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Achieve Professional Aesthetics: Embedding Watermarks & Branding in Videos
How to Add Logo or Watermark to YouTube Video
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A watermark is a still image that is usually plugged in the videos, for the purpose of claiming copyrights or publicity purpose. YouTube generally carries a “branding” option where you can brand your video with your channel. This doesn’t provide a stable watermark. Therefore, when someone downloads that video using a second party (YouTube downloader) it gets removed. For this purpose the legal author will have to put a Channel watemark on their YouTube videos. In this guide, we will show you how to add watermark to your YouTube videos, existing or new.
You May Also Like:
Best Watermark Apps for iPhone - How to Watermark Photos on iPhone >>
Wondershare AniEraser Seamless, Effortless, Intuitive.
AniEraser makes it easy to perfect any photo or video; no matter the device or platform - experience a smooth, effortless transformation of your image and maximize its potential with just one click.
Make your moment perfect.
Free Download Free Download Edit online
How to Add a Watermark to Your YouTube Videos
- Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
- Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
To add a watermark to your previously uploaded videos you will need to have created and saved your watermark outside of your video editing program.
- Sign in to your YouTube account. Click on the thumbnail image of your account at the top right corner. This will give you a drop down menu. Then Click on the small gear (indicating settings)
- This will lead you to setting center. Click on “view additional features”
- To the left of the window, Click the third option of “branding”
- Click on “add watermark”. Then you can choose an image from your computer. After your image is uploaded, click save.
Notes
YouTube watermark size: Your watermark should be transparent, square, and larger than 50x50 pixels, which is the size it will be shrunk down to when it appears in the corner of your videos.
YouTube watermark starting time: you will have the option of choosing a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your video, or having it there for the entire length of your video. Once that is done click ‘Update’ and your watermark will be applied to your videos.
YouTube watermark color: Youtube suggests that your watermark have only one color. The point is that you should not use anything flashy that will take attention away from your video, so having two or three colors is not necessarily wrong if your design is subtle.
Here is a tutorial video for how to add watermark to Your YouTube videos:
Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
1. Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora which is one of the ideal video editing tools especially when it comes to watermarking your videos . It helps you in adding static and video watermarks over the video. The basic theme of the video watermarking is the concept of picture-in-picture .
The following steps have to be taken to add a watermark:
- Add the video and watermarking data by drag dropping it into the workspace
- Drag the required video on the timeline and the watermark on it as well
- Adjust the watermark and add pre-made special effects to it
- Mask the watermark in the shape you like
- Save the video
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
2. Windows movie maker
Windows movie maker is free default windows software that can easily add watermark to your videos to secure your copyrights. It can cater two types of watermarks; images and text. For images, it just supports PNG and GIF format files and generally doesn’t support transparency. Moreover, an external file, Windows Logo Locator is needed for placing the logo at different positions.
How to add watermark to video with Windows Movie Maker
Adding Text watermark:
- Open windows movie maker
- Click on ‘videos’ under the title of import.
- Import your video to the timeline.
- Right beneath imports under the category of edit you will find ‘titles and credits’. Click.
- Enter the text for watermark.
- Choose the title positioning, font and transparency.
- Add title. You will find it along the length of timeline. You may drag to expand it, for viewing it during the entire videos length. Select file and click publish video.
Adding image watermark:
The image should be in .PNG or .GIF format.
- Save the image in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Download a logo Locator as per your installed windows from FX archives.
- Select the location of the logo in your video where you want it to appear.
- Choose the screen size and the logo size
- Type the name of the file of the logo you had already saved with the extension. For e.g. logo.png
- Copy the text that appears underneath and paste it on the notepad and save the typed file in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Open windows movie maker again.
- Choose title and credits underneath the edit category.
- Press space bar once and then click ‘change the title animation’.
- You will see your image there. Click on ad title and press Ctrl+p to publish.
Part 3: How to Create a Transparent logo for Youtube Channel
Do you want to make a transparent image as logo for your YouTube? If you want to brand your YouTube channel, we believe it is a must to add transparent logo for YouTube branding. Actually, you can do this in Filmora just with a green screen image. Check the steps below to know the secret.
Step 1: Import video and image to Filmora
Open Filmora. Choose Create New Project. Click import media files here in Media library. Select your video and a green screen image. In fact, a green screen video is also accessable, but usually brand logo is image. Now drag them onto timeline.
Step 2: Import video and image to Filmora
Right click on the image clip in the timeline. Choose Green Screen. You will see the image is transparent in the preview window. Now, you need to adjust some details. You can adjust edge thickness and edge feather to better edge. If the green screen background is not totally removed, drag tolerance to adjust it.
Step 3: Scale the logo
You can clip the image clip first and go to preview window to scale it down or up by dragging the green dot. You can put the YouTube logo at corner.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A watermark is a still image that is usually plugged in the videos, for the purpose of claiming copyrights or publicity purpose. YouTube generally carries a “branding” option where you can brand your video with your channel. This doesn’t provide a stable watermark. Therefore, when someone downloads that video using a second party (YouTube downloader) it gets removed. For this purpose the legal author will have to put a Channel watemark on their YouTube videos. In this guide, we will show you how to add watermark to your YouTube videos, existing or new.
You May Also Like:
Best Watermark Apps for iPhone - How to Watermark Photos on iPhone >>
Wondershare AniEraser Seamless, Effortless, Intuitive.
AniEraser makes it easy to perfect any photo or video; no matter the device or platform - experience a smooth, effortless transformation of your image and maximize its potential with just one click.
Make your moment perfect.
Free Download Free Download Edit online
How to Add a Watermark to Your YouTube Videos
- Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
- Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
To add a watermark to your previously uploaded videos you will need to have created and saved your watermark outside of your video editing program.
- Sign in to your YouTube account. Click on the thumbnail image of your account at the top right corner. This will give you a drop down menu. Then Click on the small gear (indicating settings)
- This will lead you to setting center. Click on “view additional features”
- To the left of the window, Click the third option of “branding”
- Click on “add watermark”. Then you can choose an image from your computer. After your image is uploaded, click save.
Notes
YouTube watermark size: Your watermark should be transparent, square, and larger than 50x50 pixels, which is the size it will be shrunk down to when it appears in the corner of your videos.
YouTube watermark starting time: you will have the option of choosing a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your video, or having it there for the entire length of your video. Once that is done click ‘Update’ and your watermark will be applied to your videos.
YouTube watermark color: Youtube suggests that your watermark have only one color. The point is that you should not use anything flashy that will take attention away from your video, so having two or three colors is not necessarily wrong if your design is subtle.
Here is a tutorial video for how to add watermark to Your YouTube videos:
Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
1. Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora which is one of the ideal video editing tools especially when it comes to watermarking your videos . It helps you in adding static and video watermarks over the video. The basic theme of the video watermarking is the concept of picture-in-picture .
The following steps have to be taken to add a watermark:
- Add the video and watermarking data by drag dropping it into the workspace
- Drag the required video on the timeline and the watermark on it as well
- Adjust the watermark and add pre-made special effects to it
- Mask the watermark in the shape you like
- Save the video
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
2. Windows movie maker
Windows movie maker is free default windows software that can easily add watermark to your videos to secure your copyrights. It can cater two types of watermarks; images and text. For images, it just supports PNG and GIF format files and generally doesn’t support transparency. Moreover, an external file, Windows Logo Locator is needed for placing the logo at different positions.
How to add watermark to video with Windows Movie Maker
Adding Text watermark:
- Open windows movie maker
- Click on ‘videos’ under the title of import.
- Import your video to the timeline.
- Right beneath imports under the category of edit you will find ‘titles and credits’. Click.
- Enter the text for watermark.
- Choose the title positioning, font and transparency.
- Add title. You will find it along the length of timeline. You may drag to expand it, for viewing it during the entire videos length. Select file and click publish video.
Adding image watermark:
The image should be in .PNG or .GIF format.
- Save the image in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Download a logo Locator as per your installed windows from FX archives.
- Select the location of the logo in your video where you want it to appear.
- Choose the screen size and the logo size
- Type the name of the file of the logo you had already saved with the extension. For e.g. logo.png
- Copy the text that appears underneath and paste it on the notepad and save the typed file in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Open windows movie maker again.
- Choose title and credits underneath the edit category.
- Press space bar once and then click ‘change the title animation’.
- You will see your image there. Click on ad title and press Ctrl+p to publish.
Part 3: How to Create a Transparent logo for Youtube Channel
Do you want to make a transparent image as logo for your YouTube? If you want to brand your YouTube channel, we believe it is a must to add transparent logo for YouTube branding. Actually, you can do this in Filmora just with a green screen image. Check the steps below to know the secret.
Step 1: Import video and image to Filmora
Open Filmora. Choose Create New Project. Click import media files here in Media library. Select your video and a green screen image. In fact, a green screen video is also accessable, but usually brand logo is image. Now drag them onto timeline.
Step 2: Import video and image to Filmora
Right click on the image clip in the timeline. Choose Green Screen. You will see the image is transparent in the preview window. Now, you need to adjust some details. You can adjust edge thickness and edge feather to better edge. If the green screen background is not totally removed, drag tolerance to adjust it.
Step 3: Scale the logo
You can clip the image clip first and go to preview window to scale it down or up by dragging the green dot. You can put the YouTube logo at corner.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A watermark is a still image that is usually plugged in the videos, for the purpose of claiming copyrights or publicity purpose. YouTube generally carries a “branding” option where you can brand your video with your channel. This doesn’t provide a stable watermark. Therefore, when someone downloads that video using a second party (YouTube downloader) it gets removed. For this purpose the legal author will have to put a Channel watemark on their YouTube videos. In this guide, we will show you how to add watermark to your YouTube videos, existing or new.
You May Also Like:
Best Watermark Apps for iPhone - How to Watermark Photos on iPhone >>
Wondershare AniEraser Seamless, Effortless, Intuitive.
AniEraser makes it easy to perfect any photo or video; no matter the device or platform - experience a smooth, effortless transformation of your image and maximize its potential with just one click.
Make your moment perfect.
Free Download Free Download Edit online
How to Add a Watermark to Your YouTube Videos
- Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
- Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
To add a watermark to your previously uploaded videos you will need to have created and saved your watermark outside of your video editing program.
- Sign in to your YouTube account. Click on the thumbnail image of your account at the top right corner. This will give you a drop down menu. Then Click on the small gear (indicating settings)
- This will lead you to setting center. Click on “view additional features”
- To the left of the window, Click the third option of “branding”
- Click on “add watermark”. Then you can choose an image from your computer. After your image is uploaded, click save.
Notes
YouTube watermark size: Your watermark should be transparent, square, and larger than 50x50 pixels, which is the size it will be shrunk down to when it appears in the corner of your videos.
YouTube watermark starting time: you will have the option of choosing a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your video, or having it there for the entire length of your video. Once that is done click ‘Update’ and your watermark will be applied to your videos.
YouTube watermark color: Youtube suggests that your watermark have only one color. The point is that you should not use anything flashy that will take attention away from your video, so having two or three colors is not necessarily wrong if your design is subtle.
Here is a tutorial video for how to add watermark to Your YouTube videos:
Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
1. Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora which is one of the ideal video editing tools especially when it comes to watermarking your videos . It helps you in adding static and video watermarks over the video. The basic theme of the video watermarking is the concept of picture-in-picture .
The following steps have to be taken to add a watermark:
- Add the video and watermarking data by drag dropping it into the workspace
- Drag the required video on the timeline and the watermark on it as well
- Adjust the watermark and add pre-made special effects to it
- Mask the watermark in the shape you like
- Save the video
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
2. Windows movie maker
Windows movie maker is free default windows software that can easily add watermark to your videos to secure your copyrights. It can cater two types of watermarks; images and text. For images, it just supports PNG and GIF format files and generally doesn’t support transparency. Moreover, an external file, Windows Logo Locator is needed for placing the logo at different positions.
How to add watermark to video with Windows Movie Maker
Adding Text watermark:
- Open windows movie maker
- Click on ‘videos’ under the title of import.
- Import your video to the timeline.
- Right beneath imports under the category of edit you will find ‘titles and credits’. Click.
- Enter the text for watermark.
- Choose the title positioning, font and transparency.
- Add title. You will find it along the length of timeline. You may drag to expand it, for viewing it during the entire videos length. Select file and click publish video.
Adding image watermark:
The image should be in .PNG or .GIF format.
- Save the image in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Download a logo Locator as per your installed windows from FX archives.
- Select the location of the logo in your video where you want it to appear.
- Choose the screen size and the logo size
- Type the name of the file of the logo you had already saved with the extension. For e.g. logo.png
- Copy the text that appears underneath and paste it on the notepad and save the typed file in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Open windows movie maker again.
- Choose title and credits underneath the edit category.
- Press space bar once and then click ‘change the title animation’.
- You will see your image there. Click on ad title and press Ctrl+p to publish.
Part 3: How to Create a Transparent logo for Youtube Channel
Do you want to make a transparent image as logo for your YouTube? If you want to brand your YouTube channel, we believe it is a must to add transparent logo for YouTube branding. Actually, you can do this in Filmora just with a green screen image. Check the steps below to know the secret.
Step 1: Import video and image to Filmora
Open Filmora. Choose Create New Project. Click import media files here in Media library. Select your video and a green screen image. In fact, a green screen video is also accessable, but usually brand logo is image. Now drag them onto timeline.
Step 2: Import video and image to Filmora
Right click on the image clip in the timeline. Choose Green Screen. You will see the image is transparent in the preview window. Now, you need to adjust some details. You can adjust edge thickness and edge feather to better edge. If the green screen background is not totally removed, drag tolerance to adjust it.
Step 3: Scale the logo
You can clip the image clip first and go to preview window to scale it down or up by dragging the green dot. You can put the YouTube logo at corner.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A watermark is a still image that is usually plugged in the videos, for the purpose of claiming copyrights or publicity purpose. YouTube generally carries a “branding” option where you can brand your video with your channel. This doesn’t provide a stable watermark. Therefore, when someone downloads that video using a second party (YouTube downloader) it gets removed. For this purpose the legal author will have to put a Channel watemark on their YouTube videos. In this guide, we will show you how to add watermark to your YouTube videos, existing or new.
You May Also Like:
Best Watermark Apps for iPhone - How to Watermark Photos on iPhone >>
Wondershare AniEraser Seamless, Effortless, Intuitive.
AniEraser makes it easy to perfect any photo or video; no matter the device or platform - experience a smooth, effortless transformation of your image and maximize its potential with just one click.
Make your moment perfect.
Free Download Free Download Edit online
How to Add a Watermark to Your YouTube Videos
- Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
- Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
Part 1: How to add logo or watermark to in existing YouTube videos
To add a watermark to your previously uploaded videos you will need to have created and saved your watermark outside of your video editing program.
- Sign in to your YouTube account. Click on the thumbnail image of your account at the top right corner. This will give you a drop down menu. Then Click on the small gear (indicating settings)
- This will lead you to setting center. Click on “view additional features”
- To the left of the window, Click the third option of “branding”
- Click on “add watermark”. Then you can choose an image from your computer. After your image is uploaded, click save.
Notes
YouTube watermark size: Your watermark should be transparent, square, and larger than 50x50 pixels, which is the size it will be shrunk down to when it appears in the corner of your videos.
YouTube watermark starting time: you will have the option of choosing a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your video, or having it there for the entire length of your video. Once that is done click ‘Update’ and your watermark will be applied to your videos.
YouTube watermark color: Youtube suggests that your watermark have only one color. The point is that you should not use anything flashy that will take attention away from your video, so having two or three colors is not necessarily wrong if your design is subtle.
Here is a tutorial video for how to add watermark to Your YouTube videos:
Part 2: Add logos or watermarks to your videos before uploading
1. Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora which is one of the ideal video editing tools especially when it comes to watermarking your videos . It helps you in adding static and video watermarks over the video. The basic theme of the video watermarking is the concept of picture-in-picture .
The following steps have to be taken to add a watermark:
- Add the video and watermarking data by drag dropping it into the workspace
- Drag the required video on the timeline and the watermark on it as well
- Adjust the watermark and add pre-made special effects to it
- Mask the watermark in the shape you like
- Save the video
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
2. Windows movie maker
Windows movie maker is free default windows software that can easily add watermark to your videos to secure your copyrights. It can cater two types of watermarks; images and text. For images, it just supports PNG and GIF format files and generally doesn’t support transparency. Moreover, an external file, Windows Logo Locator is needed for placing the logo at different positions.
How to add watermark to video with Windows Movie Maker
Adding Text watermark:
- Open windows movie maker
- Click on ‘videos’ under the title of import.
- Import your video to the timeline.
- Right beneath imports under the category of edit you will find ‘titles and credits’. Click.
- Enter the text for watermark.
- Choose the title positioning, font and transparency.
- Add title. You will find it along the length of timeline. You may drag to expand it, for viewing it during the entire videos length. Select file and click publish video.
Adding image watermark:
The image should be in .PNG or .GIF format.
- Save the image in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Download a logo Locator as per your installed windows from FX archives.
- Select the location of the logo in your video where you want it to appear.
- Choose the screen size and the logo size
- Type the name of the file of the logo you had already saved with the extension. For e.g. logo.png
- Copy the text that appears underneath and paste it on the notepad and save the typed file in >C:\Program Files\Movie Maker\Shared\AddOnTFX\.
- Open windows movie maker again.
- Choose title and credits underneath the edit category.
- Press space bar once and then click ‘change the title animation’.
- You will see your image there. Click on ad title and press Ctrl+p to publish.
Part 3: How to Create a Transparent logo for Youtube Channel
Do you want to make a transparent image as logo for your YouTube? If you want to brand your YouTube channel, we believe it is a must to add transparent logo for YouTube branding. Actually, you can do this in Filmora just with a green screen image. Check the steps below to know the secret.
Step 1: Import video and image to Filmora
Open Filmora. Choose Create New Project. Click import media files here in Media library. Select your video and a green screen image. In fact, a green screen video is also accessable, but usually brand logo is image. Now drag them onto timeline.
Step 2: Import video and image to Filmora
Right click on the image clip in the timeline. Choose Green Screen. You will see the image is transparent in the preview window. Now, you need to adjust some details. You can adjust edge thickness and edge feather to better edge. If the green screen background is not totally removed, drag tolerance to adjust it.
Step 3: Scale the logo
You can clip the image clip first and go to preview window to scale it down or up by dragging the green dot. You can put the YouTube logo at corner.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Implementing YouTube’s Custom Markup Guide
How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:
Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.
You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.
This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.
Part 1: Annotations
Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.
Section 1: Types of Annotations
There are five types of YouTube annotations:
Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.
Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.
Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.
Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.
Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.
Section 2: How to Use Annotations
*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.
Here are two of the best uses for annotations:
Clickable End Cards / Outros
One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.
When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.
Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.
This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.
Promoting Your Videos
You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.
This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.
Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.
You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.
Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.
Part 2: YouTube Cards
YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.
When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.
Section 1: When to Use Cards
A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.
Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.
When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.
Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:
Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.
You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.
This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.
Part 1: Annotations
Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.
Section 1: Types of Annotations
There are five types of YouTube annotations:
Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.
Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.
Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.
Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.
Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.
Section 2: How to Use Annotations
*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.
Here are two of the best uses for annotations:
Clickable End Cards / Outros
One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.
When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.
Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.
This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.
Promoting Your Videos
You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.
This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.
Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.
You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.
Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.
Part 2: YouTube Cards
YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.
When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.
Section 1: When to Use Cards
A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.
Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.
When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.
Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:
Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.
You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.
This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.
Part 1: Annotations
Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.
Section 1: Types of Annotations
There are five types of YouTube annotations:
Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.
Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.
Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.
Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.
Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.
Section 2: How to Use Annotations
*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.
Here are two of the best uses for annotations:
Clickable End Cards / Outros
One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.
When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.
Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.
This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.
Promoting Your Videos
You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.
This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.
Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.
You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.
Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.
Part 2: YouTube Cards
YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.
When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.
Section 1: When to Use Cards
A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.
Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.
When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.
Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:
Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.
You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.
This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.
Part 1: Annotations
Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.
Section 1: Types of Annotations
There are five types of YouTube annotations:
Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.
Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.
Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.
Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.
Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.
Section 2: How to Use Annotations
*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.
Here are two of the best uses for annotations:
Clickable End Cards / Outros
One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.
When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.
Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.
This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.
Promoting Your Videos
You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.
This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.
Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.
You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.
Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.
Part 2: YouTube Cards
YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.
When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.
Section 1: When to Use Cards
A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.
Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.
When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.
Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
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- Title: "Achieve Professional Aesthetics Embedding Watermarks & Branding in Videos for 2024"
- Author: Brian
- Created at : 2024-05-25 11:18:05
- Updated at : 2024-05-26 11:18:05
- Link: https://youtube-video-recordings.techidaily.com/achieve-professional-aesthetics-embedding-watermarks-and-branding-in-videos-for-2024/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.