Dealing with YouTube’s Challenging Earnings Model

YouTube Monetization: The New Rules Everyone Hates

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

YouTube changed its monetization policy and, once again, there are new monetization rules. Last year, in the wake of the ‘adpocalypse’ (click here for coverage on that ), they imposed a new milestone of 10,000-lifetime views which a channel would have to meet before applying for monetization. As of February 20, 2018, YouTube will be introducing 2 more obstacles to monetizing your videos.

1. The New Monetization Rules
2. Why YouTube Changed The Monetization Rules
3. How Do The Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels
4. Join the Conversation
5. Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time
6. Helpful Blog Posts
7. Don’t Give Up!

The New Monetization Rules

In order to qualify for YouTube monetization, you must meet these milestones.

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.
2. You will need to have accumulated 4,000 hours of watch time over the last 12 months.

You can read the full announcement here.

Trying to get monetization on YouTube can feel like this.

Why YouTube Changed the Monetization Rules

YouTube’s reasoning for these changes is essentially the same as they gave for the 10,000 views milestone: having higher standards will help them prevent inappropriate or stolen content from being monetized. They also point out that the majority of channels affected will not have been making any significant money anyways (less than $2.50 per month, in most cases).

How Do the Changes Affect Small YouTube Channels

However, even if the immediate financial impact won’t be that financially significant, it is untrue to say these new rules will not affect YouTubers with smaller channels. Having to plan to achieve and maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subs could have a major impact on how creators plan their content. Will you feel pressured to abandon content that you and your existing viewers love in favor of making videos that will get you to those milestones faster?

That will be a question facing a lot of smaller YouTubers, especially those who have already reached 1,000 subscribers and are now in a situation where they have to maintain those 4,000 hours of watch time. You won’t be cut off from monetization automatically if you fall from 4,000 hours to 3,500 hours one month (after already having monetized your channel), but YouTube may review your channel and remove monetization if time passes and you still haven’t gotten back up to 4,000 hours.

These new rules could also put niche channels at a disadvantage. Niche channels may have devoted followers who keep their watch time up, but getting to 1,000 subscribers could be harder for them purely because their potential audience is already smaller.

Join The Conversation

There have been b reactions to this news in our forums here on filmora.io, the majority of them negative. Although the perspective that these kinds of measures are necessary as YouTube becomes more and more crowded has also been represented, the majority of people who have weighed in find these changes unreasonable. If you haven’t yet, make sure to head over to the forums and join the conversation .

It probably doesn’t help that none of the regulations being put in place to stop smaller channels who might be ‘bad actors’ (YouTube uses the term several times in their announcement) will affect gigantic channels whose creators may already be behaving in wildly inappropriate (and not at all ad friendly) ways.

Cough. Logan Paul. Cough.

Tips for Increasing YouTube Watch Time

1. Sorting your videos into playlists encourages viewers to spend a lot more time on your channel.
2. Link your videos together using cards and interactive end screens/outros.
3. Basic video editing. Simple things like adding transition effects and cutting out long pauses will help keep viewers watching your videos for longer.

Helpful Blog Posts

How to Get People to Subscribe by Asking the Right Way

Understanding YouTube Analytics – Take Charge of Your Channel! (this one will teach you how to see which of your videos are doing best for watch time!)

How to Edit a YouTube Video and Get More Subscribers

Don’t Give Up

I risk sounding cheesy here, but I hope nobody gives up on their dreams as creators over something like this. Wanting to be paid for doing what you love is only natural, and you can still get there (YouTube monetization isn’t even the only way). There may even be better opportunities to generate revenue when you do. In the long run, this could be a good thing for YouTube. Nobody can really know yet.

How do you get subscribers, or increase your watch time? If you have any tips, share them with everyone! Also, make sure to let us know if there are any blog topics that might help you out with YouTube’s new monetization rules.

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Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Thumbnail Artistry for Engaging YouTube Channels

YouTube Channel Art: How to Make Banners, Icons, and Thumbnails?

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube channel art refers to your banner, icon, and watermark along with the thumbnails of your videos. Creating custom channel art is a great way to express yourself and communicate the tone of your videos.

YouTube supports JPG, GIF, BMP, and PNG files for channel art, although they do not allow animated GIFs.

Part 1: Top Sites for YouTube Channel Art

You can make your channel art in Photoshop, or another photo editing program, but there are also some excellent tools online which you can access for free. Here are two of the best:

Canva.com

Canva has templates for YouTube banners as well as a variety of stock images. You can also upload and edit your own images on Canva. It is a free service, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each. Canva has a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey.com

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. It’s free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription for either $4.99 a month, or $2.75 a month for a year.

Part 2: Banners

Your banner is the header for your channel page. Its dimensions are 2560 x 1440 px.

Not all of your banner will be visible on all devices. The full 2560 x 1440 px image will only be seen by viewers watching on tv screens.

Only 1546 x 423 px of your banner will be visible on computers, and this ‘safe area’ can vary for different tablets and smartphones depending on the width of their screens. Make sure any important text or logos are placed in a central location so everybody can see them.

Also, keep in mind that your icon will hover over the top left corner of your banner and that your social media icons will be located in the bottom right corner.

The file size of your banner cannot be over 4MB.

Part 3: Icons

Your icon is the avatar you use when leaving and replying to comments on YouTube. It also hovers over your banner on your channel page.

By default, your icon will be the picture associated with your Google account.

If you upload a new icon, it will render down to 98 x 98 px. So, any square image larger than 98 x 98 px will work. However, YouTube recommends you use one as large as 800 x 800 px. This will give you a sharper, higher quality, image.

Part 4: Thumbnails

Thumbnails are the images that represent your videos on your channel page and in search results.

You can browse through your video and choose a still frame you want to use as your video’s thumbnail. Or, you can upload a custom image.

Custom thumbnails should have an aspect ratio of 16:9, the same as YouTube’s video player. The files should be under 2MB and have a resolution of 1280 x 720.

To upload a custom thumbnail, select the custom thumbnail option under Video Thumbnails at the end of the video uploading process. You can also change the thumbnails of your existing videos to custom ones through Video Manager.

Remember that your thumbnail will be rendered down to a much smaller size. If you use text, like the title of your video, then you should make it really big so that it is easy to read when it gets shrunk down.

Part 5: Watermarks

A watermark is a small, usually 50 x 50 px image displayed in the bottom right corner of your video.

Watermarks protect your videos by making them harder for others to steal and take credit for.

Ideally, your watermark will be a transparent version of your logo. Try not to use more than three colors – you do not want your watermark to distract your viewers.

If you add a branding watermark through YouTube then that watermark will also double as a subscribe link.

Here is how you can add a branding watermark through YouTube:

1. On YouTube, go to your Creator Studio and select Branding under the Channel menu.
2. Click the blue add a watermark button on the Branding page.
3. An upload of a watermark window will pop up. Select your image file and click Save.
4. Choose between having a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your videos, or having it there for the entire length of your videos. The popular choice is to have it visible through the entire video.
5. Click Update. Your watermark will be applied to all of your videos.

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.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube channel art refers to your banner, icon, and watermark along with the thumbnails of your videos. Creating custom channel art is a great way to express yourself and communicate the tone of your videos.

YouTube supports JPG, GIF, BMP, and PNG files for channel art, although they do not allow animated GIFs.

Part 1: Top Sites for YouTube Channel Art

You can make your channel art in Photoshop, or another photo editing program, but there are also some excellent tools online which you can access for free. Here are two of the best:

Canva.com

Canva has templates for YouTube banners as well as a variety of stock images. You can also upload and edit your own images on Canva. It is a free service, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each. Canva has a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey.com

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. It’s free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription for either $4.99 a month, or $2.75 a month for a year.

Part 2: Banners

Your banner is the header for your channel page. Its dimensions are 2560 x 1440 px.

Not all of your banner will be visible on all devices. The full 2560 x 1440 px image will only be seen by viewers watching on tv screens.

Only 1546 x 423 px of your banner will be visible on computers, and this ‘safe area’ can vary for different tablets and smartphones depending on the width of their screens. Make sure any important text or logos are placed in a central location so everybody can see them.

Also, keep in mind that your icon will hover over the top left corner of your banner and that your social media icons will be located in the bottom right corner.

The file size of your banner cannot be over 4MB.

Part 3: Icons

Your icon is the avatar you use when leaving and replying to comments on YouTube. It also hovers over your banner on your channel page.

By default, your icon will be the picture associated with your Google account.

If you upload a new icon, it will render down to 98 x 98 px. So, any square image larger than 98 x 98 px will work. However, YouTube recommends you use one as large as 800 x 800 px. This will give you a sharper, higher quality, image.

Part 4: Thumbnails

Thumbnails are the images that represent your videos on your channel page and in search results.

You can browse through your video and choose a still frame you want to use as your video’s thumbnail. Or, you can upload a custom image.

Custom thumbnails should have an aspect ratio of 16:9, the same as YouTube’s video player. The files should be under 2MB and have a resolution of 1280 x 720.

To upload a custom thumbnail, select the custom thumbnail option under Video Thumbnails at the end of the video uploading process. You can also change the thumbnails of your existing videos to custom ones through Video Manager.

Remember that your thumbnail will be rendered down to a much smaller size. If you use text, like the title of your video, then you should make it really big so that it is easy to read when it gets shrunk down.

Part 5: Watermarks

A watermark is a small, usually 50 x 50 px image displayed in the bottom right corner of your video.

Watermarks protect your videos by making them harder for others to steal and take credit for.

Ideally, your watermark will be a transparent version of your logo. Try not to use more than three colors – you do not want your watermark to distract your viewers.

If you add a branding watermark through YouTube then that watermark will also double as a subscribe link.

Here is how you can add a branding watermark through YouTube:

1. On YouTube, go to your Creator Studio and select Branding under the Channel menu.
2. Click the blue add a watermark button on the Branding page.
3. An upload of a watermark window will pop up. Select your image file and click Save.
4. Choose between having a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your videos, or having it there for the entire length of your videos. The popular choice is to have it visible through the entire video.
5. Click Update. Your watermark will be applied to all of your videos.

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.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube channel art refers to your banner, icon, and watermark along with the thumbnails of your videos. Creating custom channel art is a great way to express yourself and communicate the tone of your videos.

YouTube supports JPG, GIF, BMP, and PNG files for channel art, although they do not allow animated GIFs.

Part 1: Top Sites for YouTube Channel Art

You can make your channel art in Photoshop, or another photo editing program, but there are also some excellent tools online which you can access for free. Here are two of the best:

Canva.com

Canva has templates for YouTube banners as well as a variety of stock images. You can also upload and edit your own images on Canva. It is a free service, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each. Canva has a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey.com

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. It’s free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription for either $4.99 a month, or $2.75 a month for a year.

Part 2: Banners

Your banner is the header for your channel page. Its dimensions are 2560 x 1440 px.

Not all of your banner will be visible on all devices. The full 2560 x 1440 px image will only be seen by viewers watching on tv screens.

Only 1546 x 423 px of your banner will be visible on computers, and this ‘safe area’ can vary for different tablets and smartphones depending on the width of their screens. Make sure any important text or logos are placed in a central location so everybody can see them.

Also, keep in mind that your icon will hover over the top left corner of your banner and that your social media icons will be located in the bottom right corner.

The file size of your banner cannot be over 4MB.

Part 3: Icons

Your icon is the avatar you use when leaving and replying to comments on YouTube. It also hovers over your banner on your channel page.

By default, your icon will be the picture associated with your Google account.

If you upload a new icon, it will render down to 98 x 98 px. So, any square image larger than 98 x 98 px will work. However, YouTube recommends you use one as large as 800 x 800 px. This will give you a sharper, higher quality, image.

Part 4: Thumbnails

Thumbnails are the images that represent your videos on your channel page and in search results.

You can browse through your video and choose a still frame you want to use as your video’s thumbnail. Or, you can upload a custom image.

Custom thumbnails should have an aspect ratio of 16:9, the same as YouTube’s video player. The files should be under 2MB and have a resolution of 1280 x 720.

To upload a custom thumbnail, select the custom thumbnail option under Video Thumbnails at the end of the video uploading process. You can also change the thumbnails of your existing videos to custom ones through Video Manager.

Remember that your thumbnail will be rendered down to a much smaller size. If you use text, like the title of your video, then you should make it really big so that it is easy to read when it gets shrunk down.

Part 5: Watermarks

A watermark is a small, usually 50 x 50 px image displayed in the bottom right corner of your video.

Watermarks protect your videos by making them harder for others to steal and take credit for.

Ideally, your watermark will be a transparent version of your logo. Try not to use more than three colors – you do not want your watermark to distract your viewers.

If you add a branding watermark through YouTube then that watermark will also double as a subscribe link.

Here is how you can add a branding watermark through YouTube:

1. On YouTube, go to your Creator Studio and select Branding under the Channel menu.
2. Click the blue add a watermark button on the Branding page.
3. An upload of a watermark window will pop up. Select your image file and click Save.
4. Choose between having a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your videos, or having it there for the entire length of your videos. The popular choice is to have it visible through the entire video.
5. Click Update. Your watermark will be applied to all of your videos.

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.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube channel art refers to your banner, icon, and watermark along with the thumbnails of your videos. Creating custom channel art is a great way to express yourself and communicate the tone of your videos.

YouTube supports JPG, GIF, BMP, and PNG files for channel art, although they do not allow animated GIFs.

Part 1: Top Sites for YouTube Channel Art

You can make your channel art in Photoshop, or another photo editing program, but there are also some excellent tools online which you can access for free. Here are two of the best:

Canva.com

Canva has templates for YouTube banners as well as a variety of stock images. You can also upload and edit your own images on Canva. It is a free service, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each. Canva has a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey.com

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. It’s free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription for either $4.99 a month, or $2.75 a month for a year.

Part 2: Banners

Your banner is the header for your channel page. Its dimensions are 2560 x 1440 px.

Not all of your banner will be visible on all devices. The full 2560 x 1440 px image will only be seen by viewers watching on tv screens.

Only 1546 x 423 px of your banner will be visible on computers, and this ‘safe area’ can vary for different tablets and smartphones depending on the width of their screens. Make sure any important text or logos are placed in a central location so everybody can see them.

Also, keep in mind that your icon will hover over the top left corner of your banner and that your social media icons will be located in the bottom right corner.

The file size of your banner cannot be over 4MB.

Part 3: Icons

Your icon is the avatar you use when leaving and replying to comments on YouTube. It also hovers over your banner on your channel page.

By default, your icon will be the picture associated with your Google account.

If you upload a new icon, it will render down to 98 x 98 px. So, any square image larger than 98 x 98 px will work. However, YouTube recommends you use one as large as 800 x 800 px. This will give you a sharper, higher quality, image.

Part 4: Thumbnails

Thumbnails are the images that represent your videos on your channel page and in search results.

You can browse through your video and choose a still frame you want to use as your video’s thumbnail. Or, you can upload a custom image.

Custom thumbnails should have an aspect ratio of 16:9, the same as YouTube’s video player. The files should be under 2MB and have a resolution of 1280 x 720.

To upload a custom thumbnail, select the custom thumbnail option under Video Thumbnails at the end of the video uploading process. You can also change the thumbnails of your existing videos to custom ones through Video Manager.

Remember that your thumbnail will be rendered down to a much smaller size. If you use text, like the title of your video, then you should make it really big so that it is easy to read when it gets shrunk down.

Part 5: Watermarks

A watermark is a small, usually 50 x 50 px image displayed in the bottom right corner of your video.

Watermarks protect your videos by making them harder for others to steal and take credit for.

Ideally, your watermark will be a transparent version of your logo. Try not to use more than three colors – you do not want your watermark to distract your viewers.

If you add a branding watermark through YouTube then that watermark will also double as a subscribe link.

Here is how you can add a branding watermark through YouTube:

1. On YouTube, go to your Creator Studio and select Branding under the Channel menu.
2. Click the blue add a watermark button on the Branding page.
3. An upload of a watermark window will pop up. Select your image file and click Save.
4. Choose between having a start time for your watermark, making it appear only at the end of your videos, or having it there for the entire length of your videos. The popular choice is to have it visible through the entire video.
5. Click Update. Your watermark will be applied to all of your videos.

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.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox