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[Updated] Elevating Brand Awareness with Tailored, Engaging YouTube Banners
Elevating Brand Awareness with Tailored, Engaging YouTube Banners
The Ultimate Guide to Effective YouTube Banners
Richard Bennett
Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions
The following is a complete guide to YouTube banners, including instructions, tips, and free resources.
Channel art isn’t hard. Making video viewers enjoy enough that they click on your channel page - that’s hard. Channel art is just about reinforcing the positive feelings viewers have come away from your videos. Anyone who’s looking at your channel art is already thinking about subscribing to you. Your banner should make viewers feel happy with the choice they’ve already half-made.
- YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
- Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
- Free Channel Art Makers
- How to Make Good Channel Art
- Channel Art Inspiration
YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
YouTube channel art should be 2560 x 1440px.
As long as you upload an image or background that is that size, viewers looking at your channel on any device will be able to see that you’ve taken the time to personalize your channel page.
If you want to make a bit more of an impression, you can start thinking about banner dimensions. Depending on what type of screen (laptop, mobile, television) a viewer is visiting your channel on, they will see a different crop of that 2560 x 1440px channel art. That cropped image is your banner.
Television will display the entire image, but it is significantly smaller on other devices.
Desktop or laptop computers can show a view as large as 2560 x 423px, or as small as 1546 x 423px.
Tablets show an area that’s 1855 x 423px.
Mobile phones show an area that’s 1546 x 423px. This size is also the smallest possible desktop/laptop view, and it is considered the ‘safe area.’ Any important text or graphics in your banner should fit within this section, or they could be awkwardly cut off in some views.
Here’s a visual guide to channel art dimensions:
Another important detail to consider is the size of your file. YouTube will allow your channel art to have a file size of up to 6MB, but no larger.
Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
There are a lot of free resources online, which can make the process of designing your channel art simple, including templates, stock images, backgrounds, and fonts.
Free YouTube Banner Templates
The easiest way to get great channel art might be to find something pre-built you can personalize. There are a few places online you can find something free that will suit both your style and the types of videos you make:
Here on filmora.io, we have a selection of 50 free channel art templates you can download. The banners are divided into 10 categories representing both different types of YouTube channels (i.e., gaming and beauty) and different popular styles (i.e., minimalist and galaxy), so there’s something for everybody. When you download the free templates, you can choose between PSD files, so you can customize your banner in Photoshop and PNG files you can use with a free online program like Canva (or even Paint on your computer).
On Visme, you’ll find another 50 free YouTube banners with themes like ‘Rock Star,’ ‘Makeup Tutorial,’ and ‘Cooking Lessons.’ The banners all make use of beautiful high-quality photographs (no patterned backgrounds). You can add your own channel name right on Visme and customize your font/color.
There is a massive amount of resources available on YourTube, which you can download for free. The category labeled templates only has 14 options, but there are really hundreds of options for YouTube channel art. ‘Templates’ just means downloads, which include PSD files where you can edit text. Under ‘All YouTube Channel Art,’ there are over 500 options. Some are patterned backgrounds, some are pictures, but all of them were designed to be channel art. It’s easy to look and imagine where your channel’s name will go.
There are also a lot of Channel Art Makers, which include templates!
Free Stock Images, Backgrounds, and Fonts
Sometimes all you need to do is add some text to a really great photo or background pattern. You can find awesome-looking and free options for all three of these things and piece together your own unique channel art.
Free Stock Photos for YouTube Channel Art
Unlike templates, stock photos will not already be the exact right size for uploading to YouTube. You’ll have to adjust them, but you don’t need expensive software to do this. You can use a banner maker, or just do some trimming in Paint. While you are making adjustments, keep the dimensions from the first part of this article in mind, so important details aren’t partially cut off on some devices.
There are a lot of beautiful photographs available online, and sites like Stocksy are great if you have the budget available to purchase images. If you need free options, then there are lots of those too, but you do sometimes need to be careful that the way you want to use an image is allowed within the license provided by the site or photographer.
We recommend these two sites for anybody who finds copyright rules confusing because both of these sites allow you to use their photos for free, for any purpose (commercial or personal), without attribution (although they do appreciate attribution).
Unsplash: This site has a huge selection, and more photos are being added all the time. Finding what you want is as easy as typing a keyword (i.e., ‘sunset’) into the search bar on the home page.
Pexels: you can find a wide variety of images on Pexels just by using the search bar on the main page, much like Unsplash. There is actually some overlap in the images available on the two sites, but they also each have photos the other doesn’t, so it’s worth looking at both.
Free Background Patterns for YouTube Banners
Photographs just don’t suit every type of channel. If you don’t think photos of scenery match the style of your channel, you might want to consider a background pattern. Because patterns repeat, you don’t need to worry much about things being cut off when you upload a pattern as channel art (although you’ll still need to make sure any text you add is in the safe area).
One thing you should watch for when using a background pattern is that text can sometimes be hard to read if it’s sitting on top of a busy pattern. You might want to put a box of solid color between your channel name and the pattern.
The patterns on the following two sites are free to use.
The Pattern Library: this truly is a library, and all the patterns were submitted by real graphic designers. When you first arrive on the site, all you’ll see is a randomly selected pattern filling your entire screen. Hovering over the designer’s name in the top left will allow you to download it for free.
Often, the download will not be as large as the image you see on the site. It will only be a few tiles (or just one tile), and you will need to copy/paste it a few times to create a background large enough to use as channel art.
You can use the navigation tools in the top right of the screen to see more patterns. Clicking the icon that looks like a bunch of squares will allow you to see multiple patterns at once.
Hero Patterns: the patterns on this site are editable before you download. You choose a foreground color, a background color, and the opacity of the design in the foreground. This means that you can make the pattern as subtle or vibrant as you want, which is a great thing to have control over when you’re creating channel art.
When you choose your custom colors and opacity, every pattern preview on the page will update. You can put in the colors you like for your channel first, and then find a pattern that looks good with them.
The only downside to Hero Patterns is that downloading your pattern is hard. You actually can’t just download it. Instead, the site generates a code you can embed on a website.
If you don’t have a website, the easiest thing is probably to use the Snipping Tool (included on all PCs since Vista) to save the preview and then just copy/paste it as a tile in a program like Paint or Photoshop.
Free Fonts for YouTube Channel Art
Whatever program you use to build your channel art will already have a selection of fonts. Finding the perfect font to use across your channel art, thumbnails, and for any text, you include in your videos isn’t something you need to think about until your channel is large enough that you’re thinking about your ‘brand’. If you feel like you’re at that stage, or want to get a jump start on it, here are a couple of sites where you can find free fonts and install them on your computer.
DaFont: there are categories on this site like fancy, gothic, and script, and there are even sub-categories like sci-fi and calligraphy. Licensing limits (whether the font is free and whether it is available for commercial use) will be clearly displayed next to every font. When browsing, you can even type your channel name in where it says ‘Preview’ and see what it will look like in all the different fonts.
Font Squirrel: the nice thing about this site is that everything is guaranteed to be free and available for commercial use. If you scroll down a bit on the main page, you’ll see a toolbar to the right of the screen, which will allow you to narrow down the fonts being displayed by selecting tags like grunge, headings, and casual.
Once you’ve got an image or images, and maybe even a font you want to use in your banner, you can create your channel art in either a software like Photoshop or a free banner maker (anchor) like the ones below.
Free Channel Art Makers
You don’t need an expensive program like Adobe Photoshop to make great channel art. There is a lot of photo editing and graphic design programs available for free online, and most of them are a lot easier to use.
All three of these sites will allow you to build your banner just by dragging images and text to where you want them, and they even provide premade templates (although those might not be free in some cases).
Canva is probably the most popular site for creating YouTube banners for free, for a good reason. It’s extremely intuitive for beginners who are making their first graphics, and it’s also a capable enough program to satisfy more intermediate-level users. Canva has stock images, banner templates, and other graphics available, but some of them cost $1 to use. You can also upload your own media instead of relying on Canva’s resources.
To build channel art in Canva, find ‘YouTube Channel Art’ as one of the options, and you’ll be working with a canvas that’s already the right size. You can also choose from a lot of different layout options, which will divide your canvas into different drop zones for images (pictures will be auto-sized to fit the zone).
One major benefit of Canva is the huge library of stock images, and one drawback is that you can’t have multiple images stretched to the end of your canvas.
Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform empowers anyone to create a beautiful design within a few steps. No professional skills required! By simply dragging and dropping the creative elements and templates, you are capable to release your imagination and convert it to stunning artwork.
A major benefit of PixStudio is that it provides a feature to remove the image background, you can use the image more flexibility. One drawback is that the features will be used after payment of $7.99 per month.
This is another easy to use image editor with templates and stock images, like Canva. You just select YouTube Cover from the options in the Social Media menu (there are also options for YouTube Thumbnails and Profile Pics).
In Canva, images you drag into your layout will automatically shift to fit the area you put them into. This doesn’t happen in Design Wizard, which can either slow down or speed up your process, depending on which you prefer.
One major benefit of Design Wizard is that it provides you with a ‘safe zone box’ so you can see the smallest view of your channel art while you work. One drawback is that the photos in Design Wizard aren’t free, so you’ll either have to buy them or use your own.
Tip: the safe zone box costs $1, so the price of your download will always look like $1 until you delete it when you’re finished designing. Then your price will drop to $0 if you haven’t used any other paid elements.
Fotor works similarly to the other two programs on this list. Just look for ‘YouTube Channel Art’ in the Header & Cover section and click on it to start designing. It does not have layouts like Canva, but it is also a drag-and-drop program, and it is better than Canva if you like to edit with layers.
Fotor has more free templates than Canva or Design Wizard, although it does also have some premium options. Creating a paid account will allow you to access premium resources and get rid of ads (costs $39.99 for the year), but if all you want it for is to create channel art, a paid account probably isn’t worth it.
You can upload your own images to use in Fotor as well.
A major benefit of Fotor is that it has a lot of genuinely free channel art templates you can customize, and one drawback is that it doesn’t have as many stock photos.
How to Make Good Channel Art
Finding an image, cutting it to the right size, and uploading it to YouTube is easy, but how many of your favorite YouTubers use just an image for their channel art? Usually, there’s at least a little text stating the name of the channel.
In this section, we’ll give you a quick checklist of things to include in your banner (anchor), and some tips on making excellent channel art.
Channel Art Checklist
Here are some things you might want to include in your YouTube banner. Not all of these are right for every type of channel.
- Channel name
- What kinds of videos you make
- Your posting schedule
- Social media handles
- Your face
- A tagline
Top 5 Tips for Making Great YouTube Banners
Besides looking good, your channel art can help convince more of your viewers to become subscribers. Here are our top 5 tips for making channel art that looks impressive and supports the growth of your channel.
- Solid Background Behind Text
- Keep Text to a Minimum
- Use Images and Colors That Suit Your Channel
- Include Your Face
- Give Viewers a Reason To Subscribe
Solid Background Behind Text
When viewers look at your channel page, you want your name and any other information your banner conveys to jump out at them. It is hard for text to jump out at anybody when it’s competing with a busy background, especially if some of the colors in the background are similar to the color of the text.
If possible, you can place your text on the part of your background pattern or image where there isn’t much happening behind it. When that isn’t possible, it doesn’t mean you need to find a new background. Instead, insert a solid-colored shape between the text and your background image. Your text will look great, and you won’t have to compromise on a background you like.
Keep Text to a Minimum
There is a lot you might want to say in your banner. You’ll want to tell viewers the name of the channel, what kinds of videos you make, when you upload those different kinds of videos, and maybe even the general philosophy driving your channel (i.e., ‘to spread positivity’). That’s all great, but try to say it fast.
Realistically, viewers probably won’t read more than one line of text. Writing more than that could also force you to use smaller text that viewers will have trouble reading. Ideally, a viewer should absorb all the information in your banner at a glance without having to make the decision to read it.
Keep your text to your channel name and one additional line underneath, if you can. Make sure your additional line of text is smaller than your channel name, so they aren’t competing.
Use Images and Colors that Suit Your Channel
If you have an upbeat, positive, channel then a black and red banner with skulls on it might not be the best choice to convey that. Similarly, if you have a gaming channel, then a minimalist banner that includes an Instagram-worthy picture of you wearing the latest seasonal styles might send the wrong message. It will make the viewer that sees it think you have a lifestyle channel, and they may click away thinking the Let’s Play they just watched was a one-off.
Look at the kinds of colors and images other YouTubers in your niche are using for inspiration for what you should do, but also consider the unique message of your channel. If you consider yourself bold, use bolder colors. If your videos have a more relaxed vibe, something softer might make sense.
Here’s a guide to what people tend to associate with different colors:
Include Your Face
This isn’t essential for every type of channel. If you mostly post gaming content or screencast tutorials and you don’t appear much in your actual videos, there’s no need to appear in your banner.
However, if your channel is primarily about you as a personality, then including your face in your channel art can have a lot of benefits. People are automatically drawn in by eye contact and feel more connected when they can see a face. Besides just looking good, including your face in your banner can help build a relationship with new viewers and make them feel more comfortable subscribing. They’ll know they’re subscribing to a person, not just a channel.
Give Viewers a Reason to Subscribe
Someone who has chosen to check out your channel page is already thinking about subscribing, but they didn’t do it from the video page because they want to know a bit more about you. The things they are probably hoping to find out are:
- Do you have more videos like that one they just watched? Will you make more?
- Are you ever going to post again?
There are a lot of YouTubers that just give up at some point, or who have started a channel but don’t have time to post very often. That you might never post a new video again, or might not post one for so long that the new subscriber forgets who you are, is a real hesitation viewer can have about subscribing.
Viewers also want to know that when you do post again, the video you post will be something they like. If they liked the video, they found you through because it was funny, but there’s nothing on your channel page that suggests you do comedy videos regularly, then that can make someone think twice. If you subscribe because of a makeup tutorial, but then the creator only posts personal vlogs from then on, it can be disappointing.
By clearly stating what kinds of videos you make and when you post them in your banner, you are giving viewers a reason to subscribe.
Here are some examples:
“Vlogs & Comedy! New videos every Tuesday.”
“Two videos every week! Makeup Mondays and Fashion Fridays”
If you can create channel art that has a layout that makes sense and sends a clear message even at a glance, then that will help you look like a more experienced YouTuber.
Channel Art Inspiration
Sometimes your niche on YouTube will determine what kinds of channel art you should use. For example, it makes sense for gamers to include game-related graphics in their banners and for travel vloggers to use photos from the destinations they’ve visited.
However, for lots of YouTube niches, the channel art you make will be built around your personality. How do you know what fits your personality? Here’s some inspiration based on popular trends.
Minimalism
This is an example of a minimalist YouTube banner. This style typically uses only 2 or 3 colors and features clean lines, simple backgrounds, and not a lot of noise. If you want to project a calm, tidy, balanced vibe on your channel, then you should consider going in a minimalist direction with your banner.
This example is light and airy, but you can also create a minimalist look using brighter or darker colors. It just depends on your personality.
Galaxy Themed
Galaxy banners are exactly what they sound like: channel art featuring space scenes or photographs of the night sky. At first glance, you might think they belong with channels that talk about science or sci-fi, and they are great for that, but they’re also a fun choice for comedy, vlogging, or gaming.
The great thing about the galaxy style is that it’s cool and different, but it doesn’t take over and distract from your message. There is a lot of room for a space scene to be very personalized. The example above is bold and purple. You can find galaxy photos in just about any color, and they can be either bright like this one or quite dark.
Funky
There isn’t really one ‘funky’ style. A funky banner is anything that’s just a little off-beat but still makes sense while you’re looking at it. They tend to be bright and cheerful and are perfect for anyone who considers themselves a bit quirky.
If you’re looking for inspiration for a custom funky banner, go to your closet and find your favorite funny, cute, or ironic t-shirt. There’s probably something in its design you can bring into your channel art.
Comic
A banner featuring an actual comic book character probably belongs to a channel that discusses comics, but the style itself is great for just about anyone. It’s bold and communicates confidence. If your attitude towards YouTube is that you want to be fearless, why not go for something worthy of a superhuman?
Do you have any of your own tips to share about YouTube banners?
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions
The following is a complete guide to YouTube banners, including instructions, tips, and free resources.
Channel art isn’t hard. Making video viewers enjoy enough that they click on your channel page - that’s hard. Channel art is just about reinforcing the positive feelings viewers have come away from your videos. Anyone who’s looking at your channel art is already thinking about subscribing to you. Your banner should make viewers feel happy with the choice they’ve already half-made.
- YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
- Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
- Free Channel Art Makers
- How to Make Good Channel Art
- Channel Art Inspiration
YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
YouTube channel art should be 2560 x 1440px.
As long as you upload an image or background that is that size, viewers looking at your channel on any device will be able to see that you’ve taken the time to personalize your channel page.
If you want to make a bit more of an impression, you can start thinking about banner dimensions. Depending on what type of screen (laptop, mobile, television) a viewer is visiting your channel on, they will see a different crop of that 2560 x 1440px channel art. That cropped image is your banner.
Television will display the entire image, but it is significantly smaller on other devices.
Desktop or laptop computers can show a view as large as 2560 x 423px, or as small as 1546 x 423px.
Tablets show an area that’s 1855 x 423px.
Mobile phones show an area that’s 1546 x 423px. This size is also the smallest possible desktop/laptop view, and it is considered the ‘safe area.’ Any important text or graphics in your banner should fit within this section, or they could be awkwardly cut off in some views.
Here’s a visual guide to channel art dimensions:
Another important detail to consider is the size of your file. YouTube will allow your channel art to have a file size of up to 6MB, but no larger.
Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
There are a lot of free resources online, which can make the process of designing your channel art simple, including templates, stock images, backgrounds, and fonts.
Free YouTube Banner Templates
The easiest way to get great channel art might be to find something pre-built you can personalize. There are a few places online you can find something free that will suit both your style and the types of videos you make:
Here on filmora.io, we have a selection of 50 free channel art templates you can download. The banners are divided into 10 categories representing both different types of YouTube channels (i.e., gaming and beauty) and different popular styles (i.e., minimalist and galaxy), so there’s something for everybody. When you download the free templates, you can choose between PSD files, so you can customize your banner in Photoshop and PNG files you can use with a free online program like Canva (or even Paint on your computer).
On Visme, you’ll find another 50 free YouTube banners with themes like ‘Rock Star,’ ‘Makeup Tutorial,’ and ‘Cooking Lessons.’ The banners all make use of beautiful high-quality photographs (no patterned backgrounds). You can add your own channel name right on Visme and customize your font/color.
There is a massive amount of resources available on YourTube, which you can download for free. The category labeled templates only has 14 options, but there are really hundreds of options for YouTube channel art. ‘Templates’ just means downloads, which include PSD files where you can edit text. Under ‘All YouTube Channel Art,’ there are over 500 options. Some are patterned backgrounds, some are pictures, but all of them were designed to be channel art. It’s easy to look and imagine where your channel’s name will go.
There are also a lot of Channel Art Makers, which include templates!
Free Stock Images, Backgrounds, and Fonts
Sometimes all you need to do is add some text to a really great photo or background pattern. You can find awesome-looking and free options for all three of these things and piece together your own unique channel art.
Free Stock Photos for YouTube Channel Art
Unlike templates, stock photos will not already be the exact right size for uploading to YouTube. You’ll have to adjust them, but you don’t need expensive software to do this. You can use a banner maker, or just do some trimming in Paint. While you are making adjustments, keep the dimensions from the first part of this article in mind, so important details aren’t partially cut off on some devices.
There are a lot of beautiful photographs available online, and sites like Stocksy are great if you have the budget available to purchase images. If you need free options, then there are lots of those too, but you do sometimes need to be careful that the way you want to use an image is allowed within the license provided by the site or photographer.
We recommend these two sites for anybody who finds copyright rules confusing because both of these sites allow you to use their photos for free, for any purpose (commercial or personal), without attribution (although they do appreciate attribution).
Unsplash: This site has a huge selection, and more photos are being added all the time. Finding what you want is as easy as typing a keyword (i.e., ‘sunset’) into the search bar on the home page.
Pexels: you can find a wide variety of images on Pexels just by using the search bar on the main page, much like Unsplash. There is actually some overlap in the images available on the two sites, but they also each have photos the other doesn’t, so it’s worth looking at both.
Free Background Patterns for YouTube Banners
Photographs just don’t suit every type of channel. If you don’t think photos of scenery match the style of your channel, you might want to consider a background pattern. Because patterns repeat, you don’t need to worry much about things being cut off when you upload a pattern as channel art (although you’ll still need to make sure any text you add is in the safe area).
One thing you should watch for when using a background pattern is that text can sometimes be hard to read if it’s sitting on top of a busy pattern. You might want to put a box of solid color between your channel name and the pattern.
The patterns on the following two sites are free to use.
The Pattern Library: this truly is a library, and all the patterns were submitted by real graphic designers. When you first arrive on the site, all you’ll see is a randomly selected pattern filling your entire screen. Hovering over the designer’s name in the top left will allow you to download it for free.
Often, the download will not be as large as the image you see on the site. It will only be a few tiles (or just one tile), and you will need to copy/paste it a few times to create a background large enough to use as channel art.
You can use the navigation tools in the top right of the screen to see more patterns. Clicking the icon that looks like a bunch of squares will allow you to see multiple patterns at once.
Hero Patterns: the patterns on this site are editable before you download. You choose a foreground color, a background color, and the opacity of the design in the foreground. This means that you can make the pattern as subtle or vibrant as you want, which is a great thing to have control over when you’re creating channel art.
When you choose your custom colors and opacity, every pattern preview on the page will update. You can put in the colors you like for your channel first, and then find a pattern that looks good with them.
The only downside to Hero Patterns is that downloading your pattern is hard. You actually can’t just download it. Instead, the site generates a code you can embed on a website.
If you don’t have a website, the easiest thing is probably to use the Snipping Tool (included on all PCs since Vista) to save the preview and then just copy/paste it as a tile in a program like Paint or Photoshop.
Free Fonts for YouTube Channel Art
Whatever program you use to build your channel art will already have a selection of fonts. Finding the perfect font to use across your channel art, thumbnails, and for any text, you include in your videos isn’t something you need to think about until your channel is large enough that you’re thinking about your ‘brand’. If you feel like you’re at that stage, or want to get a jump start on it, here are a couple of sites where you can find free fonts and install them on your computer.
DaFont: there are categories on this site like fancy, gothic, and script, and there are even sub-categories like sci-fi and calligraphy. Licensing limits (whether the font is free and whether it is available for commercial use) will be clearly displayed next to every font. When browsing, you can even type your channel name in where it says ‘Preview’ and see what it will look like in all the different fonts.
Font Squirrel: the nice thing about this site is that everything is guaranteed to be free and available for commercial use. If you scroll down a bit on the main page, you’ll see a toolbar to the right of the screen, which will allow you to narrow down the fonts being displayed by selecting tags like grunge, headings, and casual.
Once you’ve got an image or images, and maybe even a font you want to use in your banner, you can create your channel art in either a software like Photoshop or a free banner maker (anchor) like the ones below.
Free Channel Art Makers
You don’t need an expensive program like Adobe Photoshop to make great channel art. There is a lot of photo editing and graphic design programs available for free online, and most of them are a lot easier to use.
All three of these sites will allow you to build your banner just by dragging images and text to where you want them, and they even provide premade templates (although those might not be free in some cases).
Canva is probably the most popular site for creating YouTube banners for free, for a good reason. It’s extremely intuitive for beginners who are making their first graphics, and it’s also a capable enough program to satisfy more intermediate-level users. Canva has stock images, banner templates, and other graphics available, but some of them cost $1 to use. You can also upload your own media instead of relying on Canva’s resources.
To build channel art in Canva, find ‘YouTube Channel Art’ as one of the options, and you’ll be working with a canvas that’s already the right size. You can also choose from a lot of different layout options, which will divide your canvas into different drop zones for images (pictures will be auto-sized to fit the zone).
One major benefit of Canva is the huge library of stock images, and one drawback is that you can’t have multiple images stretched to the end of your canvas.
Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform empowers anyone to create a beautiful design within a few steps. No professional skills required! By simply dragging and dropping the creative elements and templates, you are capable to release your imagination and convert it to stunning artwork.
A major benefit of PixStudio is that it provides a feature to remove the image background, you can use the image more flexibility. One drawback is that the features will be used after payment of $7.99 per month.
This is another easy to use image editor with templates and stock images, like Canva. You just select YouTube Cover from the options in the Social Media menu (there are also options for YouTube Thumbnails and Profile Pics).
In Canva, images you drag into your layout will automatically shift to fit the area you put them into. This doesn’t happen in Design Wizard, which can either slow down or speed up your process, depending on which you prefer.
One major benefit of Design Wizard is that it provides you with a ‘safe zone box’ so you can see the smallest view of your channel art while you work. One drawback is that the photos in Design Wizard aren’t free, so you’ll either have to buy them or use your own.
Tip: the safe zone box costs $1, so the price of your download will always look like $1 until you delete it when you’re finished designing. Then your price will drop to $0 if you haven’t used any other paid elements.
Fotor works similarly to the other two programs on this list. Just look for ‘YouTube Channel Art’ in the Header & Cover section and click on it to start designing. It does not have layouts like Canva, but it is also a drag-and-drop program, and it is better than Canva if you like to edit with layers.
Fotor has more free templates than Canva or Design Wizard, although it does also have some premium options. Creating a paid account will allow you to access premium resources and get rid of ads (costs $39.99 for the year), but if all you want it for is to create channel art, a paid account probably isn’t worth it.
You can upload your own images to use in Fotor as well.
A major benefit of Fotor is that it has a lot of genuinely free channel art templates you can customize, and one drawback is that it doesn’t have as many stock photos.
How to Make Good Channel Art
Finding an image, cutting it to the right size, and uploading it to YouTube is easy, but how many of your favorite YouTubers use just an image for their channel art? Usually, there’s at least a little text stating the name of the channel.
In this section, we’ll give you a quick checklist of things to include in your banner (anchor), and some tips on making excellent channel art.
Channel Art Checklist
Here are some things you might want to include in your YouTube banner. Not all of these are right for every type of channel.
- Channel name
- What kinds of videos you make
- Your posting schedule
- Social media handles
- Your face
- A tagline
Top 5 Tips for Making Great YouTube Banners
Besides looking good, your channel art can help convince more of your viewers to become subscribers. Here are our top 5 tips for making channel art that looks impressive and supports the growth of your channel.
- Solid Background Behind Text
- Keep Text to a Minimum
- Use Images and Colors That Suit Your Channel
- Include Your Face
- Give Viewers a Reason To Subscribe
Solid Background Behind Text
When viewers look at your channel page, you want your name and any other information your banner conveys to jump out at them. It is hard for text to jump out at anybody when it’s competing with a busy background, especially if some of the colors in the background are similar to the color of the text.
If possible, you can place your text on the part of your background pattern or image where there isn’t much happening behind it. When that isn’t possible, it doesn’t mean you need to find a new background. Instead, insert a solid-colored shape between the text and your background image. Your text will look great, and you won’t have to compromise on a background you like.
Keep Text to a Minimum
There is a lot you might want to say in your banner. You’ll want to tell viewers the name of the channel, what kinds of videos you make, when you upload those different kinds of videos, and maybe even the general philosophy driving your channel (i.e., ‘to spread positivity’). That’s all great, but try to say it fast.
Realistically, viewers probably won’t read more than one line of text. Writing more than that could also force you to use smaller text that viewers will have trouble reading. Ideally, a viewer should absorb all the information in your banner at a glance without having to make the decision to read it.
Keep your text to your channel name and one additional line underneath, if you can. Make sure your additional line of text is smaller than your channel name, so they aren’t competing.
Use Images and Colors that Suit Your Channel
If you have an upbeat, positive, channel then a black and red banner with skulls on it might not be the best choice to convey that. Similarly, if you have a gaming channel, then a minimalist banner that includes an Instagram-worthy picture of you wearing the latest seasonal styles might send the wrong message. It will make the viewer that sees it think you have a lifestyle channel, and they may click away thinking the Let’s Play they just watched was a one-off.
Look at the kinds of colors and images other YouTubers in your niche are using for inspiration for what you should do, but also consider the unique message of your channel. If you consider yourself bold, use bolder colors. If your videos have a more relaxed vibe, something softer might make sense.
Here’s a guide to what people tend to associate with different colors:
Include Your Face
This isn’t essential for every type of channel. If you mostly post gaming content or screencast tutorials and you don’t appear much in your actual videos, there’s no need to appear in your banner.
However, if your channel is primarily about you as a personality, then including your face in your channel art can have a lot of benefits. People are automatically drawn in by eye contact and feel more connected when they can see a face. Besides just looking good, including your face in your banner can help build a relationship with new viewers and make them feel more comfortable subscribing. They’ll know they’re subscribing to a person, not just a channel.
Give Viewers a Reason to Subscribe
Someone who has chosen to check out your channel page is already thinking about subscribing, but they didn’t do it from the video page because they want to know a bit more about you. The things they are probably hoping to find out are:
- Do you have more videos like that one they just watched? Will you make more?
- Are you ever going to post again?
There are a lot of YouTubers that just give up at some point, or who have started a channel but don’t have time to post very often. That you might never post a new video again, or might not post one for so long that the new subscriber forgets who you are, is a real hesitation viewer can have about subscribing.
Viewers also want to know that when you do post again, the video you post will be something they like. If they liked the video, they found you through because it was funny, but there’s nothing on your channel page that suggests you do comedy videos regularly, then that can make someone think twice. If you subscribe because of a makeup tutorial, but then the creator only posts personal vlogs from then on, it can be disappointing.
By clearly stating what kinds of videos you make and when you post them in your banner, you are giving viewers a reason to subscribe.
Here are some examples:
“Vlogs & Comedy! New videos every Tuesday.”
“Two videos every week! Makeup Mondays and Fashion Fridays”
If you can create channel art that has a layout that makes sense and sends a clear message even at a glance, then that will help you look like a more experienced YouTuber.
Channel Art Inspiration
Sometimes your niche on YouTube will determine what kinds of channel art you should use. For example, it makes sense for gamers to include game-related graphics in their banners and for travel vloggers to use photos from the destinations they’ve visited.
However, for lots of YouTube niches, the channel art you make will be built around your personality. How do you know what fits your personality? Here’s some inspiration based on popular trends.
Minimalism
This is an example of a minimalist YouTube banner. This style typically uses only 2 or 3 colors and features clean lines, simple backgrounds, and not a lot of noise. If you want to project a calm, tidy, balanced vibe on your channel, then you should consider going in a minimalist direction with your banner.
This example is light and airy, but you can also create a minimalist look using brighter or darker colors. It just depends on your personality.
Galaxy Themed
Galaxy banners are exactly what they sound like: channel art featuring space scenes or photographs of the night sky. At first glance, you might think they belong with channels that talk about science or sci-fi, and they are great for that, but they’re also a fun choice for comedy, vlogging, or gaming.
The great thing about the galaxy style is that it’s cool and different, but it doesn’t take over and distract from your message. There is a lot of room for a space scene to be very personalized. The example above is bold and purple. You can find galaxy photos in just about any color, and they can be either bright like this one or quite dark.
Funky
There isn’t really one ‘funky’ style. A funky banner is anything that’s just a little off-beat but still makes sense while you’re looking at it. They tend to be bright and cheerful and are perfect for anyone who considers themselves a bit quirky.
If you’re looking for inspiration for a custom funky banner, go to your closet and find your favorite funny, cute, or ironic t-shirt. There’s probably something in its design you can bring into your channel art.
Comic
A banner featuring an actual comic book character probably belongs to a channel that discusses comics, but the style itself is great for just about anyone. It’s bold and communicates confidence. If your attitude towards YouTube is that you want to be fearless, why not go for something worthy of a superhuman?
Do you have any of your own tips to share about YouTube banners?
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions
The following is a complete guide to YouTube banners, including instructions, tips, and free resources.
Channel art isn’t hard. Making video viewers enjoy enough that they click on your channel page - that’s hard. Channel art is just about reinforcing the positive feelings viewers have come away from your videos. Anyone who’s looking at your channel art is already thinking about subscribing to you. Your banner should make viewers feel happy with the choice they’ve already half-made.
- YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
- Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
- Free Channel Art Makers
- How to Make Good Channel Art
- Channel Art Inspiration
YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
YouTube channel art should be 2560 x 1440px.
As long as you upload an image or background that is that size, viewers looking at your channel on any device will be able to see that you’ve taken the time to personalize your channel page.
If you want to make a bit more of an impression, you can start thinking about banner dimensions. Depending on what type of screen (laptop, mobile, television) a viewer is visiting your channel on, they will see a different crop of that 2560 x 1440px channel art. That cropped image is your banner.
Television will display the entire image, but it is significantly smaller on other devices.
Desktop or laptop computers can show a view as large as 2560 x 423px, or as small as 1546 x 423px.
Tablets show an area that’s 1855 x 423px.
Mobile phones show an area that’s 1546 x 423px. This size is also the smallest possible desktop/laptop view, and it is considered the ‘safe area.’ Any important text or graphics in your banner should fit within this section, or they could be awkwardly cut off in some views.
Here’s a visual guide to channel art dimensions:
Another important detail to consider is the size of your file. YouTube will allow your channel art to have a file size of up to 6MB, but no larger.
Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
There are a lot of free resources online, which can make the process of designing your channel art simple, including templates, stock images, backgrounds, and fonts.
Free YouTube Banner Templates
The easiest way to get great channel art might be to find something pre-built you can personalize. There are a few places online you can find something free that will suit both your style and the types of videos you make:
Here on filmora.io, we have a selection of 50 free channel art templates you can download. The banners are divided into 10 categories representing both different types of YouTube channels (i.e., gaming and beauty) and different popular styles (i.e., minimalist and galaxy), so there’s something for everybody. When you download the free templates, you can choose between PSD files, so you can customize your banner in Photoshop and PNG files you can use with a free online program like Canva (or even Paint on your computer).
On Visme, you’ll find another 50 free YouTube banners with themes like ‘Rock Star,’ ‘Makeup Tutorial,’ and ‘Cooking Lessons.’ The banners all make use of beautiful high-quality photographs (no patterned backgrounds). You can add your own channel name right on Visme and customize your font/color.
There is a massive amount of resources available on YourTube, which you can download for free. The category labeled templates only has 14 options, but there are really hundreds of options for YouTube channel art. ‘Templates’ just means downloads, which include PSD files where you can edit text. Under ‘All YouTube Channel Art,’ there are over 500 options. Some are patterned backgrounds, some are pictures, but all of them were designed to be channel art. It’s easy to look and imagine where your channel’s name will go.
There are also a lot of Channel Art Makers, which include templates!
Free Stock Images, Backgrounds, and Fonts
Sometimes all you need to do is add some text to a really great photo or background pattern. You can find awesome-looking and free options for all three of these things and piece together your own unique channel art.
Free Stock Photos for YouTube Channel Art
Unlike templates, stock photos will not already be the exact right size for uploading to YouTube. You’ll have to adjust them, but you don’t need expensive software to do this. You can use a banner maker, or just do some trimming in Paint. While you are making adjustments, keep the dimensions from the first part of this article in mind, so important details aren’t partially cut off on some devices.
There are a lot of beautiful photographs available online, and sites like Stocksy are great if you have the budget available to purchase images. If you need free options, then there are lots of those too, but you do sometimes need to be careful that the way you want to use an image is allowed within the license provided by the site or photographer.
We recommend these two sites for anybody who finds copyright rules confusing because both of these sites allow you to use their photos for free, for any purpose (commercial or personal), without attribution (although they do appreciate attribution).
Unsplash: This site has a huge selection, and more photos are being added all the time. Finding what you want is as easy as typing a keyword (i.e., ‘sunset’) into the search bar on the home page.
Pexels: you can find a wide variety of images on Pexels just by using the search bar on the main page, much like Unsplash. There is actually some overlap in the images available on the two sites, but they also each have photos the other doesn’t, so it’s worth looking at both.
Free Background Patterns for YouTube Banners
Photographs just don’t suit every type of channel. If you don’t think photos of scenery match the style of your channel, you might want to consider a background pattern. Because patterns repeat, you don’t need to worry much about things being cut off when you upload a pattern as channel art (although you’ll still need to make sure any text you add is in the safe area).
One thing you should watch for when using a background pattern is that text can sometimes be hard to read if it’s sitting on top of a busy pattern. You might want to put a box of solid color between your channel name and the pattern.
The patterns on the following two sites are free to use.
The Pattern Library: this truly is a library, and all the patterns were submitted by real graphic designers. When you first arrive on the site, all you’ll see is a randomly selected pattern filling your entire screen. Hovering over the designer’s name in the top left will allow you to download it for free.
Often, the download will not be as large as the image you see on the site. It will only be a few tiles (or just one tile), and you will need to copy/paste it a few times to create a background large enough to use as channel art.
You can use the navigation tools in the top right of the screen to see more patterns. Clicking the icon that looks like a bunch of squares will allow you to see multiple patterns at once.
Hero Patterns: the patterns on this site are editable before you download. You choose a foreground color, a background color, and the opacity of the design in the foreground. This means that you can make the pattern as subtle or vibrant as you want, which is a great thing to have control over when you’re creating channel art.
When you choose your custom colors and opacity, every pattern preview on the page will update. You can put in the colors you like for your channel first, and then find a pattern that looks good with them.
The only downside to Hero Patterns is that downloading your pattern is hard. You actually can’t just download it. Instead, the site generates a code you can embed on a website.
If you don’t have a website, the easiest thing is probably to use the Snipping Tool (included on all PCs since Vista) to save the preview and then just copy/paste it as a tile in a program like Paint or Photoshop.
Free Fonts for YouTube Channel Art
Whatever program you use to build your channel art will already have a selection of fonts. Finding the perfect font to use across your channel art, thumbnails, and for any text, you include in your videos isn’t something you need to think about until your channel is large enough that you’re thinking about your ‘brand’. If you feel like you’re at that stage, or want to get a jump start on it, here are a couple of sites where you can find free fonts and install them on your computer.
DaFont: there are categories on this site like fancy, gothic, and script, and there are even sub-categories like sci-fi and calligraphy. Licensing limits (whether the font is free and whether it is available for commercial use) will be clearly displayed next to every font. When browsing, you can even type your channel name in where it says ‘Preview’ and see what it will look like in all the different fonts.
Font Squirrel: the nice thing about this site is that everything is guaranteed to be free and available for commercial use. If you scroll down a bit on the main page, you’ll see a toolbar to the right of the screen, which will allow you to narrow down the fonts being displayed by selecting tags like grunge, headings, and casual.
Once you’ve got an image or images, and maybe even a font you want to use in your banner, you can create your channel art in either a software like Photoshop or a free banner maker (anchor) like the ones below.
Free Channel Art Makers
You don’t need an expensive program like Adobe Photoshop to make great channel art. There is a lot of photo editing and graphic design programs available for free online, and most of them are a lot easier to use.
All three of these sites will allow you to build your banner just by dragging images and text to where you want them, and they even provide premade templates (although those might not be free in some cases).
Canva is probably the most popular site for creating YouTube banners for free, for a good reason. It’s extremely intuitive for beginners who are making their first graphics, and it’s also a capable enough program to satisfy more intermediate-level users. Canva has stock images, banner templates, and other graphics available, but some of them cost $1 to use. You can also upload your own media instead of relying on Canva’s resources.
To build channel art in Canva, find ‘YouTube Channel Art’ as one of the options, and you’ll be working with a canvas that’s already the right size. You can also choose from a lot of different layout options, which will divide your canvas into different drop zones for images (pictures will be auto-sized to fit the zone).
One major benefit of Canva is the huge library of stock images, and one drawback is that you can’t have multiple images stretched to the end of your canvas.
Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform empowers anyone to create a beautiful design within a few steps. No professional skills required! By simply dragging and dropping the creative elements and templates, you are capable to release your imagination and convert it to stunning artwork.
A major benefit of PixStudio is that it provides a feature to remove the image background, you can use the image more flexibility. One drawback is that the features will be used after payment of $7.99 per month.
This is another easy to use image editor with templates and stock images, like Canva. You just select YouTube Cover from the options in the Social Media menu (there are also options for YouTube Thumbnails and Profile Pics).
In Canva, images you drag into your layout will automatically shift to fit the area you put them into. This doesn’t happen in Design Wizard, which can either slow down or speed up your process, depending on which you prefer.
One major benefit of Design Wizard is that it provides you with a ‘safe zone box’ so you can see the smallest view of your channel art while you work. One drawback is that the photos in Design Wizard aren’t free, so you’ll either have to buy them or use your own.
Tip: the safe zone box costs $1, so the price of your download will always look like $1 until you delete it when you’re finished designing. Then your price will drop to $0 if you haven’t used any other paid elements.
Fotor works similarly to the other two programs on this list. Just look for ‘YouTube Channel Art’ in the Header & Cover section and click on it to start designing. It does not have layouts like Canva, but it is also a drag-and-drop program, and it is better than Canva if you like to edit with layers.
Fotor has more free templates than Canva or Design Wizard, although it does also have some premium options. Creating a paid account will allow you to access premium resources and get rid of ads (costs $39.99 for the year), but if all you want it for is to create channel art, a paid account probably isn’t worth it.
You can upload your own images to use in Fotor as well.
A major benefit of Fotor is that it has a lot of genuinely free channel art templates you can customize, and one drawback is that it doesn’t have as many stock photos.
How to Make Good Channel Art
Finding an image, cutting it to the right size, and uploading it to YouTube is easy, but how many of your favorite YouTubers use just an image for their channel art? Usually, there’s at least a little text stating the name of the channel.
In this section, we’ll give you a quick checklist of things to include in your banner (anchor), and some tips on making excellent channel art.
Channel Art Checklist
Here are some things you might want to include in your YouTube banner. Not all of these are right for every type of channel.
- Channel name
- What kinds of videos you make
- Your posting schedule
- Social media handles
- Your face
- A tagline
Top 5 Tips for Making Great YouTube Banners
Besides looking good, your channel art can help convince more of your viewers to become subscribers. Here are our top 5 tips for making channel art that looks impressive and supports the growth of your channel.
- Solid Background Behind Text
- Keep Text to a Minimum
- Use Images and Colors That Suit Your Channel
- Include Your Face
- Give Viewers a Reason To Subscribe
Solid Background Behind Text
When viewers look at your channel page, you want your name and any other information your banner conveys to jump out at them. It is hard for text to jump out at anybody when it’s competing with a busy background, especially if some of the colors in the background are similar to the color of the text.
If possible, you can place your text on the part of your background pattern or image where there isn’t much happening behind it. When that isn’t possible, it doesn’t mean you need to find a new background. Instead, insert a solid-colored shape between the text and your background image. Your text will look great, and you won’t have to compromise on a background you like.
Keep Text to a Minimum
There is a lot you might want to say in your banner. You’ll want to tell viewers the name of the channel, what kinds of videos you make, when you upload those different kinds of videos, and maybe even the general philosophy driving your channel (i.e., ‘to spread positivity’). That’s all great, but try to say it fast.
Realistically, viewers probably won’t read more than one line of text. Writing more than that could also force you to use smaller text that viewers will have trouble reading. Ideally, a viewer should absorb all the information in your banner at a glance without having to make the decision to read it.
Keep your text to your channel name and one additional line underneath, if you can. Make sure your additional line of text is smaller than your channel name, so they aren’t competing.
Use Images and Colors that Suit Your Channel
If you have an upbeat, positive, channel then a black and red banner with skulls on it might not be the best choice to convey that. Similarly, if you have a gaming channel, then a minimalist banner that includes an Instagram-worthy picture of you wearing the latest seasonal styles might send the wrong message. It will make the viewer that sees it think you have a lifestyle channel, and they may click away thinking the Let’s Play they just watched was a one-off.
Look at the kinds of colors and images other YouTubers in your niche are using for inspiration for what you should do, but also consider the unique message of your channel. If you consider yourself bold, use bolder colors. If your videos have a more relaxed vibe, something softer might make sense.
Here’s a guide to what people tend to associate with different colors:
Include Your Face
This isn’t essential for every type of channel. If you mostly post gaming content or screencast tutorials and you don’t appear much in your actual videos, there’s no need to appear in your banner.
However, if your channel is primarily about you as a personality, then including your face in your channel art can have a lot of benefits. People are automatically drawn in by eye contact and feel more connected when they can see a face. Besides just looking good, including your face in your banner can help build a relationship with new viewers and make them feel more comfortable subscribing. They’ll know they’re subscribing to a person, not just a channel.
Give Viewers a Reason to Subscribe
Someone who has chosen to check out your channel page is already thinking about subscribing, but they didn’t do it from the video page because they want to know a bit more about you. The things they are probably hoping to find out are:
- Do you have more videos like that one they just watched? Will you make more?
- Are you ever going to post again?
There are a lot of YouTubers that just give up at some point, or who have started a channel but don’t have time to post very often. That you might never post a new video again, or might not post one for so long that the new subscriber forgets who you are, is a real hesitation viewer can have about subscribing.
Viewers also want to know that when you do post again, the video you post will be something they like. If they liked the video, they found you through because it was funny, but there’s nothing on your channel page that suggests you do comedy videos regularly, then that can make someone think twice. If you subscribe because of a makeup tutorial, but then the creator only posts personal vlogs from then on, it can be disappointing.
By clearly stating what kinds of videos you make and when you post them in your banner, you are giving viewers a reason to subscribe.
Here are some examples:
“Vlogs & Comedy! New videos every Tuesday.”
“Two videos every week! Makeup Mondays and Fashion Fridays”
If you can create channel art that has a layout that makes sense and sends a clear message even at a glance, then that will help you look like a more experienced YouTuber.
Channel Art Inspiration
Sometimes your niche on YouTube will determine what kinds of channel art you should use. For example, it makes sense for gamers to include game-related graphics in their banners and for travel vloggers to use photos from the destinations they’ve visited.
However, for lots of YouTube niches, the channel art you make will be built around your personality. How do you know what fits your personality? Here’s some inspiration based on popular trends.
Minimalism
This is an example of a minimalist YouTube banner. This style typically uses only 2 or 3 colors and features clean lines, simple backgrounds, and not a lot of noise. If you want to project a calm, tidy, balanced vibe on your channel, then you should consider going in a minimalist direction with your banner.
This example is light and airy, but you can also create a minimalist look using brighter or darker colors. It just depends on your personality.
Galaxy Themed
Galaxy banners are exactly what they sound like: channel art featuring space scenes or photographs of the night sky. At first glance, you might think they belong with channels that talk about science or sci-fi, and they are great for that, but they’re also a fun choice for comedy, vlogging, or gaming.
The great thing about the galaxy style is that it’s cool and different, but it doesn’t take over and distract from your message. There is a lot of room for a space scene to be very personalized. The example above is bold and purple. You can find galaxy photos in just about any color, and they can be either bright like this one or quite dark.
Funky
There isn’t really one ‘funky’ style. A funky banner is anything that’s just a little off-beat but still makes sense while you’re looking at it. They tend to be bright and cheerful and are perfect for anyone who considers themselves a bit quirky.
If you’re looking for inspiration for a custom funky banner, go to your closet and find your favorite funny, cute, or ironic t-shirt. There’s probably something in its design you can bring into your channel art.
Comic
A banner featuring an actual comic book character probably belongs to a channel that discusses comics, but the style itself is great for just about anyone. It’s bold and communicates confidence. If your attitude towards YouTube is that you want to be fearless, why not go for something worthy of a superhuman?
Do you have any of your own tips to share about YouTube banners?
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions
The following is a complete guide to YouTube banners, including instructions, tips, and free resources.
Channel art isn’t hard. Making video viewers enjoy enough that they click on your channel page - that’s hard. Channel art is just about reinforcing the positive feelings viewers have come away from your videos. Anyone who’s looking at your channel art is already thinking about subscribing to you. Your banner should make viewers feel happy with the choice they’ve already half-made.
- YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
- Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
- Free Channel Art Makers
- How to Make Good Channel Art
- Channel Art Inspiration
YouTube Banner Size and Other Basics
YouTube channel art should be 2560 x 1440px.
As long as you upload an image or background that is that size, viewers looking at your channel on any device will be able to see that you’ve taken the time to personalize your channel page.
If you want to make a bit more of an impression, you can start thinking about banner dimensions. Depending on what type of screen (laptop, mobile, television) a viewer is visiting your channel on, they will see a different crop of that 2560 x 1440px channel art. That cropped image is your banner.
Television will display the entire image, but it is significantly smaller on other devices.
Desktop or laptop computers can show a view as large as 2560 x 423px, or as small as 1546 x 423px.
Tablets show an area that’s 1855 x 423px.
Mobile phones show an area that’s 1546 x 423px. This size is also the smallest possible desktop/laptop view, and it is considered the ‘safe area.’ Any important text or graphics in your banner should fit within this section, or they could be awkwardly cut off in some views.
Here’s a visual guide to channel art dimensions:
Another important detail to consider is the size of your file. YouTube will allow your channel art to have a file size of up to 6MB, but no larger.
Free YouTube Banner Templates and Other Resources
There are a lot of free resources online, which can make the process of designing your channel art simple, including templates, stock images, backgrounds, and fonts.
Free YouTube Banner Templates
The easiest way to get great channel art might be to find something pre-built you can personalize. There are a few places online you can find something free that will suit both your style and the types of videos you make:
Here on filmora.io, we have a selection of 50 free channel art templates you can download. The banners are divided into 10 categories representing both different types of YouTube channels (i.e., gaming and beauty) and different popular styles (i.e., minimalist and galaxy), so there’s something for everybody. When you download the free templates, you can choose between PSD files, so you can customize your banner in Photoshop and PNG files you can use with a free online program like Canva (or even Paint on your computer).
On Visme, you’ll find another 50 free YouTube banners with themes like ‘Rock Star,’ ‘Makeup Tutorial,’ and ‘Cooking Lessons.’ The banners all make use of beautiful high-quality photographs (no patterned backgrounds). You can add your own channel name right on Visme and customize your font/color.
There is a massive amount of resources available on YourTube, which you can download for free. The category labeled templates only has 14 options, but there are really hundreds of options for YouTube channel art. ‘Templates’ just means downloads, which include PSD files where you can edit text. Under ‘All YouTube Channel Art,’ there are over 500 options. Some are patterned backgrounds, some are pictures, but all of them were designed to be channel art. It’s easy to look and imagine where your channel’s name will go.
There are also a lot of Channel Art Makers, which include templates!
Free Stock Images, Backgrounds, and Fonts
Sometimes all you need to do is add some text to a really great photo or background pattern. You can find awesome-looking and free options for all three of these things and piece together your own unique channel art.
Free Stock Photos for YouTube Channel Art
Unlike templates, stock photos will not already be the exact right size for uploading to YouTube. You’ll have to adjust them, but you don’t need expensive software to do this. You can use a banner maker, or just do some trimming in Paint. While you are making adjustments, keep the dimensions from the first part of this article in mind, so important details aren’t partially cut off on some devices.
There are a lot of beautiful photographs available online, and sites like Stocksy are great if you have the budget available to purchase images. If you need free options, then there are lots of those too, but you do sometimes need to be careful that the way you want to use an image is allowed within the license provided by the site or photographer.
We recommend these two sites for anybody who finds copyright rules confusing because both of these sites allow you to use their photos for free, for any purpose (commercial or personal), without attribution (although they do appreciate attribution).
Unsplash: This site has a huge selection, and more photos are being added all the time. Finding what you want is as easy as typing a keyword (i.e., ‘sunset’) into the search bar on the home page.
Pexels: you can find a wide variety of images on Pexels just by using the search bar on the main page, much like Unsplash. There is actually some overlap in the images available on the two sites, but they also each have photos the other doesn’t, so it’s worth looking at both.
Free Background Patterns for YouTube Banners
Photographs just don’t suit every type of channel. If you don’t think photos of scenery match the style of your channel, you might want to consider a background pattern. Because patterns repeat, you don’t need to worry much about things being cut off when you upload a pattern as channel art (although you’ll still need to make sure any text you add is in the safe area).
One thing you should watch for when using a background pattern is that text can sometimes be hard to read if it’s sitting on top of a busy pattern. You might want to put a box of solid color between your channel name and the pattern.
The patterns on the following two sites are free to use.
The Pattern Library: this truly is a library, and all the patterns were submitted by real graphic designers. When you first arrive on the site, all you’ll see is a randomly selected pattern filling your entire screen. Hovering over the designer’s name in the top left will allow you to download it for free.
Often, the download will not be as large as the image you see on the site. It will only be a few tiles (or just one tile), and you will need to copy/paste it a few times to create a background large enough to use as channel art.
You can use the navigation tools in the top right of the screen to see more patterns. Clicking the icon that looks like a bunch of squares will allow you to see multiple patterns at once.
Hero Patterns: the patterns on this site are editable before you download. You choose a foreground color, a background color, and the opacity of the design in the foreground. This means that you can make the pattern as subtle or vibrant as you want, which is a great thing to have control over when you’re creating channel art.
When you choose your custom colors and opacity, every pattern preview on the page will update. You can put in the colors you like for your channel first, and then find a pattern that looks good with them.
The only downside to Hero Patterns is that downloading your pattern is hard. You actually can’t just download it. Instead, the site generates a code you can embed on a website.
If you don’t have a website, the easiest thing is probably to use the Snipping Tool (included on all PCs since Vista) to save the preview and then just copy/paste it as a tile in a program like Paint or Photoshop.
Free Fonts for YouTube Channel Art
Whatever program you use to build your channel art will already have a selection of fonts. Finding the perfect font to use across your channel art, thumbnails, and for any text, you include in your videos isn’t something you need to think about until your channel is large enough that you’re thinking about your ‘brand’. If you feel like you’re at that stage, or want to get a jump start on it, here are a couple of sites where you can find free fonts and install them on your computer.
DaFont: there are categories on this site like fancy, gothic, and script, and there are even sub-categories like sci-fi and calligraphy. Licensing limits (whether the font is free and whether it is available for commercial use) will be clearly displayed next to every font. When browsing, you can even type your channel name in where it says ‘Preview’ and see what it will look like in all the different fonts.
Font Squirrel: the nice thing about this site is that everything is guaranteed to be free and available for commercial use. If you scroll down a bit on the main page, you’ll see a toolbar to the right of the screen, which will allow you to narrow down the fonts being displayed by selecting tags like grunge, headings, and casual.
Once you’ve got an image or images, and maybe even a font you want to use in your banner, you can create your channel art in either a software like Photoshop or a free banner maker (anchor) like the ones below.
Free Channel Art Makers
You don’t need an expensive program like Adobe Photoshop to make great channel art. There is a lot of photo editing and graphic design programs available for free online, and most of them are a lot easier to use.
All three of these sites will allow you to build your banner just by dragging images and text to where you want them, and they even provide premade templates (although those might not be free in some cases).
Canva is probably the most popular site for creating YouTube banners for free, for a good reason. It’s extremely intuitive for beginners who are making their first graphics, and it’s also a capable enough program to satisfy more intermediate-level users. Canva has stock images, banner templates, and other graphics available, but some of them cost $1 to use. You can also upload your own media instead of relying on Canva’s resources.
To build channel art in Canva, find ‘YouTube Channel Art’ as one of the options, and you’ll be working with a canvas that’s already the right size. You can also choose from a lot of different layout options, which will divide your canvas into different drop zones for images (pictures will be auto-sized to fit the zone).
One major benefit of Canva is the huge library of stock images, and one drawback is that you can’t have multiple images stretched to the end of your canvas.
Wondershare PixStudio is an all-in-one and powerful online graphic design maker for everyone. This online platform empowers anyone to create a beautiful design within a few steps. No professional skills required! By simply dragging and dropping the creative elements and templates, you are capable to release your imagination and convert it to stunning artwork.
A major benefit of PixStudio is that it provides a feature to remove the image background, you can use the image more flexibility. One drawback is that the features will be used after payment of $7.99 per month.
This is another easy to use image editor with templates and stock images, like Canva. You just select YouTube Cover from the options in the Social Media menu (there are also options for YouTube Thumbnails and Profile Pics).
In Canva, images you drag into your layout will automatically shift to fit the area you put them into. This doesn’t happen in Design Wizard, which can either slow down or speed up your process, depending on which you prefer.
One major benefit of Design Wizard is that it provides you with a ‘safe zone box’ so you can see the smallest view of your channel art while you work. One drawback is that the photos in Design Wizard aren’t free, so you’ll either have to buy them or use your own.
Tip: the safe zone box costs $1, so the price of your download will always look like $1 until you delete it when you’re finished designing. Then your price will drop to $0 if you haven’t used any other paid elements.
Fotor works similarly to the other two programs on this list. Just look for ‘YouTube Channel Art’ in the Header & Cover section and click on it to start designing. It does not have layouts like Canva, but it is also a drag-and-drop program, and it is better than Canva if you like to edit with layers.
Fotor has more free templates than Canva or Design Wizard, although it does also have some premium options. Creating a paid account will allow you to access premium resources and get rid of ads (costs $39.99 for the year), but if all you want it for is to create channel art, a paid account probably isn’t worth it.
You can upload your own images to use in Fotor as well.
A major benefit of Fotor is that it has a lot of genuinely free channel art templates you can customize, and one drawback is that it doesn’t have as many stock photos.
How to Make Good Channel Art
Finding an image, cutting it to the right size, and uploading it to YouTube is easy, but how many of your favorite YouTubers use just an image for their channel art? Usually, there’s at least a little text stating the name of the channel.
In this section, we’ll give you a quick checklist of things to include in your banner (anchor), and some tips on making excellent channel art.
Channel Art Checklist
Here are some things you might want to include in your YouTube banner. Not all of these are right for every type of channel.
- Channel name
- What kinds of videos you make
- Your posting schedule
- Social media handles
- Your face
- A tagline
Top 5 Tips for Making Great YouTube Banners
Besides looking good, your channel art can help convince more of your viewers to become subscribers. Here are our top 5 tips for making channel art that looks impressive and supports the growth of your channel.
- Solid Background Behind Text
- Keep Text to a Minimum
- Use Images and Colors That Suit Your Channel
- Include Your Face
- Give Viewers a Reason To Subscribe
Solid Background Behind Text
When viewers look at your channel page, you want your name and any other information your banner conveys to jump out at them. It is hard for text to jump out at anybody when it’s competing with a busy background, especially if some of the colors in the background are similar to the color of the text.
If possible, you can place your text on the part of your background pattern or image where there isn’t much happening behind it. When that isn’t possible, it doesn’t mean you need to find a new background. Instead, insert a solid-colored shape between the text and your background image. Your text will look great, and you won’t have to compromise on a background you like.
Keep Text to a Minimum
There is a lot you might want to say in your banner. You’ll want to tell viewers the name of the channel, what kinds of videos you make, when you upload those different kinds of videos, and maybe even the general philosophy driving your channel (i.e., ‘to spread positivity’). That’s all great, but try to say it fast.
Realistically, viewers probably won’t read more than one line of text. Writing more than that could also force you to use smaller text that viewers will have trouble reading. Ideally, a viewer should absorb all the information in your banner at a glance without having to make the decision to read it.
Keep your text to your channel name and one additional line underneath, if you can. Make sure your additional line of text is smaller than your channel name, so they aren’t competing.
Use Images and Colors that Suit Your Channel
If you have an upbeat, positive, channel then a black and red banner with skulls on it might not be the best choice to convey that. Similarly, if you have a gaming channel, then a minimalist banner that includes an Instagram-worthy picture of you wearing the latest seasonal styles might send the wrong message. It will make the viewer that sees it think you have a lifestyle channel, and they may click away thinking the Let’s Play they just watched was a one-off.
Look at the kinds of colors and images other YouTubers in your niche are using for inspiration for what you should do, but also consider the unique message of your channel. If you consider yourself bold, use bolder colors. If your videos have a more relaxed vibe, something softer might make sense.
Here’s a guide to what people tend to associate with different colors:
Include Your Face
This isn’t essential for every type of channel. If you mostly post gaming content or screencast tutorials and you don’t appear much in your actual videos, there’s no need to appear in your banner.
However, if your channel is primarily about you as a personality, then including your face in your channel art can have a lot of benefits. People are automatically drawn in by eye contact and feel more connected when they can see a face. Besides just looking good, including your face in your banner can help build a relationship with new viewers and make them feel more comfortable subscribing. They’ll know they’re subscribing to a person, not just a channel.
Give Viewers a Reason to Subscribe
Someone who has chosen to check out your channel page is already thinking about subscribing, but they didn’t do it from the video page because they want to know a bit more about you. The things they are probably hoping to find out are:
- Do you have more videos like that one they just watched? Will you make more?
- Are you ever going to post again?
There are a lot of YouTubers that just give up at some point, or who have started a channel but don’t have time to post very often. That you might never post a new video again, or might not post one for so long that the new subscriber forgets who you are, is a real hesitation viewer can have about subscribing.
Viewers also want to know that when you do post again, the video you post will be something they like. If they liked the video, they found you through because it was funny, but there’s nothing on your channel page that suggests you do comedy videos regularly, then that can make someone think twice. If you subscribe because of a makeup tutorial, but then the creator only posts personal vlogs from then on, it can be disappointing.
By clearly stating what kinds of videos you make and when you post them in your banner, you are giving viewers a reason to subscribe.
Here are some examples:
“Vlogs & Comedy! New videos every Tuesday.”
“Two videos every week! Makeup Mondays and Fashion Fridays”
If you can create channel art that has a layout that makes sense and sends a clear message even at a glance, then that will help you look like a more experienced YouTuber.
Channel Art Inspiration
Sometimes your niche on YouTube will determine what kinds of channel art you should use. For example, it makes sense for gamers to include game-related graphics in their banners and for travel vloggers to use photos from the destinations they’ve visited.
However, for lots of YouTube niches, the channel art you make will be built around your personality. How do you know what fits your personality? Here’s some inspiration based on popular trends.
Minimalism
This is an example of a minimalist YouTube banner. This style typically uses only 2 or 3 colors and features clean lines, simple backgrounds, and not a lot of noise. If you want to project a calm, tidy, balanced vibe on your channel, then you should consider going in a minimalist direction with your banner.
This example is light and airy, but you can also create a minimalist look using brighter or darker colors. It just depends on your personality.
Galaxy Themed
Galaxy banners are exactly what they sound like: channel art featuring space scenes or photographs of the night sky. At first glance, you might think they belong with channels that talk about science or sci-fi, and they are great for that, but they’re also a fun choice for comedy, vlogging, or gaming.
The great thing about the galaxy style is that it’s cool and different, but it doesn’t take over and distract from your message. There is a lot of room for a space scene to be very personalized. The example above is bold and purple. You can find galaxy photos in just about any color, and they can be either bright like this one or quite dark.
Funky
There isn’t really one ‘funky’ style. A funky banner is anything that’s just a little off-beat but still makes sense while you’re looking at it. They tend to be bright and cheerful and are perfect for anyone who considers themselves a bit quirky.
If you’re looking for inspiration for a custom funky banner, go to your closet and find your favorite funny, cute, or ironic t-shirt. There’s probably something in its design you can bring into your channel art.
Comic
A banner featuring an actual comic book character probably belongs to a channel that discusses comics, but the style itself is great for just about anyone. It’s bold and communicates confidence. If your attitude towards YouTube is that you want to be fearless, why not go for something worthy of a superhuman?
Do you have any of your own tips to share about YouTube banners?
If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
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Unveiling YouTube’s Monetization Process
Video site YouTube, owned by Google, is one of the biggest money makers for the internet giant. YouTube has changed how content creators share their work, becoming a multi-billion dollar business.
So how does YouTube pay you? It’s simple. YouTube pays you when you watch videos, view ads, search, etc. YouTube also pays you when you are a part of a video’s revenue.
In this article, we’re going to walk you through our 4-step process to outline to illustrate exactly how youtube pays you. First, let’s see the minimum eligibility requirements to join Youtube Partner Program.
- Emma Chamberlain - $12 million
- Roman Atwood – $14.5 million
- JJ Olatunji (AKA KSI) – $15 million
- Stevin John (AKA Blippi) – $16 million
- Sean McLoughlin (AKA Jacksepticeye) – $16 million
- David Dobrik – $20 million
- Anastasia Radzinskaya (AKA Like Nastya) – $20 million
- Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal – $20 million
- Lilly Singh – $20 million
- Preston Arsement – $20 million
- James Charles – $22 million
- Evan Fong – $25 million
- Jimmy Donaldson (AKA MrBeast) – $25 million
- Daniel Middleton – $35 million
- Mark Fischbach (AKA Markiplier) – $35 million
- Felix Kjellberg (AKA PewDiePie) – $40 million
- Logan Paul – $45 million
- Dude Perfect - $50 million
- Jake Paul – $60 million
- Ryan Kaji – $100 million
Part 1: When does youtube pay you [threshold to meet]
As a YouTuber, do you feel like you’re always struggling to reach some “threshold” where YouTube finally starts rewarding your efforts with some financial reward? You came to the right place; here’s a list of Youtube minimum criteria to reach the threshold.
1. 1K subscribers
The first requirement to monetize your channel is to increase your subscribers to at least 1000.
2. Follow all the YouTube channel monetization policies
These policies are a collection of documents containing all the policies, guidelines, and terms that apply to the YouTube Partner Program and advertising programs.
3. Availability in your region
It would be best if you were in the listed countries where Youtube Partner Program is available.
4. Strike free channel
Remember to avoid any strikes if you are planning to monetize your channel.
5. 4,000 watch hours
To qualify as a creator with a sustainable audience, you’ll need at least 4,000 public watch hours within 12 months in your channel.
6. AdSense account
You’ll need to ensure that you have a Google Adsense account set up and ready to go. Without an Adsense account, the video isn’t eligible to be monetized.
Part 2: How Do You Get Paid on YouTube?
We know that making money from YouTube can be challenging but not impossible. We’ll help you figure out how to get paid. Whether you want to create your videos and monetize them or you want to take advantage of the huge pool of talent. We’ll show you what the impact of the Youtube Partner program is on the revenue of YouTube channel owners:
Video length
One of the most noteworthy characteristics of a YouTube video is its length. A longer video provides a greater amount of information, which means a greater likelihood of the viewer actually watching it to completion.
Ad Quality
The two main qualities that differentiate high-quality YouTube ads are relevance and timeliness. It would be best if you tailored the ad to what’s happening within the video to be relevant. For instance, an ad about a new study may be relevant if the video is about health or science. The ad should also be timely. If you’re looking to get more revenue out of your channel, the quality of your ads should be high.
Number of clicks each ad receives
The number of times your video ad is shown is an important factor in how much it makes. You can increase your ads’ revenue potential by increasing the ad’s number of clicks. Advertisers use this metric to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns, which is why optimizing the number of clicks your ads get is so important.
Ad Blockers
And there are two problems with ad blocking. The first is that it cuts off revenue. The second problem is that it reduces user engagement. Ad blocking decreases the amount of time that users spend watching videos. Youtube videos that rely on advertising to generate revenue may decrease their income.
Bonus: See how much you can get by YouTube Pay Calculator
Calculating your potential earnings from YouTube is a great way to see if it is worth your time to start a channel and create videos for certain niches. It can also help you set realistic expectations for the average earnings you can expect.
A YouTube pay calculator is a simple way to estimate how much money you can make from your YouTube channel. These calculators will help you better understand how much money your youtube channel is making. Based on your view count, engagement and various other factors, it can help you to calculate your earnings from a YouTube Video or Channel.
Drag the YouTube Video Views Slider right or left based on your daily video views. It’s important to set your Estimated Click-Through Rate based on your channels. All that combined, you can view your monthly estimated earnings potential in seconds.
This tool only requires your channel URL. Copy and paste the URL and click ‘Check.’ You’ll get a short report of your channel that includes your total subscribers, the last 90 days’ progress, and an estimated earning per video.
The Youtube money calculator will show you the exact profit you are earning per day and will let you track your earnings daily, weekly and monthly. You can use the youtube money calculator to see if you should stop or continue your videos. You will also get to know how to improve your income.
How does YouTube send you money? Illustrate the mechanism
To receive money from Youtube, you must have an AdSense account linked with google and your Youtube channel. Let us find out how YouTube sends you money. Follow the steps mentioned below:
- Connect your AdSense account to your Google account and YouTube channel
- Make sure monetization is enabled.
- Check out the different kinds of video and ad formats you can monetize.
The videos and the ads you’ll put on your channel will get you money from Youtube in your AdSense account. When you have earned $10 in ads using your AdSense account linked to your Google account, Google will send you a confirmation email. Once all the verification has been done, Youtube will send you money in your AdSense account.
Part 3: Top YouTube Earners in 2022
When you think about the top YouTube earners, most name recognition is due to big-name influencers like PewDiePie and T-Series. Both these Youtubers, and the rest of the big names like Emma Chamberlain, Ryan Higa, Markiplier, and Hannah Hart, have significantly impacted the world of YouTube by becoming some of the best at what they do.
Now you must be wondering who the richest YouTubers are. We rounded up the top of the richest YouTubers in 2022. Read on to see which YouTube celebrities are worth the most.
20. Emma Chamberlain – $12 million
Emma Chamberlain, a vlogger and a social media personality, has a net worth of $12 million. Her personality has amassed over 11.8 million subscribers and over 1.5 billion views.
19. Roman Atwood – $14.5 million
Roman Atwood became famous with prank videos on his YouTube channel back in 2009. He started another channel, “RomanAtwoodVlogs”, which now has over 15.5 million subscribers and 5.5 billion views. Total of all his endeavors is a staggering net worth of $14.5 million.
18. JJ Olatunji (AKA KSI) – $15 million
KSI is number 18 on our list, with a net worth of $15 million. In 2009, he created a new channel under the name moniker KSI. Now his channel has about 23.7 million subscribers and over 5.8 billion views.
17. Stevin John (AKA Blippi) – $16 million
Blippihis is a fun character for kids who make educational videos for them. His channel is available in several languages and has over 16.4 million subscribers, leaving Stevin with a net worth of $16 million.
16. Sean McLoughlin (AKA Jacksepticeye) – $16 million
This Irish YouTube personality has a vlogging and video games channel. This year, he has over 28 million subscribers and makes about $300,000 per month, making his net worth around $16 million.
15. David Dobrik – $20 million
David, a viral social media star, has gathered 18.2 million subscribers and over 8 billion views. His combined followers from different social media platforms are over 45 million. David’s other business endeavors and social media success explain his worth of $20 million.
14. Anastasia Radzinskaya (AKA Like Nastya) – $20 million
Nastya is an eight-year-old Russian girl who, in just a few years, has become one of the known children’s YouTubers in the world. Nowadays, she has over 110 million subscribers combining her six channels with over 42 billion views. In 2017, she partnered with Yoolato to monetize the content. It was worth it – Radzinskaya is now worth a massive $20 million.
13. Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal – $20 million
They are Best known as the comedy duo Rhett and Link, one of the best comedy channels on youtube. Their YouTube channel has made them a combined $20 million fortune thanks to the success of their TV show Good Mythical Morning, which currently has around 17.5 million subscribers and over 7.8 billion views.
12. Lilly Singh – $20 million
Lilly Singh has comedic sketches featuring other YouTubers and celebrities in her YouTube videos. She released his first YouTube video in 2010, and his comedy sketches have attracted more than 14 million subscribers. Her total worth is $20 million.
11. Preston Arsement – $20 million
Preston Arsement has made it to Forbes magazine as one of the most paid internet entrepreneurs of 2022. His channel PrestonPlayz has attracted 21 million subscribers; now, he has a net worth of $20 million.
10. James Charles – $22 million
James Charles is a makeup artist who started by making YouTube videos about makeup tutorials and has since made a career. His makeup collection and clothing line business, along with youtube tutorials, made him a fortune of $22 million.
9. Evan Fong – $25 million
Evan Fong started the channel VanossGaming, which produces gaming videos on YouTube. His channel was launched in 2011 and now has over 25 million subscribers and over 7 billion views. His career as a star in computer animated series and directory in games made him an estimated worth of $25 million.
8. Jimmy Donaldson (AKA MrBeast) – $25 million
Jimmy’s YouTube career started in 2012 at the age of 13. With over 100 million subscribers and more than 22.5 billion views on his multiple channels, this social media king is in a league of his own. MrBeast, who can afford to give away $1 million in a single video, has a net worth of $25 million.
7. Daniel Middleton – $35 million
Daniel Middleton has made millions from his gaming YouTube channel DanTDM. He’s got 26 million subscribers and 10 billion views. This man also amassed a fortune of more than $35 million and set many world records in the most popular games.
6. Mark Fischbach (AKA Markiplier) – $35 million
Mark’s channel is one of the top 100 most subscribed Youtube channels. His career as a writer, actor, director and producer made him a fortune of $35 million.
5.Felix Kjellberg (AKA PewDiePie) – $40 million
Pewdiepie channel is often among the most subscribed channels on YouTube, and today it has around a whopping 111 million subscribers and over 28.2 billion views. Despite some setbacks, he still earned a staggering net worth of $40 million.
4. Logan Paul – $45 million
Logan is one of the most popular YouTubers of today’s generation. His channel of 23.6 million subscribers, along with successful merchandise and boxing career, make a total worth of $45 million.
3. Dude Perfect - $50 million
Dude Perfect is an entertainment, sports, and comedy brand that creates high-quality entertainment content that makes a whopping net worth of $50 million. Their channel boasts over 58 million YouTube subscribers.
2. Jake Paul – $60 million
Logan’s little brother Jake Paul started his content creation career at 16. His Youtube channel got hit early, and now he boasts over 20.4 million subscribers and 8.1 billion views.
1. Ryan Kaji – $100 million
You don’t normally meet a 10-year-old with a $100 million fortune, but Ryan Kaji is a rare exception. Ryan’s toy reviews have attracted more than two million subscribers and more than 50.7 billion views.
Part 4: Alternative ways to earn more money from YouTube
Some people think they can’t make money from YouTube…but that’s not true. You can make good money from YouTube, even as a newbie. It just takes some persistence and hard work to make that happen. We’ll show you some alternative ways to make more money on YouTube.
Make Good Content Continuously
Making good content that people love to watch repeatedly is a great way to earn more money. The key is improving the content continuously every week, month, or year.
Creating content that is both entertaining and informative helps people to make decisions. An audience can get a lot of information from the video, but if it is not of good quality, it will not have a good impression.
Bonus: Spice up your videos with Wondershare Filmora
A powerful video editing software can help you a lot. With an impactful editor software like Filmora, it allows you to add titles, music, and transition effects to give your video more visual appeal.
The current most popular video editing software application on the market is, hands down, Wondershare Filmora. Editing is incredibly easy with Filmora. Even the most inexperienced user can create a compelling, professional-looking video with Filmora in minutes. With Filmora’s video creation tools, anyone can easily edit, add effects, change text, and even make voiceovers. Filmora’s intuitive interface is a dream for non-experts as well. Some of its unique features include:
Stock Media
A royalty-free stock media, smart templates, and visual effects plug-ins will help you add more variety to your videos.
AI Portrait
Remove backgrounds from photographs with great accuracy, plus includes 80+ artificial intelligence portraits and photo editing stickers.
Green Screen
The green screen doesn’t just change your background but creates special effects, too.
Keyframing
It helps your videos look more energetic with smooth animation.
Color Correction
Add or make your own stunning 3D LUTs with color correction.
Join Affiliate
Affiliate marketing is a relatively easy way to turn YouTube viewers into customers. You can join many successful affiliate programs, but if you’re looking for the most money, go for the ones that offer a recurring commission.
Get Brand sponsorships
If you’re wondering if getting brand sponsorships for Youtube is worth the money, the answer is a resounding yes. Sponsorships on Youtube generate tons of views and even more engagement than ads do.
But brands tend to sponsor only content deemed relevant to the brand. So if you want to be a sponsored content creator, you must get to know your audience first and then build out your social media strategy around the products you sell and the messages you want to communicate.
Hot FAQs on YouTube channel monetization
1. What if I don’t meet the program threshold?
While trying to meet the threshold, focus on making content that will stand out from the competition and build your channel.
2. If I meet the threshold, do I automatically get into the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)?
No, the Youtube team will review every channel that passes the threshold. You cannot apply to join the YPP if your account has any active Community Guidelines strike. Plus, your channel must follow Youtube policies and guidelines.
3. How much money does 1 million views make?
For every one million views a YouTube video gets, a YouTuber can make upwards of $5000, based on Forbes’s estimated pay rate of $5. However, these are estimates, and the amount YouTubers earn from Youtube varies wildly.
Final Words
This article is a pretty good overview of the “how” of YouTube monetization, though we would also add that it can take a while to build up a following on YouTube if you’re starting. You’ll want to ensure that you put enough time and effort into your videos.
Your content must be unique so your viewers will want to stick around and engage with you. And lastly, if you’re looking to monetize your YouTube channel, focus on building your channel and growing your audience.
Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)
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Part 1: When does youtube pay you [threshold to meet]
As a YouTuber, do you feel like you’re always struggling to reach some “threshold” where YouTube finally starts rewarding your efforts with some financial reward? You came to the right place; here’s a list of Youtube minimum criteria to reach the threshold.
1. 1K subscribers
The first requirement to monetize your channel is to increase your subscribers to at least 1000.
2. Follow all the YouTube channel monetization policies
These policies are a collection of documents containing all the policies, guidelines, and terms that apply to the YouTube Partner Program and advertising programs.
3. Availability in your region
It would be best if you were in the listed countries where Youtube Partner Program is available.
4. Strike free channel
Remember to avoid any strikes if you are planning to monetize your channel.
5. 4,000 watch hours
To qualify as a creator with a sustainable audience, you’ll need at least 4,000 public watch hours within 12 months in your channel.
6. AdSense account
You’ll need to ensure that you have a Google Adsense account set up and ready to go. Without an Adsense account, the video isn’t eligible to be monetized.
Part 2: How Do You Get Paid on YouTube?
We know that making money from YouTube can be challenging but not impossible. We’ll help you figure out how to get paid. Whether you want to create your videos and monetize them or you want to take advantage of the huge pool of talent. We’ll show you what the impact of the Youtube Partner program is on the revenue of YouTube channel owners:
Video length
One of the most noteworthy characteristics of a YouTube video is its length. A longer video provides a greater amount of information, which means a greater likelihood of the viewer actually watching it to completion.
Ad Quality
The two main qualities that differentiate high-quality YouTube ads are relevance and timeliness. It would be best if you tailored the ad to what’s happening within the video to be relevant. For instance, an ad about a new study may be relevant if the video is about health or science. The ad should also be timely. If you’re looking to get more revenue out of your channel, the quality of your ads should be high.
Number of clicks each ad receives
The number of times your video ad is shown is an important factor in how much it makes. You can increase your ads’ revenue potential by increasing the ad’s number of clicks. Advertisers use this metric to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns, which is why optimizing the number of clicks your ads get is so important.
Ad Blockers
And there are two problems with ad blocking. The first is that it cuts off revenue. The second problem is that it reduces user engagement. Ad blocking decreases the amount of time that users spend watching videos. Youtube videos that rely on advertising to generate revenue may decrease their income.
Bonus: See how much you can get by YouTube Pay Calculator
Calculating your potential earnings from YouTube is a great way to see if it is worth your time to start a channel and create videos for certain niches. It can also help you set realistic expectations for the average earnings you can expect.
A YouTube pay calculator is a simple way to estimate how much money you can make from your YouTube channel. These calculators will help you better understand how much money your youtube channel is making. Based on your view count, engagement and various other factors, it can help you to calculate your earnings from a YouTube Video or Channel.
Drag the YouTube Video Views Slider right or left based on your daily video views. It’s important to set your Estimated Click-Through Rate based on your channels. All that combined, you can view your monthly estimated earnings potential in seconds.
This tool only requires your channel URL. Copy and paste the URL and click ‘Check.’ You’ll get a short report of your channel that includes your total subscribers, the last 90 days’ progress, and an estimated earning per video.
The Youtube money calculator will show you the exact profit you are earning per day and will let you track your earnings daily, weekly and monthly. You can use the youtube money calculator to see if you should stop or continue your videos. You will also get to know how to improve your income.
How does YouTube send you money? Illustrate the mechanism
To receive money from Youtube, you must have an AdSense account linked with google and your Youtube channel. Let us find out how YouTube sends you money. Follow the steps mentioned below:
- Connect your AdSense account to your Google account and YouTube channel
- Make sure monetization is enabled.
- Check out the different kinds of video and ad formats you can monetize.
The videos and the ads you’ll put on your channel will get you money from Youtube in your AdSense account. When you have earned $10 in ads using your AdSense account linked to your Google account, Google will send you a confirmation email. Once all the verification has been done, Youtube will send you money in your AdSense account.
Part 3: Top YouTube Earners in 2022
When you think about the top YouTube earners, most name recognition is due to big-name influencers like PewDiePie and T-Series. Both these Youtubers, and the rest of the big names like Emma Chamberlain, Ryan Higa, Markiplier, and Hannah Hart, have significantly impacted the world of YouTube by becoming some of the best at what they do.
Now you must be wondering who the richest YouTubers are. We rounded up the top of the richest YouTubers in 2022. Read on to see which YouTube celebrities are worth the most.
20. Emma Chamberlain – $12 million
Emma Chamberlain, a vlogger and a social media personality, has a net worth of $12 million. Her personality has amassed over 11.8 million subscribers and over 1.5 billion views.
19. Roman Atwood – $14.5 million
Roman Atwood became famous with prank videos on his YouTube channel back in 2009. He started another channel, “RomanAtwoodVlogs”, which now has over 15.5 million subscribers and 5.5 billion views. Total of all his endeavors is a staggering net worth of $14.5 million.
18. JJ Olatunji (AKA KSI) – $15 million
KSI is number 18 on our list, with a net worth of $15 million. In 2009, he created a new channel under the name moniker KSI. Now his channel has about 23.7 million subscribers and over 5.8 billion views.
17. Stevin John (AKA Blippi) – $16 million
Blippihis is a fun character for kids who make educational videos for them. His channel is available in several languages and has over 16.4 million subscribers, leaving Stevin with a net worth of $16 million.
16. Sean McLoughlin (AKA Jacksepticeye) – $16 million
This Irish YouTube personality has a vlogging and video games channel. This year, he has over 28 million subscribers and makes about $300,000 per month, making his net worth around $16 million.
15. David Dobrik – $20 million
David, a viral social media star, has gathered 18.2 million subscribers and over 8 billion views. His combined followers from different social media platforms are over 45 million. David’s other business endeavors and social media success explain his worth of $20 million.
14. Anastasia Radzinskaya (AKA Like Nastya) – $20 million
Nastya is an eight-year-old Russian girl who, in just a few years, has become one of the known children’s YouTubers in the world. Nowadays, she has over 110 million subscribers combining her six channels with over 42 billion views. In 2017, she partnered with Yoolato to monetize the content. It was worth it – Radzinskaya is now worth a massive $20 million.
13. Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal – $20 million
They are Best known as the comedy duo Rhett and Link, one of the best comedy channels on youtube. Their YouTube channel has made them a combined $20 million fortune thanks to the success of their TV show Good Mythical Morning, which currently has around 17.5 million subscribers and over 7.8 billion views.
12. Lilly Singh – $20 million
Lilly Singh has comedic sketches featuring other YouTubers and celebrities in her YouTube videos. She released his first YouTube video in 2010, and his comedy sketches have attracted more than 14 million subscribers. Her total worth is $20 million.
11. Preston Arsement – $20 million
Preston Arsement has made it to Forbes magazine as one of the most paid internet entrepreneurs of 2022. His channel PrestonPlayz has attracted 21 million subscribers; now, he has a net worth of $20 million.
10. James Charles – $22 million
James Charles is a makeup artist who started by making YouTube videos about makeup tutorials and has since made a career. His makeup collection and clothing line business, along with youtube tutorials, made him a fortune of $22 million.
9. Evan Fong – $25 million
Evan Fong started the channel VanossGaming, which produces gaming videos on YouTube. His channel was launched in 2011 and now has over 25 million subscribers and over 7 billion views. His career as a star in computer animated series and directory in games made him an estimated worth of $25 million.
8. Jimmy Donaldson (AKA MrBeast) – $25 million
Jimmy’s YouTube career started in 2012 at the age of 13. With over 100 million subscribers and more than 22.5 billion views on his multiple channels, this social media king is in a league of his own. MrBeast, who can afford to give away $1 million in a single video, has a net worth of $25 million.
7. Daniel Middleton – $35 million
Daniel Middleton has made millions from his gaming YouTube channel DanTDM. He’s got 26 million subscribers and 10 billion views. This man also amassed a fortune of more than $35 million and set many world records in the most popular games.
6. Mark Fischbach (AKA Markiplier) – $35 million
Mark’s channel is one of the top 100 most subscribed Youtube channels. His career as a writer, actor, director and producer made him a fortune of $35 million.
5.Felix Kjellberg (AKA PewDiePie) – $40 million
Pewdiepie channel is often among the most subscribed channels on YouTube, and today it has around a whopping 111 million subscribers and over 28.2 billion views. Despite some setbacks, he still earned a staggering net worth of $40 million.
4. Logan Paul – $45 million
Logan is one of the most popular YouTubers of today’s generation. His channel of 23.6 million subscribers, along with successful merchandise and boxing career, make a total worth of $45 million.
3. Dude Perfect - $50 million
Dude Perfect is an entertainment, sports, and comedy brand that creates high-quality entertainment content that makes a whopping net worth of $50 million. Their channel boasts over 58 million YouTube subscribers.
2. Jake Paul – $60 million
Logan’s little brother Jake Paul started his content creation career at 16. His Youtube channel got hit early, and now he boasts over 20.4 million subscribers and 8.1 billion views.
1. Ryan Kaji – $100 million
You don’t normally meet a 10-year-old with a $100 million fortune, but Ryan Kaji is a rare exception. Ryan’s toy reviews have attracted more than two million subscribers and more than 50.7 billion views.
Part 4: Alternative ways to earn more money from YouTube
Some people think they can’t make money from YouTube…but that’s not true. You can make good money from YouTube, even as a newbie. It just takes some persistence and hard work to make that happen. We’ll show you some alternative ways to make more money on YouTube.
Make Good Content Continuously
Making good content that people love to watch repeatedly is a great way to earn more money. The key is improving the content continuously every week, month, or year.
Creating content that is both entertaining and informative helps people to make decisions. An audience can get a lot of information from the video, but if it is not of good quality, it will not have a good impression.
Bonus: Spice up your videos with Wondershare Filmora
A powerful video editing software can help you a lot. With an impactful editor software like Filmora, it allows you to add titles, music, and transition effects to give your video more visual appeal.
The current most popular video editing software application on the market is, hands down, Wondershare Filmora. Editing is incredibly easy with Filmora. Even the most inexperienced user can create a compelling, professional-looking video with Filmora in minutes. With Filmora’s video creation tools, anyone can easily edit, add effects, change text, and even make voiceovers. Filmora’s intuitive interface is a dream for non-experts as well. Some of its unique features include:
Stock Media
A royalty-free stock media, smart templates, and visual effects plug-ins will help you add more variety to your videos.
AI Portrait
Remove backgrounds from photographs with great accuracy, plus includes 80+ artificial intelligence portraits and photo editing stickers.
Green Screen
The green screen doesn’t just change your background but creates special effects, too.
Keyframing
It helps your videos look more energetic with smooth animation.
Color Correction
Add or make your own stunning 3D LUTs with color correction.
Join Affiliate
Affiliate marketing is a relatively easy way to turn YouTube viewers into customers. You can join many successful affiliate programs, but if you’re looking for the most money, go for the ones that offer a recurring commission.
Get Brand sponsorships
If you’re wondering if getting brand sponsorships for Youtube is worth the money, the answer is a resounding yes. Sponsorships on Youtube generate tons of views and even more engagement than ads do.
But brands tend to sponsor only content deemed relevant to the brand. So if you want to be a sponsored content creator, you must get to know your audience first and then build out your social media strategy around the products you sell and the messages you want to communicate.
Hot FAQs on YouTube channel monetization
1. What if I don’t meet the program threshold?
While trying to meet the threshold, focus on making content that will stand out from the competition and build your channel.
2. If I meet the threshold, do I automatically get into the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)?
No, the Youtube team will review every channel that passes the threshold. You cannot apply to join the YPP if your account has any active Community Guidelines strike. Plus, your channel must follow Youtube policies and guidelines.
3. How much money does 1 million views make?
For every one million views a YouTube video gets, a YouTuber can make upwards of $5000, based on Forbes’s estimated pay rate of $5. However, these are estimates, and the amount YouTubers earn from Youtube varies wildly.
Final Words
This article is a pretty good overview of the “how” of YouTube monetization, though we would also add that it can take a while to build up a following on YouTube if you’re starting. You’ll want to ensure that you put enough time and effort into your videos.
Your content must be unique so your viewers will want to stick around and engage with you. And lastly, if you’re looking to monetize your YouTube channel, focus on building your channel and growing your audience.
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- Title: [Updated] Elevating Brand Awareness with Tailored, Engaging YouTube Banners
- Author: Brian
- Created at : 2024-05-25 13:22:37
- Updated at : 2024-05-26 13:22:37
- Link: https://youtube-video-recordings.techidaily.com/updated-elevating-brand-awareness-with-tailored-engaging-youtube-banners/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
