Elevate Video Appeal: Crafting Unforgettable Thumbnail Images

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

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How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Peeking Into Pixel Performance: A Complete Guide to Measuring Views and Income on YouTube

It’s not the easiest way to earn money online, but YouTube is one of the best ways. YouTube is a powerful channel to promote your video and get more traffic.

The most common question is how much YouTubers earn on 100, 1000, or 10,000 views. We’re going to answer that question in this article and explain how to calculate YouTube views to money.

First off, we’re going to talk about how YouTube works.

Next, we’ll examine the importance of YouTube views, plus how to calculate them.

1. YouTube Money Calculator
2. Aux mode
3. Tunepocket

• Estimated your YouTube earning by YouTube revenue reports
• How much money can you make on YouTube?
• Bonus tip: Increase YouTube earnings with a powerful video editing software

Part 1: The rules to know for each means earning money from YouTube

As a YouTube creator, finding ways to earn money from your content cannot be easy. Some creators make a living solely off their channels. Others supplement their income with affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and ad revenue. But if you want to earn money from YouTube truly, you need to understand which monetization methods work best for you and your content.

Here’s what you should know when using each method and why you should consider doing so:

Methods	Viewers/Clicks/Impressions	Earnings/Commission
YouTube Ads $1 CPM	1 million Ad views	Average rate per ad=0.18Total ~ $5000
Brand Sponsorships	5K Sub 5K-30K Sub 30K-500K Sub 500K-1M+ Sub	$300 $700 $950 $3500
Affiliate Marketing 30%-35% commission	If 100 people buys $20 product through affiliate link. Total $2000	$2000*35%= $700
Crowdfunding (Patreon, Indiegogo, GoFundMe) $5	100 subscribers funds the channel	100*5=$500
Merchandise Shelf $5 Shirt	100 subscribers purchases your merch	100*5=$500
Channel Memberships $5/month	100 loyal subscribers join membership	100*5=$500

YouTube Ads

The video ads on the platform aren’t lucrative and can be used to supplement your income in the form of AdSense earnings. An actual advertiser pays 0.18 per ad view on average (as shown above). That means 1000 ad views equals $18 and $3-$5 per 1000 views.

Brand Sponsorships

Brands can sponsor your videos to reach their target audience. YouTube videos are a big part of our lives, and brands are becoming increasingly aware of how useful these videos can be. To be eligible for sponsorship, your channel must be of 5000 subscribers.

Affiliate Marketing

YouTubers help brands increase sales by encouraging their viewers to shop at the company’s store or visit its specific product pages. They then earn a commission (30%-35%) on products that people buy after clicking an affiliate link.

Crowdfunding

Today many people use crowdfunding websites to raise money for personal, channel-related projects. Most YouTubers are doing it to generate steady cash flow. Some of them use this source to fund their YouTube videos so that it increases quality and engagement.

Merchandise Shelf

Your merchandise represents and feeds your audience’s connection with you. Your product is your business, so you’re first and foremost an entrepreneur. Then design your YouTube marketing strategy to sell your merchandise and generate income.

Channel Membership

YouTube has a plan that allows you to charge your subscribers for membership on your YouTube channel. Members get access to exclusive live chats, badges, emojis, etc. Subscribers must give a set amount every month to a channel that makes a steady monthly income for YouTubers.

Part 2: Calculate YouTube income by YouTube Money Calculator

How much money do you earn on YouTube? There is no simple way to answer this question, but a YouTube income calculator can give you a rough estimate. It shows you whether you’re getting enough money to keep producing videos or if you need to look for additional ways of making money from your channel.

The tools below provide a detailed breakdown of the earnings from a specific YouTube video or channel based on audience engagement, views, and other factors.

YouTube Money Calculator

Pros

• Does not ask for much information, just a URL
• It has flexibility to check earnings by channel and video separately

Cons

• Calculate earnings based on views only

How-to-steps

Step1 To check earnings by channel, import the channel URL and click the search icon.

Step2 You’ll see the result showing, ‘Number of total Subscribers’, ‘Number of Total Video Views’, ‘Total estimated earnings’, and ‘Average Earnings per Video’.

Step3 If you want to check earnings by video, below you’ll see another search bar where you can paste the specific video URL.

Step4 The result will show you the ‘Number of Total Video Views’, and ‘Estimated Video earnings’.

Aux mode

Pros

• Easy interface, with a view slider
• Does Not require any information

Cons

• Based on your video view count only

How-to-steps

Go to AUX MODE

Step1 You can type total video views or, increase or decrease total views with the arrows.

Step2 Below you’ll find a slider, you can slide forward to increase views and vice versa.

Step3 On your right, you’ll find estimated results in real time. You can also enter your email address to recieve the result in you inbox.

Tunepocket

Pros

• Slider interface shows real time result
• It shows all results based on views, existing video, and revenue of whole channel

Cons

• None

How-to-steps

Step1 The first calculator on the page is based on daily views. Drag the slider according to your video views and below you’ll find estimated earnings including daily, monthly, and annually.

Step2 Scroll down and you’ll find another calculator that requires specific video URL. Copy and paste the URL of YouTube video and get results based on views.

Step3 The last calculator is about the estimated revenue for a channel. You need to paste the channel URL to find the results. It includes, Number of Total Subscribers, Number of Total Videos, Number of Total Video Views, Channel Title, and Estimated Total Earnings

Part 3: Estimated your YouTube earning by YouTube revenue reports

To better understand the best strategies and tactics to optimize your video content, use YouTube analytic reports to help you get a clearer understanding of how your YouTube channel performs. To check your revenue report:

Step1 Login to your YouTube Studio

Step2 In the left menu, select Analytics.

Step3 From the top menu, select Revenue.

RPM

The RPM is calculated based on how much traffic you’re getting from YouTube compared to all your other sources combined. RPM is calculated as total revenue divided by total views times 1000.

Playback-based CPM

Your CPM (Cost Per Thousand) report tells you how much each ad was worth in terms of the percentage of each play a video was spent. The playback-based CPM report shows your estimated average gross revenue per 1000 playbacks where one or more ads are shown.

Monthly estimated revenue

This is a simple report showing the statistics of your video earnings over the last 6 months. It can fluctuate by invalid traffic, content disputes and ad campaign types.

Revenue sources

You must use this report to see your estimated revenue from each revenue source if you have different revenue sources.

Transaction revenue

The transactions reports show you how much your members and fans have spent in transactions. It shows estimated earnings from channel memberships and merch.

Top-earning videos

This top-earning videos report will show you the most profitable videos and their estimated revenue.

Ad type

If you use different types of Ads for your videos, this report will help you find the percentage of your Ads revenue from each ad type.

Part 4: How much money can you make on YouTube?

The answer to that question can vary widely depending on the type of content you produce and the demographics of your target market. However, we’ve found that a single video ad can be worth anywhere from around $100 to $5,000.

It’s safe to say that most YouTubers earn between $1,000 and $10,000 per month from their ads alone. But there are many other factors to take into consideration when calculating the money, you can make on YouTube:

The number of views your videos get

The key to making money from videos on YouTube is views. The more views you have, the more chance of getting paid will increase. So you need to create videos that will get viewers to click.

According to Forbes’s estimation, you can make $3-$5 per 1000 views. e.g., a video with 1,000,000 views can make around $5,000 on views only.

The engagement level of your audience

When building a YouTube channel, the key to success lies in engaging with your audience. After all, if they don’t like what you’re offering, they will not watch your videos. So you’ve got to have a message that resonates and is useful.

Your channel type

The YouTube algorithm is set up to favor channels with a high volume of views per video and high-quality content rather than low-quality channels that generate a lot of traffic but don’t produce quality videos. So, if you want to increase your revenue from your YouTube videos, try to focus on high-quality content.

Your monetization method

Several monetization methods exist, including Subscription, advertising, affiliate marketing, paid search, and sponsorships. Each monetization method requires a slightly different setup and management, resulting in different revenue.

The country you are in

It is important to know that in some countries, making money off YouTube is extremely difficult. For example, in certain countries, monetizing your videos is impossible without using illegal methods, which will get you into legal trouble.

Some other factors, e.g., it’s worth comparing the RPM of your country and other countries, different rules and prices of YouTube Ads depending on your country.

Bonus tip: Increase YouTube earnings with a powerful video editing software

Are you tired of your boring, run-of-the-mill videos? Are you looking for ways to improve your YouTube earnings? Then let’s look at some of the best editing software to help create your next great content.

Wondershare Filmora is a powerful yet easy-to-use video editing software that makes it easier than ever to make awesome videos. Filmora offers more than 50 cutting-edge tools and effects that make it easier to edit any media source, including videos, photos, and music and share the result in just minutes. Use Filmora’s powerful features like keyframing, motion tracking, split screen, instant mode, VFX, templates etc., to make your video stand out.

Here’s a demo of the software, editing YouTube Shorts:

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Open Filmora 11 application.

Step2 Open Project Settings

Step3 Change Aspect Ratio, Resolution, and Frame rate

Step4 Drag video to the timeline

Step5 Right-click and select Crop to Fit

Step6 Right-Click again and select Crop and Zoom

Step7 Adjust the frame

Step8 Lastly Export you file

Bottom line

People want to watch a video when searching for the answers to a question. The best videos are designed to help users accomplish their specific goals while providing them with something they can take away and use for themselves. You need to put up good videos to keep viewers coming back.

To do that, use the game-changing Filmora 11 (mentioned in the article) to create engaging YouTube videos and amaze your audience. Slowly but surely, your audience will increase and then all the guidance in this article will help you easily analyze, calculate and increase your YouTube revenue.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: The rules to know for each means earning money from YouTube

As a YouTube creator, finding ways to earn money from your content cannot be easy. Some creators make a living solely off their channels. Others supplement their income with affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and ad revenue. But if you want to earn money from YouTube truly, you need to understand which monetization methods work best for you and your content.

Here’s what you should know when using each method and why you should consider doing so:

Methods	Viewers/Clicks/Impressions	Earnings/Commission
YouTube Ads $1 CPM	1 million Ad views	Average rate per ad=0.18Total ~ $5000
Brand Sponsorships	5K Sub 5K-30K Sub 30K-500K Sub 500K-1M+ Sub	$300 $700 $950 $3500
Affiliate Marketing 30%-35% commission	If 100 people buys $20 product through affiliate link. Total $2000	$2000*35%= $700
Crowdfunding (Patreon, Indiegogo, GoFundMe) $5	100 subscribers funds the channel	100*5=$500
Merchandise Shelf $5 Shirt	100 subscribers purchases your merch	100*5=$500
Channel Memberships $5/month	100 loyal subscribers join membership	100*5=$500

YouTube Ads

The video ads on the platform aren’t lucrative and can be used to supplement your income in the form of AdSense earnings. An actual advertiser pays 0.18 per ad view on average (as shown above). That means 1000 ad views equals $18 and $3-$5 per 1000 views.

Brand Sponsorships

Brands can sponsor your videos to reach their target audience. YouTube videos are a big part of our lives, and brands are becoming increasingly aware of how useful these videos can be. To be eligible for sponsorship, your channel must be of 5000 subscribers.

Affiliate Marketing

YouTubers help brands increase sales by encouraging their viewers to shop at the company’s store or visit its specific product pages. They then earn a commission (30%-35%) on products that people buy after clicking an affiliate link.

Crowdfunding

Today many people use crowdfunding websites to raise money for personal, channel-related projects. Most YouTubers are doing it to generate steady cash flow. Some of them use this source to fund their YouTube videos so that it increases quality and engagement.

Merchandise Shelf

Your merchandise represents and feeds your audience’s connection with you. Your product is your business, so you’re first and foremost an entrepreneur. Then design your YouTube marketing strategy to sell your merchandise and generate income.

Channel Membership

YouTube has a plan that allows you to charge your subscribers for membership on your YouTube channel. Members get access to exclusive live chats, badges, emojis, etc. Subscribers must give a set amount every month to a channel that makes a steady monthly income for YouTubers.

Part 2: Calculate YouTube income by YouTube Money Calculator

How much money do you earn on YouTube? There is no simple way to answer this question, but a YouTube income calculator can give you a rough estimate. It shows you whether you’re getting enough money to keep producing videos or if you need to look for additional ways of making money from your channel.

The tools below provide a detailed breakdown of the earnings from a specific YouTube video or channel based on audience engagement, views, and other factors.

YouTube Money Calculator

Pros

• Does not ask for much information, just a URL
• It has flexibility to check earnings by channel and video separately

Cons

• Calculate earnings based on views only

How-to-steps

Step1 To check earnings by channel, import the channel URL and click the search icon.

Step2 You’ll see the result showing, ‘Number of total Subscribers’, ‘Number of Total Video Views’, ‘Total estimated earnings’, and ‘Average Earnings per Video’.

Step3 If you want to check earnings by video, below you’ll see another search bar where you can paste the specific video URL.

Step4 The result will show you the ‘Number of Total Video Views’, and ‘Estimated Video earnings’.

Aux mode

Pros

• Easy interface, with a view slider
• Does Not require any information

Cons

• Based on your video view count only

How-to-steps

Go to AUX MODE

Step1 You can type total video views or, increase or decrease total views with the arrows.

Step2 Below you’ll find a slider, you can slide forward to increase views and vice versa.

Step3 On your right, you’ll find estimated results in real time. You can also enter your email address to recieve the result in you inbox.

Tunepocket

Pros

• Slider interface shows real time result
• It shows all results based on views, existing video, and revenue of whole channel

Cons

• None

How-to-steps

Step1 The first calculator on the page is based on daily views. Drag the slider according to your video views and below you’ll find estimated earnings including daily, monthly, and annually.

Step2 Scroll down and you’ll find another calculator that requires specific video URL. Copy and paste the URL of YouTube video and get results based on views.

Step3 The last calculator is about the estimated revenue for a channel. You need to paste the channel URL to find the results. It includes, Number of Total Subscribers, Number of Total Videos, Number of Total Video Views, Channel Title, and Estimated Total Earnings

Part 3: Estimated your YouTube earning by YouTube revenue reports

To better understand the best strategies and tactics to optimize your video content, use YouTube analytic reports to help you get a clearer understanding of how your YouTube channel performs. To check your revenue report:

Step1 Login to your YouTube Studio

Step2 In the left menu, select Analytics.

Step3 From the top menu, select Revenue.

RPM

The RPM is calculated based on how much traffic you’re getting from YouTube compared to all your other sources combined. RPM is calculated as total revenue divided by total views times 1000.

Playback-based CPM

Your CPM (Cost Per Thousand) report tells you how much each ad was worth in terms of the percentage of each play a video was spent. The playback-based CPM report shows your estimated average gross revenue per 1000 playbacks where one or more ads are shown.

Monthly estimated revenue

This is a simple report showing the statistics of your video earnings over the last 6 months. It can fluctuate by invalid traffic, content disputes and ad campaign types.

Revenue sources

You must use this report to see your estimated revenue from each revenue source if you have different revenue sources.

Transaction revenue

The transactions reports show you how much your members and fans have spent in transactions. It shows estimated earnings from channel memberships and merch.

Top-earning videos

This top-earning videos report will show you the most profitable videos and their estimated revenue.

Ad type

If you use different types of Ads for your videos, this report will help you find the percentage of your Ads revenue from each ad type.

Part 4: How much money can you make on YouTube?

The answer to that question can vary widely depending on the type of content you produce and the demographics of your target market. However, we’ve found that a single video ad can be worth anywhere from around $100 to $5,000.

It’s safe to say that most YouTubers earn between $1,000 and $10,000 per month from their ads alone. But there are many other factors to take into consideration when calculating the money, you can make on YouTube:

The number of views your videos get

The key to making money from videos on YouTube is views. The more views you have, the more chance of getting paid will increase. So you need to create videos that will get viewers to click.

According to Forbes’s estimation, you can make $3-$5 per 1000 views. e.g., a video with 1,000,000 views can make around $5,000 on views only.

The engagement level of your audience

When building a YouTube channel, the key to success lies in engaging with your audience. After all, if they don’t like what you’re offering, they will not watch your videos. So you’ve got to have a message that resonates and is useful.

Your channel type

The YouTube algorithm is set up to favor channels with a high volume of views per video and high-quality content rather than low-quality channels that generate a lot of traffic but don’t produce quality videos. So, if you want to increase your revenue from your YouTube videos, try to focus on high-quality content.

Your monetization method

Several monetization methods exist, including Subscription, advertising, affiliate marketing, paid search, and sponsorships. Each monetization method requires a slightly different setup and management, resulting in different revenue.

The country you are in

It is important to know that in some countries, making money off YouTube is extremely difficult. For example, in certain countries, monetizing your videos is impossible without using illegal methods, which will get you into legal trouble.

Some other factors, e.g., it’s worth comparing the RPM of your country and other countries, different rules and prices of YouTube Ads depending on your country.

Bonus tip: Increase YouTube earnings with a powerful video editing software

Are you tired of your boring, run-of-the-mill videos? Are you looking for ways to improve your YouTube earnings? Then let’s look at some of the best editing software to help create your next great content.

Wondershare Filmora is a powerful yet easy-to-use video editing software that makes it easier than ever to make awesome videos. Filmora offers more than 50 cutting-edge tools and effects that make it easier to edit any media source, including videos, photos, and music and share the result in just minutes. Use Filmora’s powerful features like keyframing, motion tracking, split screen, instant mode, VFX, templates etc., to make your video stand out.

Here’s a demo of the software, editing YouTube Shorts:

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Open Filmora 11 application.

Step2 Open Project Settings

Step3 Change Aspect Ratio, Resolution, and Frame rate

Step4 Drag video to the timeline

Step5 Right-click and select Crop to Fit

Step6 Right-Click again and select Crop and Zoom

Step7 Adjust the frame

Step8 Lastly Export you file

Bottom line

People want to watch a video when searching for the answers to a question. The best videos are designed to help users accomplish their specific goals while providing them with something they can take away and use for themselves. You need to put up good videos to keep viewers coming back.

To do that, use the game-changing Filmora 11 (mentioned in the article) to create engaging YouTube videos and amaze your audience. Slowly but surely, your audience will increase and then all the guidance in this article will help you easily analyze, calculate and increase your YouTube revenue.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

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