTube journey.
Step #1 Get a Gmail Account
You must have a Gmail account in order to create a channel on YouTube since both the platforms are owned by the same company – Google.
You do not have to make a new account if you already have one unless you want to keep your YouTube page separate.
Go here to sign up for a free Gmail account. You will be required to enter personal details including your name, gender, birthday, etc.
The system will ask you to choose a unique Google username. Be careful when selecting one as it will end up being your YouTube channel name. Stick to your business name if you’re opening a business account but make sure you have the right to use it.
You can also come up with a unique username. It does not have to be your legal name and Google will not ask you to verify that you own the name. We suggest that you stick to a name that is easy to remember and spell.
Google will give you the option to add a phone number to your account. We suggest that you do not skip this step and link your phone number to your account so that you do not lose access to it. It can also be used to authenticate accounts. Moreover, you can also add a recovery email.
Once done, move to creating your Google Account Profile. Be careful when selecting an image as it will show on your YouTube channel.
You can edit the image by signing into your Google account. Find the Settings option in the top right. Scroll down and click About me in the ‘My Picture’ section.
Upload a profile photo by clicking on the “Add Profile Photo” button on the page. It can be any image relevant to your account including a selfie. Make sure to only upload images that you have a right to use. The image must be the right size and pixels, otherwise the page will return an error.
Step #2: Create a YouTube Channel
Once your Google account is ready, it is time to create a YouTube channel. Sign in to YouTube and move ahead.
You can create a personal channel or a business channel:
Your new channel is ready. You will now be able to upload videos, post comments, etc.
Creating a Business YouTube Channel
Creating a YouTube business channel can be a little complicated. However, we suggest this option if you want your YouTube channel to display a name and image other than the name and photo on your Google account.
Use the account that you just created to sign in to YouTube.
YouTube will ask you to create a brand account, i.e: a business account.
Enter the required details and click Create.
Done. Your new channel is ready.
Step #3: Personalize Your YouTube Channel
Your new YouTube channel is ready to post videos but you’re not done yet. Make sure to personalize the channel so that you can attract more subscribers.
Upload a profile picture by following the steps explained above. You can also upload one directly from YouTube by clicking your account option given on the top right corner. Click it and select the ‘Manage your Google Account’ option.
This will open a new window, choose Personal Info. Here you can add a profile picture. This will get linked to your YouTube account.
Once the photo is ready, it is time to further customize your page.
Click the ‘Customize Channel’ option and enter the following details:
Channel Art: You can choose one from the gallery or upload one of your own photos. It is best to choose a relevant and high quality image that helps users connect with your content.
Home: You can edit this part by adding sections. This section will be available once you have videos uploaded to your channel. Click ‘Add a section’ and choose the contents and layout. You can display popular videos, live videos, playlists, etc.
Playlists: This section is where you can create your own playlists for subscribers and visitors to see. Choose an apt name for each playlist and make it easy for users to find what they need.
Channels: Here you can add other channels including your sister channels. Click the ‘Add Channels’ option on the right to add channels.
About: This is a very important section as it will tell others what your channel is all about. Write a description. Make sure to be SEO friendly and use tags that are popular among users. Also, add your contact details and a location.
Review all your changes and you are done.
Step #4: Verify Your Account
Now that your channel is ready, it is time to verify your YouTube account. Do not worry, you will not have to upload any documents and the process is instant.
Go here to verify your account. Select country, choose how you wish to receive a code, enter your phone number, and click Submit.
You will receive a call or text on the given number. Enter it and your account will get verified. Remember that one number can only be used to verify two accounts per year.
While it is possible to use your YouTube account without verifying it, we suggest that you go through the process as unverified accounts come with some limitations.
Unverified accounts cannot upload longer videos (up to 15 minutes). Plus, they cannot go live or choose custom thumbnails. Hence, complete this step before moving to uploading videos.
Step #5: Upload a Video
Now that your channel is ready, it is time to kick start it by uploading a video. There is no limit on the number of videos you can upload. However, the maximum file size is 128GB, which is about 12 hours.
Go here to upload a video. You can also find this section by going to YouTube and clicking the ‘camera’ icon on the top.
The system will ask you to select a video that you wish to upload. Remember that you can only upload videos that belong to you. Uploading copyrighted content can get your account temporarily suspended or permanently blocked. Plus, copyrighted content owners may also have a right to take legal actions against you. Hence, be careful.
Drag and drop the file and it will begin to upload. You can also click ‘Select Files’ and choose the video that you wish to upload. You can select multiple videos at a time.
Your video will begin to upload. The system will show you the remaining time. You can cancel the upload during the process.
You will get a message once the uploading and processing finishes.
Once done, you’ll be asked to provide details including a title, description, tags, etc. Provide the required details and complete the process.
To maximize the chances of your videos being found in search and get more views try browser plugins like TubeBuddy or VidIQ
Congratulations! your channel is up and running. Start sharing the URL with others.
Yes, it is possible to change the name of your YouTube channel if you have a personal account. YouTube does not currently allow users to change brand names.
Go to your Google Account, and change the name on your Google profile. The change will appear on your YouTube account.
#3 Can I delete a YouTube channel?
Yes, you can, but be careful as doing so will permanently delete all your playlists, history, videos, and subscribers.
Go here and select the Delete channel option at the bottom. Enter your login details and confirm the action.
You can also choose to temporarily hide your channel.
#4 Is it free to start a YouTube channel?
Yes, it is absolutely free to start a YouTube channel. However, the company offers some paid marketing tools to YouTube content creators.
#5 Can I make money by starting a YouTube channel?
Making a channel will not earn you any money, however, you can monetize it and use other tactics to make money via YouTube.
#6 What is the age limit to start a YouTube channel?
You must be 18 to create your own YouTube channel. Children between the ages of 13 and 17 can own a YouTube channel with parental permission.
#7 What can a YouTube channel be about?
YouTube does not expressly ban any topic, however, there are Community Guidelines that must be followed. It prohibits nudity, abuse, copyrighted content, and false news.
YouTube video timestamps now come with skippable chapters that can help you rank better in search. Learn how to add chapters to youtube videos with time stamps and why they are so useful for YouTube and Google search results.
The new time stamp video chapters for YouTube videos give you the opportunity to add relevant sub titles to sections of your videos. This means people can skip to these parts quicker, helping them get the answer they want more directly. These snippets can work well for youtube promotion as they can also be found by Google and using in the search results as video snippets or result snippets for quick answers in results.
What Are YouTube Video Timestamps?
Timestamps on YouTube videos give you the chance to skim through the video quickly and find what you are looking for using the mini sub headings.
The timestamps are normally added to the video description by the video creator. You start with 0:00 to show YouTube where the video starts and you add time stamps to important parts of the video with index marks for example “2:53 – Step By Step Tutorial”.
YouTube video chapters can help you find the important part of the video faster.
If you are a creator and you upload videos, the chapters give you the opportunity to add additional, relevant keywords to the description of the video.
Why add keywords to the description?
YouTube search and google works on relevancy and meta data. If you post a video tutorial that has 5-6 different parts to it then you can section it out. Each questions could have a time stamp. Each of those time stamps could be a search term and each could have a chance of dominating search results with google snippets.
What Are Google Snippets?
Google Snippets (featured snippets) are short selections of text or clips of YouTube videos appearing at the top of Google’s search results that are designed to answer a searcher’s query.
The content that appears inside of a Featured Snippet is automatically pulled from web pages in Google’s index or snippets from YouTube Videos with timestamps. Common types of Featured Snippets include definitions, tables, steps and lists.
How featured snippets are chosen?
Featured snippets come from web search listings. Google’s automated systems determine whether a page would make a good featured snippet to highlight for a specific search request.
How to download a YouTube video — the official, legitimate ways.
The clean routes are YouTube Premium’s offline download (now on mobile and desktop) and downloading your own uploads from YouTube Studio. This guide covers exactly how to do both, the settings, what the downloads actually are, and the honest legal picture — so you save videos the right way.
Why trust this? I’m Alan Spicer — a YouTube Certified Expert with two decades on the platform and six Silver Play Buttons. I download my own videos constantly for re-edits and b-roll, and I know exactly what YouTube does and doesn’t allow.
⚡ QUICK ANSWER: How do you download a YouTube video?
The official way is YouTube Premium: sign in, open the video, and tap or click Download below it — this works in the mobile app and on desktop in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera. The video saves for offline viewing inside YouTube. If it’s your own video, download the actual MP4 from YouTube Studio. There’s no official free way to download other people’s videos without Premium.
Can You Download YouTube Videos?
Yes — through the routes YouTube actually provides. People download videos to watch offline on a flight or commute, to save data, to keep lectures for study, or (as a creator) to reuse their own footage as b-roll. The key is which method, because they’re not all equal — and only some are within YouTube’s rules.
There are two legitimate, YouTube-sanctioned ways: the built-in Premium offline download for watching inside YouTube, and downloading your own uploads from YouTube Studio as a real file. Everything else — the third-party “downloader” sites — sits outside YouTube’s Terms and carries copyright and security risks. This guide focuses on doing it properly.
The Legitimate Ways to Download — At a Glance
Method
What you get
Cost
Real file?
Premium (mobile)
Any eligible video, offline in-app
Premium sub
❌ Cached in-app
Premium (desktop web)
Any eligible video, offline in browser
Premium sub
❌ Cached in-app
YouTube Studio (your uploads)
Your own videos as MP4
Free
✅ Yes (MP4)
Google Takeout (your uploads)
Bulk export of your content
Free
✅ Yes
Public-domain / Creative Commons
Permitted content to reuse
Free
Varies
How to Download a YouTube Video With Premium (Mobile)
This is the built-in, one-tap method on your phone or tablet:
Open the YouTube app signed in to your Premium account.
Go to the watch page of the video you want.
Tap Download below the video (or via the three-dot menu).
Choose a quality if prompted — the download icon turns black when done.
Find it any time under Downloads in your Library, and watch offline.
How to Download on Desktop / Computer
YouTube expanded offline downloads to the desktop, so Premium members are no longer stuck on mobile:
Visit youtube.com signed in to Premium, using Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera.
Open the video’s watch page and click Download below the player.
Access saved videos from the Downloads section in the left-hand sidebar — even when you’re offline.
Handy for saving lectures or training on a laptop where the Wi-Fi can’t be trusted.
How to Download Your OWN YouTube Videos
This is the one that gives you an actual file — and it’s completely legitimate because you own the content. As a creator you’ll want this for re-edits, backups and b-roll:
Sign in to YouTube Studio and open Content.
Hover the video, open the three-dot options menu, and choose Download.
YouTube gives you an MP4 (note: it may be compressed from your original master).
For bulk exports of everything, use Google Takeout to download all your uploads at once.
Because the file can be compressed, it’s always worth keeping your original exports too — see my best 1080p rendering settings so your masters are top quality in the first place.
Download Settings & Quality (Premium)
A few Premium settings worth knowing:
Download quality — set a default (from low up to 1080p on supported videos) in the app’s download settings to balance clarity against storage.
Smart/recommended downloads — YouTube can auto-download suggested videos while on Wi-Fi so you always have something to watch offline.
Wi-Fi only — restrict downloads to Wi-Fi to protect your mobile data.
What YouTube Premium Downloads Actually Are
This trips a lot of people up, so it’s worth being clear:
They’re cached, not files. Premium downloads live inside the YouTube app or site. They won’t show up in your camera roll, gallery, Files app or a desktop folder.
You can’t transfer them. No moving them to a USB stick, another device, or a different media player.
They expire. You must reconnect to the internet roughly every 30 days so YouTube can verify your membership, or they become unavailable.
Some videos are blocked. Certain music videos, Kids content and region-locked videos have the download option disabled.
If you want a genuine, permanent, editable file, the only clean routes are your own uploads or properly licensed/public-domain content — not a cached Premium copy.
Downloading your own videos to reuse and grow?
On a free discovery call we’ll turn your back catalogue into a content strategy that drives traffic to older videos.
Short version: downloading through YouTube’s own tools is fine; going around them usually isn’t.
Legitimate: Premium offline downloads, your own uploads from Studio, and public-domain or Creative Commons content you’re permitted to use.
Problematic: third-party “downloader” sites and apps that save other people’s videos. These generally breach YouTube’s Terms of Service, can amount to copyright infringement (the video belongs to its creator), and frequently bundle ads or malware.
Honestly? There’s no official free way to download other people’s videos without Premium — the built-in button is a Premium perk. What you can do for free and legitimately:
Download your own uploads from YouTube Studio (covered above).
Save public-domain or Creative Commons content you’re allowed to reuse.
You’ll find plenty of third-party downloader sites promising free saves of any video. I don’t recommend them: they breach YouTube’s Terms, risk copyright infringement, and are a common source of malware and scam ads. If you just want to keep watching offline, Premium is the safe, creator-supporting option — and if you only need background audio, there are ways to play YouTube in the background without Premium.
What About Third-Party YouTube Downloaders?
Search “YouTube downloader” and you’ll find hundreds of tools promising to save any video as a file. It’s worth understanding what they are — and why I don’t recommend using them for other people’s content. They fall into three broad camps:
Type
What it claims to do
The catch
Online converter sites
Paste a link, get an MP4/MP3 in the browser
Heaviest on ads, pop-ups and malware; often break
Desktop apps
Install software to save videos in bulk
Bundled extras; can carry adware; you install it with full permissions
Browser extensions
Add a download button to YouTube
Against YouTube/store policies; often removed; can read your browsing
Whatever the format, they share the same fundamental problems — and none of them are worth the risk for the sake of a video you can watch for free anyway:
They breach YouTube’s Terms of Service. Saving content outside YouTube’s own tools isn’t permitted, full stop.
They can infringe copyright. The video belongs to its creator; downloading and — especially — reusing or reuploading it can be infringement, as covered in is it legal to download YouTube videos.
They’re a security minefield. Free downloader sites are one of the most common sources of malware, fake buttons and scam ads on the web.
They’re unreliable. YouTube changes its systems regularly, so these tools break, disappear, or quietly start serving something nastier than a video.
They don’t support the creator. Premium downloads send a slice of your subscription to the people you watch; a ripper sends nothing.
The honest bottom line: if you want to keep watching offline, Premium does it cleanly and safely. If you want a real file, use your own uploads or properly licensed and public-domain content. The third-party route trades a small convenience for legal exposure and a genuine malware risk — a bad deal.
Downloader Safety: Red Flags to Watch For
If you’re researching these tools, know the warning signs — the same tricks turn up again and again on downloader and “free MP3” sites:
Fake download buttons. The biggest, greenest “DOWNLOAD” button is usually an ad that installs something else. The real link (if any) is small and plain.
“Your device is infected” pop-ups. Always a scam — no website can scan your device. Close the tab; don’t click.
Requests to install software or “a codec.” A browser converter never needs you to install anything to play an MP4.
Endless redirects and permission prompts. Notifications, “allow” boxes and new tabs on every click are adware funnels.
Asking you to sign in with Google. Never hand a downloader site your Google credentials — it’s a phishing red flag.
Simple rule: if a site is aggressively pushing you to click, install or sign in, back out. Nothing about saving a video should require any of that.
People Also Ask
How do I download a YouTube video on my iPhone or Android?
With YouTube Premium, open the app, go to the video and tap Download below it, then watch it offline from your Library. It works the same on iPhone and Android. Without Premium there’s no official in-app download for other people’s videos.
How do I download a YouTube video to MP4?
The only clean way to get a true MP4 is to download your own upload from YouTube Studio, or use public-domain/Creative Commons content. Premium downloads aren’t MP4 files — they’re cached copies locked inside YouTube.
Can I download a YouTube video to watch on a plane?
Yes — that’s exactly what Premium offline downloads are for. Download over Wi-Fi before you fly (mobile or laptop) and watch with no connection. Just reconnect within about 30 days so YouTube can re-verify your membership.
Is it safe to use a YouTube downloader?
Free third-party downloader sites and apps are a common source of malware, fake download buttons and scam ads, and they breach YouTube’s Terms. The safe options are YouTube Premium for offline viewing, or downloading your own uploads from YouTube Studio — neither carries the security or copyright risk.
Why has the download button disappeared?
Either your Premium membership lapsed, or that specific video has downloads disabled — common with licensed music videos, Kids content and region-locked videos.
The official way is with YouTube Premium: sign in, open the video, and tap or click the Download button below it. This works in the mobile app and on desktop in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera. The video is saved for offline viewing inside YouTube. If it’s your own video, you can also download the file from YouTube Studio.
Can you download YouTube videos without Premium?
Not through any official YouTube feature for other people’s videos — the built-in download is a YouTube Premium benefit. The free, legitimate exceptions are downloading your own uploads from YouTube Studio, and saving Creative Commons or public-domain content you’re permitted to use. Third-party downloader sites exist but breach YouTube’s Terms of Service, can infringe copyright, and often carry malware, so they’re best avoided.
How do I download my own YouTube videos?
Sign in to YouTube Studio, go to Content, find the video, open the options menu and choose Download. YouTube gives you an MP4 file (which may be compressed from your original). You can also export all your content via Google Takeout. This is completely legitimate because you own the videos.
Can you download YouTube videos on a computer?
Yes, if you’re a YouTube Premium member. YouTube expanded offline downloads to desktop, so you can save videos from youtube.com in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera. Click Download below the video and find it in the Downloads section of the sidebar. The video stays inside YouTube rather than becoming a file on your hard drive.
Are YouTube Premium downloads real video files?
No. Premium downloads are cached copies stored inside the YouTube app or site for offline viewing — they don’t appear in your camera roll, gallery or file system, and you can’t transfer them to another device or player. They also require you to reconnect to the internet roughly every 30 days so YouTube can confirm your membership.
Is it legal to download YouTube videos?
Downloading through YouTube’s own tools — Premium offline, or your own uploads from Studio — is legitimate and within the Terms of Service. Using third-party tools to save other people’s videos generally breaches YouTube’s Terms and can be copyright infringement, since the content belongs to its creator. Downloading public-domain, Creative Commons or permitted content is fine.
Why can’t I download a YouTube video?
The download button only appears for YouTube Premium members, and even then some videos have it disabled — music videos with licensing restrictions, YouTube Kids content, and some region-locked videos. If you don’t have Premium, or the video is restricted, you won’t see a download option.
Are third-party YouTube downloaders safe and legal?
Generally no on both counts. Third-party downloader sites, apps and extensions breach YouTube’s Terms of Service, can amount to copyright infringement when used on other people’s videos, and are a common source of malware, fake download buttons and scam ads. The safe, legitimate alternatives are YouTube Premium for offline viewing and downloading your own uploads from YouTube Studio.
Final Thoughts
So, how do you download a YouTube video? The right way is the simple way: YouTube Premium for offline viewing on mobile or desktop, and YouTube Studio for pulling down your own uploads as real files. Both are built in, both are legitimate, and both keep you clear of the copyright and malware headaches that come with third-party downloader sites. Save the videos you’re entitled to, support the creators you watch, and if you’re a creator yourself, treat your own back catalogue as the reusable asset it is.
A note on this guide: download features, availability and rules reflect YouTube’s official offline viewing help and Terms of Service at the time of writing (July 2026); features and availability vary by country and change over time. This is general information for creators and viewers, not legal advice.
YouTube have recently updated to the new YouTube studio. There are many new features but some of us still prefer the “old” classic creator dashboard.
How To Access YouTube Studio Classic Mode?
To access the old YouTube Studio click on your avatar in the top left hand corner and goto your channel home page. Click on the big blue customise channel button. This is display the only channel design, now click on your subscriber number and it will load you into the old dashboard. Simply click all videos and enjoy the classic studio.
Old YouTube Creator Studio – YouTube Studio Beta is being rolled out and will be the default dashboard for all users in early 2020. But if you’re like me, you prefer the familiar basic look and feel of the classic mode. So this is how you can still access classic mode.
In February, YouTube devs started auto-defaulting users to new Studio, regardless of their previous choice. For the time being, Classic is going to stay, but old platform’s days are practically numbered. How can we still switch back to good old classic version and set it to be our default – at least, while it lasts and YouTube doesn’t permanently shut it down?
We still prefer Classic over new Studio version. Force of habit is probably a dominant cause in this case, let’s admit that right now. Classic still offers a lot of features which Studio doesn’t at the moment, despite the fact that it receives constant updates with ported features and analytics charts literally on a weekly basis, getting new existing and exclusive ones like impressions and click-through rates, performance comparison between videos/channels, and easing access to others, like subscribers per each video and so on.
Still, one feature that we really miss is the x-axis time control. We still cannot select x-axis reporting interval and set it to be weekly/monthly/quarterly/yearly or pre-defined rolling range in order to more easily visualize and see cumulative growth (or regression) over time on a simplified chart. With so much data available, it is often easy to miss a forest for a single tree.
Need help ranking your videos and growing your YouTube channel – I have a whole page of tools that can help you get started!
Another, relatively recent change, that is going away with Classic design is the top-left MENU button, that allowed direct access to MAIN YouTube menu (History, My Channel, Subscriptions, Trending, Premium, YouTube TV …), which now doesn’t do that any more. Instead, it does simple Collapse Menu action. Same thing happened to main YouTube page, where it collapses the menu, instead providing access to useful shortcuts.
Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!
Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
It’s time learn how to go live on facebook! Facebook Live is great for livestreaming on facebook with Webcam lessons, remote learning, talking with family members or vlogging. Live stream to facebook from your pc, add polls, screen share and more in this how to use facebook live tutorial.
How To Livestream on Facebook Tutorial
0:15 – Start of How To Facebook live stream tutorial
0:24 – Facebook livestream dashboard
1:03 – How To Live Steam from a Facebook Page
1:27 – How To Crosspost Facebook Livestream
2:03 – How To Screen Share on Facebook Live
YouTube has a hidden diagnostics panel built right into every video — and most people have never seen it. It’s called Stats for Nerds, and it reveals exactly what’s happening under the hood: the resolution you’re really getting, the codecs in use, dropped frames, your connection speed and more. It’s really useful for troubleshooting playback and checking quality — and turning it on takes about three seconds. Here’s how, on desktop and mobile, plus what every stat actually means.
The 3-second version: right-click any playing video (desktop) or open the three-dot menu (mobile) and choose “Stats for nerds”. A live technical overlay appears. That’s it.
The rest of this guide explains what all those numbers mean and how to use them.
Why trust this? I’m Alan Spicer — a YouTube Certified Expert with two decades on the platform and six Silver Play Buttons. I use Stats for Nerds to diagnose playback and encoding issues on real channels, so this is the practical version.
⚡ QUICK ANSWER: How do you turn on Stats for Nerds?
On desktop, right-click directly on the playing video and choose “Stats for nerds”. On the mobile app, tap the video, open the three-dot menu, and select the same option where it’s available. A small overlay appears on the video with live technical stats. Tap or click the X to close it.
What Is YouTube Stats for Nerds?
Stats for Nerds is a built-in YouTube feature — on both the desktop site and the mobile app — that displays live technical statistics about the video you’re currently watching. It shows things like the video ID, the resolution being played versus the optimal resolution, the video and audio codecs in use, dropped frames, your current connection speed, network activity and buffer health.
It’s called “for nerds” because most viewers never need it — but if you’re a creator, a gamer, or anyone troubleshooting why a video looks soft or keeps buffering, it’s the fastest way to see what’s actually happening. Think of it as YouTube’s hidden diagnostics readout, sitting in plain view behind a right-click.
How to Turn On Stats for Nerds (Desktop & Mobile)
It’s really a few seconds’ work. Here’s the exact process.
💻 On desktop (browser):
Open and play any YouTube video.
Right-click directly on the video image (not the surrounding page).
From the menu that appears, click “Stats for nerds”.
A small overlay appears in the top-left of the video. Click the X to close it.
📱 On the mobile app:
Open and play a video, then tap it to show the controls.
Tap the three-dot menu.
Select “Stats for nerds” where it’s available (some app versions surface it under Settings).
Read the overlay, then tap away or close it.
That’s the whole trick. The feature is a toggle per video — turn it on when you need it, close it when you don’t.
What Each Stat Actually Means
The panel throws a lot of numbers at you. Here’s what the important ones tell you.
Stat
What it tells you
Video ID / sCPN
The unique video identifier and playback session ID
Viewport / Frames
The player size and how many frames have dropped versus total
Current / Optimal Res
The resolution playing now vs the best one for your screen
Codecs
The video codec (VP9, AV1 or AVC) and audio codec (Opus or AAC) being served
Color
The colour space — e.g. BT.709 for SDR, BT.2020 for HDR
Connection Speed
Your estimated available bandwidth
Network Activity
How much data is transferring right now
Buffer Health
Seconds of video loaded ahead — low numbers mean buffering risk
Live Latency
For live streams, how far behind real time you are
Why Use Stats for Nerds?
It’s not just trivia — it answers real questions fast:
“Why does this look blurry?” Check Current vs Optimal Res. If current is lower, your connection or buffer health is forcing a smaller stream — or the video is still processing higher resolutions.
“Why does it keep buffering?” Watch Buffer Health and Connection Speed. A low, dropping buffer with a weak connection is your answer.
“Why is playback stuttering?” A fast-climbing dropped-frames count points to your device or connection struggling, not the video.
“What codec is YouTube serving me?” The Codecs line tells you instantly — handy when comparing AV1, VP9 and AVC playback.
For creators, it’s a quick sanity check that your upload is being served at full quality — which pairs naturally with getting your upload bitrate and resolution right in the first place.
Love the data? Let’s turn it into growth.
Stats for Nerds is playback data — the numbers that actually grow a channel live in your analytics. On a free discovery call we’ll read them together.
People mix these up, so let’s be clear. Stats for Nerds shows the playback technicals of a single video you’re watching — on any channel, yours or anyone else’s. It’s about how the video is being streamed to your device right now.
YouTube Analytics is the creator dashboard for your channel — views, watch time, traffic sources, audience and revenue. It’s about how your content performs. If you want to understand and grow your channel, that’s the tool that matters, and I break it down fully in YouTube Analytics explained. For a deeper dive on the playback readout itself, see Stats for Nerds explained. And when it comes to actually growing, it all feeds a real growth strategy — plus an understanding of how the algorithm works. A tool like vidIQ sits on top of your analytics to help you act on them.
Stats for Nerds FAQ
How do you turn on Stats for Nerds on YouTube?
On desktop, right-click directly on the video and choose ‘Stats for nerds’ from the menu — a small overlay of live technical stats appears on the video. On the mobile app, tap the video and open the three-dot menu to find the same option where available. Click or tap the X to close it again.
What is YouTube Stats for Nerds?
Stats for Nerds is a hidden YouTube feature that shows live technical information about the video you’re watching — the resolution being played, the video and audio codecs, dropped frames, your connection speed, buffer health and more. It’s built into both the desktop site and the mobile app and is mainly used for troubleshooting playback.
What does Stats for Nerds tell you?
It shows the current and optimal resolution, the codecs YouTube is serving (such as VP9, AV1 or AVC), the number of dropped frames, your estimated connection speed, live network activity, buffer health and colour space. Together these help you diagnose buffering, stuttering or lower-than-expected quality.
Is Stats for Nerds the same as YouTube Analytics?
No. Stats for Nerds shows the playback and streaming technicals of a single video you’re watching, on any channel. YouTube Analytics is the creator dashboard that reports your channel’s views, watch time, audience and revenue. One is about playback tech; the other is about performance.
What do dropped frames in Stats for Nerds mean?
Dropped frames are video frames your device couldn’t render in time, usually because of a slow connection, an overloaded device or a demanding stream. A few dropped frames are normal; a rapidly climbing count points to a network or hardware bottleneck rather than a problem with the video itself.
Why is YouTube not showing my video in high resolution?
Open Stats for Nerds and compare ‘Current’ and ‘Optimal’ resolution. If the current resolution is lower, it’s usually your connection speed or buffer health forcing YouTube to serve a smaller stream, or a newly uploaded video still being processed into higher resolutions. Give processing time and check your connection speed in the panel.
Final Thoughts
Stats for Nerds is one of those features that feels like a secret because it hides behind a right-click — but once you know it’s there, it’s the quickest way to see what YouTube is really doing with a video. Turn it on when something looks soft or keeps buffering, read the resolution, codecs, dropped frames and buffer health, and you’ll usually spot the culprit in seconds. And if you’re a creator, remember the bigger picture: the playback stats are handy, but the numbers that actually grow your channel live in your analytics.
A note on this guide: the Stats for Nerds feature and its fields reflect YouTube’s desktop and mobile apps at the time of writing (July 2026); the exact menu location and available stats can change between app versions. See YouTube’s official Help Centre for the latest. The vidIQ link is an affiliate link (rel=”sponsored”) and never changes the price you pay.
A thumbnail is important to stand out and get noticed on YouTube. You need something eye catching but not too weird!
Once you’ve created your masterpiece its time to upload the thumbnail! Learn how to add a thumbnail to your YouTube videos using your Mobile phone (iPhone or Android device).
Download YouTube Studio App from the Google Play Store. Open the App, Click on the top left menu, choose videos, find the video you want to edit, click the pencil icon, and in the thumbnail click the thumbnail again, click change and upload your desired thumbnail image.
You’ve probably heard this phrase plenty times – “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Though these are words to live by, it is often the most neglected advice.
Every day, every minute, every second, your videos are judged by their thumbnails. In fact, video thumbnail plays a very important role in encouraging viewers to hit the PLAY button.
With so many videos on the Internet competing for attention, a video thumbnail can determine whether your video is watched or ignored, that is why use Adobe Express Thumbnail Maker.
Thumbnails are the most important aspect of any video’s release, other than the content itself. Seriously.
This is because thumbnails, in combination with titles, are often the biggest deciding factor in whether or not a person will click to watch a video.
These are insights gained from conversations with creators, reading the YouTube Playbook, and countless experiments with various design types, all while measuring the click through rates and performance of our thumbnails through YouTube’s TrueView advertising.
Add text to represent your video content
Your thumbnail should convey your viewer what they’re going to see in the video. This is why it should sync with the title, description and the content of the video.
A good tip is to include some text in your thumbnails. Platforms like Facebook have a restriction on the amount of text you can put into a video thumbnail, so keep that in mind!
In fact, you can also include some hashtags in the thumbnail. Compare the views of this Jimmy Falon video to others:
As someone who regularly watches videos on different platforms, I request you to avoid using click-bait video thumbnails. This causes a lot of annoyance to the viewer and give out a ‘cheating’ vibe. And this is not good for your brand.
In the not so distant future, platforms like YouTube and Facebook can slowly start identifying such users using machine learning, and start penalising them.
Make it visually appealing
Impress your audience at first sight. Use the right color palette, but also make sure it doesn’t end up too gaudy and bright. You can use some image editing tools like PlaceIt.
PlaceIt even has a huge gallery of templates to get you started. I have used PlaceIT for YouTube branding inspiration for years and its always a great way to research a starting design. Or you can buy templates for as little as $14.99.
Tubular Insights claim that something as simple as sharpening the edges can have also a subliminal effect on your thumbnail!
Include a human face to build an emotional connect
This usually makes people click you video because it makes them feel more connected. Once that connection is made, viewers are more likely to watch the entire video.
If possible, use a close-up shot because it helps the image stand out, irrespective of the device it is being viewed on. Look at the views on these BuzzFeed videos:
Tip: Based on what emotion your video is trying to evoke, use a face that exaggerates this emotion!
Brand your thumbnails
Given the real estate of the thumbnail, it can become difficult to add your brand’s logo. But try to include it whenever you can. This ensures your video stands out in a collection/list, and helps the viewer identify your content.
Branding and logos are essential for great thumbnails. A good logo for brand recognition helps your thumbnails stand out against other thumbnails on YouTube because it’s a clear signal to the audience that this is one of your videos.
Since your audience is easily able to identify the video as one of yours, they are more likely to click that video.
A/B Testing is the process of testing two variants of the same thing. In video marketing, this involves comparing two different versions of a particular video to gauge which one does a better job at attracting more YouTube views or engaging an audience.
Video makers need to understand that nowadays, it is no longer just about putting out great content but being able to market it effectively enough to continue organic growth over time.
On top of having great quality content, video thumbnails, tags and descriptions contribute to driving traffic as well. Oftentimes, having great content with poor video descriptions or thumbnails can spell the difference between getting more YouTube views or not, and that’s not the only factor.
Having the ability to do an A/B test on videos prior to publishing them live to check which version and setup works better for their audience is essential to success.
Sadly, YouTube does not offer a feature for A/B Testing as of yet for its videos. I use the A/B thumbnail tool from TubeBuddy to help me boost views, rank higher and improve my click-through-rate.
Why should I Carry Out YouTube A/B Thumbnail Testing?
To most marketers, video is time-consuming and expensive to produce.
Then why am I suggesting you to make multiple variants of your videos?
Because your video is useful only if people actually watch it. And honestly, video that isn’t increasing your viewer engagement is a waste of your time and money.
YouTube A/B thumbnail testing will tell you what factors in your videos influence the probability of the viewer watching the entire video. And you can then use this insight to make more videos that your viewers love!
In fact, brands carry out A/B testing video ads on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook all the time to mazimise click-through-rate and conversions – more often than you’d imagine.
How do I know whether my impressions click-through rate is high or low?
What Drives Impressions? – When you upload a video, YouTube starts surfacing it to relevant audiences. Based on many factors, our system figures out which viewers are most likely to watch your video. The system continues to surface the video to audiences as long as it remains on YouTube.
How Do I Know If My Click-Through-Rate (CTR) is High or Low – Impressions click-through rate measures how often viewers watched a video after seeing a registered impression on YouTube. Some views don’t count towards impressions, like views on external websites or from end screens. Because of this, your impressions CTR probably represents a subset of your channel’s total views.
Impressions click-through rate will vary based on the type of content, audience and where on YouTube the impression was shown. Video thumbnails are always competing against other videos on the homepage, in ‘Up Next’, in search results and more.
Half of all channels and videos on YouTube have an impressions CTR that can range between 2% and 10%.
New videos or channels (like those less than a week old), or videos with fewer than 100 views can see an even wider range. If a video gets a lot of impressions (such as if it appears on the Home Page), it’s natural for the CTR to be lower. Videos where most of the impressions are from sources like your channel page may have a higher rate.
Ultimately, it’s best to compare CTRs between videos over the long term and keep in mind how their traffic sources will affect their CTRs.
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