Shedding Light on Videography Excellence

Lighting Tips for Vlogging: How to Light

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the best things you can do for your video quality is to ensure you have great lighting. Viewers find poor lighting distracting and it’s hard for them to see how great your content is if they are busy thinking about why your video is so dark. By creating a great lighting set up you can ensure that the people watching your videos are only thinking about how much they’re enjoying them.

Going outside and using natural light is the cheapest way to get a lot of light for your videos. If your vlog is not suited to the great outdoors then you need to get more strategic. You can turn on all the lights in your living room and still end up with a dark, grainy, video.

Video Lighting Basics: Three Point Lighting

The most common technique of lighting a scene is called three-point lighting. It involves three different sources of light in the shot and is used by portrait photographers, which is also a great method for lighting your vlog.

The brightest source of light is also known as the key light which need to be high quality. A window will work, but if you do not have access to one where you are filming then consider an LED panel light or a softbox light like the ones used in portrait photography.

This first light will create a dramatic shadow across half of your face. You want to reduce this shadow, but not get rid of it completely.

Rather than setting up another light source on the opposite side of the camera, put up a reflector to bounce some light back onto your face. This reflector is called your ‘Fill Light’.

The fill light is less bright than the primary source of light and it is placed on the side opposite to the key light. Its purpose is to reduce shadows produced by the key light and the reflector will need to be mounted on a stand.

The final step to creating three point lighting is to set up another light behind you. This is your ‘Backlight’, and it will help you stand out from your background. Backlight or Hair light is always placed behind and above the subject to create separation between the subject in the shot and the background. This basic lighting technique can be applied in almost every scene you shoot, which is why it is important to keep an open mind and to continue experimenting with possible light setups.

Watch Video! Top Lighting Tips for Vlogging

Lightning Tips for Aspiring YouTube Videographers

Becoming the master of light will take some time and practice, so it is crucial to remain curious and anxious to learn new tricks throughout that process if you want to continually become better. These tips will help you make the first steps on that journey.

1. Focus Your Key Light

Try to focus your Key Light so that it lights only you and not your background. Do this by mounting anything that can cast a shadow onto your Key Light to control the area where the light hits. If you are using a window for your Key Light then you can use a curtain. If you use a softbox light then your light will already be somewhat focused.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The light provided by the Sun is still the best light source, you can have in your video. The trouble is that natural light changes quickly, which makes it highly unpredictable. The best way to deal with this challenge is to come prepared to the set and to get the shot you want as quickly as you can.

3. Try DIY Lightning

Literally, anything from candles to LED light bulbs can serve as a source of light in a shot. You just need to pay attention to the light temperature, because warmer light sources may highlight reds and yellows that can make your footage look less realistic.

4. Use Lightning Kits

This is by far the best option if you want to be in complete control of the light on your set. You can adjust the intensity of the lights, use filters, diffusers and all sorts of other accessories to create the light that flatters the subjects of your videos. The only downside is that you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to have a professional lighting kit.

5. Set up reflectors

Sets of reflectors are often under $50, so they are fairly affordable. However, some vloggers choose to forgo purchasing reflectors and make their own out of tinfoil.

If your strong main light is too hard on your eyes then you can use a translucent ‘reflector’ to soften it. Set your translucent reflector, or other screen, up in front of your main light to diffuse it.

If you are hosting a beauty vlog then you might consider a slightly different set up. Instead of having your main light off to one side set it up directly in front of you so your entire face is lit evenly. It is still a good idea to use fill lights in this set up to give you some dimension, and a backlight is even more essential for helping you stand out from the background. The even light hitting your face will also make you look flat if you do not use a backlight.

If you are using all of the lighting options available to you and your video still looks too dark then you can try brightening it by opening up the aperture of your camera lens/setting a lower f-stop. Letting more light into your camera can help your footage look brighter, although you also run the risk of making things look overexposed/ washed out if you are not careful.

If you are stuck shooting in low light conditions it is best to use a lens with a wider aperture/lower f-stop. This will make the best of the light you do have.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Unlocking Video Popularity: A Comprehensive Guide to Tagging on YouTube

What is YouTube Tag and How to Find Great Tags For Your Videos?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

There are a huge number of videos uploaded to YouTube every day, and that is why it is so important to make sure your videos are sorted properly by the site using YouTube tags. If you don’t, potential viewers will miss out on the chance to discover and enjoy your videos.

Instead of forcing yourself through a painful brainstorming session, it can be easier to identify the best tags using these techniques that experienced content managers use to populate their tag lists.

In this article, I will show you how to find great tags for your YouTube videos as well as some answers to the frequently asked questions about YouTube Tags.

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool
2. Try YouTube Tag Generators
3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

Part 1: How to Find YouTube Tags [3 Effective Ways]

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool to Get Tags

YouTube’s search engine can be your best ally on the quest for great tags. This tool was created to aid users who are looking for content on the platform, and content creators can benefit from it as well. By typing the general topic of your video, or a few words vaguely related to your video, into the search bar on YouTube you can see suggestions that reflect what viewers are searching for and take some of those suggestions into consideration for your tags. With every new phrase (and even every additional character you type), new options will appear. By playing around with this tool you will gain valuable insight into the searching habits of YouTube viewers.

This method may not be too precise, but the idea is to quickly gather information and perhaps get some inspiration for more creative or complex tags. Most of the suggestions will be logical, but there can be a few unexpected combinations you’d never think of. Be very careful when translating the findings to your own situation, since the fact that some terms are popular doesn’t mean they are relevant for your video. Another problem is that slightly altered terminology can significantly change the effectiveness of the tag, so you should ideally use the suggested phrases in the exact form as you found them or not at all. If you do make adjustments, you should test the new tag through the same auto-complete tool and see how it fares.

2. Try YouTube Tag Generators

If you’d like to dig a little deeper, there are multiple dedicated tools that can assist you in picking the most suitable YouTube tags for every video you upload. Let’s examine a few of them in greater detail:

#1. Keyword Tool

A very simple and reliable web-based tag generator that provides you with 750 frequently searched keywords that would be suitable for your video. The keyword list is based on YouTube’s search tool in a way similar to what we described in the previous chapter. However, since the analysis is automated with the Keyword Tool, you can get a huge list in just a few seconds. This generator is especially useful when you are looking for long-tail keywords that attract niche audiences.

#2. Rapid Tags

This tool is a bit more sophisticated and includes some analytic features on top of tag generating capacities, allowing you to manage your channel more effectively. It’s completely automated, so you won’t have to do any heavy lifting on your own. Just type the URL of your video into the appropriate field and let Rapid Tags do the rest. You can easily switch between the Generator, Analyzer, Ranker, and Tracker tools, so you can acquire a complete picture of the suitability of each tag and a better understanding of the projected performance of your video.

Want more tools to generate YouTube tags? Check our picks of the best YouTube video tag generators .

#3. BetterWaytoWeb

While this free-to-use tool has a very simple interface and won’t require any background knowledge to use, it still provides valuable information. It can suggest suitable tags for your new video based on the main keyword you provide, speeding up your research considerably. It can also analyze the tags placed on an existing YouTube video, which is important for deducing how other authors working in the same category are optimizing their content.

3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

YouTube content authors can learn a lot by analyzing their top competitors. No matter what your videos are about, there are probably countless other creators that want to attract the same audiences as you. Only a tiny percentage of them will manage to gain significant viewership, and those are the ones you should be researching in detail.

If you are able to locate the most successful videos with content similar to yours you are already halfway to your goal, but one obstacle still remains. You can’t even see your competitor’s tags them when you click on their videos on YouTube. This type of information is not displayed, but some specialized solutions are able to reveal it upon request. Here is one YouTube certified analytic tool capable of doing that:

1. VidIQ

Currently used to manage more than 30,000 YouTube channels, this powerful video marketing suite can also help with tag selection. It can enlarge your tag library by a factor of 10, and provide you with a direct comparison with your chief competitors. In addition to increasing your views, this app can help you monitor your visibility on social networks, and track detailed statistics that describe the performance of your video. In other words, this is a comprehensive package that will help you manage your channel in a professional way.

What’s your YouTube tag strategy?

Part 2: YouTube Tag FAQs

1. What is YouTube Tag?

YouTube tag is a keyword that you added to help Google and YouTube understand your video context, which is an important ranking factor in YouTube searching. Basically, the better you tag your video, the more views you can get. But you should keep in mind that adding excessive tags to your video description is against YouTube policy.

2. How Many Tags Should You Use on YouTube?

Though there is no restriction about the numbers of the YouTube tags, you should keep the total characters of all tags within 400 characters. In most cases, 5-8 tags are appreciated for a YouTube video. It is recommended to add as many relevant tags as you can, such as brand-specific tags, YouTube auto-suggest tags, or tags created with some tag generator.

3. Do Tags on YouTube Get More Views?

The short answer is Yes. Since Google is encouraging people to use tags to help them understand your video content, then it can recommend the videos to relevant users accordingly. With tags, YouTube can categorize your videos and make them discoverable easier. For example, when you search tag #FilmoraSchoolStory in YouTube, you can see all the videos with the tag in the search result. allowing viewers to find your content more easily.

Retouch YouTube Videos with Filmora

There are lots of filters, overlays and effects pre-programmed in Wondershare Filmora video editor , you can improve YouTube videos without costing any extra fees if you’ve subscribed to Filmora.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

There are a huge number of videos uploaded to YouTube every day, and that is why it is so important to make sure your videos are sorted properly by the site using YouTube tags. If you don’t, potential viewers will miss out on the chance to discover and enjoy your videos.

Instead of forcing yourself through a painful brainstorming session, it can be easier to identify the best tags using these techniques that experienced content managers use to populate their tag lists.

In this article, I will show you how to find great tags for your YouTube videos as well as some answers to the frequently asked questions about YouTube Tags.

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool
2. Try YouTube Tag Generators
3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

Part 1: How to Find YouTube Tags [3 Effective Ways]

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool to Get Tags

YouTube’s search engine can be your best ally on the quest for great tags. This tool was created to aid users who are looking for content on the platform, and content creators can benefit from it as well. By typing the general topic of your video, or a few words vaguely related to your video, into the search bar on YouTube you can see suggestions that reflect what viewers are searching for and take some of those suggestions into consideration for your tags. With every new phrase (and even every additional character you type), new options will appear. By playing around with this tool you will gain valuable insight into the searching habits of YouTube viewers.

This method may not be too precise, but the idea is to quickly gather information and perhaps get some inspiration for more creative or complex tags. Most of the suggestions will be logical, but there can be a few unexpected combinations you’d never think of. Be very careful when translating the findings to your own situation, since the fact that some terms are popular doesn’t mean they are relevant for your video. Another problem is that slightly altered terminology can significantly change the effectiveness of the tag, so you should ideally use the suggested phrases in the exact form as you found them or not at all. If you do make adjustments, you should test the new tag through the same auto-complete tool and see how it fares.

2. Try YouTube Tag Generators

If you’d like to dig a little deeper, there are multiple dedicated tools that can assist you in picking the most suitable YouTube tags for every video you upload. Let’s examine a few of them in greater detail:

#1. Keyword Tool

A very simple and reliable web-based tag generator that provides you with 750 frequently searched keywords that would be suitable for your video. The keyword list is based on YouTube’s search tool in a way similar to what we described in the previous chapter. However, since the analysis is automated with the Keyword Tool, you can get a huge list in just a few seconds. This generator is especially useful when you are looking for long-tail keywords that attract niche audiences.

#2. Rapid Tags

This tool is a bit more sophisticated and includes some analytic features on top of tag generating capacities, allowing you to manage your channel more effectively. It’s completely automated, so you won’t have to do any heavy lifting on your own. Just type the URL of your video into the appropriate field and let Rapid Tags do the rest. You can easily switch between the Generator, Analyzer, Ranker, and Tracker tools, so you can acquire a complete picture of the suitability of each tag and a better understanding of the projected performance of your video.

Want more tools to generate YouTube tags? Check our picks of the best YouTube video tag generators .

#3. BetterWaytoWeb

While this free-to-use tool has a very simple interface and won’t require any background knowledge to use, it still provides valuable information. It can suggest suitable tags for your new video based on the main keyword you provide, speeding up your research considerably. It can also analyze the tags placed on an existing YouTube video, which is important for deducing how other authors working in the same category are optimizing their content.

3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

YouTube content authors can learn a lot by analyzing their top competitors. No matter what your videos are about, there are probably countless other creators that want to attract the same audiences as you. Only a tiny percentage of them will manage to gain significant viewership, and those are the ones you should be researching in detail.

If you are able to locate the most successful videos with content similar to yours you are already halfway to your goal, but one obstacle still remains. You can’t even see your competitor’s tags them when you click on their videos on YouTube. This type of information is not displayed, but some specialized solutions are able to reveal it upon request. Here is one YouTube certified analytic tool capable of doing that:

1. VidIQ

Currently used to manage more than 30,000 YouTube channels, this powerful video marketing suite can also help with tag selection. It can enlarge your tag library by a factor of 10, and provide you with a direct comparison with your chief competitors. In addition to increasing your views, this app can help you monitor your visibility on social networks, and track detailed statistics that describe the performance of your video. In other words, this is a comprehensive package that will help you manage your channel in a professional way.

What’s your YouTube tag strategy?

Part 2: YouTube Tag FAQs

1. What is YouTube Tag?

YouTube tag is a keyword that you added to help Google and YouTube understand your video context, which is an important ranking factor in YouTube searching. Basically, the better you tag your video, the more views you can get. But you should keep in mind that adding excessive tags to your video description is against YouTube policy.

2. How Many Tags Should You Use on YouTube?

Though there is no restriction about the numbers of the YouTube tags, you should keep the total characters of all tags within 400 characters. In most cases, 5-8 tags are appreciated for a YouTube video. It is recommended to add as many relevant tags as you can, such as brand-specific tags, YouTube auto-suggest tags, or tags created with some tag generator.

3. Do Tags on YouTube Get More Views?

The short answer is Yes. Since Google is encouraging people to use tags to help them understand your video content, then it can recommend the videos to relevant users accordingly. With tags, YouTube can categorize your videos and make them discoverable easier. For example, when you search tag #FilmoraSchoolStory in YouTube, you can see all the videos with the tag in the search result. allowing viewers to find your content more easily.

Retouch YouTube Videos with Filmora

There are lots of filters, overlays and effects pre-programmed in Wondershare Filmora video editor , you can improve YouTube videos without costing any extra fees if you’ve subscribed to Filmora.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

There are a huge number of videos uploaded to YouTube every day, and that is why it is so important to make sure your videos are sorted properly by the site using YouTube tags. If you don’t, potential viewers will miss out on the chance to discover and enjoy your videos.

Instead of forcing yourself through a painful brainstorming session, it can be easier to identify the best tags using these techniques that experienced content managers use to populate their tag lists.

In this article, I will show you how to find great tags for your YouTube videos as well as some answers to the frequently asked questions about YouTube Tags.

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool
2. Try YouTube Tag Generators
3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

Part 1: How to Find YouTube Tags [3 Effective Ways]

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool to Get Tags

YouTube’s search engine can be your best ally on the quest for great tags. This tool was created to aid users who are looking for content on the platform, and content creators can benefit from it as well. By typing the general topic of your video, or a few words vaguely related to your video, into the search bar on YouTube you can see suggestions that reflect what viewers are searching for and take some of those suggestions into consideration for your tags. With every new phrase (and even every additional character you type), new options will appear. By playing around with this tool you will gain valuable insight into the searching habits of YouTube viewers.

This method may not be too precise, but the idea is to quickly gather information and perhaps get some inspiration for more creative or complex tags. Most of the suggestions will be logical, but there can be a few unexpected combinations you’d never think of. Be very careful when translating the findings to your own situation, since the fact that some terms are popular doesn’t mean they are relevant for your video. Another problem is that slightly altered terminology can significantly change the effectiveness of the tag, so you should ideally use the suggested phrases in the exact form as you found them or not at all. If you do make adjustments, you should test the new tag through the same auto-complete tool and see how it fares.

2. Try YouTube Tag Generators

If you’d like to dig a little deeper, there are multiple dedicated tools that can assist you in picking the most suitable YouTube tags for every video you upload. Let’s examine a few of them in greater detail:

#1. Keyword Tool

A very simple and reliable web-based tag generator that provides you with 750 frequently searched keywords that would be suitable for your video. The keyword list is based on YouTube’s search tool in a way similar to what we described in the previous chapter. However, since the analysis is automated with the Keyword Tool, you can get a huge list in just a few seconds. This generator is especially useful when you are looking for long-tail keywords that attract niche audiences.

#2. Rapid Tags

This tool is a bit more sophisticated and includes some analytic features on top of tag generating capacities, allowing you to manage your channel more effectively. It’s completely automated, so you won’t have to do any heavy lifting on your own. Just type the URL of your video into the appropriate field and let Rapid Tags do the rest. You can easily switch between the Generator, Analyzer, Ranker, and Tracker tools, so you can acquire a complete picture of the suitability of each tag and a better understanding of the projected performance of your video.

Want more tools to generate YouTube tags? Check our picks of the best YouTube video tag generators .

#3. BetterWaytoWeb

While this free-to-use tool has a very simple interface and won’t require any background knowledge to use, it still provides valuable information. It can suggest suitable tags for your new video based on the main keyword you provide, speeding up your research considerably. It can also analyze the tags placed on an existing YouTube video, which is important for deducing how other authors working in the same category are optimizing their content.

3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

YouTube content authors can learn a lot by analyzing their top competitors. No matter what your videos are about, there are probably countless other creators that want to attract the same audiences as you. Only a tiny percentage of them will manage to gain significant viewership, and those are the ones you should be researching in detail.

If you are able to locate the most successful videos with content similar to yours you are already halfway to your goal, but one obstacle still remains. You can’t even see your competitor’s tags them when you click on their videos on YouTube. This type of information is not displayed, but some specialized solutions are able to reveal it upon request. Here is one YouTube certified analytic tool capable of doing that:

1. VidIQ

Currently used to manage more than 30,000 YouTube channels, this powerful video marketing suite can also help with tag selection. It can enlarge your tag library by a factor of 10, and provide you with a direct comparison with your chief competitors. In addition to increasing your views, this app can help you monitor your visibility on social networks, and track detailed statistics that describe the performance of your video. In other words, this is a comprehensive package that will help you manage your channel in a professional way.

What’s your YouTube tag strategy?

Part 2: YouTube Tag FAQs

1. What is YouTube Tag?

YouTube tag is a keyword that you added to help Google and YouTube understand your video context, which is an important ranking factor in YouTube searching. Basically, the better you tag your video, the more views you can get. But you should keep in mind that adding excessive tags to your video description is against YouTube policy.

2. How Many Tags Should You Use on YouTube?

Though there is no restriction about the numbers of the YouTube tags, you should keep the total characters of all tags within 400 characters. In most cases, 5-8 tags are appreciated for a YouTube video. It is recommended to add as many relevant tags as you can, such as brand-specific tags, YouTube auto-suggest tags, or tags created with some tag generator.

3. Do Tags on YouTube Get More Views?

The short answer is Yes. Since Google is encouraging people to use tags to help them understand your video content, then it can recommend the videos to relevant users accordingly. With tags, YouTube can categorize your videos and make them discoverable easier. For example, when you search tag #FilmoraSchoolStory in YouTube, you can see all the videos with the tag in the search result. allowing viewers to find your content more easily.

Retouch YouTube Videos with Filmora

There are lots of filters, overlays and effects pre-programmed in Wondershare Filmora video editor , you can improve YouTube videos without costing any extra fees if you’ve subscribed to Filmora.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

There are a huge number of videos uploaded to YouTube every day, and that is why it is so important to make sure your videos are sorted properly by the site using YouTube tags. If you don’t, potential viewers will miss out on the chance to discover and enjoy your videos.

Instead of forcing yourself through a painful brainstorming session, it can be easier to identify the best tags using these techniques that experienced content managers use to populate their tag lists.

In this article, I will show you how to find great tags for your YouTube videos as well as some answers to the frequently asked questions about YouTube Tags.

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool
2. Try YouTube Tag Generators
3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

Part 1: How to Find YouTube Tags [3 Effective Ways]

1. Use YouTube’s Auto-Suggest Tool to Get Tags

YouTube’s search engine can be your best ally on the quest for great tags. This tool was created to aid users who are looking for content on the platform, and content creators can benefit from it as well. By typing the general topic of your video, or a few words vaguely related to your video, into the search bar on YouTube you can see suggestions that reflect what viewers are searching for and take some of those suggestions into consideration for your tags. With every new phrase (and even every additional character you type), new options will appear. By playing around with this tool you will gain valuable insight into the searching habits of YouTube viewers.

This method may not be too precise, but the idea is to quickly gather information and perhaps get some inspiration for more creative or complex tags. Most of the suggestions will be logical, but there can be a few unexpected combinations you’d never think of. Be very careful when translating the findings to your own situation, since the fact that some terms are popular doesn’t mean they are relevant for your video. Another problem is that slightly altered terminology can significantly change the effectiveness of the tag, so you should ideally use the suggested phrases in the exact form as you found them or not at all. If you do make adjustments, you should test the new tag through the same auto-complete tool and see how it fares.

2. Try YouTube Tag Generators

If you’d like to dig a little deeper, there are multiple dedicated tools that can assist you in picking the most suitable YouTube tags for every video you upload. Let’s examine a few of them in greater detail:

#1. Keyword Tool

A very simple and reliable web-based tag generator that provides you with 750 frequently searched keywords that would be suitable for your video. The keyword list is based on YouTube’s search tool in a way similar to what we described in the previous chapter. However, since the analysis is automated with the Keyword Tool, you can get a huge list in just a few seconds. This generator is especially useful when you are looking for long-tail keywords that attract niche audiences.

#2. Rapid Tags

This tool is a bit more sophisticated and includes some analytic features on top of tag generating capacities, allowing you to manage your channel more effectively. It’s completely automated, so you won’t have to do any heavy lifting on your own. Just type the URL of your video into the appropriate field and let Rapid Tags do the rest. You can easily switch between the Generator, Analyzer, Ranker, and Tracker tools, so you can acquire a complete picture of the suitability of each tag and a better understanding of the projected performance of your video.

Want more tools to generate YouTube tags? Check our picks of the best YouTube video tag generators .

#3. BetterWaytoWeb

While this free-to-use tool has a very simple interface and won’t require any background knowledge to use, it still provides valuable information. It can suggest suitable tags for your new video based on the main keyword you provide, speeding up your research considerably. It can also analyze the tags placed on an existing YouTube video, which is important for deducing how other authors working in the same category are optimizing their content.

3. Study Your YouTube Rivals’ Tags

YouTube content authors can learn a lot by analyzing their top competitors. No matter what your videos are about, there are probably countless other creators that want to attract the same audiences as you. Only a tiny percentage of them will manage to gain significant viewership, and those are the ones you should be researching in detail.

If you are able to locate the most successful videos with content similar to yours you are already halfway to your goal, but one obstacle still remains. You can’t even see your competitor’s tags them when you click on their videos on YouTube. This type of information is not displayed, but some specialized solutions are able to reveal it upon request. Here is one YouTube certified analytic tool capable of doing that:

1. VidIQ

Currently used to manage more than 30,000 YouTube channels, this powerful video marketing suite can also help with tag selection. It can enlarge your tag library by a factor of 10, and provide you with a direct comparison with your chief competitors. In addition to increasing your views, this app can help you monitor your visibility on social networks, and track detailed statistics that describe the performance of your video. In other words, this is a comprehensive package that will help you manage your channel in a professional way.

What’s your YouTube tag strategy?

Part 2: YouTube Tag FAQs

1. What is YouTube Tag?

YouTube tag is a keyword that you added to help Google and YouTube understand your video context, which is an important ranking factor in YouTube searching. Basically, the better you tag your video, the more views you can get. But you should keep in mind that adding excessive tags to your video description is against YouTube policy.

2. How Many Tags Should You Use on YouTube?

Though there is no restriction about the numbers of the YouTube tags, you should keep the total characters of all tags within 400 characters. In most cases, 5-8 tags are appreciated for a YouTube video. It is recommended to add as many relevant tags as you can, such as brand-specific tags, YouTube auto-suggest tags, or tags created with some tag generator.

3. Do Tags on YouTube Get More Views?

The short answer is Yes. Since Google is encouraging people to use tags to help them understand your video content, then it can recommend the videos to relevant users accordingly. With tags, YouTube can categorize your videos and make them discoverable easier. For example, when you search tag #FilmoraSchoolStory in YouTube, you can see all the videos with the tag in the search result. allowing viewers to find your content more easily.

Retouch YouTube Videos with Filmora

There are lots of filters, overlays and effects pre-programmed in Wondershare Filmora video editor , you can improve YouTube videos without costing any extra fees if you’ve subscribed to Filmora.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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