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"2024 Approved Step Up Your Content Learn How to Make Captivating YouTube Shorts"
Step Up Your Content: Learn How to Make Captivating YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts Ultimate Guide in 2024
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Since smartphones are cheap and easily available in the market today, and there is also a huge range of contents to view online, a majority of users prefer watching videos that are both short enough to convey the message within a few seconds, and can be seen on your phone’s screen with decent picture quality. Considering this, Google lately came up with a Tik Tok-style app calledYouTube shorts that can be accessed right from your Android or iPhone as long as you are using the YouTube app, and are signed in to your Google account.
That said, in the following sections you will learn everything about the YouTube Shorts app, and how it could help you gain more viewers for your YouTube channel.
- Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
- Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
- Part 3: Creating Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora [Step by Step Tutorial]
Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
A short and quick answer to the question is, YouTube Shorts is a Tik Tok competitor developed by Google and can be accessed via the YouTube app on an Android or iOS device. In order to use the YouTube Shorts app, all you need to do is, sign in to your YouTube account on the YouTube app, and you are good to go.
1. YouTube Shorts Release History
At the time of this writing, YouTube Shorts is still in the Beta phase, and there is a lot more that the developers at Google have yet to explore and discover. However, for now, the fully functional variant of the program is available only for users in India on Android and iOS platforms.
2. YouTube Shorts Target Audience
A majority of people who can be called the target audience for YouTube Shorts are the artists and creators looking forward to getting noticed. Some of them could also be among those who wish to become an influencer, or get their YouTube channel more subscribers to be able to become eligible for YouTube Partnership Program.
And of course, the viewers and subscribers cannot be left alone when talking about the target audiences of YouTube Shorts as without them, there’s no point in creating short videos in the first place.
The type of contents that the viewers expect to see as YouTube Shorts could include:
- Entertainment – While movies are of longer duration, roasting the characters in it, or explaining some other stuff to the subscribers could be one of the things that could keep the viewers engaged
- Gaming – Some extraordinary gaming tips, tricks, and skills can be demonstrated in a short video
- How-To – A couple of brief how-to illustrations can yet be another attraction for DIY-loving viewers
- Science and Technology – A short introduction of upcoming gadgets or applications along with their usability can be explained within the timeframe of 60 seconds as well
In addition to the above, a few other categories could be People and Places, Music, Domestic and Wild Animals, Education, etc.
3. YouTube Shorts Content Requirements
While creating YouTube Shorts, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. These points include:
- YouTube Shorts videos must not be more than 60 seconds long
- The videos must be vertically shot, and must not be in the landscape orientation
- You can have multiple short videos clubbed together. However, the total length of the final video must not exceed 60 seconds in duration
- While posting YouTube Shorts videos, the title or the description must contain ‘#shorts’ in it
Certain things that you must keep in mind while creating YouTube Shorts include:
- YouTube Shorts cannot be monetized. However, they can serve as a good medium to attract and redirect the audiences to your main YouTube channel which may contain several videos that are eligible for monetization.
- The number of views and the total playtime of the YouTube Shorts videos DO affect your YouTube channel statistics
4. Where People Can Find YouTube Shorts
As mentioned earlier, YouTube Shorts can be accessed by launching the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device. You can use YouTube Shorts by clicking the + (Add) icon present at the bottom. Once the YouTube Shorts app is initialized, you can easily create and publish short videos by following the simple on-screen instructions.
Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
You can follow the instructions given below to make and upload a YouTube Shorts video using the YouTube Shorts app:
Step 1: Record a Video with YouTube Shorts
Launch the YouTube app on your Android or iOS smart device (Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is used here for demonstration), make sure that you are signed in to your Google account, tap the + (Add) button present at the bottom of the screen, tap Create a Short on the popup box that appears next, tap the Record button on the next window to start the recording. Once you are done, tap the Stop button to stop the recording.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Tap Music from the bottom of the screen to add background music to the video. The music that you can use in your short videos must be either created by you, or you should have permission to use them. However, the audio files that the Music library contains is made available by Google, is royalty-free, and can be used throughout the platform.
Likewise, you can tap Text to add captions as well. As for the text type, the app offers various formatting options such as alignment (left, center, and right), text highlighter, font changer, and even color selector. Further, the Speed and Timer icons at the top-right area allow you to manage the playback speed anywhere between 0.3x to 3x, and automatically stop the recording after the set time limit respectively. Once everything is set up, tap NEXT from the top-right corner to proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Pick Target Audience Type
On the Add details window, tap Select audience, and on the Select audience window, tap to select the appropriate radio button to define whether the video is suitable for kids. Tap the Back button once the target audience is selected.
Step 4: Add Details and Upload the Video
Enter a title for the video in the Title field. Make sure to include #shorts to help YouTube understand that you are preparing a YouTube Shorts video. Next, tap UPLOAD from the upper-right corner of the screen to submit the video for review. Once YouTube reviews the recording and finds it appropriate, it will be published on the portal, and will be visible throughout and even under the Shorts category of the main page.
Part 3: How to Create a Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora?
The YouTube Shorts app is pretty convenient to access and use alright. However, it doesn’t allow you to fine edit the videos. The app doesn’t even have many filtering options such as Effects, Elements, etc. to make your videos more engaging.
With that said, you can always use an efficient third-party program like Wondershare Filmora to create professionally-looking YouTube Shorts videos to attract your viewers.
When talking about Wondershare Filmora, it is a production and post-production app available for both Windows and Mac computers, and gives tough competition to some of the globally accepted similar programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc. Furthermore, Filmora has its own built-in screen, webcam, and voice recording features that can be used to prepare interactive videos, game walkthroughs, and voiceovers as needed.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
The following step-by-step guide teaches you how to use Wondershare Filmora to create a vertical YouTube Shorts video:
Note: Before proceeding to the instructions, make sure that you have already recorded a vertical video using your cellphone, and that it has been transferred to your PC.
Step 1: Add the Video to Timeline
Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac PC (a Windows 10 computer is used here for demonstration), go to File > New Project, and click 9:16 (Portrait). Click anywhere inside the Media box, and select and import the source vertical video from your PC to Filmora.
Next, hover the mouse over the clip in the Media box, click the + button that appears at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail, and in the resolution confirmation box that comes up next, click the button under the Match to Media section to add the video in the correct orientation to the Timeline at the bottom.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Select the clip in the Timeline, and use the Split, Crop, Speed, etc. buttons above the Timeline itself to remove the unwanted portions from the clip, manage its playback speed, and do other fine-tuning tasks.
You can even click the Edit button, and use the available editing features like Motion Tracking and Stabilization to add text or objects to a moving body in the video and stabilize the clip if the camera shook during the recording session respectively. Click OK to save the changes when done.
Note: To be able to remain compliant with the YouTube Shorts policies, make sure that the video length is no longer than 60 seconds.
Step 3: Beautify the Video
Click Titles from the standard toolbox at the top, choose your preferred text category from the list in the left, hover the mouse over a decent preset in the right window, and click the + button at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail to add the preset on top of the media track in the Timeline. Next, you can double-click the preset track in the Timeline to modify the text and make granular modifications to it as needed. Click OK to save the changes.
Similarly, you can select the Effects and Elements tools to add effects and elements to the video as needed. To add background music, you can go to the Audio tool, and pick your preferred preset from the available options. A custom music can be added by going to the Media tool, and importing an audio file from your PC using the method explained in Step 1.
After this, optionally, you can go to Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, and use your preferred Split Screen preset to club multiple video clips into one screen. In Filmora, you can add as many as 6 screens in a video.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
Step 4: Render the Final Output
Once everything is set up, click EXPORT from the top of the window, go to the Local tab on the Export window, select MP4 from the formats list in the left, give a name and configure other settings from the available options in the right, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to create a YouTube Shorts video. Once the clip is generated, you can upload the video to YouTube using #Shorts in the title or description to publish the video under the YouTube Shorts section.
FAQs About YouTube Shorts
- Where to download the YouTube Shorts app?
The YouTube Shorts app is already present in the YouTube app that your Android or iOS smartphone has. All you need to do to access it is, sign in to your Google account, tap the + button at the bottom, and tap Create a Short in the popup box that comes up.
- What if YouTube Shorts is not showing on my YouTube app?
Make sure that your YouTube app is updated to its latest version. If the app is already updated, and YouTube Shorts is still unavailable, the chances are that Google hasn’t rolled the app in your region. Since YouTube Shorts is still in its Beta phase, only the region of India can use all the functions of the app at the time of this writing. In such a case, you are suggested to wait until the YouTube Shorts app is made available for your location.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts video duration?
A YouTube Shorts video can be of only up to 60 seconds.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts size limitation?
YouTube hasn’t provided any information related to this as of now. However, you can rest assure that a 60 seconds long video file wouldn’t be too large for YouTube to handle.
- How many subs do you need to access Shorts?
YouTube Shorts is available for everyone regardless of the number of subscribers the channel has.
- Can you make money on Shorts?
Unfortunately, NO. Although you cannot monetize the recordings published as YouTube Shorts, they can be a good source to drive subscribers to your main YouTube channel that may have the videos that can be monetized.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Since smartphones are cheap and easily available in the market today, and there is also a huge range of contents to view online, a majority of users prefer watching videos that are both short enough to convey the message within a few seconds, and can be seen on your phone’s screen with decent picture quality. Considering this, Google lately came up with a Tik Tok-style app calledYouTube shorts that can be accessed right from your Android or iPhone as long as you are using the YouTube app, and are signed in to your Google account.
That said, in the following sections you will learn everything about the YouTube Shorts app, and how it could help you gain more viewers for your YouTube channel.
- Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
- Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
- Part 3: Creating Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora [Step by Step Tutorial]
Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
A short and quick answer to the question is, YouTube Shorts is a Tik Tok competitor developed by Google and can be accessed via the YouTube app on an Android or iOS device. In order to use the YouTube Shorts app, all you need to do is, sign in to your YouTube account on the YouTube app, and you are good to go.
1. YouTube Shorts Release History
At the time of this writing, YouTube Shorts is still in the Beta phase, and there is a lot more that the developers at Google have yet to explore and discover. However, for now, the fully functional variant of the program is available only for users in India on Android and iOS platforms.
2. YouTube Shorts Target Audience
A majority of people who can be called the target audience for YouTube Shorts are the artists and creators looking forward to getting noticed. Some of them could also be among those who wish to become an influencer, or get their YouTube channel more subscribers to be able to become eligible for YouTube Partnership Program.
And of course, the viewers and subscribers cannot be left alone when talking about the target audiences of YouTube Shorts as without them, there’s no point in creating short videos in the first place.
The type of contents that the viewers expect to see as YouTube Shorts could include:
- Entertainment – While movies are of longer duration, roasting the characters in it, or explaining some other stuff to the subscribers could be one of the things that could keep the viewers engaged
- Gaming – Some extraordinary gaming tips, tricks, and skills can be demonstrated in a short video
- How-To – A couple of brief how-to illustrations can yet be another attraction for DIY-loving viewers
- Science and Technology – A short introduction of upcoming gadgets or applications along with their usability can be explained within the timeframe of 60 seconds as well
In addition to the above, a few other categories could be People and Places, Music, Domestic and Wild Animals, Education, etc.
3. YouTube Shorts Content Requirements
While creating YouTube Shorts, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. These points include:
- YouTube Shorts videos must not be more than 60 seconds long
- The videos must be vertically shot, and must not be in the landscape orientation
- You can have multiple short videos clubbed together. However, the total length of the final video must not exceed 60 seconds in duration
- While posting YouTube Shorts videos, the title or the description must contain ‘#shorts’ in it
Certain things that you must keep in mind while creating YouTube Shorts include:
- YouTube Shorts cannot be monetized. However, they can serve as a good medium to attract and redirect the audiences to your main YouTube channel which may contain several videos that are eligible for monetization.
- The number of views and the total playtime of the YouTube Shorts videos DO affect your YouTube channel statistics
4. Where People Can Find YouTube Shorts
As mentioned earlier, YouTube Shorts can be accessed by launching the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device. You can use YouTube Shorts by clicking the + (Add) icon present at the bottom. Once the YouTube Shorts app is initialized, you can easily create and publish short videos by following the simple on-screen instructions.
Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
You can follow the instructions given below to make and upload a YouTube Shorts video using the YouTube Shorts app:
Step 1: Record a Video with YouTube Shorts
Launch the YouTube app on your Android or iOS smart device (Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is used here for demonstration), make sure that you are signed in to your Google account, tap the + (Add) button present at the bottom of the screen, tap Create a Short on the popup box that appears next, tap the Record button on the next window to start the recording. Once you are done, tap the Stop button to stop the recording.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Tap Music from the bottom of the screen to add background music to the video. The music that you can use in your short videos must be either created by you, or you should have permission to use them. However, the audio files that the Music library contains is made available by Google, is royalty-free, and can be used throughout the platform.
Likewise, you can tap Text to add captions as well. As for the text type, the app offers various formatting options such as alignment (left, center, and right), text highlighter, font changer, and even color selector. Further, the Speed and Timer icons at the top-right area allow you to manage the playback speed anywhere between 0.3x to 3x, and automatically stop the recording after the set time limit respectively. Once everything is set up, tap NEXT from the top-right corner to proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Pick Target Audience Type
On the Add details window, tap Select audience, and on the Select audience window, tap to select the appropriate radio button to define whether the video is suitable for kids. Tap the Back button once the target audience is selected.
Step 4: Add Details and Upload the Video
Enter a title for the video in the Title field. Make sure to include #shorts to help YouTube understand that you are preparing a YouTube Shorts video. Next, tap UPLOAD from the upper-right corner of the screen to submit the video for review. Once YouTube reviews the recording and finds it appropriate, it will be published on the portal, and will be visible throughout and even under the Shorts category of the main page.
Part 3: How to Create a Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora?
The YouTube Shorts app is pretty convenient to access and use alright. However, it doesn’t allow you to fine edit the videos. The app doesn’t even have many filtering options such as Effects, Elements, etc. to make your videos more engaging.
With that said, you can always use an efficient third-party program like Wondershare Filmora to create professionally-looking YouTube Shorts videos to attract your viewers.
When talking about Wondershare Filmora, it is a production and post-production app available for both Windows and Mac computers, and gives tough competition to some of the globally accepted similar programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc. Furthermore, Filmora has its own built-in screen, webcam, and voice recording features that can be used to prepare interactive videos, game walkthroughs, and voiceovers as needed.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
The following step-by-step guide teaches you how to use Wondershare Filmora to create a vertical YouTube Shorts video:
Note: Before proceeding to the instructions, make sure that you have already recorded a vertical video using your cellphone, and that it has been transferred to your PC.
Step 1: Add the Video to Timeline
Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac PC (a Windows 10 computer is used here for demonstration), go to File > New Project, and click 9:16 (Portrait). Click anywhere inside the Media box, and select and import the source vertical video from your PC to Filmora.
Next, hover the mouse over the clip in the Media box, click the + button that appears at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail, and in the resolution confirmation box that comes up next, click the button under the Match to Media section to add the video in the correct orientation to the Timeline at the bottom.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Select the clip in the Timeline, and use the Split, Crop, Speed, etc. buttons above the Timeline itself to remove the unwanted portions from the clip, manage its playback speed, and do other fine-tuning tasks.
You can even click the Edit button, and use the available editing features like Motion Tracking and Stabilization to add text or objects to a moving body in the video and stabilize the clip if the camera shook during the recording session respectively. Click OK to save the changes when done.
Note: To be able to remain compliant with the YouTube Shorts policies, make sure that the video length is no longer than 60 seconds.
Step 3: Beautify the Video
Click Titles from the standard toolbox at the top, choose your preferred text category from the list in the left, hover the mouse over a decent preset in the right window, and click the + button at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail to add the preset on top of the media track in the Timeline. Next, you can double-click the preset track in the Timeline to modify the text and make granular modifications to it as needed. Click OK to save the changes.
Similarly, you can select the Effects and Elements tools to add effects and elements to the video as needed. To add background music, you can go to the Audio tool, and pick your preferred preset from the available options. A custom music can be added by going to the Media tool, and importing an audio file from your PC using the method explained in Step 1.
After this, optionally, you can go to Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, and use your preferred Split Screen preset to club multiple video clips into one screen. In Filmora, you can add as many as 6 screens in a video.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
Step 4: Render the Final Output
Once everything is set up, click EXPORT from the top of the window, go to the Local tab on the Export window, select MP4 from the formats list in the left, give a name and configure other settings from the available options in the right, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to create a YouTube Shorts video. Once the clip is generated, you can upload the video to YouTube using #Shorts in the title or description to publish the video under the YouTube Shorts section.
FAQs About YouTube Shorts
- Where to download the YouTube Shorts app?
The YouTube Shorts app is already present in the YouTube app that your Android or iOS smartphone has. All you need to do to access it is, sign in to your Google account, tap the + button at the bottom, and tap Create a Short in the popup box that comes up.
- What if YouTube Shorts is not showing on my YouTube app?
Make sure that your YouTube app is updated to its latest version. If the app is already updated, and YouTube Shorts is still unavailable, the chances are that Google hasn’t rolled the app in your region. Since YouTube Shorts is still in its Beta phase, only the region of India can use all the functions of the app at the time of this writing. In such a case, you are suggested to wait until the YouTube Shorts app is made available for your location.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts video duration?
A YouTube Shorts video can be of only up to 60 seconds.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts size limitation?
YouTube hasn’t provided any information related to this as of now. However, you can rest assure that a 60 seconds long video file wouldn’t be too large for YouTube to handle.
- How many subs do you need to access Shorts?
YouTube Shorts is available for everyone regardless of the number of subscribers the channel has.
- Can you make money on Shorts?
Unfortunately, NO. Although you cannot monetize the recordings published as YouTube Shorts, they can be a good source to drive subscribers to your main YouTube channel that may have the videos that can be monetized.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Since smartphones are cheap and easily available in the market today, and there is also a huge range of contents to view online, a majority of users prefer watching videos that are both short enough to convey the message within a few seconds, and can be seen on your phone’s screen with decent picture quality. Considering this, Google lately came up with a Tik Tok-style app calledYouTube shorts that can be accessed right from your Android or iPhone as long as you are using the YouTube app, and are signed in to your Google account.
That said, in the following sections you will learn everything about the YouTube Shorts app, and how it could help you gain more viewers for your YouTube channel.
- Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
- Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
- Part 3: Creating Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora [Step by Step Tutorial]
Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
A short and quick answer to the question is, YouTube Shorts is a Tik Tok competitor developed by Google and can be accessed via the YouTube app on an Android or iOS device. In order to use the YouTube Shorts app, all you need to do is, sign in to your YouTube account on the YouTube app, and you are good to go.
1. YouTube Shorts Release History
At the time of this writing, YouTube Shorts is still in the Beta phase, and there is a lot more that the developers at Google have yet to explore and discover. However, for now, the fully functional variant of the program is available only for users in India on Android and iOS platforms.
2. YouTube Shorts Target Audience
A majority of people who can be called the target audience for YouTube Shorts are the artists and creators looking forward to getting noticed. Some of them could also be among those who wish to become an influencer, or get their YouTube channel more subscribers to be able to become eligible for YouTube Partnership Program.
And of course, the viewers and subscribers cannot be left alone when talking about the target audiences of YouTube Shorts as without them, there’s no point in creating short videos in the first place.
The type of contents that the viewers expect to see as YouTube Shorts could include:
- Entertainment – While movies are of longer duration, roasting the characters in it, or explaining some other stuff to the subscribers could be one of the things that could keep the viewers engaged
- Gaming – Some extraordinary gaming tips, tricks, and skills can be demonstrated in a short video
- How-To – A couple of brief how-to illustrations can yet be another attraction for DIY-loving viewers
- Science and Technology – A short introduction of upcoming gadgets or applications along with their usability can be explained within the timeframe of 60 seconds as well
In addition to the above, a few other categories could be People and Places, Music, Domestic and Wild Animals, Education, etc.
3. YouTube Shorts Content Requirements
While creating YouTube Shorts, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. These points include:
- YouTube Shorts videos must not be more than 60 seconds long
- The videos must be vertically shot, and must not be in the landscape orientation
- You can have multiple short videos clubbed together. However, the total length of the final video must not exceed 60 seconds in duration
- While posting YouTube Shorts videos, the title or the description must contain ‘#shorts’ in it
Certain things that you must keep in mind while creating YouTube Shorts include:
- YouTube Shorts cannot be monetized. However, they can serve as a good medium to attract and redirect the audiences to your main YouTube channel which may contain several videos that are eligible for monetization.
- The number of views and the total playtime of the YouTube Shorts videos DO affect your YouTube channel statistics
4. Where People Can Find YouTube Shorts
As mentioned earlier, YouTube Shorts can be accessed by launching the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device. You can use YouTube Shorts by clicking the + (Add) icon present at the bottom. Once the YouTube Shorts app is initialized, you can easily create and publish short videos by following the simple on-screen instructions.
Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
You can follow the instructions given below to make and upload a YouTube Shorts video using the YouTube Shorts app:
Step 1: Record a Video with YouTube Shorts
Launch the YouTube app on your Android or iOS smart device (Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is used here for demonstration), make sure that you are signed in to your Google account, tap the + (Add) button present at the bottom of the screen, tap Create a Short on the popup box that appears next, tap the Record button on the next window to start the recording. Once you are done, tap the Stop button to stop the recording.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Tap Music from the bottom of the screen to add background music to the video. The music that you can use in your short videos must be either created by you, or you should have permission to use them. However, the audio files that the Music library contains is made available by Google, is royalty-free, and can be used throughout the platform.
Likewise, you can tap Text to add captions as well. As for the text type, the app offers various formatting options such as alignment (left, center, and right), text highlighter, font changer, and even color selector. Further, the Speed and Timer icons at the top-right area allow you to manage the playback speed anywhere between 0.3x to 3x, and automatically stop the recording after the set time limit respectively. Once everything is set up, tap NEXT from the top-right corner to proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Pick Target Audience Type
On the Add details window, tap Select audience, and on the Select audience window, tap to select the appropriate radio button to define whether the video is suitable for kids. Tap the Back button once the target audience is selected.
Step 4: Add Details and Upload the Video
Enter a title for the video in the Title field. Make sure to include #shorts to help YouTube understand that you are preparing a YouTube Shorts video. Next, tap UPLOAD from the upper-right corner of the screen to submit the video for review. Once YouTube reviews the recording and finds it appropriate, it will be published on the portal, and will be visible throughout and even under the Shorts category of the main page.
Part 3: How to Create a Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora?
The YouTube Shorts app is pretty convenient to access and use alright. However, it doesn’t allow you to fine edit the videos. The app doesn’t even have many filtering options such as Effects, Elements, etc. to make your videos more engaging.
With that said, you can always use an efficient third-party program like Wondershare Filmora to create professionally-looking YouTube Shorts videos to attract your viewers.
When talking about Wondershare Filmora, it is a production and post-production app available for both Windows and Mac computers, and gives tough competition to some of the globally accepted similar programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc. Furthermore, Filmora has its own built-in screen, webcam, and voice recording features that can be used to prepare interactive videos, game walkthroughs, and voiceovers as needed.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
The following step-by-step guide teaches you how to use Wondershare Filmora to create a vertical YouTube Shorts video:
Note: Before proceeding to the instructions, make sure that you have already recorded a vertical video using your cellphone, and that it has been transferred to your PC.
Step 1: Add the Video to Timeline
Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac PC (a Windows 10 computer is used here for demonstration), go to File > New Project, and click 9:16 (Portrait). Click anywhere inside the Media box, and select and import the source vertical video from your PC to Filmora.
Next, hover the mouse over the clip in the Media box, click the + button that appears at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail, and in the resolution confirmation box that comes up next, click the button under the Match to Media section to add the video in the correct orientation to the Timeline at the bottom.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Select the clip in the Timeline, and use the Split, Crop, Speed, etc. buttons above the Timeline itself to remove the unwanted portions from the clip, manage its playback speed, and do other fine-tuning tasks.
You can even click the Edit button, and use the available editing features like Motion Tracking and Stabilization to add text or objects to a moving body in the video and stabilize the clip if the camera shook during the recording session respectively. Click OK to save the changes when done.
Note: To be able to remain compliant with the YouTube Shorts policies, make sure that the video length is no longer than 60 seconds.
Step 3: Beautify the Video
Click Titles from the standard toolbox at the top, choose your preferred text category from the list in the left, hover the mouse over a decent preset in the right window, and click the + button at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail to add the preset on top of the media track in the Timeline. Next, you can double-click the preset track in the Timeline to modify the text and make granular modifications to it as needed. Click OK to save the changes.
Similarly, you can select the Effects and Elements tools to add effects and elements to the video as needed. To add background music, you can go to the Audio tool, and pick your preferred preset from the available options. A custom music can be added by going to the Media tool, and importing an audio file from your PC using the method explained in Step 1.
After this, optionally, you can go to Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, and use your preferred Split Screen preset to club multiple video clips into one screen. In Filmora, you can add as many as 6 screens in a video.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
Step 4: Render the Final Output
Once everything is set up, click EXPORT from the top of the window, go to the Local tab on the Export window, select MP4 from the formats list in the left, give a name and configure other settings from the available options in the right, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to create a YouTube Shorts video. Once the clip is generated, you can upload the video to YouTube using #Shorts in the title or description to publish the video under the YouTube Shorts section.
FAQs About YouTube Shorts
- Where to download the YouTube Shorts app?
The YouTube Shorts app is already present in the YouTube app that your Android or iOS smartphone has. All you need to do to access it is, sign in to your Google account, tap the + button at the bottom, and tap Create a Short in the popup box that comes up.
- What if YouTube Shorts is not showing on my YouTube app?
Make sure that your YouTube app is updated to its latest version. If the app is already updated, and YouTube Shorts is still unavailable, the chances are that Google hasn’t rolled the app in your region. Since YouTube Shorts is still in its Beta phase, only the region of India can use all the functions of the app at the time of this writing. In such a case, you are suggested to wait until the YouTube Shorts app is made available for your location.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts video duration?
A YouTube Shorts video can be of only up to 60 seconds.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts size limitation?
YouTube hasn’t provided any information related to this as of now. However, you can rest assure that a 60 seconds long video file wouldn’t be too large for YouTube to handle.
- How many subs do you need to access Shorts?
YouTube Shorts is available for everyone regardless of the number of subscribers the channel has.
- Can you make money on Shorts?
Unfortunately, NO. Although you cannot monetize the recordings published as YouTube Shorts, they can be a good source to drive subscribers to your main YouTube channel that may have the videos that can be monetized.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Since smartphones are cheap and easily available in the market today, and there is also a huge range of contents to view online, a majority of users prefer watching videos that are both short enough to convey the message within a few seconds, and can be seen on your phone’s screen with decent picture quality. Considering this, Google lately came up with a Tik Tok-style app calledYouTube shorts that can be accessed right from your Android or iPhone as long as you are using the YouTube app, and are signed in to your Google account.
That said, in the following sections you will learn everything about the YouTube Shorts app, and how it could help you gain more viewers for your YouTube channel.
- Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
- Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
- Part 3: Creating Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora [Step by Step Tutorial]
Part 1: What Is YouTube Shorts?
A short and quick answer to the question is, YouTube Shorts is a Tik Tok competitor developed by Google and can be accessed via the YouTube app on an Android or iOS device. In order to use the YouTube Shorts app, all you need to do is, sign in to your YouTube account on the YouTube app, and you are good to go.
1. YouTube Shorts Release History
At the time of this writing, YouTube Shorts is still in the Beta phase, and there is a lot more that the developers at Google have yet to explore and discover. However, for now, the fully functional variant of the program is available only for users in India on Android and iOS platforms.
2. YouTube Shorts Target Audience
A majority of people who can be called the target audience for YouTube Shorts are the artists and creators looking forward to getting noticed. Some of them could also be among those who wish to become an influencer, or get their YouTube channel more subscribers to be able to become eligible for YouTube Partnership Program.
And of course, the viewers and subscribers cannot be left alone when talking about the target audiences of YouTube Shorts as without them, there’s no point in creating short videos in the first place.
The type of contents that the viewers expect to see as YouTube Shorts could include:
- Entertainment – While movies are of longer duration, roasting the characters in it, or explaining some other stuff to the subscribers could be one of the things that could keep the viewers engaged
- Gaming – Some extraordinary gaming tips, tricks, and skills can be demonstrated in a short video
- How-To – A couple of brief how-to illustrations can yet be another attraction for DIY-loving viewers
- Science and Technology – A short introduction of upcoming gadgets or applications along with their usability can be explained within the timeframe of 60 seconds as well
In addition to the above, a few other categories could be People and Places, Music, Domestic and Wild Animals, Education, etc.
3. YouTube Shorts Content Requirements
While creating YouTube Shorts, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. These points include:
- YouTube Shorts videos must not be more than 60 seconds long
- The videos must be vertically shot, and must not be in the landscape orientation
- You can have multiple short videos clubbed together. However, the total length of the final video must not exceed 60 seconds in duration
- While posting YouTube Shorts videos, the title or the description must contain ‘#shorts’ in it
Certain things that you must keep in mind while creating YouTube Shorts include:
- YouTube Shorts cannot be monetized. However, they can serve as a good medium to attract and redirect the audiences to your main YouTube channel which may contain several videos that are eligible for monetization.
- The number of views and the total playtime of the YouTube Shorts videos DO affect your YouTube channel statistics
4. Where People Can Find YouTube Shorts
As mentioned earlier, YouTube Shorts can be accessed by launching the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device. You can use YouTube Shorts by clicking the + (Add) icon present at the bottom. Once the YouTube Shorts app is initialized, you can easily create and publish short videos by following the simple on-screen instructions.
Part 2: How to Make and Upload a YouTube Shorts Video with Shorts App?
You can follow the instructions given below to make and upload a YouTube Shorts video using the YouTube Shorts app:
Step 1: Record a Video with YouTube Shorts
Launch the YouTube app on your Android or iOS smart device (Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is used here for demonstration), make sure that you are signed in to your Google account, tap the + (Add) button present at the bottom of the screen, tap Create a Short on the popup box that appears next, tap the Record button on the next window to start the recording. Once you are done, tap the Stop button to stop the recording.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Tap Music from the bottom of the screen to add background music to the video. The music that you can use in your short videos must be either created by you, or you should have permission to use them. However, the audio files that the Music library contains is made available by Google, is royalty-free, and can be used throughout the platform.
Likewise, you can tap Text to add captions as well. As for the text type, the app offers various formatting options such as alignment (left, center, and right), text highlighter, font changer, and even color selector. Further, the Speed and Timer icons at the top-right area allow you to manage the playback speed anywhere between 0.3x to 3x, and automatically stop the recording after the set time limit respectively. Once everything is set up, tap NEXT from the top-right corner to proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Pick Target Audience Type
On the Add details window, tap Select audience, and on the Select audience window, tap to select the appropriate radio button to define whether the video is suitable for kids. Tap the Back button once the target audience is selected.
Step 4: Add Details and Upload the Video
Enter a title for the video in the Title field. Make sure to include #shorts to help YouTube understand that you are preparing a YouTube Shorts video. Next, tap UPLOAD from the upper-right corner of the screen to submit the video for review. Once YouTube reviews the recording and finds it appropriate, it will be published on the portal, and will be visible throughout and even under the Shorts category of the main page.
Part 3: How to Create a Vertical YouTube Shorts Video in Filmora?
The YouTube Shorts app is pretty convenient to access and use alright. However, it doesn’t allow you to fine edit the videos. The app doesn’t even have many filtering options such as Effects, Elements, etc. to make your videos more engaging.
With that said, you can always use an efficient third-party program like Wondershare Filmora to create professionally-looking YouTube Shorts videos to attract your viewers.
When talking about Wondershare Filmora, it is a production and post-production app available for both Windows and Mac computers, and gives tough competition to some of the globally accepted similar programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc. Furthermore, Filmora has its own built-in screen, webcam, and voice recording features that can be used to prepare interactive videos, game walkthroughs, and voiceovers as needed.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
The following step-by-step guide teaches you how to use Wondershare Filmora to create a vertical YouTube Shorts video:
Note: Before proceeding to the instructions, make sure that you have already recorded a vertical video using your cellphone, and that it has been transferred to your PC.
Step 1: Add the Video to Timeline
Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac PC (a Windows 10 computer is used here for demonstration), go to File > New Project, and click 9:16 (Portrait). Click anywhere inside the Media box, and select and import the source vertical video from your PC to Filmora.
Next, hover the mouse over the clip in the Media box, click the + button that appears at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail, and in the resolution confirmation box that comes up next, click the button under the Match to Media section to add the video in the correct orientation to the Timeline at the bottom.
Step 2: Edit the Video
Select the clip in the Timeline, and use the Split, Crop, Speed, etc. buttons above the Timeline itself to remove the unwanted portions from the clip, manage its playback speed, and do other fine-tuning tasks.
You can even click the Edit button, and use the available editing features like Motion Tracking and Stabilization to add text or objects to a moving body in the video and stabilize the clip if the camera shook during the recording session respectively. Click OK to save the changes when done.
Note: To be able to remain compliant with the YouTube Shorts policies, make sure that the video length is no longer than 60 seconds.
Step 3: Beautify the Video
Click Titles from the standard toolbox at the top, choose your preferred text category from the list in the left, hover the mouse over a decent preset in the right window, and click the + button at the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail to add the preset on top of the media track in the Timeline. Next, you can double-click the preset track in the Timeline to modify the text and make granular modifications to it as needed. Click OK to save the changes.
Similarly, you can select the Effects and Elements tools to add effects and elements to the video as needed. To add background music, you can go to the Audio tool, and pick your preferred preset from the available options. A custom music can be added by going to the Media tool, and importing an audio file from your PC using the method explained in Step 1.
After this, optionally, you can go to Split Screen from the standard toolbar at the top, and use your preferred Split Screen preset to club multiple video clips into one screen. In Filmora, you can add as many as 6 screens in a video.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download
Step 4: Render the Final Output
Once everything is set up, click EXPORT from the top of the window, go to the Local tab on the Export window, select MP4 from the formats list in the left, give a name and configure other settings from the available options in the right, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to create a YouTube Shorts video. Once the clip is generated, you can upload the video to YouTube using #Shorts in the title or description to publish the video under the YouTube Shorts section.
FAQs About YouTube Shorts
- Where to download the YouTube Shorts app?
The YouTube Shorts app is already present in the YouTube app that your Android or iOS smartphone has. All you need to do to access it is, sign in to your Google account, tap the + button at the bottom, and tap Create a Short in the popup box that comes up.
- What if YouTube Shorts is not showing on my YouTube app?
Make sure that your YouTube app is updated to its latest version. If the app is already updated, and YouTube Shorts is still unavailable, the chances are that Google hasn’t rolled the app in your region. Since YouTube Shorts is still in its Beta phase, only the region of India can use all the functions of the app at the time of this writing. In such a case, you are suggested to wait until the YouTube Shorts app is made available for your location.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts video duration?
A YouTube Shorts video can be of only up to 60 seconds.
- What’s the YouTube Shorts size limitation?
YouTube hasn’t provided any information related to this as of now. However, you can rest assure that a 60 seconds long video file wouldn’t be too large for YouTube to handle.
- How many subs do you need to access Shorts?
YouTube Shorts is available for everyone regardless of the number of subscribers the channel has.
- Can you make money on Shorts?
Unfortunately, NO. Although you cannot monetize the recordings published as YouTube Shorts, they can be a good source to drive subscribers to your main YouTube channel that may have the videos that can be monetized.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Visionary Storytelling for Video Viewers’ Growth
The Best Storytelling Techniques to Grow Your YouTube Channel
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
- Title: "2024 Approved Step Up Your Content Learn How to Make Captivating YouTube Shorts"
- Author: Thomas
- Created at : 2024-05-31 12:38:41
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 12:38:41
- Link: https://youtube-help.techidaily.com/2024-approved-step-up-your-content-learn-how-to-make-captivating-youtube-shorts/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
