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How Much Money Do YouTubers Make Per View

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Can you make a living on YouTube? Everyone knows that big YouTubers get paid through the ads that play ahead of their videos. More and more YouTubers keep showing how much money they are making from YouTube via the lifestyles they lead. It begs the question - how much money do YouTubers make?

One of the main questions is “how many views do you need to start making money on YouTube?” The answer to this question is complicated. You need 4,000 hours of annual viewing time and 1,000 subscribers on your channel to sign up for monetization, but just being able to monetize your videos doesn’t mean you’re going to make money.

The reason is that YouTubers are not paid per view, they are paid per ad impression.

• Types of YouTube Ads - What is an Ad Impression?
• CPI Rates Explained
• How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?
• Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

Want a fast answer about how much money a YouTuber makes? Check out these calculators .

Types of YouTube Ads – What is an Ad Impression?

If you ask YouTubers about how much they make per thousand views, you’ll probably get a different answer depending on the person on who you ask. You may have already heard things like $5 per thousand views or $1,000 per 1 million views, but neither of these is for sure.

Google’s AdSense service, through which YouTubers make money, pays YouTubers for ad impressions. For most types of ads – including short pre-roll ads, the ads which appear at the bottoms of videos while they play, and the ads which appear as banners to the side of YouTube’s player – an ad impression means someone clicking on the ad and choosing to visit the advertiser’s site. One exception is skippable video ads, for which an impression is created when a viewer watches the ad for 30 seconds.

YouTubers do not make money on the views of their videos, because not all viewers click on ads. Many viewers bypass ads completely using ad-blockers. The amount of money YouTubers earn from a single ad impression is called their CPI or “cost per impression.”

CPI Rates Explained

YouTube advertising is currently managed inside the AdSense platform. In case you’re not familiar with AdSense, you can have 2 different kinds of ads - the cost per click (CPC) or the cost per view (CPV).

Cost Per Click ads

The advertiser pays based on how many clicks he was able to get with that particular ad. These kinds of ads usually appear on the right side of your YouTube channel or they can also appear at the bottom of the screen, during the video.

Cost Per View ads

the advertiser will pay based on the views he had of the ad and not based on the clicks he was able to generate. One of the things that many people aren’t aware of is the fact that the viewer needs to spend at least 30 seconds watching the ad or half the ad, whichever comes first. This means that a single viewer can continue clicking on the ad multiple times that the advertiser won’t be billed for all those clicks because he is only paying for views.

Never Click on the CPC ads of Your Own YouTube Videos

If any of your friends ever suggest that they are going to do so to help you out tell them not to. AdSense has a rate of ad-clicks that it considers normal and if you get significantly more clicks than that it will think you’re artificially pushing that number up by either clicking yourself or having someone do it for you. If this happens they will ban you from AdSense and, although there is an appeals process, it is unlikely you will ever get your account back and be able to monetize videos again.

How much you make from an ad on YouTube depends on your CPI, cost per impression. Simply put, this is the rate that YouTube will pay you for every 1,000 views or clicks of the ads that are attached to your videos. Even though it would be a lot simpler if YouTube had their current CPI rates available, they don’t. These rates vary depending on the ad, the types of videos you make, and how popular your channel is. It is actually against YouTube’s rules for YouTubers to share their personal CPI rates publicly.

Most people tend to assume that CPI rates are between $0.05 and $10. This huge difference is justified by YouTube by saying that they use a very complicated algorithm to determine your CPI rate. According to them, it includes evaluating factors like the ads, the type of audience who views your video, audience engagement, audience retention, and the price of the ads.

How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?

Many people are aspiring to make money as famous YouTubers, but it is not an easy task. You have a long way to go before you start making any money at all.

In general, it’s reasonable to expect to start earning some money when you get to 1 million subscribers. This is the point at which you can start treating YouTube as your job, but the truth is that you will still not be making amazing money. At 1 million subscribers you will only be starting to be seen as someone important in your industry. You won’t even necessarily be “YouTube famous” yet – there are a lot of channels with 1 million subs.

Even though most people think that YouTube channels with 1 million subscribers are already making a good amount of money and that they are already at the top, the truth is that they’ve just started climbing. They aren’t even near the top. Just to give you a better idea, there are more than 2,400 YouTube channels with more than 1 million subscribers.

According to Google, when an advertiser pays $100 to Google, Google pays $68 to the publisher (in this case, the publisher is a YouTube creator).

This graphic won’t apply to every situation because every situation is unique. It’s just an example using assumed numbers.

How much money for 1,000 YouTube views?

15% of 1,000 is 150

150x CPI ($0.18) = $27*

51% of $27 = $13

Using these rates, 1000 views are worth $13!

*CPI vary

Assuming that the average rate is about $0.18 per impression, you still need to factor in that most people don’t click on ads or watch skippable video ads for 30 seconds. Only about 15% of viewers tend to watch the complete ad (or, at least half of it). So, considering that you have 1,000 views on your video, only 150 viewers watched your complete ad. So, at $0.18 per view, Google will charge $27 to the advertiser and the YouTube channel will get 51% of that, meaning the creator will earn $13 per 1,000 views.

Want to know how much YouTube pays for 1 million views ?

It will take you a long time to start earning enough money to support yourself through AdSense. That’s why AdSense isn’t the primary way that huge YouTube stars make money. In addition to AdSense revenue you can (and should) also consider other opportunities such as product placement, endorsements, and brand sponsorships. Many YouTubers also make some money from selling their merchandise.

Some YouTubers earn millions of dollars every year. Although the exact numbers have never been disclosed, many different websites have made educated guesses.

Forbes publishes an annual list of the highest-paid YouTubers, which includes revenue from things like book deals and makeup lines. It is useful to look at this list gain have some perspective about how big YouTubers make their money, and how big they had to get to make it.

As of 2017, YouTube gamer Daniel Middleton (DanTDM) is the highest-paid YouTuber earning 16 million dollars. He is followed by gamer Evan Fong (Vanoss Gaming) with $15.5 million, Dude Perfect with $14 million, and Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and Logan Paul with $12.5 million. However, as we already mentioned, even though a substantial part of the income of these YouTube stars comes from YouTube/AdSense, the bulk of it comes from things like merchandise and sponsorships.

Instead of relying on YouTube to pay them, YouTubers need to seek out other ways of leveraging the YouTube platform to earn money .

We all agree that being a YouTube star isn’t an easy path. However, if you honestly love what you do, then you will be willing to put effort into making great videos regularly. Part of that is also being willing to take the time to promote them and yourself, as well as putting time and effort into forging a good relationship with your audience.

Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

YouTube used to let anybody monetize their videos, but that has now changed. Then for a while, you’ll qualify for monetization after reaching 10,000-lifetime views on your channel. But as of 2018, the rules to YouTube monetization has gotten more challenging.

To monetize you must have:

- 4,000 of annual watch time

- 1,000 subscribers

The reason for this is that YouTube was having trouble with channels that were trying to monetize stolen or inappropriate content, besides, YouTubers are gaming the system by using automated programs to gain more views. By making creators get more watch time and subscribers before they apply for monetization, YouTube has been able to create a review process in which they can prove that the channel has a legitimate audience and stop content thieves and criminals from making money. Naturally, this new rule also makes it very difficult for new YouTubers to make money.

Are you finding it difficult to earn money on YouTube? Subscribe to the Filmora.io YouTube channel for more tips on channel monetization.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Can you make a living on YouTube? Everyone knows that big YouTubers get paid through the ads that play ahead of their videos. More and more YouTubers keep showing how much money they are making from YouTube via the lifestyles they lead. It begs the question - how much money do YouTubers make?

One of the main questions is “how many views do you need to start making money on YouTube?” The answer to this question is complicated. You need 4,000 hours of annual viewing time and 1,000 subscribers on your channel to sign up for monetization, but just being able to monetize your videos doesn’t mean you’re going to make money.

The reason is that YouTubers are not paid per view, they are paid per ad impression.

• Types of YouTube Ads - What is an Ad Impression?
• CPI Rates Explained
• How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?
• Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

Want a fast answer about how much money a YouTuber makes? Check out these calculators .

Types of YouTube Ads – What is an Ad Impression?

If you ask YouTubers about how much they make per thousand views, you’ll probably get a different answer depending on the person on who you ask. You may have already heard things like $5 per thousand views or $1,000 per 1 million views, but neither of these is for sure.

Google’s AdSense service, through which YouTubers make money, pays YouTubers for ad impressions. For most types of ads – including short pre-roll ads, the ads which appear at the bottoms of videos while they play, and the ads which appear as banners to the side of YouTube’s player – an ad impression means someone clicking on the ad and choosing to visit the advertiser’s site. One exception is skippable video ads, for which an impression is created when a viewer watches the ad for 30 seconds.

YouTubers do not make money on the views of their videos, because not all viewers click on ads. Many viewers bypass ads completely using ad-blockers. The amount of money YouTubers earn from a single ad impression is called their CPI or “cost per impression.”

CPI Rates Explained

YouTube advertising is currently managed inside the AdSense platform. In case you’re not familiar with AdSense, you can have 2 different kinds of ads - the cost per click (CPC) or the cost per view (CPV).

Cost Per Click ads

The advertiser pays based on how many clicks he was able to get with that particular ad. These kinds of ads usually appear on the right side of your YouTube channel or they can also appear at the bottom of the screen, during the video.

Cost Per View ads

the advertiser will pay based on the views he had of the ad and not based on the clicks he was able to generate. One of the things that many people aren’t aware of is the fact that the viewer needs to spend at least 30 seconds watching the ad or half the ad, whichever comes first. This means that a single viewer can continue clicking on the ad multiple times that the advertiser won’t be billed for all those clicks because he is only paying for views.

Never Click on the CPC ads of Your Own YouTube Videos

If any of your friends ever suggest that they are going to do so to help you out tell them not to. AdSense has a rate of ad-clicks that it considers normal and if you get significantly more clicks than that it will think you’re artificially pushing that number up by either clicking yourself or having someone do it for you. If this happens they will ban you from AdSense and, although there is an appeals process, it is unlikely you will ever get your account back and be able to monetize videos again.

How much you make from an ad on YouTube depends on your CPI, cost per impression. Simply put, this is the rate that YouTube will pay you for every 1,000 views or clicks of the ads that are attached to your videos. Even though it would be a lot simpler if YouTube had their current CPI rates available, they don’t. These rates vary depending on the ad, the types of videos you make, and how popular your channel is. It is actually against YouTube’s rules for YouTubers to share their personal CPI rates publicly.

Most people tend to assume that CPI rates are between $0.05 and $10. This huge difference is justified by YouTube by saying that they use a very complicated algorithm to determine your CPI rate. According to them, it includes evaluating factors like the ads, the type of audience who views your video, audience engagement, audience retention, and the price of the ads.

How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?

Many people are aspiring to make money as famous YouTubers, but it is not an easy task. You have a long way to go before you start making any money at all.

In general, it’s reasonable to expect to start earning some money when you get to 1 million subscribers. This is the point at which you can start treating YouTube as your job, but the truth is that you will still not be making amazing money. At 1 million subscribers you will only be starting to be seen as someone important in your industry. You won’t even necessarily be “YouTube famous” yet – there are a lot of channels with 1 million subs.

Even though most people think that YouTube channels with 1 million subscribers are already making a good amount of money and that they are already at the top, the truth is that they’ve just started climbing. They aren’t even near the top. Just to give you a better idea, there are more than 2,400 YouTube channels with more than 1 million subscribers.

According to Google, when an advertiser pays $100 to Google, Google pays $68 to the publisher (in this case, the publisher is a YouTube creator).

This graphic won’t apply to every situation because every situation is unique. It’s just an example using assumed numbers.

How much money for 1,000 YouTube views?

15% of 1,000 is 150

150x CPI ($0.18) = $27*

51% of $27 = $13

Using these rates, 1000 views are worth $13!

*CPI vary

Assuming that the average rate is about $0.18 per impression, you still need to factor in that most people don’t click on ads or watch skippable video ads for 30 seconds. Only about 15% of viewers tend to watch the complete ad (or, at least half of it). So, considering that you have 1,000 views on your video, only 150 viewers watched your complete ad. So, at $0.18 per view, Google will charge $27 to the advertiser and the YouTube channel will get 51% of that, meaning the creator will earn $13 per 1,000 views.

Want to know how much YouTube pays for 1 million views ?

It will take you a long time to start earning enough money to support yourself through AdSense. That’s why AdSense isn’t the primary way that huge YouTube stars make money. In addition to AdSense revenue you can (and should) also consider other opportunities such as product placement, endorsements, and brand sponsorships. Many YouTubers also make some money from selling their merchandise.

Some YouTubers earn millions of dollars every year. Although the exact numbers have never been disclosed, many different websites have made educated guesses.

Forbes publishes an annual list of the highest-paid YouTubers, which includes revenue from things like book deals and makeup lines. It is useful to look at this list gain have some perspective about how big YouTubers make their money, and how big they had to get to make it.

As of 2017, YouTube gamer Daniel Middleton (DanTDM) is the highest-paid YouTuber earning 16 million dollars. He is followed by gamer Evan Fong (Vanoss Gaming) with $15.5 million, Dude Perfect with $14 million, and Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and Logan Paul with $12.5 million. However, as we already mentioned, even though a substantial part of the income of these YouTube stars comes from YouTube/AdSense, the bulk of it comes from things like merchandise and sponsorships.

Instead of relying on YouTube to pay them, YouTubers need to seek out other ways of leveraging the YouTube platform to earn money .

We all agree that being a YouTube star isn’t an easy path. However, if you honestly love what you do, then you will be willing to put effort into making great videos regularly. Part of that is also being willing to take the time to promote them and yourself, as well as putting time and effort into forging a good relationship with your audience.

Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

YouTube used to let anybody monetize their videos, but that has now changed. Then for a while, you’ll qualify for monetization after reaching 10,000-lifetime views on your channel. But as of 2018, the rules to YouTube monetization has gotten more challenging.

To monetize you must have:

- 4,000 of annual watch time

- 1,000 subscribers

The reason for this is that YouTube was having trouble with channels that were trying to monetize stolen or inappropriate content, besides, YouTubers are gaming the system by using automated programs to gain more views. By making creators get more watch time and subscribers before they apply for monetization, YouTube has been able to create a review process in which they can prove that the channel has a legitimate audience and stop content thieves and criminals from making money. Naturally, this new rule also makes it very difficult for new YouTubers to make money.

Are you finding it difficult to earn money on YouTube? Subscribe to the Filmora.io YouTube channel for more tips on channel monetization.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Can you make a living on YouTube? Everyone knows that big YouTubers get paid through the ads that play ahead of their videos. More and more YouTubers keep showing how much money they are making from YouTube via the lifestyles they lead. It begs the question - how much money do YouTubers make?

One of the main questions is “how many views do you need to start making money on YouTube?” The answer to this question is complicated. You need 4,000 hours of annual viewing time and 1,000 subscribers on your channel to sign up for monetization, but just being able to monetize your videos doesn’t mean you’re going to make money.

The reason is that YouTubers are not paid per view, they are paid per ad impression.

• Types of YouTube Ads - What is an Ad Impression?
• CPI Rates Explained
• How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?
• Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

Want a fast answer about how much money a YouTuber makes? Check out these calculators .

Types of YouTube Ads – What is an Ad Impression?

If you ask YouTubers about how much they make per thousand views, you’ll probably get a different answer depending on the person on who you ask. You may have already heard things like $5 per thousand views or $1,000 per 1 million views, but neither of these is for sure.

Google’s AdSense service, through which YouTubers make money, pays YouTubers for ad impressions. For most types of ads – including short pre-roll ads, the ads which appear at the bottoms of videos while they play, and the ads which appear as banners to the side of YouTube’s player – an ad impression means someone clicking on the ad and choosing to visit the advertiser’s site. One exception is skippable video ads, for which an impression is created when a viewer watches the ad for 30 seconds.

YouTubers do not make money on the views of their videos, because not all viewers click on ads. Many viewers bypass ads completely using ad-blockers. The amount of money YouTubers earn from a single ad impression is called their CPI or “cost per impression.”

CPI Rates Explained

YouTube advertising is currently managed inside the AdSense platform. In case you’re not familiar with AdSense, you can have 2 different kinds of ads - the cost per click (CPC) or the cost per view (CPV).

Cost Per Click ads

The advertiser pays based on how many clicks he was able to get with that particular ad. These kinds of ads usually appear on the right side of your YouTube channel or they can also appear at the bottom of the screen, during the video.

Cost Per View ads

the advertiser will pay based on the views he had of the ad and not based on the clicks he was able to generate. One of the things that many people aren’t aware of is the fact that the viewer needs to spend at least 30 seconds watching the ad or half the ad, whichever comes first. This means that a single viewer can continue clicking on the ad multiple times that the advertiser won’t be billed for all those clicks because he is only paying for views.

Never Click on the CPC ads of Your Own YouTube Videos

If any of your friends ever suggest that they are going to do so to help you out tell them not to. AdSense has a rate of ad-clicks that it considers normal and if you get significantly more clicks than that it will think you’re artificially pushing that number up by either clicking yourself or having someone do it for you. If this happens they will ban you from AdSense and, although there is an appeals process, it is unlikely you will ever get your account back and be able to monetize videos again.

How much you make from an ad on YouTube depends on your CPI, cost per impression. Simply put, this is the rate that YouTube will pay you for every 1,000 views or clicks of the ads that are attached to your videos. Even though it would be a lot simpler if YouTube had their current CPI rates available, they don’t. These rates vary depending on the ad, the types of videos you make, and how popular your channel is. It is actually against YouTube’s rules for YouTubers to share their personal CPI rates publicly.

Most people tend to assume that CPI rates are between $0.05 and $10. This huge difference is justified by YouTube by saying that they use a very complicated algorithm to determine your CPI rate. According to them, it includes evaluating factors like the ads, the type of audience who views your video, audience engagement, audience retention, and the price of the ads.

How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?

Many people are aspiring to make money as famous YouTubers, but it is not an easy task. You have a long way to go before you start making any money at all.

In general, it’s reasonable to expect to start earning some money when you get to 1 million subscribers. This is the point at which you can start treating YouTube as your job, but the truth is that you will still not be making amazing money. At 1 million subscribers you will only be starting to be seen as someone important in your industry. You won’t even necessarily be “YouTube famous” yet – there are a lot of channels with 1 million subs.

Even though most people think that YouTube channels with 1 million subscribers are already making a good amount of money and that they are already at the top, the truth is that they’ve just started climbing. They aren’t even near the top. Just to give you a better idea, there are more than 2,400 YouTube channels with more than 1 million subscribers.

According to Google, when an advertiser pays $100 to Google, Google pays $68 to the publisher (in this case, the publisher is a YouTube creator).

This graphic won’t apply to every situation because every situation is unique. It’s just an example using assumed numbers.

How much money for 1,000 YouTube views?

15% of 1,000 is 150

150x CPI ($0.18) = $27*

51% of $27 = $13

Using these rates, 1000 views are worth $13!

*CPI vary

Assuming that the average rate is about $0.18 per impression, you still need to factor in that most people don’t click on ads or watch skippable video ads for 30 seconds. Only about 15% of viewers tend to watch the complete ad (or, at least half of it). So, considering that you have 1,000 views on your video, only 150 viewers watched your complete ad. So, at $0.18 per view, Google will charge $27 to the advertiser and the YouTube channel will get 51% of that, meaning the creator will earn $13 per 1,000 views.

Want to know how much YouTube pays for 1 million views ?

It will take you a long time to start earning enough money to support yourself through AdSense. That’s why AdSense isn’t the primary way that huge YouTube stars make money. In addition to AdSense revenue you can (and should) also consider other opportunities such as product placement, endorsements, and brand sponsorships. Many YouTubers also make some money from selling their merchandise.

Some YouTubers earn millions of dollars every year. Although the exact numbers have never been disclosed, many different websites have made educated guesses.

Forbes publishes an annual list of the highest-paid YouTubers, which includes revenue from things like book deals and makeup lines. It is useful to look at this list gain have some perspective about how big YouTubers make their money, and how big they had to get to make it.

As of 2017, YouTube gamer Daniel Middleton (DanTDM) is the highest-paid YouTuber earning 16 million dollars. He is followed by gamer Evan Fong (Vanoss Gaming) with $15.5 million, Dude Perfect with $14 million, and Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and Logan Paul with $12.5 million. However, as we already mentioned, even though a substantial part of the income of these YouTube stars comes from YouTube/AdSense, the bulk of it comes from things like merchandise and sponsorships.

Instead of relying on YouTube to pay them, YouTubers need to seek out other ways of leveraging the YouTube platform to earn money .

We all agree that being a YouTube star isn’t an easy path. However, if you honestly love what you do, then you will be willing to put effort into making great videos regularly. Part of that is also being willing to take the time to promote them and yourself, as well as putting time and effort into forging a good relationship with your audience.

Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

YouTube used to let anybody monetize their videos, but that has now changed. Then for a while, you’ll qualify for monetization after reaching 10,000-lifetime views on your channel. But as of 2018, the rules to YouTube monetization has gotten more challenging.

To monetize you must have:

- 4,000 of annual watch time

- 1,000 subscribers

The reason for this is that YouTube was having trouble with channels that were trying to monetize stolen or inappropriate content, besides, YouTubers are gaming the system by using automated programs to gain more views. By making creators get more watch time and subscribers before they apply for monetization, YouTube has been able to create a review process in which they can prove that the channel has a legitimate audience and stop content thieves and criminals from making money. Naturally, this new rule also makes it very difficult for new YouTubers to make money.

Are you finding it difficult to earn money on YouTube? Subscribe to the Filmora.io YouTube channel for more tips on channel monetization.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Can you make a living on YouTube? Everyone knows that big YouTubers get paid through the ads that play ahead of their videos. More and more YouTubers keep showing how much money they are making from YouTube via the lifestyles they lead. It begs the question - how much money do YouTubers make?

One of the main questions is “how many views do you need to start making money on YouTube?” The answer to this question is complicated. You need 4,000 hours of annual viewing time and 1,000 subscribers on your channel to sign up for monetization, but just being able to monetize your videos doesn’t mean you’re going to make money.

The reason is that YouTubers are not paid per view, they are paid per ad impression.

• Types of YouTube Ads - What is an Ad Impression?
• CPI Rates Explained
• How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?
• Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

Want a fast answer about how much money a YouTuber makes? Check out these calculators .

Types of YouTube Ads – What is an Ad Impression?

If you ask YouTubers about how much they make per thousand views, you’ll probably get a different answer depending on the person on who you ask. You may have already heard things like $5 per thousand views or $1,000 per 1 million views, but neither of these is for sure.

Google’s AdSense service, through which YouTubers make money, pays YouTubers for ad impressions. For most types of ads – including short pre-roll ads, the ads which appear at the bottoms of videos while they play, and the ads which appear as banners to the side of YouTube’s player – an ad impression means someone clicking on the ad and choosing to visit the advertiser’s site. One exception is skippable video ads, for which an impression is created when a viewer watches the ad for 30 seconds.

YouTubers do not make money on the views of their videos, because not all viewers click on ads. Many viewers bypass ads completely using ad-blockers. The amount of money YouTubers earn from a single ad impression is called their CPI or “cost per impression.”

CPI Rates Explained

YouTube advertising is currently managed inside the AdSense platform. In case you’re not familiar with AdSense, you can have 2 different kinds of ads - the cost per click (CPC) or the cost per view (CPV).

Cost Per Click ads

The advertiser pays based on how many clicks he was able to get with that particular ad. These kinds of ads usually appear on the right side of your YouTube channel or they can also appear at the bottom of the screen, during the video.

Cost Per View ads

the advertiser will pay based on the views he had of the ad and not based on the clicks he was able to generate. One of the things that many people aren’t aware of is the fact that the viewer needs to spend at least 30 seconds watching the ad or half the ad, whichever comes first. This means that a single viewer can continue clicking on the ad multiple times that the advertiser won’t be billed for all those clicks because he is only paying for views.

Never Click on the CPC ads of Your Own YouTube Videos

If any of your friends ever suggest that they are going to do so to help you out tell them not to. AdSense has a rate of ad-clicks that it considers normal and if you get significantly more clicks than that it will think you’re artificially pushing that number up by either clicking yourself or having someone do it for you. If this happens they will ban you from AdSense and, although there is an appeals process, it is unlikely you will ever get your account back and be able to monetize videos again.

How much you make from an ad on YouTube depends on your CPI, cost per impression. Simply put, this is the rate that YouTube will pay you for every 1,000 views or clicks of the ads that are attached to your videos. Even though it would be a lot simpler if YouTube had their current CPI rates available, they don’t. These rates vary depending on the ad, the types of videos you make, and how popular your channel is. It is actually against YouTube’s rules for YouTubers to share their personal CPI rates publicly.

Most people tend to assume that CPI rates are between $0.05 and $10. This huge difference is justified by YouTube by saying that they use a very complicated algorithm to determine your CPI rate. According to them, it includes evaluating factors like the ads, the type of audience who views your video, audience engagement, audience retention, and the price of the ads.

How Much Do Big YouTubers Make?

Many people are aspiring to make money as famous YouTubers, but it is not an easy task. You have a long way to go before you start making any money at all.

In general, it’s reasonable to expect to start earning some money when you get to 1 million subscribers. This is the point at which you can start treating YouTube as your job, but the truth is that you will still not be making amazing money. At 1 million subscribers you will only be starting to be seen as someone important in your industry. You won’t even necessarily be “YouTube famous” yet – there are a lot of channels with 1 million subs.

Even though most people think that YouTube channels with 1 million subscribers are already making a good amount of money and that they are already at the top, the truth is that they’ve just started climbing. They aren’t even near the top. Just to give you a better idea, there are more than 2,400 YouTube channels with more than 1 million subscribers.

According to Google, when an advertiser pays $100 to Google, Google pays $68 to the publisher (in this case, the publisher is a YouTube creator).

This graphic won’t apply to every situation because every situation is unique. It’s just an example using assumed numbers.

How much money for 1,000 YouTube views?

15% of 1,000 is 150

150x CPI ($0.18) = $27*

51% of $27 = $13

Using these rates, 1000 views are worth $13!

*CPI vary

Assuming that the average rate is about $0.18 per impression, you still need to factor in that most people don’t click on ads or watch skippable video ads for 30 seconds. Only about 15% of viewers tend to watch the complete ad (or, at least half of it). So, considering that you have 1,000 views on your video, only 150 viewers watched your complete ad. So, at $0.18 per view, Google will charge $27 to the advertiser and the YouTube channel will get 51% of that, meaning the creator will earn $13 per 1,000 views.

Want to know how much YouTube pays for 1 million views ?

It will take you a long time to start earning enough money to support yourself through AdSense. That’s why AdSense isn’t the primary way that huge YouTube stars make money. In addition to AdSense revenue you can (and should) also consider other opportunities such as product placement, endorsements, and brand sponsorships. Many YouTubers also make some money from selling their merchandise.

Some YouTubers earn millions of dollars every year. Although the exact numbers have never been disclosed, many different websites have made educated guesses.

Forbes publishes an annual list of the highest-paid YouTubers, which includes revenue from things like book deals and makeup lines. It is useful to look at this list gain have some perspective about how big YouTubers make their money, and how big they had to get to make it.

As of 2017, YouTube gamer Daniel Middleton (DanTDM) is the highest-paid YouTuber earning 16 million dollars. He is followed by gamer Evan Fong (Vanoss Gaming) with $15.5 million, Dude Perfect with $14 million, and Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and Logan Paul with $12.5 million. However, as we already mentioned, even though a substantial part of the income of these YouTube stars comes from YouTube/AdSense, the bulk of it comes from things like merchandise and sponsorships.

Instead of relying on YouTube to pay them, YouTubers need to seek out other ways of leveraging the YouTube platform to earn money .

We all agree that being a YouTube star isn’t an easy path. However, if you honestly love what you do, then you will be willing to put effort into making great videos regularly. Part of that is also being willing to take the time to promote them and yourself, as well as putting time and effort into forging a good relationship with your audience.

Why No Longer 10,000 Views?

YouTube used to let anybody monetize their videos, but that has now changed. Then for a while, you’ll qualify for monetization after reaching 10,000-lifetime views on your channel. But as of 2018, the rules to YouTube monetization has gotten more challenging.

To monetize you must have:

- 4,000 of annual watch time

- 1,000 subscribers

The reason for this is that YouTube was having trouble with channels that were trying to monetize stolen or inappropriate content, besides, YouTubers are gaming the system by using automated programs to gain more views. By making creators get more watch time and subscribers before they apply for monetization, YouTube has been able to create a review process in which they can prove that the channel has a legitimate audience and stop content thieves and criminals from making money. Naturally, this new rule also makes it very difficult for new YouTubers to make money.

Are you finding it difficult to earn money on YouTube? Subscribe to the Filmora.io YouTube channel for more tips on channel monetization.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Aesthetic Enigma: The Ultimate Backdrop Collection for Video Thumbnails

YouTube is a platform where you can make money from videos. But in order to earn, your videos should get lots of views. The thing is that YouTube is a competitive space. So many others are trying to do the same. Thus, you’ll be competing for viewers’ time and attention. How can you win that battle? One way is to add eye-catching YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The video thumbnail will leave an impression on viewers looking for something to watch. So ensuring it is high-quality is crucial. In this article, you’ll learn where to find amazing thumbnail backgrounds and how to add them to your thumbnails.

Why Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

When people are searching for something to watch on YouTube, they’ll look at two (2) things:

1. They’ll check the title to see how relevant it is to what they’re looking for.
2. Two, they’ll check the video thumbnail.

Thumbnail helps them determine off the bat if the video is high quality or not. A poor thumbnail will push them away, while a good one will encourage them to click.

That said, YouTubers should ensure their thumbnails are on point. Your thumbnails should be visually striking. One way to achieve that is by changing the thumbnail background. It allows you to remove unnecessary objects from the image. Additionally, it lets you improve the aesthetic of the thumbnail.

Now the question is: how do you change a YouTube thumbnail background?

Where To Find a New YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Thanks to the resource sites on the Internet, you can always find kickass backgrounds to create an attractive YouTube Thumbnail. Here, we recommend five (5) powerful apps/websites to help you easily find ideal thumbnail backgrounds.

1. Search for Numerous YouTube Thumbnail Backgrounds in Filmora

Pros

• Get access to YouTube Thumbnail Backgrounds within the video editing tool.
• Provides you with millions of stock images to choose from.
• The collection of stock media is constantly updated, giving you more and more options for your thumbnail background.

Cons

• The software itself is not totally free.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.