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Access Creative Banners for Video Makers at Zero Price for 2024
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Access Creative Banners for Video Makers at Zero Price
Free Banner Templates & Makers for YouTube
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Free Channel Art Templates are an important resource for creators. It can be extremely difficult challenging to build channel art from scratch if you don’t have any graphic design experience. aren’t an artist or a graphic designer.
We’ve listed two types of resources in this article: templates and backgrounds you can download, and banner makers which have templates you can customize.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. You can use it to create YouTube thumbnail, or banner easily with the templates and then take a snapshot from the video .
Part 1: Free Channel Art Template Downloads
In this section you’ll find 3 sites where you can download free YouTube banners.
1. YouTube Channel Art Templates from Filmora
You can find 50 free YouTube banner templates right here on filmora.io. There are 10 different categories including popular channel types like makeup and gaming.
You have two options for every template: PSD and PNG. If you have Photoshop you’ll be able to edit the PSD file and, if you don’t, you can use the PNG as your banner background when you build your channel art in a free online program like Canva.
2. Behance
Behance is a gallery of creative visual works. There is a very large collection of art you could repurpose for your channel art, but some creators on the site have also created graphics specifically to be used as YouTube banners.
Here are some channel art galleries on Behance: Ej / Vritra , Austin Evans
You can download PSD files from Behance and edit them in Photoshop. There isn’t a PNG or JPG option for people who don’t have Photoshop, though.
In order to download the templates you’ll need to hover your cursor over the Photoshop icon, and then click ‘Download Now’ when it appears. You’ll need to make an account before you can download.
3. YourTube
With over 500 templates available, YourTube has the largest selection on this list. They have every style you can think of, from minimalist to video game themed.
The site is run by two web designers who make the money they need to maintain the site from the few premium/paid options available (although the vast majority of templates are free).
Most of the templates are JPG backgrounds which you will need to add your own text to.
Part 2: 9 Banner Makers with Free Templates
In this section you’ll find 9 YouTube channel art makers.
1. Wondershare PixStudio
Wondershare PixStudio has special features to remove the image background. With a single click, you can quickly remove the image background, and use your image with more flexibility. Just payment of $7.99 per month to use the features.
2. Adobe Spark
To edit the templates available through Adobe Spark, just click on the resources in the template and then click on the images/fonts/etc you want to substitute in. Resources like filters are also very accessible.
Everything you do in Spark starts with clicking on an element in the template. You won’t see all of the menus at once, just the ones related to the element you’ve selected (i.e. the background image or the text).
The only downside of Spark is that free downloads include a watermark. The silver lining is that that watermark is small and located in the bottom-right corner, meaning that it won’t show up for viewers watching your channel on either computers or mobile devices.
Note: for some reason when you click ‘Create your YouTube channel art’ it will load a thumbnail template instead of a banner template. Click Resize in the side menu to switch to channel art or your exported image won’t be big enough.
3. BeFunky
This is a graphics creator that doubles as a banner maker. You’ll need to enter BeFunky’s ‘Designer’ tool in order to find the channel art templates under ‘Social Media Headers’ and ‘YouTube’. There’s actually only 1 free channel art template, but it is a very standard channel art layout which you can customize with your own images.
4. Canva
Canva is one of the most popular free channel art makers. It is an easy to use, drag and drop, program that will automatically resize images to work in the spaces you drag them to. It has great free resources like stock photos. Some resources are paid ($1), but many are free.
The templates on Canva do tend to include paid resources, but it’s easy enough to swap them out with free resources or your own images.
5. Crello
Crello offers 10 examples free channel art templates through their blog, and you can even edit the templates right on the site.
Crello is an easy to use visual editor created for social media and marketing, meaning that it was made to be easy for non-designers to jump into. Beyond the free templates and text options, however, most of their stock photos and backgrounds cost $1. To use Crello for free you either need to use the default images, or upload your own.
6. Design Wizard
This is another program with a small number of free templates that you can make almost anything out of through customization. One of the most useful features of design wizard is that it will show you the ‘safe zone’ – the area of your banner that will show up on any device screen – so you can design with that in mind.
Remember to delete the safe zone marker before you export.
7. Fotor
Another graphics program with free templates for YouTube channel art. Fotor is easy to use – perhaps the easiest program on this list to use. In the ‘background’ tab you don’t even have to drag and drop, you just click on the element in your template and then click on what you want to replace it with. You can even load in your own images.
There are paid options in Fotor which will add a watermark to your design unless you upgrade to their paid service, but there are enough free options to satisfy most creators.
8. Snappa
If you want to get something made fast, Snappa can do that. Just find YouTube Channel Art under Headers and choose one of the free templates (there are a lot). Then it’s just a matter of swapping out the elements in the template with ones that suit your channel and clicking download.
Snappa shows you the safe areas for different devices while you edit.
9. Visme
Visme provides 50 free channel art templates you can edit through their online graphics service. The banner maker is a big more complicated than some of the other makers on this list (it has a lot of options that are more for marketers than YouTubers, which weighs it down a bit), but the free templates are great and you can upload your own images to use with them.
How did you make your banner? Did you use a channel art template?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Free Channel Art Templates are an important resource for creators. It can be extremely difficult challenging to build channel art from scratch if you don’t have any graphic design experience. aren’t an artist or a graphic designer.
We’ve listed two types of resources in this article: templates and backgrounds you can download, and banner makers which have templates you can customize.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. You can use it to create YouTube thumbnail, or banner easily with the templates and then take a snapshot from the video .
Part 1: Free Channel Art Template Downloads
In this section you’ll find 3 sites where you can download free YouTube banners.
1. YouTube Channel Art Templates from Filmora
You can find 50 free YouTube banner templates right here on filmora.io. There are 10 different categories including popular channel types like makeup and gaming.
You have two options for every template: PSD and PNG. If you have Photoshop you’ll be able to edit the PSD file and, if you don’t, you can use the PNG as your banner background when you build your channel art in a free online program like Canva.
2. Behance
Behance is a gallery of creative visual works. There is a very large collection of art you could repurpose for your channel art, but some creators on the site have also created graphics specifically to be used as YouTube banners.
Here are some channel art galleries on Behance: Ej / Vritra , Austin Evans
You can download PSD files from Behance and edit them in Photoshop. There isn’t a PNG or JPG option for people who don’t have Photoshop, though.
In order to download the templates you’ll need to hover your cursor over the Photoshop icon, and then click ‘Download Now’ when it appears. You’ll need to make an account before you can download.
3. YourTube
With over 500 templates available, YourTube has the largest selection on this list. They have every style you can think of, from minimalist to video game themed.
The site is run by two web designers who make the money they need to maintain the site from the few premium/paid options available (although the vast majority of templates are free).
Most of the templates are JPG backgrounds which you will need to add your own text to.
Part 2: 9 Banner Makers with Free Templates
In this section you’ll find 9 YouTube channel art makers.
1. Wondershare PixStudio
Wondershare PixStudio has special features to remove the image background. With a single click, you can quickly remove the image background, and use your image with more flexibility. Just payment of $7.99 per month to use the features.
2. Adobe Spark
To edit the templates available through Adobe Spark, just click on the resources in the template and then click on the images/fonts/etc you want to substitute in. Resources like filters are also very accessible.
Everything you do in Spark starts with clicking on an element in the template. You won’t see all of the menus at once, just the ones related to the element you’ve selected (i.e. the background image or the text).
The only downside of Spark is that free downloads include a watermark. The silver lining is that that watermark is small and located in the bottom-right corner, meaning that it won’t show up for viewers watching your channel on either computers or mobile devices.
Note: for some reason when you click ‘Create your YouTube channel art’ it will load a thumbnail template instead of a banner template. Click Resize in the side menu to switch to channel art or your exported image won’t be big enough.
3. BeFunky
This is a graphics creator that doubles as a banner maker. You’ll need to enter BeFunky’s ‘Designer’ tool in order to find the channel art templates under ‘Social Media Headers’ and ‘YouTube’. There’s actually only 1 free channel art template, but it is a very standard channel art layout which you can customize with your own images.
4. Canva
Canva is one of the most popular free channel art makers. It is an easy to use, drag and drop, program that will automatically resize images to work in the spaces you drag them to. It has great free resources like stock photos. Some resources are paid ($1), but many are free.
The templates on Canva do tend to include paid resources, but it’s easy enough to swap them out with free resources or your own images.
5. Crello
Crello offers 10 examples free channel art templates through their blog, and you can even edit the templates right on the site.
Crello is an easy to use visual editor created for social media and marketing, meaning that it was made to be easy for non-designers to jump into. Beyond the free templates and text options, however, most of their stock photos and backgrounds cost $1. To use Crello for free you either need to use the default images, or upload your own.
6. Design Wizard
This is another program with a small number of free templates that you can make almost anything out of through customization. One of the most useful features of design wizard is that it will show you the ‘safe zone’ – the area of your banner that will show up on any device screen – so you can design with that in mind.
Remember to delete the safe zone marker before you export.
7. Fotor
Another graphics program with free templates for YouTube channel art. Fotor is easy to use – perhaps the easiest program on this list to use. In the ‘background’ tab you don’t even have to drag and drop, you just click on the element in your template and then click on what you want to replace it with. You can even load in your own images.
There are paid options in Fotor which will add a watermark to your design unless you upgrade to their paid service, but there are enough free options to satisfy most creators.
8. Snappa
If you want to get something made fast, Snappa can do that. Just find YouTube Channel Art under Headers and choose one of the free templates (there are a lot). Then it’s just a matter of swapping out the elements in the template with ones that suit your channel and clicking download.
Snappa shows you the safe areas for different devices while you edit.
9. Visme
Visme provides 50 free channel art templates you can edit through their online graphics service. The banner maker is a big more complicated than some of the other makers on this list (it has a lot of options that are more for marketers than YouTubers, which weighs it down a bit), but the free templates are great and you can upload your own images to use with them.
How did you make your banner? Did you use a channel art template?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Free Channel Art Templates are an important resource for creators. It can be extremely difficult challenging to build channel art from scratch if you don’t have any graphic design experience. aren’t an artist or a graphic designer.
We’ve listed two types of resources in this article: templates and backgrounds you can download, and banner makers which have templates you can customize.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. You can use it to create YouTube thumbnail, or banner easily with the templates and then take a snapshot from the video .
Part 1: Free Channel Art Template Downloads
In this section you’ll find 3 sites where you can download free YouTube banners.
1. YouTube Channel Art Templates from Filmora
You can find 50 free YouTube banner templates right here on filmora.io. There are 10 different categories including popular channel types like makeup and gaming.
You have two options for every template: PSD and PNG. If you have Photoshop you’ll be able to edit the PSD file and, if you don’t, you can use the PNG as your banner background when you build your channel art in a free online program like Canva.
2. Behance
Behance is a gallery of creative visual works. There is a very large collection of art you could repurpose for your channel art, but some creators on the site have also created graphics specifically to be used as YouTube banners.
Here are some channel art galleries on Behance: Ej / Vritra , Austin Evans
You can download PSD files from Behance and edit them in Photoshop. There isn’t a PNG or JPG option for people who don’t have Photoshop, though.
In order to download the templates you’ll need to hover your cursor over the Photoshop icon, and then click ‘Download Now’ when it appears. You’ll need to make an account before you can download.
3. YourTube
With over 500 templates available, YourTube has the largest selection on this list. They have every style you can think of, from minimalist to video game themed.
The site is run by two web designers who make the money they need to maintain the site from the few premium/paid options available (although the vast majority of templates are free).
Most of the templates are JPG backgrounds which you will need to add your own text to.
Part 2: 9 Banner Makers with Free Templates
In this section you’ll find 9 YouTube channel art makers.
1. Wondershare PixStudio
Wondershare PixStudio has special features to remove the image background. With a single click, you can quickly remove the image background, and use your image with more flexibility. Just payment of $7.99 per month to use the features.
2. Adobe Spark
To edit the templates available through Adobe Spark, just click on the resources in the template and then click on the images/fonts/etc you want to substitute in. Resources like filters are also very accessible.
Everything you do in Spark starts with clicking on an element in the template. You won’t see all of the menus at once, just the ones related to the element you’ve selected (i.e. the background image or the text).
The only downside of Spark is that free downloads include a watermark. The silver lining is that that watermark is small and located in the bottom-right corner, meaning that it won’t show up for viewers watching your channel on either computers or mobile devices.
Note: for some reason when you click ‘Create your YouTube channel art’ it will load a thumbnail template instead of a banner template. Click Resize in the side menu to switch to channel art or your exported image won’t be big enough.
3. BeFunky
This is a graphics creator that doubles as a banner maker. You’ll need to enter BeFunky’s ‘Designer’ tool in order to find the channel art templates under ‘Social Media Headers’ and ‘YouTube’. There’s actually only 1 free channel art template, but it is a very standard channel art layout which you can customize with your own images.
4. Canva
Canva is one of the most popular free channel art makers. It is an easy to use, drag and drop, program that will automatically resize images to work in the spaces you drag them to. It has great free resources like stock photos. Some resources are paid ($1), but many are free.
The templates on Canva do tend to include paid resources, but it’s easy enough to swap them out with free resources or your own images.
5. Crello
Crello offers 10 examples free channel art templates through their blog, and you can even edit the templates right on the site.
Crello is an easy to use visual editor created for social media and marketing, meaning that it was made to be easy for non-designers to jump into. Beyond the free templates and text options, however, most of their stock photos and backgrounds cost $1. To use Crello for free you either need to use the default images, or upload your own.
6. Design Wizard
This is another program with a small number of free templates that you can make almost anything out of through customization. One of the most useful features of design wizard is that it will show you the ‘safe zone’ – the area of your banner that will show up on any device screen – so you can design with that in mind.
Remember to delete the safe zone marker before you export.
7. Fotor
Another graphics program with free templates for YouTube channel art. Fotor is easy to use – perhaps the easiest program on this list to use. In the ‘background’ tab you don’t even have to drag and drop, you just click on the element in your template and then click on what you want to replace it with. You can even load in your own images.
There are paid options in Fotor which will add a watermark to your design unless you upgrade to their paid service, but there are enough free options to satisfy most creators.
8. Snappa
If you want to get something made fast, Snappa can do that. Just find YouTube Channel Art under Headers and choose one of the free templates (there are a lot). Then it’s just a matter of swapping out the elements in the template with ones that suit your channel and clicking download.
Snappa shows you the safe areas for different devices while you edit.
9. Visme
Visme provides 50 free channel art templates you can edit through their online graphics service. The banner maker is a big more complicated than some of the other makers on this list (it has a lot of options that are more for marketers than YouTubers, which weighs it down a bit), but the free templates are great and you can upload your own images to use with them.
How did you make your banner? Did you use a channel art template?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
Free Channel Art Templates are an important resource for creators. It can be extremely difficult challenging to build channel art from scratch if you don’t have any graphic design experience. aren’t an artist or a graphic designer.
We’ve listed two types of resources in this article: templates and backgrounds you can download, and banner makers which have templates you can customize.
Touch Up YouTube Videos with Filmora
As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. You can use it to create YouTube thumbnail, or banner easily with the templates and then take a snapshot from the video .
Part 1: Free Channel Art Template Downloads
In this section you’ll find 3 sites where you can download free YouTube banners.
1. YouTube Channel Art Templates from Filmora
You can find 50 free YouTube banner templates right here on filmora.io. There are 10 different categories including popular channel types like makeup and gaming.
You have two options for every template: PSD and PNG. If you have Photoshop you’ll be able to edit the PSD file and, if you don’t, you can use the PNG as your banner background when you build your channel art in a free online program like Canva.
2. Behance
Behance is a gallery of creative visual works. There is a very large collection of art you could repurpose for your channel art, but some creators on the site have also created graphics specifically to be used as YouTube banners.
Here are some channel art galleries on Behance: Ej / Vritra , Austin Evans
You can download PSD files from Behance and edit them in Photoshop. There isn’t a PNG or JPG option for people who don’t have Photoshop, though.
In order to download the templates you’ll need to hover your cursor over the Photoshop icon, and then click ‘Download Now’ when it appears. You’ll need to make an account before you can download.
3. YourTube
With over 500 templates available, YourTube has the largest selection on this list. They have every style you can think of, from minimalist to video game themed.
The site is run by two web designers who make the money they need to maintain the site from the few premium/paid options available (although the vast majority of templates are free).
Most of the templates are JPG backgrounds which you will need to add your own text to.
Part 2: 9 Banner Makers with Free Templates
In this section you’ll find 9 YouTube channel art makers.
1. Wondershare PixStudio
Wondershare PixStudio has special features to remove the image background. With a single click, you can quickly remove the image background, and use your image with more flexibility. Just payment of $7.99 per month to use the features.
2. Adobe Spark
To edit the templates available through Adobe Spark, just click on the resources in the template and then click on the images/fonts/etc you want to substitute in. Resources like filters are also very accessible.
Everything you do in Spark starts with clicking on an element in the template. You won’t see all of the menus at once, just the ones related to the element you’ve selected (i.e. the background image or the text).
The only downside of Spark is that free downloads include a watermark. The silver lining is that that watermark is small and located in the bottom-right corner, meaning that it won’t show up for viewers watching your channel on either computers or mobile devices.
Note: for some reason when you click ‘Create your YouTube channel art’ it will load a thumbnail template instead of a banner template. Click Resize in the side menu to switch to channel art or your exported image won’t be big enough.
3. BeFunky
This is a graphics creator that doubles as a banner maker. You’ll need to enter BeFunky’s ‘Designer’ tool in order to find the channel art templates under ‘Social Media Headers’ and ‘YouTube’. There’s actually only 1 free channel art template, but it is a very standard channel art layout which you can customize with your own images.
4. Canva
Canva is one of the most popular free channel art makers. It is an easy to use, drag and drop, program that will automatically resize images to work in the spaces you drag them to. It has great free resources like stock photos. Some resources are paid ($1), but many are free.
The templates on Canva do tend to include paid resources, but it’s easy enough to swap them out with free resources or your own images.
5. Crello
Crello offers 10 examples free channel art templates through their blog, and you can even edit the templates right on the site.
Crello is an easy to use visual editor created for social media and marketing, meaning that it was made to be easy for non-designers to jump into. Beyond the free templates and text options, however, most of their stock photos and backgrounds cost $1. To use Crello for free you either need to use the default images, or upload your own.
6. Design Wizard
This is another program with a small number of free templates that you can make almost anything out of through customization. One of the most useful features of design wizard is that it will show you the ‘safe zone’ – the area of your banner that will show up on any device screen – so you can design with that in mind.
Remember to delete the safe zone marker before you export.
7. Fotor
Another graphics program with free templates for YouTube channel art. Fotor is easy to use – perhaps the easiest program on this list to use. In the ‘background’ tab you don’t even have to drag and drop, you just click on the element in your template and then click on what you want to replace it with. You can even load in your own images.
There are paid options in Fotor which will add a watermark to your design unless you upgrade to their paid service, but there are enough free options to satisfy most creators.
8. Snappa
If you want to get something made fast, Snappa can do that. Just find YouTube Channel Art under Headers and choose one of the free templates (there are a lot). Then it’s just a matter of swapping out the elements in the template with ones that suit your channel and clicking download.
Snappa shows you the safe areas for different devices while you edit.
9. Visme
Visme provides 50 free channel art templates you can edit through their online graphics service. The banner maker is a big more complicated than some of the other makers on this list (it has a lot of options that are more for marketers than YouTubers, which weighs it down a bit), but the free templates are great and you can upload your own images to use with them.
How did you make your banner? Did you use a channel art template?
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Navigating the World of Live Video Sharing with Ease
The Ultimate Guide to YouTube Live Streaming
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Live streaming on YouTube is a great way to get more engagement from your audience, even if you do not have a huge following. As long as you have some reliable subscribers leaving comments on your videos you should be able to schedule a live stream and know it will have an audience. People feel a personal connection with their favorite vloggers so if you give your subscribers a chance to interact with you in real time they will probably plan to join in. The key to a good live streaming is to respond to comments and questions from people who are watching. Besides watching the live chat of your video you can create a hashtag for your stream and monitor it on twitter.
Table of Contents
- Why Livestream?
- Type of Content to Livestream
- What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
- 4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
- 8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
- How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Why Livestream?
You have grown your audience, and now you want to take your channel to the next level and diversify your content.
Whether you are vlogging, gaming, or running tutorials on YouTube, there is potential to host a live broadcast. It’s not limited to any genre, you simply need to create content that people are interested in watching.
Before we get started into the How, let’s start with a few reasons Why you should be live streaming your content.
Connect and engage with your audience
When a viewer leaves a comment during a livestream you will be able to see it right away and respond. Having an instantaneous conversation with a viewer while they are watching your video will encourage more engagement and establish a ber relationship with your viewers — and you will know that these viewers are not bots.
Increase watch time and session watch time on your channel
If you are making YouTube videos on average 10 minutes long, and the viewer only watches half of it, that’s only 5 minutes of watch time, which is fine… But if you are live streaming for 45 minutes, and you are able to hold the viewer’s attention, you can surpass what your regular videos can do.
Make videos faster
As a YouTuber, you are always striving to be more efficient. Live streaming allows you to do that as you can set up and go. The content you end up creating during the duration of your livestream can then also be condensed into a highlight reel or a recap.
With a bit of planning before you go live, you can create a week’s worth of content in one go, instead of having multiple schedules for livestream content and your standard publishing videos.
Type of Content to Livestream
Live streaming has a lot of value, but what type of content should you be streaming?
Here are a few popular ideas for content that will attract viewers to your livestream:
Q&A session
Unboxing
Game or challenge
Sneak preview or review
Live events (just make sure the Internet can support it)
A demo or a tutorial
A live commentary or (if you are a gamer) Let’s Play video
What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
A Plan or Outline
It’s good to know what your livestream is going to be about before you start. Is there a key message you want to hit, an action you want your viewers to take, or a structure you want to follow.
Just because it’s live, doesn’t mean it all has to be improvised. If you go in without a plan, you might end up feeling flustered or getting stressed out. Allow for spontaneous comments or events to take you off your initial plan, but always return to your outline so you know how to wrap up your livestream when you have to.
Stable Internet Connection
You cannot conduct a quality livestream, if your Internet is bad. When evaluating your internet connection for live streaming on YouTube, look at the Upload speed. Depending on the quality of your video, these are the minimum upload speed rates your Internet will need to perform:
480p = 1.5 mbps
720p = 3 mbps
1080 = 5 mbps
In addition, be aware of external causes that may be slowing down your internet such as someone else using it, a poorly performing router, or a damaged cable.
Camera
If you have a smartphone or a laptop with a webcam built in, that is the best camera for you to get started live streaming. It’s good to have a milestone and work towards a more advanced camera, but until then, don’t feel discouraged because you don’t have expensive gear. If you have a smartphone, a laptop, or a basic webcam, that’s perfectly fine.
Microphone
You don’t need a great microphone for live streaming, you only need a good one. If you do want to spend several hundred to a thousand dollars for a professional studio microphone, nobody will stop you, but know this, a mic that is easy to use is as important as the audio quality as you develop a consistent live streaming schedule.
Streaming Software (For Higher Quality Streams)
Once upon a time, to livestream on YouTube, you needed additional software to capture content from desktop, camera, microphone, etc, called encoding software — but not anymore.
Those encoding software, such as OBS , Wirecast , and VMix , are required if you are producing content that requires a high frame rate such as gaming, but not mandatory if you are simply vlogging or running a tutorial.
If you are using Chrome, you canstream live on YouTube without using an encoder .
A Capture Card (For Higher Quality Streams)
You will need a capture card when you are capturing footage from a different PC or console. If you are a gamer and you are using one PC to stream and one PC to play your game, then you should consider getting a capture card.
4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
There are 4 main ways you can start live streaming on YouTube. The one that works best for you depends on the content you are going to be streaming.
1. Camera/Go Live (Chrome Browser)
By accessing www.youtube.com/webcam on the Google Chrome browser, you can start streaming immediately through your connected webcam. This way is best for a simple Q&A or letting your viewers know your thoughts in a timely situation. This method does not require an encoder.
There are 3 ways to access livestream this way:
1. Click here to connect to your YouTube channel
2. You can access it from the top menu on YouTube
3. You can access it by clicking Camera under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
2. Google Hangouts On Air (Quick)
Another way to livestream without an encoding software is by using the Google Hangouts On Air feature.
This is great if you want the feel of your livestream to be similar to a board meeting, where you can invite people, split screen, and share screen to illustrate your point.
Here’s how you can access this Google Hangouts On Air:
Step 1: Go to Events under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
Step 2: Click New Live Event button on the top right corner
Step 3: Enter the event’s Info and Setting page. Fill out the details of your Livestream, and under Type, select Quick (using Google Hangouts On Air).
Step 4: You can schedule your livestream or Go Live immediately by clicking one of the blue buttons on the left-hand side.
3. Mobile
Live streaming via your mobile device gives you a lot more freedom to maneuver. You can walk around and give your viewers a tour — but remember to stay within the WiFi or LTE range. That means you still won’t be able to livestream well inside an elevator.
Here’s how you can livestream on mobile:
Step 1: Access the YouTube app and make sure you are signed in to the account you want to livestream from.
Step 2: At the top, click on the camera icon
Step 3: Click on Go Live
Pro Tip: When live streaming, always hold your smartphone horizontally. This allows your video to be oriented as a landscape, instead of a portrait.
4. Custom Encoder
The fourth way of live streaming on YouTube is with encoding software. This is the recommended method if video quality is essential, such as gaming videos.
Step 1: Download and install an encoding software. In this example, we’ll be using OBS .
Step 2: Open OBS
Step 3: Go to YouTube Creator Studio and enter the Stream Now page
Step 4: Under Encoder Setup, copy Stream name/key (Warning: DO NOT share this key with anyone)
Step 5: Return to OBS and enter the Setting menu on the lower right-hand side of the application
Step 6: Click into the Stream tab
a) Under Stream Type, select Streaming Services
b) Under Service, select YouTube/YouTube Gaming
c) Under Server, select Primary YouTube ingest server
d) In Stream Key box, paste the Stream Key you copied from YouTube
e) Click Apply and then OK
Step 7: Plug in your webcam
Step 8: In the main OBS dashboard, under the Sources menu, click the + icon and add Video Capture Device. You should now see visuals from your Webcam.
Step 9: Select the Resolution you want for your video and click OK
Step 10: Return to your YouTube Streaming Page and fill out the details of your livestream
Step 11: Go back to OBS and click Start Streaming
Step 12: See on YouTube Streaming Page at the top that you are Live. You are officially streaming. Once You are finished streaming, return to OBS and click Stop Streaming to end the stream.
8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
Do Speed Test
Before you start your livestream, do a speed test of your Internet. Check out from here.
Have Good Lighting
Be aware of your surroundings when you are about to livestream. You don’t need the top-notch lighting kit, you can simply sit beside a window and allow natural lights to illuminate your stream.
Shoot A Live Test (Unlisted)
Have a technical rehearsal by doing a livestream test, then rewatching it, and evaluating the quality of the audio and visual.
You don’t have to worry about your audience logging in and seeing your test if you set the Privacy of the stream to Unlisted.
Look at the Lens, Not the Screen
If you are streaming with the selfie camera on your smartphone or using your camera’s viewfinder to make sure you are in the frame, remember that you need to be looking at the lens — not the image of yourself.
Eye contact is important in building trust, and if you are looking at yourself, it will appear as if you are looking past your viewers instead of at them.
Show It To Your Viewers
Whatever you are talking about, if you can, show it to your viewers. YouTube is a visual medium, and that means your viewers can become disinterested if there’s nothing visual holding their attention.
In the beginning, you probably won’t have a multi-camera setup, so you cannot cut away from your livestream. However, you can share the screen and you can bring physical objects into a frame.
If you are talking about your dog, show her on camera. If you’re presenting something with a lot of steps, create a Powerpoint slideshow.
Consider what visuals or props you can add to your livestream to enhance your performance.
Find A Way to Make it Evergreen
Evergreen content refers to content that is relevant for a great length of time. Talking about an event isn’t evergreen, because the event will soon pass and become old news. However, giving some tips for how to plan an event would be evergreen content.
Since your livestream will be saved on YouTube and your viewers can replay and watch it. They’re more likely to enjoy it if the content is relevant and interesting.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Long
A livestream doesn’t need to be 40 minutes long. It only needs to be long enough for you to get your story across — and if you want to answer some questions and engage with your audience. As soon as your story is over, even if it’s only 5 minutes, that’s okay. Don’t stress about the length of your stream, it’s not an endurance competition.
Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes
Another thing you shouldn’t worry about at all is making mistakes. When you are doing livestreams pretend you are engaging with someone in real life. In real life, you aren’t able to edit out your mistakes, whether it’s a word mispronounced or coffee spilling. Roll with it and laugh it off.
How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Let People Know When You Are Streaming
Give people enough time to schedule it in, don’t spring it on them in the last minute. Share it on social media, your website, and any other means.
Create a Streaming Link 2 Days Before
Share your livestream link via social media to remind everyone to tune in when you go live. Looking for your link? It should look something like this: <www.youtube.com/user/\[channelname\]/live>
Reach Out To the Communities Most Interested
If you are going to be live streaming about a specific topic, such as photography, you should reach out to those who are interested in the topic. Highlight what aspect of photography you are going to be streaming and attract new viewers to your content.
Be Aware of Time Difference
If you have an international audience, find time to livestream where you can get the optimal amount of viewers.
You can find the location of your main demographic in your YouTube analytics .
Create a Channel Trailer to Promote Livestream
Make a video and host it as your channel trailer, that way anyone who lands on your YouTube page will see the promo for your livestream.
Promote Through Feature Content and Channel
YouTube has a feature that enables you to use your existing content to promote your upcoming livestream.
Here’s how to set it up:
Key Takeaways
- Live streaming will help you make more videos, engage with your audience, and grow your channel.
- You don’t need expensive equipment to livestream on YouTube, you only need a webcam and a microphone.
- YouTube has made live streaming as easy as a few clicks, no additional software needed unless you are gaming.
- Always do a test run of your livestream to ensure the internet, audio, and visual are all working properly.
- Create content and reach out to communities to promote your livestream.
Have you encountered any obstacles when setting up your livestream on YouTube? Let us know in the comments below, we are happy to help!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Live streaming on YouTube is a great way to get more engagement from your audience, even if you do not have a huge following. As long as you have some reliable subscribers leaving comments on your videos you should be able to schedule a live stream and know it will have an audience. People feel a personal connection with their favorite vloggers so if you give your subscribers a chance to interact with you in real time they will probably plan to join in. The key to a good live streaming is to respond to comments and questions from people who are watching. Besides watching the live chat of your video you can create a hashtag for your stream and monitor it on twitter.
Table of Contents
- Why Livestream?
- Type of Content to Livestream
- What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
- 4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
- 8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
- How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Why Livestream?
You have grown your audience, and now you want to take your channel to the next level and diversify your content.
Whether you are vlogging, gaming, or running tutorials on YouTube, there is potential to host a live broadcast. It’s not limited to any genre, you simply need to create content that people are interested in watching.
Before we get started into the How, let’s start with a few reasons Why you should be live streaming your content.
Connect and engage with your audience
When a viewer leaves a comment during a livestream you will be able to see it right away and respond. Having an instantaneous conversation with a viewer while they are watching your video will encourage more engagement and establish a ber relationship with your viewers — and you will know that these viewers are not bots.
Increase watch time and session watch time on your channel
If you are making YouTube videos on average 10 minutes long, and the viewer only watches half of it, that’s only 5 minutes of watch time, which is fine… But if you are live streaming for 45 minutes, and you are able to hold the viewer’s attention, you can surpass what your regular videos can do.
Make videos faster
As a YouTuber, you are always striving to be more efficient. Live streaming allows you to do that as you can set up and go. The content you end up creating during the duration of your livestream can then also be condensed into a highlight reel or a recap.
With a bit of planning before you go live, you can create a week’s worth of content in one go, instead of having multiple schedules for livestream content and your standard publishing videos.
Type of Content to Livestream
Live streaming has a lot of value, but what type of content should you be streaming?
Here are a few popular ideas for content that will attract viewers to your livestream:
Q&A session
Unboxing
Game or challenge
Sneak preview or review
Live events (just make sure the Internet can support it)
A demo or a tutorial
A live commentary or (if you are a gamer) Let’s Play video
What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
A Plan or Outline
It’s good to know what your livestream is going to be about before you start. Is there a key message you want to hit, an action you want your viewers to take, or a structure you want to follow.
Just because it’s live, doesn’t mean it all has to be improvised. If you go in without a plan, you might end up feeling flustered or getting stressed out. Allow for spontaneous comments or events to take you off your initial plan, but always return to your outline so you know how to wrap up your livestream when you have to.
Stable Internet Connection
You cannot conduct a quality livestream, if your Internet is bad. When evaluating your internet connection for live streaming on YouTube, look at the Upload speed. Depending on the quality of your video, these are the minimum upload speed rates your Internet will need to perform:
480p = 1.5 mbps
720p = 3 mbps
1080 = 5 mbps
In addition, be aware of external causes that may be slowing down your internet such as someone else using it, a poorly performing router, or a damaged cable.
Camera
If you have a smartphone or a laptop with a webcam built in, that is the best camera for you to get started live streaming. It’s good to have a milestone and work towards a more advanced camera, but until then, don’t feel discouraged because you don’t have expensive gear. If you have a smartphone, a laptop, or a basic webcam, that’s perfectly fine.
Microphone
You don’t need a great microphone for live streaming, you only need a good one. If you do want to spend several hundred to a thousand dollars for a professional studio microphone, nobody will stop you, but know this, a mic that is easy to use is as important as the audio quality as you develop a consistent live streaming schedule.
Streaming Software (For Higher Quality Streams)
Once upon a time, to livestream on YouTube, you needed additional software to capture content from desktop, camera, microphone, etc, called encoding software — but not anymore.
Those encoding software, such as OBS , Wirecast , and VMix , are required if you are producing content that requires a high frame rate such as gaming, but not mandatory if you are simply vlogging or running a tutorial.
If you are using Chrome, you canstream live on YouTube without using an encoder .
A Capture Card (For Higher Quality Streams)
You will need a capture card when you are capturing footage from a different PC or console. If you are a gamer and you are using one PC to stream and one PC to play your game, then you should consider getting a capture card.
4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
There are 4 main ways you can start live streaming on YouTube. The one that works best for you depends on the content you are going to be streaming.
1. Camera/Go Live (Chrome Browser)
By accessing www.youtube.com/webcam on the Google Chrome browser, you can start streaming immediately through your connected webcam. This way is best for a simple Q&A or letting your viewers know your thoughts in a timely situation. This method does not require an encoder.
There are 3 ways to access livestream this way:
1. Click here to connect to your YouTube channel
2. You can access it from the top menu on YouTube
3. You can access it by clicking Camera under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
2. Google Hangouts On Air (Quick)
Another way to livestream without an encoding software is by using the Google Hangouts On Air feature.
This is great if you want the feel of your livestream to be similar to a board meeting, where you can invite people, split screen, and share screen to illustrate your point.
Here’s how you can access this Google Hangouts On Air:
Step 1: Go to Events under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
Step 2: Click New Live Event button on the top right corner
Step 3: Enter the event’s Info and Setting page. Fill out the details of your Livestream, and under Type, select Quick (using Google Hangouts On Air).
Step 4: You can schedule your livestream or Go Live immediately by clicking one of the blue buttons on the left-hand side.
3. Mobile
Live streaming via your mobile device gives you a lot more freedom to maneuver. You can walk around and give your viewers a tour — but remember to stay within the WiFi or LTE range. That means you still won’t be able to livestream well inside an elevator.
Here’s how you can livestream on mobile:
Step 1: Access the YouTube app and make sure you are signed in to the account you want to livestream from.
Step 2: At the top, click on the camera icon
Step 3: Click on Go Live
Pro Tip: When live streaming, always hold your smartphone horizontally. This allows your video to be oriented as a landscape, instead of a portrait.
4. Custom Encoder
The fourth way of live streaming on YouTube is with encoding software. This is the recommended method if video quality is essential, such as gaming videos.
Step 1: Download and install an encoding software. In this example, we’ll be using OBS .
Step 2: Open OBS
Step 3: Go to YouTube Creator Studio and enter the Stream Now page
Step 4: Under Encoder Setup, copy Stream name/key (Warning: DO NOT share this key with anyone)
Step 5: Return to OBS and enter the Setting menu on the lower right-hand side of the application
Step 6: Click into the Stream tab
a) Under Stream Type, select Streaming Services
b) Under Service, select YouTube/YouTube Gaming
c) Under Server, select Primary YouTube ingest server
d) In Stream Key box, paste the Stream Key you copied from YouTube
e) Click Apply and then OK
Step 7: Plug in your webcam
Step 8: In the main OBS dashboard, under the Sources menu, click the + icon and add Video Capture Device. You should now see visuals from your Webcam.
Step 9: Select the Resolution you want for your video and click OK
Step 10: Return to your YouTube Streaming Page and fill out the details of your livestream
Step 11: Go back to OBS and click Start Streaming
Step 12: See on YouTube Streaming Page at the top that you are Live. You are officially streaming. Once You are finished streaming, return to OBS and click Stop Streaming to end the stream.
8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
Do Speed Test
Before you start your livestream, do a speed test of your Internet. Check out from here.
Have Good Lighting
Be aware of your surroundings when you are about to livestream. You don’t need the top-notch lighting kit, you can simply sit beside a window and allow natural lights to illuminate your stream.
Shoot A Live Test (Unlisted)
Have a technical rehearsal by doing a livestream test, then rewatching it, and evaluating the quality of the audio and visual.
You don’t have to worry about your audience logging in and seeing your test if you set the Privacy of the stream to Unlisted.
Look at the Lens, Not the Screen
If you are streaming with the selfie camera on your smartphone or using your camera’s viewfinder to make sure you are in the frame, remember that you need to be looking at the lens — not the image of yourself.
Eye contact is important in building trust, and if you are looking at yourself, it will appear as if you are looking past your viewers instead of at them.
Show It To Your Viewers
Whatever you are talking about, if you can, show it to your viewers. YouTube is a visual medium, and that means your viewers can become disinterested if there’s nothing visual holding their attention.
In the beginning, you probably won’t have a multi-camera setup, so you cannot cut away from your livestream. However, you can share the screen and you can bring physical objects into a frame.
If you are talking about your dog, show her on camera. If you’re presenting something with a lot of steps, create a Powerpoint slideshow.
Consider what visuals or props you can add to your livestream to enhance your performance.
Find A Way to Make it Evergreen
Evergreen content refers to content that is relevant for a great length of time. Talking about an event isn’t evergreen, because the event will soon pass and become old news. However, giving some tips for how to plan an event would be evergreen content.
Since your livestream will be saved on YouTube and your viewers can replay and watch it. They’re more likely to enjoy it if the content is relevant and interesting.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Long
A livestream doesn’t need to be 40 minutes long. It only needs to be long enough for you to get your story across — and if you want to answer some questions and engage with your audience. As soon as your story is over, even if it’s only 5 minutes, that’s okay. Don’t stress about the length of your stream, it’s not an endurance competition.
Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes
Another thing you shouldn’t worry about at all is making mistakes. When you are doing livestreams pretend you are engaging with someone in real life. In real life, you aren’t able to edit out your mistakes, whether it’s a word mispronounced or coffee spilling. Roll with it and laugh it off.
How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Let People Know When You Are Streaming
Give people enough time to schedule it in, don’t spring it on them in the last minute. Share it on social media, your website, and any other means.
Create a Streaming Link 2 Days Before
Share your livestream link via social media to remind everyone to tune in when you go live. Looking for your link? It should look something like this: <www.youtube.com/user/\[channelname\]/live>
Reach Out To the Communities Most Interested
If you are going to be live streaming about a specific topic, such as photography, you should reach out to those who are interested in the topic. Highlight what aspect of photography you are going to be streaming and attract new viewers to your content.
Be Aware of Time Difference
If you have an international audience, find time to livestream where you can get the optimal amount of viewers.
You can find the location of your main demographic in your YouTube analytics .
Create a Channel Trailer to Promote Livestream
Make a video and host it as your channel trailer, that way anyone who lands on your YouTube page will see the promo for your livestream.
Promote Through Feature Content and Channel
YouTube has a feature that enables you to use your existing content to promote your upcoming livestream.
Here’s how to set it up:
Key Takeaways
- Live streaming will help you make more videos, engage with your audience, and grow your channel.
- You don’t need expensive equipment to livestream on YouTube, you only need a webcam and a microphone.
- YouTube has made live streaming as easy as a few clicks, no additional software needed unless you are gaming.
- Always do a test run of your livestream to ensure the internet, audio, and visual are all working properly.
- Create content and reach out to communities to promote your livestream.
Have you encountered any obstacles when setting up your livestream on YouTube? Let us know in the comments below, we are happy to help!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Live streaming on YouTube is a great way to get more engagement from your audience, even if you do not have a huge following. As long as you have some reliable subscribers leaving comments on your videos you should be able to schedule a live stream and know it will have an audience. People feel a personal connection with their favorite vloggers so if you give your subscribers a chance to interact with you in real time they will probably plan to join in. The key to a good live streaming is to respond to comments and questions from people who are watching. Besides watching the live chat of your video you can create a hashtag for your stream and monitor it on twitter.
Table of Contents
- Why Livestream?
- Type of Content to Livestream
- What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
- 4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
- 8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
- How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Why Livestream?
You have grown your audience, and now you want to take your channel to the next level and diversify your content.
Whether you are vlogging, gaming, or running tutorials on YouTube, there is potential to host a live broadcast. It’s not limited to any genre, you simply need to create content that people are interested in watching.
Before we get started into the How, let’s start with a few reasons Why you should be live streaming your content.
Connect and engage with your audience
When a viewer leaves a comment during a livestream you will be able to see it right away and respond. Having an instantaneous conversation with a viewer while they are watching your video will encourage more engagement and establish a ber relationship with your viewers — and you will know that these viewers are not bots.
Increase watch time and session watch time on your channel
If you are making YouTube videos on average 10 minutes long, and the viewer only watches half of it, that’s only 5 minutes of watch time, which is fine… But if you are live streaming for 45 minutes, and you are able to hold the viewer’s attention, you can surpass what your regular videos can do.
Make videos faster
As a YouTuber, you are always striving to be more efficient. Live streaming allows you to do that as you can set up and go. The content you end up creating during the duration of your livestream can then also be condensed into a highlight reel or a recap.
With a bit of planning before you go live, you can create a week’s worth of content in one go, instead of having multiple schedules for livestream content and your standard publishing videos.
Type of Content to Livestream
Live streaming has a lot of value, but what type of content should you be streaming?
Here are a few popular ideas for content that will attract viewers to your livestream:
Q&A session
Unboxing
Game or challenge
Sneak preview or review
Live events (just make sure the Internet can support it)
A demo or a tutorial
A live commentary or (if you are a gamer) Let’s Play video
What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
A Plan or Outline
It’s good to know what your livestream is going to be about before you start. Is there a key message you want to hit, an action you want your viewers to take, or a structure you want to follow.
Just because it’s live, doesn’t mean it all has to be improvised. If you go in without a plan, you might end up feeling flustered or getting stressed out. Allow for spontaneous comments or events to take you off your initial plan, but always return to your outline so you know how to wrap up your livestream when you have to.
Stable Internet Connection
You cannot conduct a quality livestream, if your Internet is bad. When evaluating your internet connection for live streaming on YouTube, look at the Upload speed. Depending on the quality of your video, these are the minimum upload speed rates your Internet will need to perform:
480p = 1.5 mbps
720p = 3 mbps
1080 = 5 mbps
In addition, be aware of external causes that may be slowing down your internet such as someone else using it, a poorly performing router, or a damaged cable.
Camera
If you have a smartphone or a laptop with a webcam built in, that is the best camera for you to get started live streaming. It’s good to have a milestone and work towards a more advanced camera, but until then, don’t feel discouraged because you don’t have expensive gear. If you have a smartphone, a laptop, or a basic webcam, that’s perfectly fine.
Microphone
You don’t need a great microphone for live streaming, you only need a good one. If you do want to spend several hundred to a thousand dollars for a professional studio microphone, nobody will stop you, but know this, a mic that is easy to use is as important as the audio quality as you develop a consistent live streaming schedule.
Streaming Software (For Higher Quality Streams)
Once upon a time, to livestream on YouTube, you needed additional software to capture content from desktop, camera, microphone, etc, called encoding software — but not anymore.
Those encoding software, such as OBS , Wirecast , and VMix , are required if you are producing content that requires a high frame rate such as gaming, but not mandatory if you are simply vlogging or running a tutorial.
If you are using Chrome, you canstream live on YouTube without using an encoder .
A Capture Card (For Higher Quality Streams)
You will need a capture card when you are capturing footage from a different PC or console. If you are a gamer and you are using one PC to stream and one PC to play your game, then you should consider getting a capture card.
4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
There are 4 main ways you can start live streaming on YouTube. The one that works best for you depends on the content you are going to be streaming.
1. Camera/Go Live (Chrome Browser)
By accessing www.youtube.com/webcam on the Google Chrome browser, you can start streaming immediately through your connected webcam. This way is best for a simple Q&A or letting your viewers know your thoughts in a timely situation. This method does not require an encoder.
There are 3 ways to access livestream this way:
1. Click here to connect to your YouTube channel
2. You can access it from the top menu on YouTube
3. You can access it by clicking Camera under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
2. Google Hangouts On Air (Quick)
Another way to livestream without an encoding software is by using the Google Hangouts On Air feature.
This is great if you want the feel of your livestream to be similar to a board meeting, where you can invite people, split screen, and share screen to illustrate your point.
Here’s how you can access this Google Hangouts On Air:
Step 1: Go to Events under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
Step 2: Click New Live Event button on the top right corner
Step 3: Enter the event’s Info and Setting page. Fill out the details of your Livestream, and under Type, select Quick (using Google Hangouts On Air).
Step 4: You can schedule your livestream or Go Live immediately by clicking one of the blue buttons on the left-hand side.
3. Mobile
Live streaming via your mobile device gives you a lot more freedom to maneuver. You can walk around and give your viewers a tour — but remember to stay within the WiFi or LTE range. That means you still won’t be able to livestream well inside an elevator.
Here’s how you can livestream on mobile:
Step 1: Access the YouTube app and make sure you are signed in to the account you want to livestream from.
Step 2: At the top, click on the camera icon
Step 3: Click on Go Live
Pro Tip: When live streaming, always hold your smartphone horizontally. This allows your video to be oriented as a landscape, instead of a portrait.
4. Custom Encoder
The fourth way of live streaming on YouTube is with encoding software. This is the recommended method if video quality is essential, such as gaming videos.
Step 1: Download and install an encoding software. In this example, we’ll be using OBS .
Step 2: Open OBS
Step 3: Go to YouTube Creator Studio and enter the Stream Now page
Step 4: Under Encoder Setup, copy Stream name/key (Warning: DO NOT share this key with anyone)
Step 5: Return to OBS and enter the Setting menu on the lower right-hand side of the application
Step 6: Click into the Stream tab
a) Under Stream Type, select Streaming Services
b) Under Service, select YouTube/YouTube Gaming
c) Under Server, select Primary YouTube ingest server
d) In Stream Key box, paste the Stream Key you copied from YouTube
e) Click Apply and then OK
Step 7: Plug in your webcam
Step 8: In the main OBS dashboard, under the Sources menu, click the + icon and add Video Capture Device. You should now see visuals from your Webcam.
Step 9: Select the Resolution you want for your video and click OK
Step 10: Return to your YouTube Streaming Page and fill out the details of your livestream
Step 11: Go back to OBS and click Start Streaming
Step 12: See on YouTube Streaming Page at the top that you are Live. You are officially streaming. Once You are finished streaming, return to OBS and click Stop Streaming to end the stream.
8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
Do Speed Test
Before you start your livestream, do a speed test of your Internet. Check out from here.
Have Good Lighting
Be aware of your surroundings when you are about to livestream. You don’t need the top-notch lighting kit, you can simply sit beside a window and allow natural lights to illuminate your stream.
Shoot A Live Test (Unlisted)
Have a technical rehearsal by doing a livestream test, then rewatching it, and evaluating the quality of the audio and visual.
You don’t have to worry about your audience logging in and seeing your test if you set the Privacy of the stream to Unlisted.
Look at the Lens, Not the Screen
If you are streaming with the selfie camera on your smartphone or using your camera’s viewfinder to make sure you are in the frame, remember that you need to be looking at the lens — not the image of yourself.
Eye contact is important in building trust, and if you are looking at yourself, it will appear as if you are looking past your viewers instead of at them.
Show It To Your Viewers
Whatever you are talking about, if you can, show it to your viewers. YouTube is a visual medium, and that means your viewers can become disinterested if there’s nothing visual holding their attention.
In the beginning, you probably won’t have a multi-camera setup, so you cannot cut away from your livestream. However, you can share the screen and you can bring physical objects into a frame.
If you are talking about your dog, show her on camera. If you’re presenting something with a lot of steps, create a Powerpoint slideshow.
Consider what visuals or props you can add to your livestream to enhance your performance.
Find A Way to Make it Evergreen
Evergreen content refers to content that is relevant for a great length of time. Talking about an event isn’t evergreen, because the event will soon pass and become old news. However, giving some tips for how to plan an event would be evergreen content.
Since your livestream will be saved on YouTube and your viewers can replay and watch it. They’re more likely to enjoy it if the content is relevant and interesting.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Long
A livestream doesn’t need to be 40 minutes long. It only needs to be long enough for you to get your story across — and if you want to answer some questions and engage with your audience. As soon as your story is over, even if it’s only 5 minutes, that’s okay. Don’t stress about the length of your stream, it’s not an endurance competition.
Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes
Another thing you shouldn’t worry about at all is making mistakes. When you are doing livestreams pretend you are engaging with someone in real life. In real life, you aren’t able to edit out your mistakes, whether it’s a word mispronounced or coffee spilling. Roll with it and laugh it off.
How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Let People Know When You Are Streaming
Give people enough time to schedule it in, don’t spring it on them in the last minute. Share it on social media, your website, and any other means.
Create a Streaming Link 2 Days Before
Share your livestream link via social media to remind everyone to tune in when you go live. Looking for your link? It should look something like this: <www.youtube.com/user/\[channelname\]/live>
Reach Out To the Communities Most Interested
If you are going to be live streaming about a specific topic, such as photography, you should reach out to those who are interested in the topic. Highlight what aspect of photography you are going to be streaming and attract new viewers to your content.
Be Aware of Time Difference
If you have an international audience, find time to livestream where you can get the optimal amount of viewers.
You can find the location of your main demographic in your YouTube analytics .
Create a Channel Trailer to Promote Livestream
Make a video and host it as your channel trailer, that way anyone who lands on your YouTube page will see the promo for your livestream.
Promote Through Feature Content and Channel
YouTube has a feature that enables you to use your existing content to promote your upcoming livestream.
Here’s how to set it up:
Key Takeaways
- Live streaming will help you make more videos, engage with your audience, and grow your channel.
- You don’t need expensive equipment to livestream on YouTube, you only need a webcam and a microphone.
- YouTube has made live streaming as easy as a few clicks, no additional software needed unless you are gaming.
- Always do a test run of your livestream to ensure the internet, audio, and visual are all working properly.
- Create content and reach out to communities to promote your livestream.
Have you encountered any obstacles when setting up your livestream on YouTube? Let us know in the comments below, we are happy to help!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Live streaming on YouTube is a great way to get more engagement from your audience, even if you do not have a huge following. As long as you have some reliable subscribers leaving comments on your videos you should be able to schedule a live stream and know it will have an audience. People feel a personal connection with their favorite vloggers so if you give your subscribers a chance to interact with you in real time they will probably plan to join in. The key to a good live streaming is to respond to comments and questions from people who are watching. Besides watching the live chat of your video you can create a hashtag for your stream and monitor it on twitter.
Table of Contents
- Why Livestream?
- Type of Content to Livestream
- What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
- 4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
- 8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
- How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Why Livestream?
You have grown your audience, and now you want to take your channel to the next level and diversify your content.
Whether you are vlogging, gaming, or running tutorials on YouTube, there is potential to host a live broadcast. It’s not limited to any genre, you simply need to create content that people are interested in watching.
Before we get started into the How, let’s start with a few reasons Why you should be live streaming your content.
Connect and engage with your audience
When a viewer leaves a comment during a livestream you will be able to see it right away and respond. Having an instantaneous conversation with a viewer while they are watching your video will encourage more engagement and establish a ber relationship with your viewers — and you will know that these viewers are not bots.
Increase watch time and session watch time on your channel
If you are making YouTube videos on average 10 minutes long, and the viewer only watches half of it, that’s only 5 minutes of watch time, which is fine… But if you are live streaming for 45 minutes, and you are able to hold the viewer’s attention, you can surpass what your regular videos can do.
Make videos faster
As a YouTuber, you are always striving to be more efficient. Live streaming allows you to do that as you can set up and go. The content you end up creating during the duration of your livestream can then also be condensed into a highlight reel or a recap.
With a bit of planning before you go live, you can create a week’s worth of content in one go, instead of having multiple schedules for livestream content and your standard publishing videos.
Type of Content to Livestream
Live streaming has a lot of value, but what type of content should you be streaming?
Here are a few popular ideas for content that will attract viewers to your livestream:
Q&A session
Unboxing
Game or challenge
Sneak preview or review
Live events (just make sure the Internet can support it)
A demo or a tutorial
A live commentary or (if you are a gamer) Let’s Play video
What You Need to Livestream On YouTube
A Plan or Outline
It’s good to know what your livestream is going to be about before you start. Is there a key message you want to hit, an action you want your viewers to take, or a structure you want to follow.
Just because it’s live, doesn’t mean it all has to be improvised. If you go in without a plan, you might end up feeling flustered or getting stressed out. Allow for spontaneous comments or events to take you off your initial plan, but always return to your outline so you know how to wrap up your livestream when you have to.
Stable Internet Connection
You cannot conduct a quality livestream, if your Internet is bad. When evaluating your internet connection for live streaming on YouTube, look at the Upload speed. Depending on the quality of your video, these are the minimum upload speed rates your Internet will need to perform:
480p = 1.5 mbps
720p = 3 mbps
1080 = 5 mbps
In addition, be aware of external causes that may be slowing down your internet such as someone else using it, a poorly performing router, or a damaged cable.
Camera
If you have a smartphone or a laptop with a webcam built in, that is the best camera for you to get started live streaming. It’s good to have a milestone and work towards a more advanced camera, but until then, don’t feel discouraged because you don’t have expensive gear. If you have a smartphone, a laptop, or a basic webcam, that’s perfectly fine.
Microphone
You don’t need a great microphone for live streaming, you only need a good one. If you do want to spend several hundred to a thousand dollars for a professional studio microphone, nobody will stop you, but know this, a mic that is easy to use is as important as the audio quality as you develop a consistent live streaming schedule.
Streaming Software (For Higher Quality Streams)
Once upon a time, to livestream on YouTube, you needed additional software to capture content from desktop, camera, microphone, etc, called encoding software — but not anymore.
Those encoding software, such as OBS , Wirecast , and VMix , are required if you are producing content that requires a high frame rate such as gaming, but not mandatory if you are simply vlogging or running a tutorial.
If you are using Chrome, you canstream live on YouTube without using an encoder .
A Capture Card (For Higher Quality Streams)
You will need a capture card when you are capturing footage from a different PC or console. If you are a gamer and you are using one PC to stream and one PC to play your game, then you should consider getting a capture card.
4 Ways to Setup Your Livestream On YouTube
There are 4 main ways you can start live streaming on YouTube. The one that works best for you depends on the content you are going to be streaming.
1. Camera/Go Live (Chrome Browser)
By accessing www.youtube.com/webcam on the Google Chrome browser, you can start streaming immediately through your connected webcam. This way is best for a simple Q&A or letting your viewers know your thoughts in a timely situation. This method does not require an encoder.
There are 3 ways to access livestream this way:
1. Click here to connect to your YouTube channel
2. You can access it from the top menu on YouTube
3. You can access it by clicking Camera under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
2. Google Hangouts On Air (Quick)
Another way to livestream without an encoding software is by using the Google Hangouts On Air feature.
This is great if you want the feel of your livestream to be similar to a board meeting, where you can invite people, split screen, and share screen to illustrate your point.
Here’s how you can access this Google Hangouts On Air:
Step 1: Go to Events under the Live Streaming tab in your Creator Studio
Step 2: Click New Live Event button on the top right corner
Step 3: Enter the event’s Info and Setting page. Fill out the details of your Livestream, and under Type, select Quick (using Google Hangouts On Air).
Step 4: You can schedule your livestream or Go Live immediately by clicking one of the blue buttons on the left-hand side.
3. Mobile
Live streaming via your mobile device gives you a lot more freedom to maneuver. You can walk around and give your viewers a tour — but remember to stay within the WiFi or LTE range. That means you still won’t be able to livestream well inside an elevator.
Here’s how you can livestream on mobile:
Step 1: Access the YouTube app and make sure you are signed in to the account you want to livestream from.
Step 2: At the top, click on the camera icon
Step 3: Click on Go Live
Pro Tip: When live streaming, always hold your smartphone horizontally. This allows your video to be oriented as a landscape, instead of a portrait.
4. Custom Encoder
The fourth way of live streaming on YouTube is with encoding software. This is the recommended method if video quality is essential, such as gaming videos.
Step 1: Download and install an encoding software. In this example, we’ll be using OBS .
Step 2: Open OBS
Step 3: Go to YouTube Creator Studio and enter the Stream Now page
Step 4: Under Encoder Setup, copy Stream name/key (Warning: DO NOT share this key with anyone)
Step 5: Return to OBS and enter the Setting menu on the lower right-hand side of the application
Step 6: Click into the Stream tab
a) Under Stream Type, select Streaming Services
b) Under Service, select YouTube/YouTube Gaming
c) Under Server, select Primary YouTube ingest server
d) In Stream Key box, paste the Stream Key you copied from YouTube
e) Click Apply and then OK
Step 7: Plug in your webcam
Step 8: In the main OBS dashboard, under the Sources menu, click the + icon and add Video Capture Device. You should now see visuals from your Webcam.
Step 9: Select the Resolution you want for your video and click OK
Step 10: Return to your YouTube Streaming Page and fill out the details of your livestream
Step 11: Go back to OBS and click Start Streaming
Step 12: See on YouTube Streaming Page at the top that you are Live. You are officially streaming. Once You are finished streaming, return to OBS and click Stop Streaming to end the stream.
8 Tips to Improve Your Livestream on YouTube
Do Speed Test
Before you start your livestream, do a speed test of your Internet. Check out from here.
Have Good Lighting
Be aware of your surroundings when you are about to livestream. You don’t need the top-notch lighting kit, you can simply sit beside a window and allow natural lights to illuminate your stream.
Shoot A Live Test (Unlisted)
Have a technical rehearsal by doing a livestream test, then rewatching it, and evaluating the quality of the audio and visual.
You don’t have to worry about your audience logging in and seeing your test if you set the Privacy of the stream to Unlisted.
Look at the Lens, Not the Screen
If you are streaming with the selfie camera on your smartphone or using your camera’s viewfinder to make sure you are in the frame, remember that you need to be looking at the lens — not the image of yourself.
Eye contact is important in building trust, and if you are looking at yourself, it will appear as if you are looking past your viewers instead of at them.
Show It To Your Viewers
Whatever you are talking about, if you can, show it to your viewers. YouTube is a visual medium, and that means your viewers can become disinterested if there’s nothing visual holding their attention.
In the beginning, you probably won’t have a multi-camera setup, so you cannot cut away from your livestream. However, you can share the screen and you can bring physical objects into a frame.
If you are talking about your dog, show her on camera. If you’re presenting something with a lot of steps, create a Powerpoint slideshow.
Consider what visuals or props you can add to your livestream to enhance your performance.
Find A Way to Make it Evergreen
Evergreen content refers to content that is relevant for a great length of time. Talking about an event isn’t evergreen, because the event will soon pass and become old news. However, giving some tips for how to plan an event would be evergreen content.
Since your livestream will be saved on YouTube and your viewers can replay and watch it. They’re more likely to enjoy it if the content is relevant and interesting.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Long
A livestream doesn’t need to be 40 minutes long. It only needs to be long enough for you to get your story across — and if you want to answer some questions and engage with your audience. As soon as your story is over, even if it’s only 5 minutes, that’s okay. Don’t stress about the length of your stream, it’s not an endurance competition.
Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes
Another thing you shouldn’t worry about at all is making mistakes. When you are doing livestreams pretend you are engaging with someone in real life. In real life, you aren’t able to edit out your mistakes, whether it’s a word mispronounced or coffee spilling. Roll with it and laugh it off.
How to Grow As A Livestreamer on YouTube
Let People Know When You Are Streaming
Give people enough time to schedule it in, don’t spring it on them in the last minute. Share it on social media, your website, and any other means.
Create a Streaming Link 2 Days Before
Share your livestream link via social media to remind everyone to tune in when you go live. Looking for your link? It should look something like this: <www.youtube.com/user/\[channelname\]/live>
Reach Out To the Communities Most Interested
If you are going to be live streaming about a specific topic, such as photography, you should reach out to those who are interested in the topic. Highlight what aspect of photography you are going to be streaming and attract new viewers to your content.
Be Aware of Time Difference
If you have an international audience, find time to livestream where you can get the optimal amount of viewers.
You can find the location of your main demographic in your YouTube analytics .
Create a Channel Trailer to Promote Livestream
Make a video and host it as your channel trailer, that way anyone who lands on your YouTube page will see the promo for your livestream.
Promote Through Feature Content and Channel
YouTube has a feature that enables you to use your existing content to promote your upcoming livestream.
Here’s how to set it up:
Key Takeaways
- Live streaming will help you make more videos, engage with your audience, and grow your channel.
- You don’t need expensive equipment to livestream on YouTube, you only need a webcam and a microphone.
- YouTube has made live streaming as easy as a few clicks, no additional software needed unless you are gaming.
- Always do a test run of your livestream to ensure the internet, audio, and visual are all working properly.
- Create content and reach out to communities to promote your livestream.
Have you encountered any obstacles when setting up your livestream on YouTube? Let us know in the comments below, we are happy to help!
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
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- Title: Access Creative Banners for Video Makers at Zero Price for 2024
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- Link: https://youtube-video-recordings.techidaily.com/access-creative-banners-for-video-makers-at-zero-price-for-2024/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.