The Backward Playbook: YouTube’s Video Flip

Best YouTube Video Reverser Online

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

While working on the movies in a professional post-production environment, there might be instances where you want to reverse YouTube video to show flashback effect, or to replay a sequence so the audience can experience more thrills while watching.

With that said, not every media player or video editing application is capable enough to reverse a movie clip, not at least with merely a few mouse clicks. Therefore, the following sections suggest some such programs that can help you play YouTube video backward.

Part 1: Best Free YouTube Video Reversers Online

There are a few online web programs that are capable of reversing YouTube videos with efficiency. However, some of them may have certain restrictions like file size limit, number of supported formats, fewer or absolutely no editing options, etc.

Nevertheless, the best five online solutions to reverse YouTube video along with the process of using them are discussed below:

1. Clideo

Clideo is not merely a video reverser, but can also convert media files to your preferred format. You can paste the URL of a YouTube video to upload or import the videos from your computer, Dropbox or Google Drive storage. At the time of this writing, Clideo allows only up to 500MB videos to be uploaded to reverse or convert. As for the acceptability, the portal supports almost all the commonly used formats.

To play YouTube video backward with Clideo:

• Visit Clideo’s online reverse tool page: https://clideo.com/reverse-video ;
• Hover mouse over the down arrow icon next to the Choose file button and paste the URL of the YouTube video that you want to reverse;
• After Clideo fetches the video and opens the next page, choose your preferred speed from the right section
• Leave the Mute video box checked, or uncheck it if required and then click Reverse button to reverse YouTube video. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply is 2X.

2. Kapwing

This web solution also supports almost all types of video formats including 3GPP, AVI, MP4, etc. When talking about the limitations of a free user, you can only upload the videos that are up to 7 minutes long. At the time of this writing, Kapwing can accept the source files from your computer, and from the YouTube URL.

To reverse YouTube video with Kapwing:

• Go to Kapwing’s online video reverser page: https://www.kapwing.com/tools/reverse-video ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the Paste a URL field;
• Select your preferred playback speed of the reversed video from the Reverse speed section in the left pane;
• Choose whether or not Kapwing should mute the output video;
• Optionally, click Trim video from the upper-left corner of the right window to edit the footage if needed;
• Click CREATE from the bottom-left corner to play YouTube video backward. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply on Kapwing is also 2X.

3. EZGIF

With the ability to support almost all major video formats, and the capability to accept the media files of up to 100MB, Ezgif allows you to upload the footages from your PC, or paste their URL if they are published on YouTube. Even though the landing page has a few distracting adverts, the overall process to play YouTube video backward and save it to your PC is simple.

To reverse YouTube video with Ezgif:

• Go to the reverser tool page: https://ezgif.com/reverse-video and then paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available field;
• Click Upload video and optionally click the speed icon from the toolbar at the top;
• Use the checkboxes and input fields to mute the audio and adjust the playback speed as needed;
• Choose your preferred encoding method from the Output format and encoding drop-down list and then click Reverse video to reverse the video.

Note: It seems that you can’t customize the reverse speed on EZGif but you can choose to mute the reversed audio or not.

4. VideoReverser

Although this web solution has an extremely simple interface, the files that you can upload must not exceed 10MB in size. The portal supports formats like MPG, MPEG, MP4, AVI, M4V, 3GP, etc. for reversing. In addition to uploading the clips from your PC, VideoReverser also allows you to paste the URL of the footages if they are published on YouTube.

To play YouTube video backward with VideoReverser:

• Launch your favorite Internet browser, and then visit https://www.videoreverser.com/ ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available text field;
• Choose your preferred output format from the Select output format drop-down list;
• Use the Remove audio track checkbox to get rid of the acoustics or leave the sound enabled;
• Click Start to reverse YouTube video.

5. Pixiko

With almost all formats’ support, Pixiko is yet another web-based media editor that can also reverse YouTube video with a few mouse clicks. At the time of this writing, Pixiko only accepts the source files from your PC, which means you can’t paste the YouTube link to it directly. At first, you need to download or save the YouTube video on computer and then either drag those clips from your local hard drive to the portal.

To play YouTube video backward with Pixiko:

• On the page https://pixiko.com/editor/video-reverse , click anywhere inside the Blue rectangle;
• Locate, select, and upload the downloaded YouTube source video from your PC;
• Click Reverse from the lower-right section of the video player window;
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to manage and reverse YouTube video as needed;

Bonus: Reversing YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

With easily reachable editing options and self-explanatory buttons, Wondershare Filmora has gained a decent amount of popularity in the recent years. The program is available for both Windows and Mac platforms, and gives tough competition to other leading tools of the industry such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc.

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

When talking about the playback speed, with the help of available presets, it can be increased or decreased by 100x or 0.01x respectively. One of the presets also enables you to reverse the direction of the playback quite easily, i.e. while keeping the speed intact. In addition, the ‘Custom Speed’ option lets you control the preferences more granularly.

You can follow the simple instructions given below to reverse YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora:

Note: To remain compliant with the terms and conditions, and to respect the copyright policies, Wondershare Filmora doesn’t allow you to download other people’s videos from YouTube. However, once you have a footage on your PC, you can jump to the following step-by-step process to reverse its playback.

1. Import the Source Video to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac computer (Windows 10 here), making sure that the Media button in the standard toolbar at the top is selected, click inside the Media window, and select and import the YouTube source video to the program. Next, drag the YouTube video clip to the Timeline, and when the confirmation box appears, click the Match to Media or Keep Project Settings button as needed to get the footage to the Timeline.

2. Reverse the Video (Using the Preset)

Click and select the media clip in the Timeline, click the Speed icon present above the Timeline itself, and click the Reverse option from the menu that appears to reverse the video playback.

3. Reverse the Video (Manual Control)

Select the media clip in the Timeline and click the Speed icon as explained in the previous step. From the menu that appears, click Custom Speed this time. When the Custom Speed box appears, use the Speed slider to adjust the playback speed of the media clip, and check the Reverse box to reverse YouTube video. Optionally, you can also modify the Duration and Ripple options to customize the preferences. Finally, click OK to save the changes.

4. Export the Video or Upload to YouTube Directly

Back on the main window, click EXPORT from the top. Filmora provides several ways to saving and sharing the video.

You can select the Local tab, choose your preferred output format from the list in the left, in the right window, define a name and location for the file that you are about to export, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to export the video with the reverse playback.

Or, go to the YouTube tab and sign in your YouTube account to upload the reversed video to YouTube directly. In the YouTube upload interface, you can optimize the YouTube SEO elements and revise the video title, description, category and tags.

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

Conclusion

Even though the online video reversers are free and offer simple process to get the job done, the desktop programs like Wondershare Filmora offer more flexibility when it comes to making changes to the media clips, controlling the playback speed, adding effects, applying the modifications only to certain sections of the footage, selecting output preferences, etc. before you can reverse YouTube video.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

While working on the movies in a professional post-production environment, there might be instances where you want to reverse YouTube video to show flashback effect, or to replay a sequence so the audience can experience more thrills while watching.

With that said, not every media player or video editing application is capable enough to reverse a movie clip, not at least with merely a few mouse clicks. Therefore, the following sections suggest some such programs that can help you play YouTube video backward.

Part 1: Best Free YouTube Video Reversers Online

There are a few online web programs that are capable of reversing YouTube videos with efficiency. However, some of them may have certain restrictions like file size limit, number of supported formats, fewer or absolutely no editing options, etc.

Nevertheless, the best five online solutions to reverse YouTube video along with the process of using them are discussed below:

1. Clideo

Clideo is not merely a video reverser, but can also convert media files to your preferred format. You can paste the URL of a YouTube video to upload or import the videos from your computer, Dropbox or Google Drive storage. At the time of this writing, Clideo allows only up to 500MB videos to be uploaded to reverse or convert. As for the acceptability, the portal supports almost all the commonly used formats.

To play YouTube video backward with Clideo:

• Visit Clideo’s online reverse tool page: https://clideo.com/reverse-video ;
• Hover mouse over the down arrow icon next to the Choose file button and paste the URL of the YouTube video that you want to reverse;
• After Clideo fetches the video and opens the next page, choose your preferred speed from the right section
• Leave the Mute video box checked, or uncheck it if required and then click Reverse button to reverse YouTube video. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply is 2X.

2. Kapwing

This web solution also supports almost all types of video formats including 3GPP, AVI, MP4, etc. When talking about the limitations of a free user, you can only upload the videos that are up to 7 minutes long. At the time of this writing, Kapwing can accept the source files from your computer, and from the YouTube URL.

To reverse YouTube video with Kapwing:

• Go to Kapwing’s online video reverser page: https://www.kapwing.com/tools/reverse-video ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the Paste a URL field;
• Select your preferred playback speed of the reversed video from the Reverse speed section in the left pane;
• Choose whether or not Kapwing should mute the output video;
• Optionally, click Trim video from the upper-left corner of the right window to edit the footage if needed;
• Click CREATE from the bottom-left corner to play YouTube video backward. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply on Kapwing is also 2X.

3. EZGIF

With the ability to support almost all major video formats, and the capability to accept the media files of up to 100MB, Ezgif allows you to upload the footages from your PC, or paste their URL if they are published on YouTube. Even though the landing page has a few distracting adverts, the overall process to play YouTube video backward and save it to your PC is simple.

To reverse YouTube video with Ezgif:

• Go to the reverser tool page: https://ezgif.com/reverse-video and then paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available field;
• Click Upload video and optionally click the speed icon from the toolbar at the top;
• Use the checkboxes and input fields to mute the audio and adjust the playback speed as needed;
• Choose your preferred encoding method from the Output format and encoding drop-down list and then click Reverse video to reverse the video.

Note: It seems that you can’t customize the reverse speed on EZGif but you can choose to mute the reversed audio or not.

4. VideoReverser

Although this web solution has an extremely simple interface, the files that you can upload must not exceed 10MB in size. The portal supports formats like MPG, MPEG, MP4, AVI, M4V, 3GP, etc. for reversing. In addition to uploading the clips from your PC, VideoReverser also allows you to paste the URL of the footages if they are published on YouTube.

To play YouTube video backward with VideoReverser:

• Launch your favorite Internet browser, and then visit https://www.videoreverser.com/ ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available text field;
• Choose your preferred output format from the Select output format drop-down list;
• Use the Remove audio track checkbox to get rid of the acoustics or leave the sound enabled;
• Click Start to reverse YouTube video.

5. Pixiko

With almost all formats’ support, Pixiko is yet another web-based media editor that can also reverse YouTube video with a few mouse clicks. At the time of this writing, Pixiko only accepts the source files from your PC, which means you can’t paste the YouTube link to it directly. At first, you need to download or save the YouTube video on computer and then either drag those clips from your local hard drive to the portal.

To play YouTube video backward with Pixiko:

• On the page https://pixiko.com/editor/video-reverse , click anywhere inside the Blue rectangle;
• Locate, select, and upload the downloaded YouTube source video from your PC;
• Click Reverse from the lower-right section of the video player window;
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to manage and reverse YouTube video as needed;

Bonus: Reversing YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

With easily reachable editing options and self-explanatory buttons, Wondershare Filmora has gained a decent amount of popularity in the recent years. The program is available for both Windows and Mac platforms, and gives tough competition to other leading tools of the industry such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc.

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

When talking about the playback speed, with the help of available presets, it can be increased or decreased by 100x or 0.01x respectively. One of the presets also enables you to reverse the direction of the playback quite easily, i.e. while keeping the speed intact. In addition, the ‘Custom Speed’ option lets you control the preferences more granularly.

You can follow the simple instructions given below to reverse YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora:

Note: To remain compliant with the terms and conditions, and to respect the copyright policies, Wondershare Filmora doesn’t allow you to download other people’s videos from YouTube. However, once you have a footage on your PC, you can jump to the following step-by-step process to reverse its playback.

1. Import the Source Video to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac computer (Windows 10 here), making sure that the Media button in the standard toolbar at the top is selected, click inside the Media window, and select and import the YouTube source video to the program. Next, drag the YouTube video clip to the Timeline, and when the confirmation box appears, click the Match to Media or Keep Project Settings button as needed to get the footage to the Timeline.

2. Reverse the Video (Using the Preset)

Click and select the media clip in the Timeline, click the Speed icon present above the Timeline itself, and click the Reverse option from the menu that appears to reverse the video playback.

3. Reverse the Video (Manual Control)

Select the media clip in the Timeline and click the Speed icon as explained in the previous step. From the menu that appears, click Custom Speed this time. When the Custom Speed box appears, use the Speed slider to adjust the playback speed of the media clip, and check the Reverse box to reverse YouTube video. Optionally, you can also modify the Duration and Ripple options to customize the preferences. Finally, click OK to save the changes.

4. Export the Video or Upload to YouTube Directly

Back on the main window, click EXPORT from the top. Filmora provides several ways to saving and sharing the video.

You can select the Local tab, choose your preferred output format from the list in the left, in the right window, define a name and location for the file that you are about to export, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to export the video with the reverse playback.

Or, go to the YouTube tab and sign in your YouTube account to upload the reversed video to YouTube directly. In the YouTube upload interface, you can optimize the YouTube SEO elements and revise the video title, description, category and tags.

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

Conclusion

Even though the online video reversers are free and offer simple process to get the job done, the desktop programs like Wondershare Filmora offer more flexibility when it comes to making changes to the media clips, controlling the playback speed, adding effects, applying the modifications only to certain sections of the footage, selecting output preferences, etc. before you can reverse YouTube video.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

While working on the movies in a professional post-production environment, there might be instances where you want to reverse YouTube video to show flashback effect, or to replay a sequence so the audience can experience more thrills while watching.

With that said, not every media player or video editing application is capable enough to reverse a movie clip, not at least with merely a few mouse clicks. Therefore, the following sections suggest some such programs that can help you play YouTube video backward.

Part 1: Best Free YouTube Video Reversers Online

There are a few online web programs that are capable of reversing YouTube videos with efficiency. However, some of them may have certain restrictions like file size limit, number of supported formats, fewer or absolutely no editing options, etc.

Nevertheless, the best five online solutions to reverse YouTube video along with the process of using them are discussed below:

1. Clideo

Clideo is not merely a video reverser, but can also convert media files to your preferred format. You can paste the URL of a YouTube video to upload or import the videos from your computer, Dropbox or Google Drive storage. At the time of this writing, Clideo allows only up to 500MB videos to be uploaded to reverse or convert. As for the acceptability, the portal supports almost all the commonly used formats.

To play YouTube video backward with Clideo:

• Visit Clideo’s online reverse tool page: https://clideo.com/reverse-video ;
• Hover mouse over the down arrow icon next to the Choose file button and paste the URL of the YouTube video that you want to reverse;
• After Clideo fetches the video and opens the next page, choose your preferred speed from the right section
• Leave the Mute video box checked, or uncheck it if required and then click Reverse button to reverse YouTube video. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply is 2X.

2. Kapwing

This web solution also supports almost all types of video formats including 3GPP, AVI, MP4, etc. When talking about the limitations of a free user, you can only upload the videos that are up to 7 minutes long. At the time of this writing, Kapwing can accept the source files from your computer, and from the YouTube URL.

To reverse YouTube video with Kapwing:

• Go to Kapwing’s online video reverser page: https://www.kapwing.com/tools/reverse-video ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the Paste a URL field;
• Select your preferred playback speed of the reversed video from the Reverse speed section in the left pane;
• Choose whether or not Kapwing should mute the output video;
• Optionally, click Trim video from the upper-left corner of the right window to edit the footage if needed;
• Click CREATE from the bottom-left corner to play YouTube video backward. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply on Kapwing is also 2X.

3. EZGIF

With the ability to support almost all major video formats, and the capability to accept the media files of up to 100MB, Ezgif allows you to upload the footages from your PC, or paste their URL if they are published on YouTube. Even though the landing page has a few distracting adverts, the overall process to play YouTube video backward and save it to your PC is simple.

To reverse YouTube video with Ezgif:

• Go to the reverser tool page: https://ezgif.com/reverse-video and then paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available field;
• Click Upload video and optionally click the speed icon from the toolbar at the top;
• Use the checkboxes and input fields to mute the audio and adjust the playback speed as needed;
• Choose your preferred encoding method from the Output format and encoding drop-down list and then click Reverse video to reverse the video.

Note: It seems that you can’t customize the reverse speed on EZGif but you can choose to mute the reversed audio or not.

4. VideoReverser

Although this web solution has an extremely simple interface, the files that you can upload must not exceed 10MB in size. The portal supports formats like MPG, MPEG, MP4, AVI, M4V, 3GP, etc. for reversing. In addition to uploading the clips from your PC, VideoReverser also allows you to paste the URL of the footages if they are published on YouTube.

To play YouTube video backward with VideoReverser:

• Launch your favorite Internet browser, and then visit https://www.videoreverser.com/ ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available text field;
• Choose your preferred output format from the Select output format drop-down list;
• Use the Remove audio track checkbox to get rid of the acoustics or leave the sound enabled;
• Click Start to reverse YouTube video.

5. Pixiko

With almost all formats’ support, Pixiko is yet another web-based media editor that can also reverse YouTube video with a few mouse clicks. At the time of this writing, Pixiko only accepts the source files from your PC, which means you can’t paste the YouTube link to it directly. At first, you need to download or save the YouTube video on computer and then either drag those clips from your local hard drive to the portal.

To play YouTube video backward with Pixiko:

• On the page https://pixiko.com/editor/video-reverse , click anywhere inside the Blue rectangle;
• Locate, select, and upload the downloaded YouTube source video from your PC;
• Click Reverse from the lower-right section of the video player window;
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to manage and reverse YouTube video as needed;

Bonus: Reversing YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

With easily reachable editing options and self-explanatory buttons, Wondershare Filmora has gained a decent amount of popularity in the recent years. The program is available for both Windows and Mac platforms, and gives tough competition to other leading tools of the industry such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc.

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

When talking about the playback speed, with the help of available presets, it can be increased or decreased by 100x or 0.01x respectively. One of the presets also enables you to reverse the direction of the playback quite easily, i.e. while keeping the speed intact. In addition, the ‘Custom Speed’ option lets you control the preferences more granularly.

You can follow the simple instructions given below to reverse YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora:

Note: To remain compliant with the terms and conditions, and to respect the copyright policies, Wondershare Filmora doesn’t allow you to download other people’s videos from YouTube. However, once you have a footage on your PC, you can jump to the following step-by-step process to reverse its playback.

1. Import the Source Video to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac computer (Windows 10 here), making sure that the Media button in the standard toolbar at the top is selected, click inside the Media window, and select and import the YouTube source video to the program. Next, drag the YouTube video clip to the Timeline, and when the confirmation box appears, click the Match to Media or Keep Project Settings button as needed to get the footage to the Timeline.

2. Reverse the Video (Using the Preset)

Click and select the media clip in the Timeline, click the Speed icon present above the Timeline itself, and click the Reverse option from the menu that appears to reverse the video playback.

3. Reverse the Video (Manual Control)

Select the media clip in the Timeline and click the Speed icon as explained in the previous step. From the menu that appears, click Custom Speed this time. When the Custom Speed box appears, use the Speed slider to adjust the playback speed of the media clip, and check the Reverse box to reverse YouTube video. Optionally, you can also modify the Duration and Ripple options to customize the preferences. Finally, click OK to save the changes.

4. Export the Video or Upload to YouTube Directly

Back on the main window, click EXPORT from the top. Filmora provides several ways to saving and sharing the video.

You can select the Local tab, choose your preferred output format from the list in the left, in the right window, define a name and location for the file that you are about to export, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to export the video with the reverse playback.

Or, go to the YouTube tab and sign in your YouTube account to upload the reversed video to YouTube directly. In the YouTube upload interface, you can optimize the YouTube SEO elements and revise the video title, description, category and tags.

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

Conclusion

Even though the online video reversers are free and offer simple process to get the job done, the desktop programs like Wondershare Filmora offer more flexibility when it comes to making changes to the media clips, controlling the playback speed, adding effects, applying the modifications only to certain sections of the footage, selecting output preferences, etc. before you can reverse YouTube video.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

While working on the movies in a professional post-production environment, there might be instances where you want to reverse YouTube video to show flashback effect, or to replay a sequence so the audience can experience more thrills while watching.

With that said, not every media player or video editing application is capable enough to reverse a movie clip, not at least with merely a few mouse clicks. Therefore, the following sections suggest some such programs that can help you play YouTube video backward.

Part 1: Best Free YouTube Video Reversers Online

There are a few online web programs that are capable of reversing YouTube videos with efficiency. However, some of them may have certain restrictions like file size limit, number of supported formats, fewer or absolutely no editing options, etc.

Nevertheless, the best five online solutions to reverse YouTube video along with the process of using them are discussed below:

1. Clideo

Clideo is not merely a video reverser, but can also convert media files to your preferred format. You can paste the URL of a YouTube video to upload or import the videos from your computer, Dropbox or Google Drive storage. At the time of this writing, Clideo allows only up to 500MB videos to be uploaded to reverse or convert. As for the acceptability, the portal supports almost all the commonly used formats.

To play YouTube video backward with Clideo:

• Visit Clideo’s online reverse tool page: https://clideo.com/reverse-video ;
• Hover mouse over the down arrow icon next to the Choose file button and paste the URL of the YouTube video that you want to reverse;
• After Clideo fetches the video and opens the next page, choose your preferred speed from the right section
• Leave the Mute video box checked, or uncheck it if required and then click Reverse button to reverse YouTube video. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply is 2X.

2. Kapwing

This web solution also supports almost all types of video formats including 3GPP, AVI, MP4, etc. When talking about the limitations of a free user, you can only upload the videos that are up to 7 minutes long. At the time of this writing, Kapwing can accept the source files from your computer, and from the YouTube URL.

To reverse YouTube video with Kapwing:

• Go to Kapwing’s online video reverser page: https://www.kapwing.com/tools/reverse-video ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the Paste a URL field;
• Select your preferred playback speed of the reversed video from the Reverse speed section in the left pane;
• Choose whether or not Kapwing should mute the output video;
• Optionally, click Trim video from the upper-left corner of the right window to edit the footage if needed;
• Click CREATE from the bottom-left corner to play YouTube video backward. The maximum reverse speed that you can apply on Kapwing is also 2X.

3. EZGIF

With the ability to support almost all major video formats, and the capability to accept the media files of up to 100MB, Ezgif allows you to upload the footages from your PC, or paste their URL if they are published on YouTube. Even though the landing page has a few distracting adverts, the overall process to play YouTube video backward and save it to your PC is simple.

To reverse YouTube video with Ezgif:

• Go to the reverser tool page: https://ezgif.com/reverse-video and then paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available field;
• Click Upload video and optionally click the speed icon from the toolbar at the top;
• Use the checkboxes and input fields to mute the audio and adjust the playback speed as needed;
• Choose your preferred encoding method from the Output format and encoding drop-down list and then click Reverse video to reverse the video.

Note: It seems that you can’t customize the reverse speed on EZGif but you can choose to mute the reversed audio or not.

4. VideoReverser

Although this web solution has an extremely simple interface, the files that you can upload must not exceed 10MB in size. The portal supports formats like MPG, MPEG, MP4, AVI, M4V, 3GP, etc. for reversing. In addition to uploading the clips from your PC, VideoReverser also allows you to paste the URL of the footages if they are published on YouTube.

To play YouTube video backward with VideoReverser:

• Launch your favorite Internet browser, and then visit https://www.videoreverser.com/ ;
• Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the available text field;
• Choose your preferred output format from the Select output format drop-down list;
• Use the Remove audio track checkbox to get rid of the acoustics or leave the sound enabled;
• Click Start to reverse YouTube video.

5. Pixiko

With almost all formats’ support, Pixiko is yet another web-based media editor that can also reverse YouTube video with a few mouse clicks. At the time of this writing, Pixiko only accepts the source files from your PC, which means you can’t paste the YouTube link to it directly. At first, you need to download or save the YouTube video on computer and then either drag those clips from your local hard drive to the portal.

To play YouTube video backward with Pixiko:

• On the page https://pixiko.com/editor/video-reverse , click anywhere inside the Blue rectangle;
• Locate, select, and upload the downloaded YouTube source video from your PC;
• Click Reverse from the lower-right section of the video player window;
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to manage and reverse YouTube video as needed;

Bonus: Reversing YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

With easily reachable editing options and self-explanatory buttons, Wondershare Filmora has gained a decent amount of popularity in the recent years. The program is available for both Windows and Mac platforms, and gives tough competition to other leading tools of the industry such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, etc.

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

When talking about the playback speed, with the help of available presets, it can be increased or decreased by 100x or 0.01x respectively. One of the presets also enables you to reverse the direction of the playback quite easily, i.e. while keeping the speed intact. In addition, the ‘Custom Speed’ option lets you control the preferences more granularly.

You can follow the simple instructions given below to reverse YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora:

Note: To remain compliant with the terms and conditions, and to respect the copyright policies, Wondershare Filmora doesn’t allow you to download other people’s videos from YouTube. However, once you have a footage on your PC, you can jump to the following step-by-step process to reverse its playback.

1. Import the Source Video to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora on your Windows or Mac computer (Windows 10 here), making sure that the Media button in the standard toolbar at the top is selected, click inside the Media window, and select and import the YouTube source video to the program. Next, drag the YouTube video clip to the Timeline, and when the confirmation box appears, click the Match to Media or Keep Project Settings button as needed to get the footage to the Timeline.

2. Reverse the Video (Using the Preset)

Click and select the media clip in the Timeline, click the Speed icon present above the Timeline itself, and click the Reverse option from the menu that appears to reverse the video playback.

3. Reverse the Video (Manual Control)

Select the media clip in the Timeline and click the Speed icon as explained in the previous step. From the menu that appears, click Custom Speed this time. When the Custom Speed box appears, use the Speed slider to adjust the playback speed of the media clip, and check the Reverse box to reverse YouTube video. Optionally, you can also modify the Duration and Ripple options to customize the preferences. Finally, click OK to save the changes.

4. Export the Video or Upload to YouTube Directly

Back on the main window, click EXPORT from the top. Filmora provides several ways to saving and sharing the video.

You can select the Local tab, choose your preferred output format from the list in the left, in the right window, define a name and location for the file that you are about to export, and click EXPORT from the bottom-right corner to export the video with the reverse playback.

Or, go to the YouTube tab and sign in your YouTube account to upload the reversed video to YouTube directly. In the YouTube upload interface, you can optimize the YouTube SEO elements and revise the video title, description, category and tags.

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

Conclusion

Even though the online video reversers are free and offer simple process to get the job done, the desktop programs like Wondershare Filmora offer more flexibility when it comes to making changes to the media clips, controlling the playback speed, adding effects, applying the modifications only to certain sections of the footage, selecting output preferences, etc. before you can reverse YouTube video.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Incorporating Custom Visuals in YouTube Videos Easily

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

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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