Quick Guide to Correcting Hidden Shorts on YouTube

Video thumbnails are important since they encourage people to click and watch the video. But what if your set YouTube Shorts thumbnail is not showing? YouTube will use a random part of the video as the thumbnail. It may be an unflattering or uninteresting shot. Then, your Shorts video is doomed.

That said, it is a problem you want to solve. Here are 7 FAQs about YouTube Shorts thumbnails. They may help you with fixing this issue.

Q1. Can I Customize YouTube Shorts Thumbnails?

Yes, you can. YouTube did allow short-form video creators to upload custom thumbnails for their Shorts. However, they aren’t that optimized. For instance, some people may not see them on the Shorts shelf. Also, if you share a link to the video somewhere else, the old video thumbnail may show instead of the new one.

Adding a custom thumbnail for YouTube Shorts is the same as adding one for long-form videos on the platform. Follow these steps:

• Open the YouTube mobile app. Click the “Plus” icon at the bottom center > “Create Short.” Upload, edit, and post your video.

• Get to your desktop computer or laptop. Open your channel’s YouTube Studio.

• On the left navigation menu, click “Content.”

• Click the “pencil” icon next to the Shorts you just uploaded. This video should be at the top of the list.
• Navigate to the Thumbnail section. Click “Create Thumbnail.”

Q2. Why Are YouTube Shorts Thumbnails Not Showing?

It’s not you who’s the only one with Shorts thumbnails not showing. Many short-form content creators on the platform are also facing this issue. A YouTuber took to Reddit to complain about how he uploaded custom thumbnails for all his videos. The thumbnails are correct in the editor. However, YouTube still displays a random frame as the thumbnail on the Shorts shelf.

“They ALL have randomly selected different parts of each video I have uploaded & somehow generated a new/unknown thumbnail that was neither what I uploaded as the custom option nor 1 of the 3 that YouTube auto populated.”

YouTuber on Reddit

The reason behind this is the difference in the thumbnail size. Regular YouTube video thumbnails are in the ratio of 16:9. Meanwhile, Shorts uses a ratio of 9:16. The thing is that YouTube does not yet allow you to upload 9:16 thumbnails. Thus, the thumbnail for Shorts may show correctly on the video section but not on the Shorts shelf.

Q3. How to Fix YouTube Shorts Thumbnail Problem?

Unfortunately, there is no reliable fix to this problem yet. YouTubers have tried different things in hopes that YouTube will display the correct thumbnail for their Shorts.

Some YouTubers have tried using different images. Others have experimented with changing the aspect ratio of the thumbnail or using Adobe editor for ratios. Clearing histories and cache, using different browsers, resizing, and changing the images’ resolution have also been done. Sadly, these are all failed attempts.

Q4. How To Boost Views When I Have no Control Over YouTube Shorts Thumbnails?

Attracting viewers on Shorts is the same as attracting viewers on the main YouTube. You use interesting thumbnails and video titles. Since thumbnails are out of the options, selecting great video titles has become even more important.

Here are some pointers. Your title should be at most 40 characters. Also, it should be concise and irresistible. And forget about SEO since no one is searching for YouTube Shorts anyway. People consume what they see in their feeds. So instead, the title should be “snappy.” It should intrigue, entertain, or enlighten the viewers. That will net you some views for your Shorts content.

Q5. How To Get More Views on YouTube Shorts?

Forgoing the intro is the way to go. An intro will just prolong the video when people are in Shorts to find bite-sized videos. So jump right into the video content. You can also start the video with a still frame instead. Using hashtags, captions, and text effects are also recommended. And interacting with your audience through comments and pinned comments will keep them coming back to your Shorts channel.

Of course, ensuring that the video quality is high is key to getting more views. For that, you need a good video editor. You can try Wondershare Filmora , a powerful and easy-to-use video editor.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

The best thing is that you don’t need to transfer the video from your phone to your computer and back. Wondershare Filmora is available on mobile. And it’s one of the best tools for enhancing a short-form video.

Short-form video watchers love filters, transitions, and effects. And Filmora gives you access to all of that. It provides you with fun and amazing filters, effects, transitions, and stamps that can add a wow factor to your short-form video.

Q6. Do YouTube Shorts Make Money?

Making money from YouTube Shorts was challenging. The platform pays content creators who are doing well through the Creator Fund. However, as Shorts grew, the payout became smaller.

Luckily, that’s going to change. Starting this year, Shorts will be a part of the YouTube Partner Program. This means that you can make money from the ads that people watch on Shorts. According to YouTube, creators will keep 45% of the revenue. It will be distributed based on your share of total Shorts views.

YouTube also adjusted the requirements to qualify for the YPP. They made it easier for Shorts content creators to get into the program.

Q7. How Do You Make YouTube Shorts Play Normal?

You can watch Shorts like normal YouTube videos where you can rewind when you want to. Follow these steps.

On a Desktop Computer

• Open a Shorts video on YouTube.

• Pause the video.

• Click “Library” on the left panel.

• Select the Shorts you just watched. It should be on the top and first on the list.

On a Mobile Phone

• Open the YouTube app. Watch a Shorts video.

• Like the Shorts video.

• Tap “Library”

• Scroll down to find “Liked Videos.” Click on it.

• Select the Shorts video you just watched. It should be at the top of the list.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, custom thumbnails not showing on Shorts does not have a fix yet. So to attract viewers, you must leverage the things in your control. You must title your videos in a way that will make users click the video. Also, adding effects and filters on the video using an editor like Wondershare Filmora can help.

Users can subscribe to Shorts channels. And if they see that your videos are well-edited and high-quality, they’ll be more likely to do so. Once they are subscribed, they will see and watch your videos more often.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

The best thing is that you don’t need to transfer the video from your phone to your computer and back. Wondershare Filmora is available on mobile. And it’s one of the best tools for enhancing a short-form video.

Short-form video watchers love filters, transitions, and effects. And Filmora gives you access to all of that. It provides you with fun and amazing filters, effects, transitions, and stamps that can add a wow factor to your short-form video.

Q6. Do YouTube Shorts Make Money?

Making money from YouTube Shorts was challenging. The platform pays content creators who are doing well through the Creator Fund. However, as Shorts grew, the payout became smaller.

Luckily, that’s going to change. Starting this year, Shorts will be a part of the YouTube Partner Program. This means that you can make money from the ads that people watch on Shorts. According to YouTube, creators will keep 45% of the revenue. It will be distributed based on your share of total Shorts views.

YouTube also adjusted the requirements to qualify for the YPP. They made it easier for Shorts content creators to get into the program.

Q7. How Do You Make YouTube Shorts Play Normal?

You can watch Shorts like normal YouTube videos where you can rewind when you want to. Follow these steps.

On a Desktop Computer

• Open a Shorts video on YouTube.

• Pause the video.

• Click “Library” on the left panel.

• Select the Shorts you just watched. It should be on the top and first on the list.

On a Mobile Phone

• Open the YouTube app. Watch a Shorts video.

• Like the Shorts video.

• Tap “Library”

• Scroll down to find “Liked Videos.” Click on it.

• Select the Shorts video you just watched. It should be at the top of the list.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, custom thumbnails not showing on Shorts does not have a fix yet. So to attract viewers, you must leverage the things in your control. You must title your videos in a way that will make users click the video. Also, adding effects and filters on the video using an editor like Wondershare Filmora can help.

Users can subscribe to Shorts channels. And if they see that your videos are well-edited and high-quality, they’ll be more likely to do so. Once they are subscribed, they will see and watch your videos more often.

Achieve Seamless Transitions: Premiere Videos on YouTube

How Do I Use Adobe Premiere To Upload YouTube Videos?

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Whilst getting the editing and post work just right on any project is what we all aim for, the ultimate aim is for other people to see our creations, and the most popular way to achieve that is YouTube . Chances are, if you are producing video, you will be putting some of it on YouTube at some point, so let’s have a look at the most efficient way to get your work from Premiere to YouTube.

Check if your computer meet the Premiere System Requirements >>

---

This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

How Do I Use Adobe Premiere To Upload YouTube Videos

1. Master Copy

Before exporting your work, it is important to first create a master copy of your project that is ‘as is’, in that it reflects the settings and codecs used in the original footage.

To do this you simply select the sequence within the Timeline or in the Project Panel, and go through the menu tree via File > Export > Media to bring up the export dialogue.

To create your Master Copy, simply select the first option of ‘Match Sequence Settings’, this exports a file that is of the same quality as your original footage, essentially producing a digital copy of the work for archiving before anything else is done.

With you work safe and secure it is now time to look at ensuring the project is suitable for YouTube. With our sequence selected in the Timeline or Project Panel again, we go through the same File > Export > Media path to bring up the media export dialogue as before.

2. Container

The first option we have to consider is the file format that our finished video needs to be in. Here you should refer to YouTube for its guidelines, whilst they do accept a number of file formats, digging through the YouTube help system to find the settings for highest quality we find that they recommend MPEG4 as the container, using the codec.

We can also see further recommended settings in this screenshot that will be covered later.

The good news is that Premiere automatically selects the appropriate container for us when we select our codec, however it is worth knowing the file type YouTube is expecting just to check yourself.

3. Video Codec

So having established that YouTube recommends the MPEG4 container using the codec, the first option we need to look for in the media export dialogue is to select the appropriate Format.

This is the first drop down in the dialogue box, and in this case we simply select from the list.

Once you select you can check the ‘output name’ field and see that premiere is automatically set the output file to .mp4 which is exactly what we need.

4. Preset

The next field we come to is the ‘Preset’ dropdown menu. This is a major help to most people, as Adobe have very kindly included large numbers of presets to quickly adapt video settings to suit specific uses. They vary depending on the exact version of Premiere you are using, and each format type does have its own list of presets, as we can see has a large number for YouTube, but also has many presets for specific devices (presets for iPad, Kindle, Nook, various other tablets and phones, Vimeo and a host of others) to make getting the right settings that bit easier for us.

It is important here to select the correct preset from the various YouTube options. You want to select the resolution and frame rate that match your source file, for the best results. So, if your source file is 1080p with a frame rate of 29.97 fps then that is the YouTube setting you would select.

Once a preset is selected a summary of the settings is displayed below, normally these will be well suited to your project, however you can fine tune anything you wish by selecting the video or audio tabs at the bottom which give you the chance to adjust each parameter individually. If you do this, you can save these changes as a custom preset by clicking the button at the side of the Preset dropdown menu and simply use it on later projects by selecting it from the list the same as any other, a great time saving tool.

5. Rendering

Once you are satisfied with the settings, either from the Preset alone or if you have adjusted anything yourself, you are nearly ready to render the file and export it.

For YouTube it is recommended you select the ‘Use Maximum Render Quality’ option to maintain the best output you can, it does add time to the render process but if you value the quality of your work it is worthwhile.

Finally you can choose a suitable filename and the destination of the file by clicking on the ‘Output Name’ field.

I normally use a filename that includes the destination medium so I can differentiate between different versions of a project and know which one to upload where, in this case I include ‘youtube’, but if I were planning on uploading clips of the project to vimeo as well for instance there may be a cut of the project with ‘vimeo’ in the name too. The destination is personal preference, because I do use filenames to differentiate versions I can put the various iterations into a single project file, others have folder structures for each type of file , so all YouTube output goes into a single folder and so on, how you organize is entirely dependent on how you work.

Once those are selected clicking ‘Export’ starts the rendering process, and eventually (how long depends on the speed of your computer and the size and type of file involved), you will end up with your YouTube optimized video in the location you chose.

Here I created 4 key frames that let the ‘Animation’ object move around the ‘Demo Text’ Object and finally come to rest below it. Whilst this type of effect does look very effective on screen, such is the ease of use of After Effects it really is just a few minutes work to achieve.

Learn more details about How to add text in Premiere >>

6. Uploading

Now you have your file, the next step is to go to your YouTube account and log in if you need to.

On the top of your homepage on the right is the upload button, selecting that brings up the select file menu as below.

You can either drag your file into the window or click on it to open a standard file browser to locate the desired file, click and the upload will begin. The dropdown underneath allows you to set the video as Public, Unlisted or Private. You can change this at any time once the video is uploaded as well.

This opens the upload progress window, where you can add in a name, description and tags as well as add the video to a playlist or adjust the privacy settings as the video is uploading.

Once the upload as finished, you can do final adjustments to settings and choose a thumbnail for the video. The final step is to click the ‘Publish’ button and your video will be processed and go live.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Whilst getting the editing and post work just right on any project is what we all aim for, the ultimate aim is for other people to see our creations, and the most popular way to achieve that is YouTube . Chances are, if you are producing video, you will be putting some of it on YouTube at some point, so let’s have a look at the most efficient way to get your work from Premiere to YouTube.

Check if your computer meet the Premiere System Requirements >>

---

This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

How Do I Use Adobe Premiere To Upload YouTube Videos

1. Master Copy

Before exporting your work, it is important to first create a master copy of your project that is ‘as is’, in that it reflects the settings and codecs used in the original footage.

To do this you simply select the sequence within the Timeline or in the Project Panel, and go through the menu tree via File > Export > Media to bring up the export dialogue.

To create your Master Copy, simply select the first option of ‘Match Sequence Settings’, this exports a file that is of the same quality as your original footage, essentially producing a digital copy of the work for archiving before anything else is done.

With you work safe and secure it is now time to look at ensuring the project is suitable for YouTube. With our sequence selected in the Timeline or Project Panel again, we go through the same File > Export > Media path to bring up the media export dialogue as before.

2. Container

The first option we have to consider is the file format that our finished video needs to be in. Here you should refer to YouTube for its guidelines, whilst they do accept a number of file formats, digging through the YouTube help system to find the settings for highest quality we find that they recommend MPEG4 as the container, using the codec.

We can also see further recommended settings in this screenshot that will be covered later.

The good news is that Premiere automatically selects the appropriate container for us when we select our codec, however it is worth knowing the file type YouTube is expecting just to check yourself.

3. Video Codec

So having established that YouTube recommends the MPEG4 container using the codec, the first option we need to look for in the media export dialogue is to select the appropriate Format.

This is the first drop down in the dialogue box, and in this case we simply select from the list.

Once you select you can check the ‘output name’ field and see that premiere is automatically set the output file to .mp4 which is exactly what we need.

4. Preset

The next field we come to is the ‘Preset’ dropdown menu. This is a major help to most people, as Adobe have very kindly included large numbers of presets to quickly adapt video settings to suit specific uses. They vary depending on the exact version of Premiere you are using, and each format type does have its own list of presets, as we can see has a large number for YouTube, but also has many presets for specific devices (presets for iPad, Kindle, Nook, various other tablets and phones, Vimeo and a host of others) to make getting the right settings that bit easier for us.

It is important here to select the correct preset from the various YouTube options. You want to select the resolution and frame rate that match your source file, for the best results. So, if your source file is 1080p with a frame rate of 29.97 fps then that is the YouTube setting you would select.

Once a preset is selected a summary of the settings is displayed below, normally these will be well suited to your project, however you can fine tune anything you wish by selecting the video or audio tabs at the bottom which give you the chance to adjust each parameter individually. If you do this, you can save these changes as a custom preset by clicking the button at the side of the Preset dropdown menu and simply use it on later projects by selecting it from the list the same as any other, a great time saving tool.

5. Rendering

Once you are satisfied with the settings, either from the Preset alone or if you have adjusted anything yourself, you are nearly ready to render the file and export it.

For YouTube it is recommended you select the ‘Use Maximum Render Quality’ option to maintain the best output you can, it does add time to the render process but if you value the quality of your work it is worthwhile.

Finally you can choose a suitable filename and the destination of the file by clicking on the ‘Output Name’ field.

I normally use a filename that includes the destination medium so I can differentiate between different versions of a project and know which one to upload where, in this case I include ‘youtube’, but if I were planning on uploading clips of the project to vimeo as well for instance there may be a cut of the project with ‘vimeo’ in the name too. The destination is personal preference, because I do use filenames to differentiate versions I can put the various iterations into a single project file, others have folder structures for each type of file , so all YouTube output goes into a single folder and so on, how you organize is entirely dependent on how you work.

Once those are selected clicking ‘Export’ starts the rendering process, and eventually (how long depends on the speed of your computer and the size and type of file involved), you will end up with your YouTube optimized video in the location you chose.

Here I created 4 key frames that let the ‘Animation’ object move around the ‘Demo Text’ Object and finally come to rest below it. Whilst this type of effect does look very effective on screen, such is the ease of use of After Effects it really is just a few minutes work to achieve.

Learn more details about How to add text in Premiere >>

6. Uploading

Now you have your file, the next step is to go to your YouTube account and log in if you need to.

On the top of your homepage on the right is the upload button, selecting that brings up the select file menu as below.

You can either drag your file into the window or click on it to open a standard file browser to locate the desired file, click and the upload will begin. The dropdown underneath allows you to set the video as Public, Unlisted or Private. You can change this at any time once the video is uploaded as well.

This opens the upload progress window, where you can add in a name, description and tags as well as add the video to a playlist or adjust the privacy settings as the video is uploading.

Once the upload as finished, you can do final adjustments to settings and choose a thumbnail for the video. The final step is to click the ‘Publish’ button and your video will be processed and go live.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Whilst getting the editing and post work just right on any project is what we all aim for, the ultimate aim is for other people to see our creations, and the most popular way to achieve that is YouTube . Chances are, if you are producing video, you will be putting some of it on YouTube at some point, so let’s have a look at the most efficient way to get your work from Premiere to YouTube.

Check if your computer meet the Premiere System Requirements >>

---

This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

How Do I Use Adobe Premiere To Upload YouTube Videos

1. Master Copy

Before exporting your work, it is important to first create a master copy of your project that is ‘as is’, in that it reflects the settings and codecs used in the original footage.

To do this you simply select the sequence within the Timeline or in the Project Panel, and go through the menu tree via File > Export > Media to bring up the export dialogue.

To create your Master Copy, simply select the first option of ‘Match Sequence Settings’, this exports a file that is of the same quality as your original footage, essentially producing a digital copy of the work for archiving before anything else is done.

With you work safe and secure it is now time to look at ensuring the project is suitable for YouTube. With our sequence selected in the Timeline or Project Panel again, we go through the same File > Export > Media path to bring up the media export dialogue as before.

2. Container

The first option we have to consider is the file format that our finished video needs to be in. Here you should refer to YouTube for its guidelines, whilst they do accept a number of file formats, digging through the YouTube help system to find the settings for highest quality we find that they recommend MPEG4 as the container, using the codec.

We can also see further recommended settings in this screenshot that will be covered later.

The good news is that Premiere automatically selects the appropriate container for us when we select our codec, however it is worth knowing the file type YouTube is expecting just to check yourself.

3. Video Codec

So having established that YouTube recommends the MPEG4 container using the codec, the first option we need to look for in the media export dialogue is to select the appropriate Format.

This is the first drop down in the dialogue box, and in this case we simply select from the list.

Once you select you can check the ‘output name’ field and see that premiere is automatically set the output file to .mp4 which is exactly what we need.

4. Preset

The next field we come to is the ‘Preset’ dropdown menu. This is a major help to most people, as Adobe have very kindly included large numbers of presets to quickly adapt video settings to suit specific uses. They vary depending on the exact version of Premiere you are using, and each format type does have its own list of presets, as we can see has a large number for YouTube, but also has many presets for specific devices (presets for iPad, Kindle, Nook, various other tablets and phones, Vimeo and a host of others) to make getting the right settings that bit easier for us.

It is important here to select the correct preset from the various YouTube options. You want to select the resolution and frame rate that match your source file, for the best results. So, if your source file is 1080p with a frame rate of 29.97 fps then that is the YouTube setting you would select.

Once a preset is selected a summary of the settings is displayed below, normally these will be well suited to your project, however you can fine tune anything you wish by selecting the video or audio tabs at the bottom which give you the chance to adjust each parameter individually. If you do this, you can save these changes as a custom preset by clicking the button at the side of the Preset dropdown menu and simply use it on later projects by selecting it from the list the same as any other, a great time saving tool.

5. Rendering

Once you are satisfied with the settings, either from the Preset alone or if you have adjusted anything yourself, you are nearly ready to render the file and export it.

For YouTube it is recommended you select the ‘Use Maximum Render Quality’ option to maintain the best output you can, it does add time to the render process but if you value the quality of your work it is worthwhile.

Finally you can choose a suitable filename and the destination of the file by clicking on the ‘Output Name’ field.

I normally use a filename that includes the destination medium so I can differentiate between different versions of a project and know which one to upload where, in this case I include ‘youtube’, but if I were planning on uploading clips of the project to vimeo as well for instance there may be a cut of the project with ‘vimeo’ in the name too. The destination is personal preference, because I do use filenames to differentiate versions I can put the various iterations into a single project file, others have folder structures for each type of file , so all YouTube output goes into a single folder and so on, how you organize is entirely dependent on how you work.

Once those are selected clicking ‘Export’ starts the rendering process, and eventually (how long depends on the speed of your computer and the size and type of file involved), you will end up with your YouTube optimized video in the location you chose.

Here I created 4 key frames that let the ‘Animation’ object move around the ‘Demo Text’ Object and finally come to rest below it. Whilst this type of effect does look very effective on screen, such is the ease of use of After Effects it really is just a few minutes work to achieve.

Learn more details about How to add text in Premiere >>

6. Uploading

Now you have your file, the next step is to go to your YouTube account and log in if you need to.

On the top of your homepage on the right is the upload button, selecting that brings up the select file menu as below.

You can either drag your file into the window or click on it to open a standard file browser to locate the desired file, click and the upload will begin. The dropdown underneath allows you to set the video as Public, Unlisted or Private. You can change this at any time once the video is uploaded as well.

This opens the upload progress window, where you can add in a name, description and tags as well as add the video to a playlist or adjust the privacy settings as the video is uploading.

Once the upload as finished, you can do final adjustments to settings and choose a thumbnail for the video. The final step is to click the ‘Publish’ button and your video will be processed and go live.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Whilst getting the editing and post work just right on any project is what we all aim for, the ultimate aim is for other people to see our creations, and the most popular way to achieve that is YouTube . Chances are, if you are producing video, you will be putting some of it on YouTube at some point, so let’s have a look at the most efficient way to get your work from Premiere to YouTube.

Check if your computer meet the Premiere System Requirements >>

---

This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

How Do I Use Adobe Premiere To Upload YouTube Videos

1. Master Copy

Before exporting your work, it is important to first create a master copy of your project that is ‘as is’, in that it reflects the settings and codecs used in the original footage.

To do this you simply select the sequence within the Timeline or in the Project Panel, and go through the menu tree via File > Export > Media to bring up the export dialogue.

To create your Master Copy, simply select the first option of ‘Match Sequence Settings’, this exports a file that is of the same quality as your original footage, essentially producing a digital copy of the work for archiving before anything else is done.

With you work safe and secure it is now time to look at ensuring the project is suitable for YouTube. With our sequence selected in the Timeline or Project Panel again, we go through the same File > Export > Media path to bring up the media export dialogue as before.

2. Container

The first option we have to consider is the file format that our finished video needs to be in. Here you should refer to YouTube for its guidelines, whilst they do accept a number of file formats, digging through the YouTube help system to find the settings for highest quality we find that they recommend MPEG4 as the container, using the codec.

We can also see further recommended settings in this screenshot that will be covered later.

The good news is that Premiere automatically selects the appropriate container for us when we select our codec, however it is worth knowing the file type YouTube is expecting just to check yourself.

3. Video Codec

So having established that YouTube recommends the MPEG4 container using the codec, the first option we need to look for in the media export dialogue is to select the appropriate Format.

This is the first drop down in the dialogue box, and in this case we simply select from the list.

Once you select you can check the ‘output name’ field and see that premiere is automatically set the output file to .mp4 which is exactly what we need.

4. Preset

The next field we come to is the ‘Preset’ dropdown menu. This is a major help to most people, as Adobe have very kindly included large numbers of presets to quickly adapt video settings to suit specific uses. They vary depending on the exact version of Premiere you are using, and each format type does have its own list of presets, as we can see has a large number for YouTube, but also has many presets for specific devices (presets for iPad, Kindle, Nook, various other tablets and phones, Vimeo and a host of others) to make getting the right settings that bit easier for us.

It is important here to select the correct preset from the various YouTube options. You want to select the resolution and frame rate that match your source file, for the best results. So, if your source file is 1080p with a frame rate of 29.97 fps then that is the YouTube setting you would select.

Once a preset is selected a summary of the settings is displayed below, normally these will be well suited to your project, however you can fine tune anything you wish by selecting the video or audio tabs at the bottom which give you the chance to adjust each parameter individually. If you do this, you can save these changes as a custom preset by clicking the button at the side of the Preset dropdown menu and simply use it on later projects by selecting it from the list the same as any other, a great time saving tool.

5. Rendering

Once you are satisfied with the settings, either from the Preset alone or if you have adjusted anything yourself, you are nearly ready to render the file and export it.

For YouTube it is recommended you select the ‘Use Maximum Render Quality’ option to maintain the best output you can, it does add time to the render process but if you value the quality of your work it is worthwhile.

Finally you can choose a suitable filename and the destination of the file by clicking on the ‘Output Name’ field.

I normally use a filename that includes the destination medium so I can differentiate between different versions of a project and know which one to upload where, in this case I include ‘youtube’, but if I were planning on uploading clips of the project to vimeo as well for instance there may be a cut of the project with ‘vimeo’ in the name too. The destination is personal preference, because I do use filenames to differentiate versions I can put the various iterations into a single project file, others have folder structures for each type of file , so all YouTube output goes into a single folder and so on, how you organize is entirely dependent on how you work.

Once those are selected clicking ‘Export’ starts the rendering process, and eventually (how long depends on the speed of your computer and the size and type of file involved), you will end up with your YouTube optimized video in the location you chose.

Here I created 4 key frames that let the ‘Animation’ object move around the ‘Demo Text’ Object and finally come to rest below it. Whilst this type of effect does look very effective on screen, such is the ease of use of After Effects it really is just a few minutes work to achieve.

Learn more details about How to add text in Premiere >>

6. Uploading

Now you have your file, the next step is to go to your YouTube account and log in if you need to.

On the top of your homepage on the right is the upload button, selecting that brings up the select file menu as below.

You can either drag your file into the window or click on it to open a standard file browser to locate the desired file, click and the upload will begin. The dropdown underneath allows you to set the video as Public, Unlisted or Private. You can change this at any time once the video is uploaded as well.

This opens the upload progress window, where you can add in a name, description and tags as well as add the video to a playlist or adjust the privacy settings as the video is uploading.

Once the upload as finished, you can do final adjustments to settings and choose a thumbnail for the video. The final step is to click the ‘Publish’ button and your video will be processed and go live.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Also read: