"[New] Naming Rules and Guidelines  How to Ensure Originality in Streaming"

"[New] Naming Rules and Guidelines How to Ensure Originality in Streaming"

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Naming Rules and Guidelines: How to Ensure Originality in Streaming

How To Pick a YouTube Channel Name

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Choosing the name of your YouTube channel is one of the most important decisions you will make as a vlogger. If your channel name sticks in the minds of people who watch your videos it will help to ensure viewers return and watch more of your work. An especially catchy channel name can even draw in new viewers who just have to find out what kind of videos somebody with that particular name makes. Most successful noted YouTubers carefully planned their names.

How to come up with the best YouTube name? Below we will introduce some useful tips that you should think about before choosing a YouTube channel name and some best online YouTube name generators that you can use to pick up a good YouTube name.

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

It is not easy to come up with a good YouTube channel and user name, but it is easy to edit an excellent YouTube video with Filmora. It is designed for beginner users who want to edit videos easily for YouTube channel! You can add royalty-free music and various filters/effects to touch up your videos with dragging and dropping. After editing, you can directly upload the video to the YouTube platform. Download it now to have a try!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Part 1: How To Pick a YouTube Channel Name: 5 Tips for Choosing a Better YouTube Name

Of course, it is best to choose an amazing channel name in the first place so you never have to worry about changing it. Here are five tips for naming your YouTube channel.

1. Keep it Short and Impressive

In order to be memorable, your channel name should be short and catchy. Generally, it is a bad idea to have a name that is more than five syllables long. Longer channel names are both harder to remember, and harder to tell your friends about since they do not tend to roll off the tongue.

The worst way you can end up with an overly long username is by adding numbers or extra letters to the end of it. People often decide to do this because their desired channel name was taken. It is always a terrible idea. Your username might still look short, but that is deceptive. A username like ‘Lucas423’ is really ‘Lucasfourtwentythree’. Nobody will remember the exact numbers. If anyone remembers that username at all they will only remember ‘Lucas’, which will make it extremely difficult for them to find your channel again.

For the sake of keeping their channel names short and memorable, some successful YouTubers have actually made up words, i.e ‘Smosh’. This only works if a silly made-up word suits the tone of your channel, and even a lot of made-up words are taken by this point.

2. It’s All About You

Regardless of the topic of your vlog, your vlog will also be about you as a personality, so your channel name should have something to do with who you are as a person. It can even include your real name or some variation of it. Real-life nicknames work great.

If you do not want to use your actual name, or do not think your actual name would stick in people’s minds very well, then think about what your hobbies are and what kind of words could be used to describe you. Come up with a list of nouns and describing words and try out different combinations. You might even decide to try out some of your describing words with your real name.

3. It’s Also About Your Audience

Your name should reflect who you are, but it should also be relevant to the people who will be watching your vlog. For example, people who are tuning in to a daily life vlog might appreciate it if you use your real name or some variation on your name. People who are tuning into a vlog to learn something – beauty or cooking tips, for example – will be confused if your channel name is something like ‘LucasIsCool’. If you have a channel that is about anything besides your daily life, experiences, or opinions then your channel name needs to reference your topic. If Lucas’s channel is about baking then rather than ‘LucasIsCool’ he should try something like ‘LucasBakes’ or ‘CookiesByLucas’.

4. Test Drive It

It is a bad idea to rush over to YouTube and sign up for the first channel name you decide you like. First, say it out loud and see if it sounds as catchy as it seemed in your head. If it does, then there are still a couple of other “test drives” you need to do.

Plunk the channel name you are considering into a search engine to make sure it is not already strongly associated with something besides you. If there is actually a website with your channel name as its URL then you should almost definitely discard that name and choose a new one. If you have some success with your vlog then you will probably want to acquire the associated URL later on. Even if you do not think you want a website it is a bad idea to choose a channel name that already has a strong association with something else. For example, if you play music on your channel and your channel has the same name as a music festival people might automatically think you and that festival are affiliated.

You will also want to check and make sure nobody is using your channel name as their username on Instagram, Vimeo, or any other social media site. If your name is already being used elsewhere then it will be difficult for you to expand.

5. Don’t Give up

YouTube is a huge site and a lot of the really good names are already being used or – more frustratingly – have been taken by people who are not actually using them. The first few names you come up with will probably be unavailable. This is where a lot of YouTubers get discouraged and start weakening their channel name by typing numbers after it. It is easy to get pulled into settling for any name that sort of sounds like the one you want, but which is actually available. Do not do this! You will be able to create a catchy, unique, name that is all you own.

Coming up with the perfect name for your channel can take time, sometimes a lot of time. If you can get it done in one evening then you are lucky because this is something that can take days. The name of your YouTube channel is extremely important and you should take as long as you need to pick a good one.

Part 2: 5 Best Free Online YouTube Name Generators in 2021

1. YouTube Name Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

In case if you need a YouTube name with a specific keyword, this YouTube Name Generator tool can help you better. The unique algorithm of this online tool is capable enough to generate unique channel names that can match certain keywords of your need. All that you need to do is provide it with the total number of names it should generate for you along with your target keyword. It will soon open a long list of actual names and made-up names that you can choose for your channel.

2. Kparser:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Those who are more focused on the SEO ranking of their YouTube channel instead of the uniqueness of the YouTube channel name can avail great benefits from Kparser. It is well known as a keyword suggestion tool that is also used as a YouTube Name Generator due to its awesome algorithm that brings out top SEO-ranked channel names from the web. By upgrading to the Pro version of this tool, you can also get information about the volume and CPC of the listed keyword.

3. SpinXo:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Here is the most comprehensive tool for YouTube channel name generation and it provides satisfactory results to most users who don’t have specific requirements. You can add few specific details to this platform in terms of topic, keywords, niche, interests, and important word; SpinXo will soon generate the best channel names by utilizing that information. Observations say that most of the names generated by this tool are of three words. As soon as you like a certain keyword on this platform, you can see its availability on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Blogger, etc.

4. Best Username Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

It is almost the same as that of the YouTube Username Generator tool as it also brings out made-up YouTube names with its search results. But the great news is that it is also loaded with unique customization options. After listing the essential keyword, this tool also allows users to provide details about the number of characters they want in the name. When you like any one of the generated names, you can also check their availability on YouTube as well as 9 other popular social media websites.

5. Name Generator 2:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

When you are interested in getting a funny YouTube channel name to grab the attention of more viewers online, Name Generator 2 is probably the best platform for you. Although it cannot provide you with a long list of keywords, whatever it provides is always full of humor. Note that, this tool does not allow customization options for YouTube Channel Name generations, users can simply add prefix or suffix details and it will combine them to provide you with something unique out of its database.

Part 3: YouTube Channel Name vs. YouTube Usernames

Are you aware of the difference between YouTube Channel name and YouTube Usernames? Most people are confused about this fact, but there is something that you really need to know about. Go through the details below to clear your doubt:

1. YouTube Channel Names

 YouTube Channel Name

It is the name by which your channel is known on the network online. When viewers watch your videos online, your channel name appears on their screen, and they can click on this name to reach your channel to watch more collections. In a few cases, the channel name can be a username as well, but it is not always so.

2. YouTube Usernames

 YouTube Username

The YouTube Username is the one that appears on your URL when you visit your channel page. The time when you started your YouTube channel for the very first time, it appeared automatically containing a random string of characters. In the past, you can not change the URL but now YouTube allows you to customize it when you have more than 100 subscribers and your channel is at least 30 days old. For more details about claiming a custom URL for YouTube, check it here.

 YouTube Customize Username

Since we have already known the differences between YouTube Channel Name and YouTube User name, you may wonder why the YouTube channel name is so important. While the flip side of that is that not choosing a good channel name can really hurt your chances of getting views and subscribers. Your videos might be great, but if viewers who like them cannot remember your name then it will be hard for them to find you again. Other videos of yours might even show up in their searches and be ignored because the viewer does not recognize your name. Also, while the very best channel names make people curious about what you do, the very worst channel names will be a deterrent for people when they are deciding whether to watch your videos. For example, including a sequence of numbers after your name will give people on YouTube the impression that you do not know what you are doing.

You May Also Like:
YouTube SEO Guide: How to Improve Search Rankings For Your YouTube Videos >>
How to Get More Subscribers on YouTube >>

Part 4: How to Change YouTube Channel Name

YouTube does allow you to change the name that is displayed for your channel now (in the past you could not). However, while your display name can be changed, the URL of your channel is permanent. If you change your display name then the two things will no longer match. Also if you manage to build up a following using one name you will probably lose some of those people if you change it. If you feel like your channel name is holding you back then you should definitely update it to something better, but you should also consider whether it is holding you back enough that it is worth losing some of the regular viewers you already have. It probably will be, if you feel like your channel will start growing faster after the change.

Even after selecting the best name for your YouTube channel, if one day you realize that it must be modified to have much better results; you can definitely change it without deleting the existing account. Note that your Google account name is the same as your YouTube Channel name. So, whenever you want to change the name of the channel; you can follow these simple steps to execute this task:

Step 1: First of all, simply sign in to YouTube.com and then hit on the Settings icon option available on the top right corner of your screen.

Step 2: Now go to the settings button and then choose the “Edit on Google” link.

Step 3: It is time to enter the updated Channel name and then finally hit the Ok button on the screen.

You are done with it, and now you can visit your YouTube channel once again to see the new name appearing on it.

Note: changing the channel name in this way will change all your names across Google services, such as Gmail and Google Drive. If you want to use a YouTube channel name different from that in your Google account, you can connect your channel to a Brand Account. For more details about that, please check: Use a different name on YouTube than your Google Account.

Conclusion

Above are some tips about how to pick up a YouTube channel name and some useful online YouTube name generator tools that you can use to choose a YouTube name quickly. Hope these tips and tools can help you when you building your YouTube channel. If can’t think of a good YouTube name, you can take a look at your similar channels’ names, which will give you a hint. InflueNex , the helpful influencer marketing platform, will help you to find similar channels in one click.

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Choosing the name of your YouTube channel is one of the most important decisions you will make as a vlogger. If your channel name sticks in the minds of people who watch your videos it will help to ensure viewers return and watch more of your work. An especially catchy channel name can even draw in new viewers who just have to find out what kind of videos somebody with that particular name makes. Most successful noted YouTubers carefully planned their names.

How to come up with the best YouTube name? Below we will introduce some useful tips that you should think about before choosing a YouTube channel name and some best online YouTube name generators that you can use to pick up a good YouTube name.

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

It is not easy to come up with a good YouTube channel and user name, but it is easy to edit an excellent YouTube video with Filmora. It is designed for beginner users who want to edit videos easily for YouTube channel! You can add royalty-free music and various filters/effects to touch up your videos with dragging and dropping. After editing, you can directly upload the video to the YouTube platform. Download it now to have a try!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Part 1: How To Pick a YouTube Channel Name: 5 Tips for Choosing a Better YouTube Name

Of course, it is best to choose an amazing channel name in the first place so you never have to worry about changing it. Here are five tips for naming your YouTube channel.

1. Keep it Short and Impressive

In order to be memorable, your channel name should be short and catchy. Generally, it is a bad idea to have a name that is more than five syllables long. Longer channel names are both harder to remember, and harder to tell your friends about since they do not tend to roll off the tongue.

The worst way you can end up with an overly long username is by adding numbers or extra letters to the end of it. People often decide to do this because their desired channel name was taken. It is always a terrible idea. Your username might still look short, but that is deceptive. A username like ‘Lucas423’ is really ‘Lucasfourtwentythree’. Nobody will remember the exact numbers. If anyone remembers that username at all they will only remember ‘Lucas’, which will make it extremely difficult for them to find your channel again.

For the sake of keeping their channel names short and memorable, some successful YouTubers have actually made up words, i.e ‘Smosh’. This only works if a silly made-up word suits the tone of your channel, and even a lot of made-up words are taken by this point.

2. It’s All About You

Regardless of the topic of your vlog, your vlog will also be about you as a personality, so your channel name should have something to do with who you are as a person. It can even include your real name or some variation of it. Real-life nicknames work great.

If you do not want to use your actual name, or do not think your actual name would stick in people’s minds very well, then think about what your hobbies are and what kind of words could be used to describe you. Come up with a list of nouns and describing words and try out different combinations. You might even decide to try out some of your describing words with your real name.

3. It’s Also About Your Audience

Your name should reflect who you are, but it should also be relevant to the people who will be watching your vlog. For example, people who are tuning in to a daily life vlog might appreciate it if you use your real name or some variation on your name. People who are tuning into a vlog to learn something – beauty or cooking tips, for example – will be confused if your channel name is something like ‘LucasIsCool’. If you have a channel that is about anything besides your daily life, experiences, or opinions then your channel name needs to reference your topic. If Lucas’s channel is about baking then rather than ‘LucasIsCool’ he should try something like ‘LucasBakes’ or ‘CookiesByLucas’.

4. Test Drive It

It is a bad idea to rush over to YouTube and sign up for the first channel name you decide you like. First, say it out loud and see if it sounds as catchy as it seemed in your head. If it does, then there are still a couple of other “test drives” you need to do.

Plunk the channel name you are considering into a search engine to make sure it is not already strongly associated with something besides you. If there is actually a website with your channel name as its URL then you should almost definitely discard that name and choose a new one. If you have some success with your vlog then you will probably want to acquire the associated URL later on. Even if you do not think you want a website it is a bad idea to choose a channel name that already has a strong association with something else. For example, if you play music on your channel and your channel has the same name as a music festival people might automatically think you and that festival are affiliated.

You will also want to check and make sure nobody is using your channel name as their username on Instagram, Vimeo, or any other social media site. If your name is already being used elsewhere then it will be difficult for you to expand.

5. Don’t Give up

YouTube is a huge site and a lot of the really good names are already being used or – more frustratingly – have been taken by people who are not actually using them. The first few names you come up with will probably be unavailable. This is where a lot of YouTubers get discouraged and start weakening their channel name by typing numbers after it. It is easy to get pulled into settling for any name that sort of sounds like the one you want, but which is actually available. Do not do this! You will be able to create a catchy, unique, name that is all you own.

Coming up with the perfect name for your channel can take time, sometimes a lot of time. If you can get it done in one evening then you are lucky because this is something that can take days. The name of your YouTube channel is extremely important and you should take as long as you need to pick a good one.

Part 2: 5 Best Free Online YouTube Name Generators in 2021

1. YouTube Name Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

In case if you need a YouTube name with a specific keyword, this YouTube Name Generator tool can help you better. The unique algorithm of this online tool is capable enough to generate unique channel names that can match certain keywords of your need. All that you need to do is provide it with the total number of names it should generate for you along with your target keyword. It will soon open a long list of actual names and made-up names that you can choose for your channel.

2. Kparser:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Those who are more focused on the SEO ranking of their YouTube channel instead of the uniqueness of the YouTube channel name can avail great benefits from Kparser. It is well known as a keyword suggestion tool that is also used as a YouTube Name Generator due to its awesome algorithm that brings out top SEO-ranked channel names from the web. By upgrading to the Pro version of this tool, you can also get information about the volume and CPC of the listed keyword.

3. SpinXo:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Here is the most comprehensive tool for YouTube channel name generation and it provides satisfactory results to most users who don’t have specific requirements. You can add few specific details to this platform in terms of topic, keywords, niche, interests, and important word; SpinXo will soon generate the best channel names by utilizing that information. Observations say that most of the names generated by this tool are of three words. As soon as you like a certain keyword on this platform, you can see its availability on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Blogger, etc.

4. Best Username Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

It is almost the same as that of the YouTube Username Generator tool as it also brings out made-up YouTube names with its search results. But the great news is that it is also loaded with unique customization options. After listing the essential keyword, this tool also allows users to provide details about the number of characters they want in the name. When you like any one of the generated names, you can also check their availability on YouTube as well as 9 other popular social media websites.

5. Name Generator 2:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

When you are interested in getting a funny YouTube channel name to grab the attention of more viewers online, Name Generator 2 is probably the best platform for you. Although it cannot provide you with a long list of keywords, whatever it provides is always full of humor. Note that, this tool does not allow customization options for YouTube Channel Name generations, users can simply add prefix or suffix details and it will combine them to provide you with something unique out of its database.

Part 3: YouTube Channel Name vs. YouTube Usernames

Are you aware of the difference between YouTube Channel name and YouTube Usernames? Most people are confused about this fact, but there is something that you really need to know about. Go through the details below to clear your doubt:

1. YouTube Channel Names

 YouTube Channel Name

It is the name by which your channel is known on the network online. When viewers watch your videos online, your channel name appears on their screen, and they can click on this name to reach your channel to watch more collections. In a few cases, the channel name can be a username as well, but it is not always so.

2. YouTube Usernames

 YouTube Username

The YouTube Username is the one that appears on your URL when you visit your channel page. The time when you started your YouTube channel for the very first time, it appeared automatically containing a random string of characters. In the past, you can not change the URL but now YouTube allows you to customize it when you have more than 100 subscribers and your channel is at least 30 days old. For more details about claiming a custom URL for YouTube, check it here.

 YouTube Customize Username

Since we have already known the differences between YouTube Channel Name and YouTube User name, you may wonder why the YouTube channel name is so important. While the flip side of that is that not choosing a good channel name can really hurt your chances of getting views and subscribers. Your videos might be great, but if viewers who like them cannot remember your name then it will be hard for them to find you again. Other videos of yours might even show up in their searches and be ignored because the viewer does not recognize your name. Also, while the very best channel names make people curious about what you do, the very worst channel names will be a deterrent for people when they are deciding whether to watch your videos. For example, including a sequence of numbers after your name will give people on YouTube the impression that you do not know what you are doing.

You May Also Like:
YouTube SEO Guide: How to Improve Search Rankings For Your YouTube Videos >>
How to Get More Subscribers on YouTube >>

Part 4: How to Change YouTube Channel Name

YouTube does allow you to change the name that is displayed for your channel now (in the past you could not). However, while your display name can be changed, the URL of your channel is permanent. If you change your display name then the two things will no longer match. Also if you manage to build up a following using one name you will probably lose some of those people if you change it. If you feel like your channel name is holding you back then you should definitely update it to something better, but you should also consider whether it is holding you back enough that it is worth losing some of the regular viewers you already have. It probably will be, if you feel like your channel will start growing faster after the change.

Even after selecting the best name for your YouTube channel, if one day you realize that it must be modified to have much better results; you can definitely change it without deleting the existing account. Note that your Google account name is the same as your YouTube Channel name. So, whenever you want to change the name of the channel; you can follow these simple steps to execute this task:

Step 1: First of all, simply sign in to YouTube.com and then hit on the Settings icon option available on the top right corner of your screen.

Step 2: Now go to the settings button and then choose the “Edit on Google” link.

Step 3: It is time to enter the updated Channel name and then finally hit the Ok button on the screen.

You are done with it, and now you can visit your YouTube channel once again to see the new name appearing on it.

Note: changing the channel name in this way will change all your names across Google services, such as Gmail and Google Drive. If you want to use a YouTube channel name different from that in your Google account, you can connect your channel to a Brand Account. For more details about that, please check: Use a different name on YouTube than your Google Account.

Conclusion

Above are some tips about how to pick up a YouTube channel name and some useful online YouTube name generator tools that you can use to choose a YouTube name quickly. Hope these tips and tools can help you when you building your YouTube channel. If can’t think of a good YouTube name, you can take a look at your similar channels’ names, which will give you a hint. InflueNex , the helpful influencer marketing platform, will help you to find similar channels in one click.

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Choosing the name of your YouTube channel is one of the most important decisions you will make as a vlogger. If your channel name sticks in the minds of people who watch your videos it will help to ensure viewers return and watch more of your work. An especially catchy channel name can even draw in new viewers who just have to find out what kind of videos somebody with that particular name makes. Most successful noted YouTubers carefully planned their names.

How to come up with the best YouTube name? Below we will introduce some useful tips that you should think about before choosing a YouTube channel name and some best online YouTube name generators that you can use to pick up a good YouTube name.

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

It is not easy to come up with a good YouTube channel and user name, but it is easy to edit an excellent YouTube video with Filmora. It is designed for beginner users who want to edit videos easily for YouTube channel! You can add royalty-free music and various filters/effects to touch up your videos with dragging and dropping. After editing, you can directly upload the video to the YouTube platform. Download it now to have a try!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Part 1: How To Pick a YouTube Channel Name: 5 Tips for Choosing a Better YouTube Name

Of course, it is best to choose an amazing channel name in the first place so you never have to worry about changing it. Here are five tips for naming your YouTube channel.

1. Keep it Short and Impressive

In order to be memorable, your channel name should be short and catchy. Generally, it is a bad idea to have a name that is more than five syllables long. Longer channel names are both harder to remember, and harder to tell your friends about since they do not tend to roll off the tongue.

The worst way you can end up with an overly long username is by adding numbers or extra letters to the end of it. People often decide to do this because their desired channel name was taken. It is always a terrible idea. Your username might still look short, but that is deceptive. A username like ‘Lucas423’ is really ‘Lucasfourtwentythree’. Nobody will remember the exact numbers. If anyone remembers that username at all they will only remember ‘Lucas’, which will make it extremely difficult for them to find your channel again.

For the sake of keeping their channel names short and memorable, some successful YouTubers have actually made up words, i.e ‘Smosh’. This only works if a silly made-up word suits the tone of your channel, and even a lot of made-up words are taken by this point.

2. It’s All About You

Regardless of the topic of your vlog, your vlog will also be about you as a personality, so your channel name should have something to do with who you are as a person. It can even include your real name or some variation of it. Real-life nicknames work great.

If you do not want to use your actual name, or do not think your actual name would stick in people’s minds very well, then think about what your hobbies are and what kind of words could be used to describe you. Come up with a list of nouns and describing words and try out different combinations. You might even decide to try out some of your describing words with your real name.

3. It’s Also About Your Audience

Your name should reflect who you are, but it should also be relevant to the people who will be watching your vlog. For example, people who are tuning in to a daily life vlog might appreciate it if you use your real name or some variation on your name. People who are tuning into a vlog to learn something – beauty or cooking tips, for example – will be confused if your channel name is something like ‘LucasIsCool’. If you have a channel that is about anything besides your daily life, experiences, or opinions then your channel name needs to reference your topic. If Lucas’s channel is about baking then rather than ‘LucasIsCool’ he should try something like ‘LucasBakes’ or ‘CookiesByLucas’.

4. Test Drive It

It is a bad idea to rush over to YouTube and sign up for the first channel name you decide you like. First, say it out loud and see if it sounds as catchy as it seemed in your head. If it does, then there are still a couple of other “test drives” you need to do.

Plunk the channel name you are considering into a search engine to make sure it is not already strongly associated with something besides you. If there is actually a website with your channel name as its URL then you should almost definitely discard that name and choose a new one. If you have some success with your vlog then you will probably want to acquire the associated URL later on. Even if you do not think you want a website it is a bad idea to choose a channel name that already has a strong association with something else. For example, if you play music on your channel and your channel has the same name as a music festival people might automatically think you and that festival are affiliated.

You will also want to check and make sure nobody is using your channel name as their username on Instagram, Vimeo, or any other social media site. If your name is already being used elsewhere then it will be difficult for you to expand.

5. Don’t Give up

YouTube is a huge site and a lot of the really good names are already being used or – more frustratingly – have been taken by people who are not actually using them. The first few names you come up with will probably be unavailable. This is where a lot of YouTubers get discouraged and start weakening their channel name by typing numbers after it. It is easy to get pulled into settling for any name that sort of sounds like the one you want, but which is actually available. Do not do this! You will be able to create a catchy, unique, name that is all you own.

Coming up with the perfect name for your channel can take time, sometimes a lot of time. If you can get it done in one evening then you are lucky because this is something that can take days. The name of your YouTube channel is extremely important and you should take as long as you need to pick a good one.

Part 2: 5 Best Free Online YouTube Name Generators in 2021

1. YouTube Name Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

In case if you need a YouTube name with a specific keyword, this YouTube Name Generator tool can help you better. The unique algorithm of this online tool is capable enough to generate unique channel names that can match certain keywords of your need. All that you need to do is provide it with the total number of names it should generate for you along with your target keyword. It will soon open a long list of actual names and made-up names that you can choose for your channel.

2. Kparser:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Those who are more focused on the SEO ranking of their YouTube channel instead of the uniqueness of the YouTube channel name can avail great benefits from Kparser. It is well known as a keyword suggestion tool that is also used as a YouTube Name Generator due to its awesome algorithm that brings out top SEO-ranked channel names from the web. By upgrading to the Pro version of this tool, you can also get information about the volume and CPC of the listed keyword.

3. SpinXo:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Here is the most comprehensive tool for YouTube channel name generation and it provides satisfactory results to most users who don’t have specific requirements. You can add few specific details to this platform in terms of topic, keywords, niche, interests, and important word; SpinXo will soon generate the best channel names by utilizing that information. Observations say that most of the names generated by this tool are of three words. As soon as you like a certain keyword on this platform, you can see its availability on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Blogger, etc.

4. Best Username Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

It is almost the same as that of the YouTube Username Generator tool as it also brings out made-up YouTube names with its search results. But the great news is that it is also loaded with unique customization options. After listing the essential keyword, this tool also allows users to provide details about the number of characters they want in the name. When you like any one of the generated names, you can also check their availability on YouTube as well as 9 other popular social media websites.

5. Name Generator 2:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

When you are interested in getting a funny YouTube channel name to grab the attention of more viewers online, Name Generator 2 is probably the best platform for you. Although it cannot provide you with a long list of keywords, whatever it provides is always full of humor. Note that, this tool does not allow customization options for YouTube Channel Name generations, users can simply add prefix or suffix details and it will combine them to provide you with something unique out of its database.

Part 3: YouTube Channel Name vs. YouTube Usernames

Are you aware of the difference between YouTube Channel name and YouTube Usernames? Most people are confused about this fact, but there is something that you really need to know about. Go through the details below to clear your doubt:

1. YouTube Channel Names

 YouTube Channel Name

It is the name by which your channel is known on the network online. When viewers watch your videos online, your channel name appears on their screen, and they can click on this name to reach your channel to watch more collections. In a few cases, the channel name can be a username as well, but it is not always so.

2. YouTube Usernames

 YouTube Username

The YouTube Username is the one that appears on your URL when you visit your channel page. The time when you started your YouTube channel for the very first time, it appeared automatically containing a random string of characters. In the past, you can not change the URL but now YouTube allows you to customize it when you have more than 100 subscribers and your channel is at least 30 days old. For more details about claiming a custom URL for YouTube, check it here.

 YouTube Customize Username

Since we have already known the differences between YouTube Channel Name and YouTube User name, you may wonder why the YouTube channel name is so important. While the flip side of that is that not choosing a good channel name can really hurt your chances of getting views and subscribers. Your videos might be great, but if viewers who like them cannot remember your name then it will be hard for them to find you again. Other videos of yours might even show up in their searches and be ignored because the viewer does not recognize your name. Also, while the very best channel names make people curious about what you do, the very worst channel names will be a deterrent for people when they are deciding whether to watch your videos. For example, including a sequence of numbers after your name will give people on YouTube the impression that you do not know what you are doing.

You May Also Like:
YouTube SEO Guide: How to Improve Search Rankings For Your YouTube Videos >>
How to Get More Subscribers on YouTube >>

Part 4: How to Change YouTube Channel Name

YouTube does allow you to change the name that is displayed for your channel now (in the past you could not). However, while your display name can be changed, the URL of your channel is permanent. If you change your display name then the two things will no longer match. Also if you manage to build up a following using one name you will probably lose some of those people if you change it. If you feel like your channel name is holding you back then you should definitely update it to something better, but you should also consider whether it is holding you back enough that it is worth losing some of the regular viewers you already have. It probably will be, if you feel like your channel will start growing faster after the change.

Even after selecting the best name for your YouTube channel, if one day you realize that it must be modified to have much better results; you can definitely change it without deleting the existing account. Note that your Google account name is the same as your YouTube Channel name. So, whenever you want to change the name of the channel; you can follow these simple steps to execute this task:

Step 1: First of all, simply sign in to YouTube.com and then hit on the Settings icon option available on the top right corner of your screen.

Step 2: Now go to the settings button and then choose the “Edit on Google” link.

Step 3: It is time to enter the updated Channel name and then finally hit the Ok button on the screen.

You are done with it, and now you can visit your YouTube channel once again to see the new name appearing on it.

Note: changing the channel name in this way will change all your names across Google services, such as Gmail and Google Drive. If you want to use a YouTube channel name different from that in your Google account, you can connect your channel to a Brand Account. For more details about that, please check: Use a different name on YouTube than your Google Account.

Conclusion

Above are some tips about how to pick up a YouTube channel name and some useful online YouTube name generator tools that you can use to choose a YouTube name quickly. Hope these tips and tools can help you when you building your YouTube channel. If can’t think of a good YouTube name, you can take a look at your similar channels’ names, which will give you a hint. InflueNex , the helpful influencer marketing platform, will help you to find similar channels in one click.

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Choosing the name of your YouTube channel is one of the most important decisions you will make as a vlogger. If your channel name sticks in the minds of people who watch your videos it will help to ensure viewers return and watch more of your work. An especially catchy channel name can even draw in new viewers who just have to find out what kind of videos somebody with that particular name makes. Most successful noted YouTubers carefully planned their names.

How to come up with the best YouTube name? Below we will introduce some useful tips that you should think about before choosing a YouTube channel name and some best online YouTube name generators that you can use to pick up a good YouTube name.

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

It is not easy to come up with a good YouTube channel and user name, but it is easy to edit an excellent YouTube video with Filmora. It is designed for beginner users who want to edit videos easily for YouTube channel! You can add royalty-free music and various filters/effects to touch up your videos with dragging and dropping. After editing, you can directly upload the video to the YouTube platform. Download it now to have a try!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Part 1: How To Pick a YouTube Channel Name: 5 Tips for Choosing a Better YouTube Name

Of course, it is best to choose an amazing channel name in the first place so you never have to worry about changing it. Here are five tips for naming your YouTube channel.

1. Keep it Short and Impressive

In order to be memorable, your channel name should be short and catchy. Generally, it is a bad idea to have a name that is more than five syllables long. Longer channel names are both harder to remember, and harder to tell your friends about since they do not tend to roll off the tongue.

The worst way you can end up with an overly long username is by adding numbers or extra letters to the end of it. People often decide to do this because their desired channel name was taken. It is always a terrible idea. Your username might still look short, but that is deceptive. A username like ‘Lucas423’ is really ‘Lucasfourtwentythree’. Nobody will remember the exact numbers. If anyone remembers that username at all they will only remember ‘Lucas’, which will make it extremely difficult for them to find your channel again.

For the sake of keeping their channel names short and memorable, some successful YouTubers have actually made up words, i.e ‘Smosh’. This only works if a silly made-up word suits the tone of your channel, and even a lot of made-up words are taken by this point.

2. It’s All About You

Regardless of the topic of your vlog, your vlog will also be about you as a personality, so your channel name should have something to do with who you are as a person. It can even include your real name or some variation of it. Real-life nicknames work great.

If you do not want to use your actual name, or do not think your actual name would stick in people’s minds very well, then think about what your hobbies are and what kind of words could be used to describe you. Come up with a list of nouns and describing words and try out different combinations. You might even decide to try out some of your describing words with your real name.

3. It’s Also About Your Audience

Your name should reflect who you are, but it should also be relevant to the people who will be watching your vlog. For example, people who are tuning in to a daily life vlog might appreciate it if you use your real name or some variation on your name. People who are tuning into a vlog to learn something – beauty or cooking tips, for example – will be confused if your channel name is something like ‘LucasIsCool’. If you have a channel that is about anything besides your daily life, experiences, or opinions then your channel name needs to reference your topic. If Lucas’s channel is about baking then rather than ‘LucasIsCool’ he should try something like ‘LucasBakes’ or ‘CookiesByLucas’.

4. Test Drive It

It is a bad idea to rush over to YouTube and sign up for the first channel name you decide you like. First, say it out loud and see if it sounds as catchy as it seemed in your head. If it does, then there are still a couple of other “test drives” you need to do.

Plunk the channel name you are considering into a search engine to make sure it is not already strongly associated with something besides you. If there is actually a website with your channel name as its URL then you should almost definitely discard that name and choose a new one. If you have some success with your vlog then you will probably want to acquire the associated URL later on. Even if you do not think you want a website it is a bad idea to choose a channel name that already has a strong association with something else. For example, if you play music on your channel and your channel has the same name as a music festival people might automatically think you and that festival are affiliated.

You will also want to check and make sure nobody is using your channel name as their username on Instagram, Vimeo, or any other social media site. If your name is already being used elsewhere then it will be difficult for you to expand.

5. Don’t Give up

YouTube is a huge site and a lot of the really good names are already being used or – more frustratingly – have been taken by people who are not actually using them. The first few names you come up with will probably be unavailable. This is where a lot of YouTubers get discouraged and start weakening their channel name by typing numbers after it. It is easy to get pulled into settling for any name that sort of sounds like the one you want, but which is actually available. Do not do this! You will be able to create a catchy, unique, name that is all you own.

Coming up with the perfect name for your channel can take time, sometimes a lot of time. If you can get it done in one evening then you are lucky because this is something that can take days. The name of your YouTube channel is extremely important and you should take as long as you need to pick a good one.

Part 2: 5 Best Free Online YouTube Name Generators in 2021

1. YouTube Name Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

In case if you need a YouTube name with a specific keyword, this YouTube Name Generator tool can help you better. The unique algorithm of this online tool is capable enough to generate unique channel names that can match certain keywords of your need. All that you need to do is provide it with the total number of names it should generate for you along with your target keyword. It will soon open a long list of actual names and made-up names that you can choose for your channel.

2. Kparser:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Those who are more focused on the SEO ranking of their YouTube channel instead of the uniqueness of the YouTube channel name can avail great benefits from Kparser. It is well known as a keyword suggestion tool that is also used as a YouTube Name Generator due to its awesome algorithm that brings out top SEO-ranked channel names from the web. By upgrading to the Pro version of this tool, you can also get information about the volume and CPC of the listed keyword.

3. SpinXo:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

Here is the most comprehensive tool for YouTube channel name generation and it provides satisfactory results to most users who don’t have specific requirements. You can add few specific details to this platform in terms of topic, keywords, niche, interests, and important word; SpinXo will soon generate the best channel names by utilizing that information. Observations say that most of the names generated by this tool are of three words. As soon as you like a certain keyword on this platform, you can see its availability on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Blogger, etc.

4. Best Username Generator:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

It is almost the same as that of the YouTube Username Generator tool as it also brings out made-up YouTube names with its search results. But the great news is that it is also loaded with unique customization options. After listing the essential keyword, this tool also allows users to provide details about the number of characters they want in the name. When you like any one of the generated names, you can also check their availability on YouTube as well as 9 other popular social media websites.

5. Name Generator 2:

 YouTube Channel Name Generator

When you are interested in getting a funny YouTube channel name to grab the attention of more viewers online, Name Generator 2 is probably the best platform for you. Although it cannot provide you with a long list of keywords, whatever it provides is always full of humor. Note that, this tool does not allow customization options for YouTube Channel Name generations, users can simply add prefix or suffix details and it will combine them to provide you with something unique out of its database.

Part 3: YouTube Channel Name vs. YouTube Usernames

Are you aware of the difference between YouTube Channel name and YouTube Usernames? Most people are confused about this fact, but there is something that you really need to know about. Go through the details below to clear your doubt:

1. YouTube Channel Names

 YouTube Channel Name

It is the name by which your channel is known on the network online. When viewers watch your videos online, your channel name appears on their screen, and they can click on this name to reach your channel to watch more collections. In a few cases, the channel name can be a username as well, but it is not always so.

2. YouTube Usernames

 YouTube Username

The YouTube Username is the one that appears on your URL when you visit your channel page. The time when you started your YouTube channel for the very first time, it appeared automatically containing a random string of characters. In the past, you can not change the URL but now YouTube allows you to customize it when you have more than 100 subscribers and your channel is at least 30 days old. For more details about claiming a custom URL for YouTube, check it here.

 YouTube Customize Username

Since we have already known the differences between YouTube Channel Name and YouTube User name, you may wonder why the YouTube channel name is so important. While the flip side of that is that not choosing a good channel name can really hurt your chances of getting views and subscribers. Your videos might be great, but if viewers who like them cannot remember your name then it will be hard for them to find you again. Other videos of yours might even show up in their searches and be ignored because the viewer does not recognize your name. Also, while the very best channel names make people curious about what you do, the very worst channel names will be a deterrent for people when they are deciding whether to watch your videos. For example, including a sequence of numbers after your name will give people on YouTube the impression that you do not know what you are doing.

You May Also Like:
YouTube SEO Guide: How to Improve Search Rankings For Your YouTube Videos >>
How to Get More Subscribers on YouTube >>

Part 4: How to Change YouTube Channel Name

YouTube does allow you to change the name that is displayed for your channel now (in the past you could not). However, while your display name can be changed, the URL of your channel is permanent. If you change your display name then the two things will no longer match. Also if you manage to build up a following using one name you will probably lose some of those people if you change it. If you feel like your channel name is holding you back then you should definitely update it to something better, but you should also consider whether it is holding you back enough that it is worth losing some of the regular viewers you already have. It probably will be, if you feel like your channel will start growing faster after the change.

Even after selecting the best name for your YouTube channel, if one day you realize that it must be modified to have much better results; you can definitely change it without deleting the existing account. Note that your Google account name is the same as your YouTube Channel name. So, whenever you want to change the name of the channel; you can follow these simple steps to execute this task:

Step 1: First of all, simply sign in to YouTube.com and then hit on the Settings icon option available on the top right corner of your screen.

Step 2: Now go to the settings button and then choose the “Edit on Google” link.

Step 3: It is time to enter the updated Channel name and then finally hit the Ok button on the screen.

You are done with it, and now you can visit your YouTube channel once again to see the new name appearing on it.

Note: changing the channel name in this way will change all your names across Google services, such as Gmail and Google Drive. If you want to use a YouTube channel name different from that in your Google account, you can connect your channel to a Brand Account. For more details about that, please check: Use a different name on YouTube than your Google Account.

Conclusion

Above are some tips about how to pick up a YouTube channel name and some useful online YouTube name generator tools that you can use to choose a YouTube name quickly. Hope these tips and tools can help you when you building your YouTube channel. If can’t think of a good YouTube name, you can take a look at your similar channels’ names, which will give you a hint. InflueNex , the helpful influencer marketing platform, will help you to find similar channels in one click.

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

6 Ways To Increase Audience Retention on YouTube

6 Ways To Increase Audience Retention on YouTube

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

You May Also Like: How to analyse your and your competitors’ YouTube Channel >>
How to structure a YouTube video >>

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

  • Title: "[New] Naming Rules and Guidelines How to Ensure Originality in Streaming"
  • Author: Thomas
  • Created at : 2024-05-31 12:45:22
  • Updated at : 2024-06-01 12:45:22
  • Link: https://youtube-help.techidaily.com/new-naming-rules-and-guidelines-how-to-ensure-originality-in-streaming/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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"[New] Naming Rules and Guidelines How to Ensure Originality in Streaming"