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"2024 Approved Step-by-Step Adding Custom Images to YouTube Videos"
Step-by-Step: Adding Custom Images to YouTube Videos
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.
- Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
- Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
- Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
- Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
- Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
- Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs
How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]
We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.
Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.
In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.
1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.
2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.
3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.
In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.
Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails
Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva
Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.
Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.
You may also like: Best online Photo Editor
2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp
Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.
Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:
Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.
In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.
- After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.
- Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
- Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.
If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .
Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail
- About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
- About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
- You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
- You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.
One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!
You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art
To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.
You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube
Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks
The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.
1. Stay On Topic
Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.
Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.
This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.
A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.
2. Don’t Be Mysterious
A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.
Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.
Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.
If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?
When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!
3. People Like People
Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.
Just make sure you’re in them.
You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.
So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?
4. Check Out The Competition
Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.
Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!
For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?
5. Use Color in Interesting Ways
You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.
Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.
Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?
6. Make Your Text Huge
Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.
The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail
1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?
When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.
2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?
Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.
3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?
Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.
4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?
When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Maximizing YT Videos for IGTV Presence
How to Convert YouTube to IGTV Videos? [3 Ways]
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.
YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.
- Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
- Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
- Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP
Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora
If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.
Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.
Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.
Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.
In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.
Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.
Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.
You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.
Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online
YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.
Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.
Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.
A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.
You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>
Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro
Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.
If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.
Conclusion
Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.
You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.
YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.
- Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
- Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
- Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP
Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora
If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.
Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.
Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.
Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.
In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.
Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.
Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.
You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.
Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online
YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.
Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.
Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.
A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.
You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>
Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro
Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.
If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.
Conclusion
Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.
You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.
YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.
- Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
- Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
- Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP
Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora
If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.
Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.
Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.
Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.
In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.
Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.
Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.
You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.
Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online
YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.
Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.
Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.
A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.
You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>
Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro
Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.
If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.
Conclusion
Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.
You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.
YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.
- Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
- Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
- Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP
Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora
If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.
Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.
Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.
Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.
In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.
Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.
Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.
You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.
Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online
YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.
Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.
Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.
A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.
You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>
Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro
Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.
If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.
Conclusion
Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.
You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
- Title: "2024 Approved Step-by-Step Adding Custom Images to YouTube Videos"
- Author: Thomas
- Created at : 2024-05-31 12:39:36
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 12:39:36
- Link: https://youtube-help.techidaily.com/2024-approved-step-by-step-adding-custom-images-to-youtube-videos/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
