Starting Free YouTube Ad Campaigns: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

How to Create Video Ads for Free in YouTube Video Builder

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people find it challenging to create compelling video advertisements for their brand promotions. While some of the creative tools might be expensive, the easy ones have a steep learning curve, and engaging a professional designer wouldn’t be something you might be ready for. YouTube Video Builder is a great solution for any such situation.

With that being said, the following sections talk about what YouTube Video Builder is, how is it useful, what advantages does it offer, and how can you create professional video adverts using the tool.

• Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?
• Part 3: How to Get YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

---

Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?

YouTube recently came up with an online tool, YouTube Video Builder, that, as the name suggests, enables you as an organization to prepare videos for free. These videos could be anywhere from 6 to 15 seconds long and are most appropriate for advertisements. Once created, the films can be used in the campaigns to promote your brand and/or products online.

However, you must keep the following few things handy before starting with YouTube Video Builder to prepare a video advertisement:

• Logo

You must have a good-quality photo of your brand logo that you want to add to the video as a watermark. This gives your organization online recognition.

• HD Images

At the time of this writing, YouTube Video Builder only allows you to add still images. The tool compiles these photos using a theme that you select, and enables you to add background music to make the advert more engaging. Therefore, it is imperative to have high-definition images of your product(s) that you want to create a promotional video for.

• Google Chrome Browser

You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome web browser installed on your computer.

• YouTube Channel

Because YouTube Video Builder will publish your video advertisements on YouTube itself, you must have your own YouTube Channel created , configured, and properly functioning so the posting process remains smooth and seamless.

• Availability of the Tool and Features

YouTube Video Builder is still in the Beta phase, and therefore you may not have access to all the features that the tool has to offer. However, this majorly depends on the region of your residence. As of now, the utility is not even available in some countries of the world.

Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?

As explained earlier, YouTube Video Builder is an online tool that works on the latest version of the Google Chrome browser. The web interface of the utility has separate blocks (or placeholders if you want to call them) for different types of images. For instance, there is a placeholder for your logo, and a couple of other blank slots where you can import the photos from your computer.

There are some text input fields that you can populate with the relevant information such as the name of the video, the product’s name that you wish to promote, and many other things. There is a storyboard at the bottom of the interface that helps give your video a theme and the alignment of the ingredients that you have imported from your computer.

Finally, you can add background music to the video from the royalty-free tracks that can be accessed from the built-in library, and you are all set to go.

Part 3: How Can I Get YouTube Video Builder?

Because YouTube Video Builder is in its Beta phase, at the time of this writing you are required to send an access request to Google using your account that you want to use to create the videos from. You can send your requests to: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/videobuilderbeta/ .

Once your request is approved, you can then use the same Google account to sign in to the YouTube Video Builder portal, and start preparing your video advertisements. Here, it is important to understand that the Google account that you use to send an access request and prepare the videos must be the same ID that has your active and functional YouTube Channel.

Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?

Once you have access to the Beta version of YouTube Video Builder, you can start creating the video ads for free. You can learn the process of how this can be done by following the simple instructions given below:

Step 1: Prepare a Console

After signing in to your YouTube Video Builder account, on the main interface, click Select Layout from the navigation bar at the right if not already selected, pick a layout that best suits your needs, and click Use Layout.

Next, from the Color & Logo section, choose the base (background) and text colors using their corresponding tools from under the Brand colors section.

After this, insert an image of your brand logo in the block under the Logos category.

Step 2: Add the Ingredients

When you are on the Images & Text section of the navigation bar, pick the high-definition photos from the Storyboard at the bottom, and add them to the Image 1, Image 2, and Image 3 boxes accordingly.

Now, scroll down to the Text section, and add the relevant content in the available text input fields. Make sure to add a compelling Call to action text to give the viewers a free passage to connect with you.

Step 3: Make Cosmetic Manipulations

From the Pick a Font section of the navigation bar, click the Google Fonts catalog link to search for a unique font, and once found, type its name in the available field to use that font.

Alternatively, you can leave the default one selected. When on the Select Music section, choose your preferred background music from the drop-down list that is present under the section.

Finally, click Create video, and wait while YouTube Video Builder takes you to the Preview, Save, Share section, and generates your video.

Step 4: Save the Video and Begin Promotion

After the video is generated, play to preview the film. If everything looks good, click Save video.

On the next page, click Copy to copy the video link, and share it with your friends, colleagues, and family members for their feedback.

Next, scroll down to get to the Create Campaign section of the navigation bar, and from the left screen, click Create campaign to begin a campaign to promote your brand and/or product(s).

Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

The whole point here is to prepare your video adverts with the least investment and almost no effort. The following few tips would help you achieve this with ease:

• Make sure to gather all the ingredients such as the photos of the products, brand logo, etc. before starting with the video creation process
• Set a layout, font, theme color, and background music that compliments the product(s) you wish to promote
• Remain consistent with the theme color, fonts, etc. throughout the video
• Make sure to include a catchy ‘Call for action’ text in your video ad
• Make as many modifications as you want before publishing the ad on your YouTube Channel. Avoid doing any amendments after the ad has been posted
• Share the link of your video with as many people as you possibly can to make your product(s) and brand visible and popular
• Make sure to use the ad in your campaigns to make people aware of your brand/product(s)

Conclusion

The bitter truth is, producing videos, especially for brand promotions requires expert creators, expensive tools, and a good amount of work experience. Although all these can be managed if you have some spare funds, YouTube Video Builder helps you create advertising videos of up to 15 seconds with ease and for free. All you need is access to YouTube Video Builder, your own YouTube Channel, your brand logo, and high-definition photos of your product(s).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people find it challenging to create compelling video advertisements for their brand promotions. While some of the creative tools might be expensive, the easy ones have a steep learning curve, and engaging a professional designer wouldn’t be something you might be ready for. YouTube Video Builder is a great solution for any such situation.

With that being said, the following sections talk about what YouTube Video Builder is, how is it useful, what advantages does it offer, and how can you create professional video adverts using the tool.

• Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?
• Part 3: How to Get YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

---

Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?

YouTube recently came up with an online tool, YouTube Video Builder, that, as the name suggests, enables you as an organization to prepare videos for free. These videos could be anywhere from 6 to 15 seconds long and are most appropriate for advertisements. Once created, the films can be used in the campaigns to promote your brand and/or products online.

However, you must keep the following few things handy before starting with YouTube Video Builder to prepare a video advertisement:

• Logo

You must have a good-quality photo of your brand logo that you want to add to the video as a watermark. This gives your organization online recognition.

• HD Images

At the time of this writing, YouTube Video Builder only allows you to add still images. The tool compiles these photos using a theme that you select, and enables you to add background music to make the advert more engaging. Therefore, it is imperative to have high-definition images of your product(s) that you want to create a promotional video for.

• Google Chrome Browser

You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome web browser installed on your computer.

• YouTube Channel

Because YouTube Video Builder will publish your video advertisements on YouTube itself, you must have your own YouTube Channel created , configured, and properly functioning so the posting process remains smooth and seamless.

• Availability of the Tool and Features

YouTube Video Builder is still in the Beta phase, and therefore you may not have access to all the features that the tool has to offer. However, this majorly depends on the region of your residence. As of now, the utility is not even available in some countries of the world.

Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?

As explained earlier, YouTube Video Builder is an online tool that works on the latest version of the Google Chrome browser. The web interface of the utility has separate blocks (or placeholders if you want to call them) for different types of images. For instance, there is a placeholder for your logo, and a couple of other blank slots where you can import the photos from your computer.

There are some text input fields that you can populate with the relevant information such as the name of the video, the product’s name that you wish to promote, and many other things. There is a storyboard at the bottom of the interface that helps give your video a theme and the alignment of the ingredients that you have imported from your computer.

Finally, you can add background music to the video from the royalty-free tracks that can be accessed from the built-in library, and you are all set to go.

Part 3: How Can I Get YouTube Video Builder?

Because YouTube Video Builder is in its Beta phase, at the time of this writing you are required to send an access request to Google using your account that you want to use to create the videos from. You can send your requests to: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/videobuilderbeta/ .

Once your request is approved, you can then use the same Google account to sign in to the YouTube Video Builder portal, and start preparing your video advertisements. Here, it is important to understand that the Google account that you use to send an access request and prepare the videos must be the same ID that has your active and functional YouTube Channel.

Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?

Once you have access to the Beta version of YouTube Video Builder, you can start creating the video ads for free. You can learn the process of how this can be done by following the simple instructions given below:

Step 1: Prepare a Console

After signing in to your YouTube Video Builder account, on the main interface, click Select Layout from the navigation bar at the right if not already selected, pick a layout that best suits your needs, and click Use Layout.

Next, from the Color & Logo section, choose the base (background) and text colors using their corresponding tools from under the Brand colors section.

After this, insert an image of your brand logo in the block under the Logos category.

Step 2: Add the Ingredients

When you are on the Images & Text section of the navigation bar, pick the high-definition photos from the Storyboard at the bottom, and add them to the Image 1, Image 2, and Image 3 boxes accordingly.

Now, scroll down to the Text section, and add the relevant content in the available text input fields. Make sure to add a compelling Call to action text to give the viewers a free passage to connect with you.

Step 3: Make Cosmetic Manipulations

From the Pick a Font section of the navigation bar, click the Google Fonts catalog link to search for a unique font, and once found, type its name in the available field to use that font.

Alternatively, you can leave the default one selected. When on the Select Music section, choose your preferred background music from the drop-down list that is present under the section.

Finally, click Create video, and wait while YouTube Video Builder takes you to the Preview, Save, Share section, and generates your video.

Step 4: Save the Video and Begin Promotion

After the video is generated, play to preview the film. If everything looks good, click Save video.

On the next page, click Copy to copy the video link, and share it with your friends, colleagues, and family members for their feedback.

Next, scroll down to get to the Create Campaign section of the navigation bar, and from the left screen, click Create campaign to begin a campaign to promote your brand and/or product(s).

Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

The whole point here is to prepare your video adverts with the least investment and almost no effort. The following few tips would help you achieve this with ease:

• Make sure to gather all the ingredients such as the photos of the products, brand logo, etc. before starting with the video creation process
• Set a layout, font, theme color, and background music that compliments the product(s) you wish to promote
• Remain consistent with the theme color, fonts, etc. throughout the video
• Make sure to include a catchy ‘Call for action’ text in your video ad
• Make as many modifications as you want before publishing the ad on your YouTube Channel. Avoid doing any amendments after the ad has been posted
• Share the link of your video with as many people as you possibly can to make your product(s) and brand visible and popular
• Make sure to use the ad in your campaigns to make people aware of your brand/product(s)

Conclusion

The bitter truth is, producing videos, especially for brand promotions requires expert creators, expensive tools, and a good amount of work experience. Although all these can be managed if you have some spare funds, YouTube Video Builder helps you create advertising videos of up to 15 seconds with ease and for free. All you need is access to YouTube Video Builder, your own YouTube Channel, your brand logo, and high-definition photos of your product(s).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people find it challenging to create compelling video advertisements for their brand promotions. While some of the creative tools might be expensive, the easy ones have a steep learning curve, and engaging a professional designer wouldn’t be something you might be ready for. YouTube Video Builder is a great solution for any such situation.

With that being said, the following sections talk about what YouTube Video Builder is, how is it useful, what advantages does it offer, and how can you create professional video adverts using the tool.

• Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?
• Part 3: How to Get YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

---

Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?

YouTube recently came up with an online tool, YouTube Video Builder, that, as the name suggests, enables you as an organization to prepare videos for free. These videos could be anywhere from 6 to 15 seconds long and are most appropriate for advertisements. Once created, the films can be used in the campaigns to promote your brand and/or products online.

However, you must keep the following few things handy before starting with YouTube Video Builder to prepare a video advertisement:

• Logo

You must have a good-quality photo of your brand logo that you want to add to the video as a watermark. This gives your organization online recognition.

• HD Images

At the time of this writing, YouTube Video Builder only allows you to add still images. The tool compiles these photos using a theme that you select, and enables you to add background music to make the advert more engaging. Therefore, it is imperative to have high-definition images of your product(s) that you want to create a promotional video for.

• Google Chrome Browser

You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome web browser installed on your computer.

• YouTube Channel

Because YouTube Video Builder will publish your video advertisements on YouTube itself, you must have your own YouTube Channel created , configured, and properly functioning so the posting process remains smooth and seamless.

• Availability of the Tool and Features

YouTube Video Builder is still in the Beta phase, and therefore you may not have access to all the features that the tool has to offer. However, this majorly depends on the region of your residence. As of now, the utility is not even available in some countries of the world.

Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?

As explained earlier, YouTube Video Builder is an online tool that works on the latest version of the Google Chrome browser. The web interface of the utility has separate blocks (or placeholders if you want to call them) for different types of images. For instance, there is a placeholder for your logo, and a couple of other blank slots where you can import the photos from your computer.

There are some text input fields that you can populate with the relevant information such as the name of the video, the product’s name that you wish to promote, and many other things. There is a storyboard at the bottom of the interface that helps give your video a theme and the alignment of the ingredients that you have imported from your computer.

Finally, you can add background music to the video from the royalty-free tracks that can be accessed from the built-in library, and you are all set to go.

Part 3: How Can I Get YouTube Video Builder?

Because YouTube Video Builder is in its Beta phase, at the time of this writing you are required to send an access request to Google using your account that you want to use to create the videos from. You can send your requests to: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/videobuilderbeta/ .

Once your request is approved, you can then use the same Google account to sign in to the YouTube Video Builder portal, and start preparing your video advertisements. Here, it is important to understand that the Google account that you use to send an access request and prepare the videos must be the same ID that has your active and functional YouTube Channel.

Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?

Once you have access to the Beta version of YouTube Video Builder, you can start creating the video ads for free. You can learn the process of how this can be done by following the simple instructions given below:

Step 1: Prepare a Console

After signing in to your YouTube Video Builder account, on the main interface, click Select Layout from the navigation bar at the right if not already selected, pick a layout that best suits your needs, and click Use Layout.

Next, from the Color & Logo section, choose the base (background) and text colors using their corresponding tools from under the Brand colors section.

After this, insert an image of your brand logo in the block under the Logos category.

Step 2: Add the Ingredients

When you are on the Images & Text section of the navigation bar, pick the high-definition photos from the Storyboard at the bottom, and add them to the Image 1, Image 2, and Image 3 boxes accordingly.

Now, scroll down to the Text section, and add the relevant content in the available text input fields. Make sure to add a compelling Call to action text to give the viewers a free passage to connect with you.

Step 3: Make Cosmetic Manipulations

From the Pick a Font section of the navigation bar, click the Google Fonts catalog link to search for a unique font, and once found, type its name in the available field to use that font.

Alternatively, you can leave the default one selected. When on the Select Music section, choose your preferred background music from the drop-down list that is present under the section.

Finally, click Create video, and wait while YouTube Video Builder takes you to the Preview, Save, Share section, and generates your video.

Step 4: Save the Video and Begin Promotion

After the video is generated, play to preview the film. If everything looks good, click Save video.

On the next page, click Copy to copy the video link, and share it with your friends, colleagues, and family members for their feedback.

Next, scroll down to get to the Create Campaign section of the navigation bar, and from the left screen, click Create campaign to begin a campaign to promote your brand and/or product(s).

Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

The whole point here is to prepare your video adverts with the least investment and almost no effort. The following few tips would help you achieve this with ease:

• Make sure to gather all the ingredients such as the photos of the products, brand logo, etc. before starting with the video creation process
• Set a layout, font, theme color, and background music that compliments the product(s) you wish to promote
• Remain consistent with the theme color, fonts, etc. throughout the video
• Make sure to include a catchy ‘Call for action’ text in your video ad
• Make as many modifications as you want before publishing the ad on your YouTube Channel. Avoid doing any amendments after the ad has been posted
• Share the link of your video with as many people as you possibly can to make your product(s) and brand visible and popular
• Make sure to use the ad in your campaigns to make people aware of your brand/product(s)

Conclusion

The bitter truth is, producing videos, especially for brand promotions requires expert creators, expensive tools, and a good amount of work experience. Although all these can be managed if you have some spare funds, YouTube Video Builder helps you create advertising videos of up to 15 seconds with ease and for free. All you need is access to YouTube Video Builder, your own YouTube Channel, your brand logo, and high-definition photos of your product(s).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people find it challenging to create compelling video advertisements for their brand promotions. While some of the creative tools might be expensive, the easy ones have a steep learning curve, and engaging a professional designer wouldn’t be something you might be ready for. YouTube Video Builder is a great solution for any such situation.

With that being said, the following sections talk about what YouTube Video Builder is, how is it useful, what advantages does it offer, and how can you create professional video adverts using the tool.

• Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?
• Part 3: How to Get YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?
• Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

---

Part 1: What Is YouTube Video Builder?

YouTube recently came up with an online tool, YouTube Video Builder, that, as the name suggests, enables you as an organization to prepare videos for free. These videos could be anywhere from 6 to 15 seconds long and are most appropriate for advertisements. Once created, the films can be used in the campaigns to promote your brand and/or products online.

However, you must keep the following few things handy before starting with YouTube Video Builder to prepare a video advertisement:

• Logo

You must have a good-quality photo of your brand logo that you want to add to the video as a watermark. This gives your organization online recognition.

• HD Images

At the time of this writing, YouTube Video Builder only allows you to add still images. The tool compiles these photos using a theme that you select, and enables you to add background music to make the advert more engaging. Therefore, it is imperative to have high-definition images of your product(s) that you want to create a promotional video for.

• Google Chrome Browser

You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome web browser installed on your computer.

• YouTube Channel

Because YouTube Video Builder will publish your video advertisements on YouTube itself, you must have your own YouTube Channel created , configured, and properly functioning so the posting process remains smooth and seamless.

• Availability of the Tool and Features

YouTube Video Builder is still in the Beta phase, and therefore you may not have access to all the features that the tool has to offer. However, this majorly depends on the region of your residence. As of now, the utility is not even available in some countries of the world.

Part 2: How Does YouTube Video Builder Work?

As explained earlier, YouTube Video Builder is an online tool that works on the latest version of the Google Chrome browser. The web interface of the utility has separate blocks (or placeholders if you want to call them) for different types of images. For instance, there is a placeholder for your logo, and a couple of other blank slots where you can import the photos from your computer.

There are some text input fields that you can populate with the relevant information such as the name of the video, the product’s name that you wish to promote, and many other things. There is a storyboard at the bottom of the interface that helps give your video a theme and the alignment of the ingredients that you have imported from your computer.

Finally, you can add background music to the video from the royalty-free tracks that can be accessed from the built-in library, and you are all set to go.

Part 3: How Can I Get YouTube Video Builder?

Because YouTube Video Builder is in its Beta phase, at the time of this writing you are required to send an access request to Google using your account that you want to use to create the videos from. You can send your requests to: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/videobuilderbeta/ .

Once your request is approved, you can then use the same Google account to sign in to the YouTube Video Builder portal, and start preparing your video advertisements. Here, it is important to understand that the Google account that you use to send an access request and prepare the videos must be the same ID that has your active and functional YouTube Channel.

Part 4: How to Make Video Ads for Free with YouTube Video Builder?

Once you have access to the Beta version of YouTube Video Builder, you can start creating the video ads for free. You can learn the process of how this can be done by following the simple instructions given below:

Step 1: Prepare a Console

After signing in to your YouTube Video Builder account, on the main interface, click Select Layout from the navigation bar at the right if not already selected, pick a layout that best suits your needs, and click Use Layout.

Next, from the Color & Logo section, choose the base (background) and text colors using their corresponding tools from under the Brand colors section.

After this, insert an image of your brand logo in the block under the Logos category.

Step 2: Add the Ingredients

When you are on the Images & Text section of the navigation bar, pick the high-definition photos from the Storyboard at the bottom, and add them to the Image 1, Image 2, and Image 3 boxes accordingly.

Now, scroll down to the Text section, and add the relevant content in the available text input fields. Make sure to add a compelling Call to action text to give the viewers a free passage to connect with you.

Step 3: Make Cosmetic Manipulations

From the Pick a Font section of the navigation bar, click the Google Fonts catalog link to search for a unique font, and once found, type its name in the available field to use that font.

Alternatively, you can leave the default one selected. When on the Select Music section, choose your preferred background music from the drop-down list that is present under the section.

Finally, click Create video, and wait while YouTube Video Builder takes you to the Preview, Save, Share section, and generates your video.

Step 4: Save the Video and Begin Promotion

After the video is generated, play to preview the film. If everything looks good, click Save video.

On the next page, click Copy to copy the video link, and share it with your friends, colleagues, and family members for their feedback.

Next, scroll down to get to the Create Campaign section of the navigation bar, and from the left screen, click Create campaign to begin a campaign to promote your brand and/or product(s).

Part 5: Tips for Making Good Video Ads with YouTube Video Builder

The whole point here is to prepare your video adverts with the least investment and almost no effort. The following few tips would help you achieve this with ease:

• Make sure to gather all the ingredients such as the photos of the products, brand logo, etc. before starting with the video creation process
• Set a layout, font, theme color, and background music that compliments the product(s) you wish to promote
• Remain consistent with the theme color, fonts, etc. throughout the video
• Make sure to include a catchy ‘Call for action’ text in your video ad
• Make as many modifications as you want before publishing the ad on your YouTube Channel. Avoid doing any amendments after the ad has been posted
• Share the link of your video with as many people as you possibly can to make your product(s) and brand visible and popular
• Make sure to use the ad in your campaigns to make people aware of your brand/product(s)

Conclusion

The bitter truth is, producing videos, especially for brand promotions requires expert creators, expensive tools, and a good amount of work experience. Although all these can be managed if you have some spare funds, YouTube Video Builder helps you create advertising videos of up to 15 seconds with ease and for free. All you need is access to YouTube Video Builder, your own YouTube Channel, your brand logo, and high-definition photos of your product(s).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

The Algorithm Behind YouTube’s Post-Upload Logic

How Does YouTube Work After a Video Is Uploaded

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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