YouTube’s Revenue Per Million Views: An Insight

How much does YouTube pay for 1 million views? As a YouTuber, you become a business, and it helps to know the YouTube views to money earned.

If you are trying to earn a living on YouTube, one of the most excellent marks of a successful creator is often earning 1 million views on the platform (click here for tips on how to do that ). It usually serves as a benchmark for a time at which a channel is relatively sustainable. However, rather than meaning a YouTuber has made it big financially, reaching 1 million views is more likely to say they can expect to start making real money.

When you hit 1 million views on any video on YouTube, you’ll have a nice paycheck. You’ll likely have to hit 1 million views on at least a few other videos before you could consider quitting your full-time job and doing YouTube as your primary source of income. This article will explore what 1 million views mean for your YouTube channel. We will look more into how revenue is calculated on YouTube and what you can expect to earn-out of a video with 1 million views.

In this article

01 $2000 for 1 million views

02 How is the revenue calculated?

03 CPMs and CPCs

04 How monetization is changing

$2000 for 1 Million Views

In a case study performed by Standupbits and Josef Holm, a YouTube channel is created with over 3500 comedy clips that a comedian and stand up actor had put together over the years. The YouTube clips took extensive time to upload, and the library was prevalent. The YouTube ad revenue only equated to around $2000.

Although StandUpBits had uploaded thousands of clips and received over 1 million views on their channel, their library was only able to earn around $2000 from the ad revenue sharing. It’s estimated the group had spent approximately $25,000 to finish off the clips, edit them, and upload them, which means they invested far more in the channel than they earned.

If you are thinking about a career on YouTube, reaching 1 million views might seem like an excellent target for making a successful page, and it is, but reaching 1 million views doesn’t magically guarantee financial success.

How Revenue is Calculated

In order to understand how revenue is calculated over the YouTube marketplace, a YouTube user needs to first understand what the partnership program entails. Basically, a YouTube partner has the ability to monetize their videos and serve ads on their content.

In order to join this program you need to be able to commit to uploading ad-friendly (nothing controversial) content that is completely original and high quality and which also adheres to all of the community guidelines and YouTube’s Terms of Service (YouTube actually just introduced a couple of stricter rules - click here for YouTube Monetization 2018 ).

As of February 2018, to qualify for ad revenue, the YouTube channel must have:

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.

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

The AdSense revenue that you earn through YouTube will vary depending on a large number of factors related to the specific ads running and what type of content you produce.

Understanding CPM and CPCs

What is CPM?

CPM stands as the ‘cost per mille’ or ‘cost per thousand.’

Your CPM is the amount you earn for 1000 ad impressions (1000 viewers clicking on an ad or watching a skippable ad). Your CPM is usually related to the demographics of your users, the content you regularly post, the length of time on the videos that you post, and the gender of your viewers. YouTube CPMs can vary depending on the advertising bid the company has submitted with Google. The lowest bids can be around .33 cents per thousand views, and other advertisers can spend as much as $10 for 1000 views.

For example, gaming is the most prominent genre on YouTube, and there are many gaming-related ads to go around, but most of them are very low-paying (i.e., ads for free online games). Only YouTube gamers with extensive subscriber bases get higher-paying ads.

What is CPC?

CPC means ‘cost per click.’ A CPC ad interprets an ‘ad impression’ as a click on an ad rather than a viewer merely seeing it. Most YouTube ads are CPC ads, but skippable video ads are CPV (cost per view), and impressions are based on viewers watching the ad instead of skipping it.

Changes on YouTube and How You Can Earn More

Changes that have affected the way that revenue is calculated are the ability to skip ads and the lower click rates on advertising through YouTube. A huge portion of viewers uses ad blockers, which eliminates them as potential sources of revenue.

Ultimately earning ad revenue is a big game of reaching targeted demographics and achieving ongoing viewership for your videos. It does matter where your viewers are going to be viewing from, and the audience that your viewers are in (viewers from areas with more disposable income to spend on the products advertised to them are worth more to advertisers, as are viewers who are interested in higher-cost items).

Forming relationships with brands and doing product placements or sponsored videos can be a great way to earn more revenue than you will through AdSense. Just make sure the brands you build relationships with are relevant to your audience and that you incorporate the advertising in ways that don’t annoy your viewers.

Use the right keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags. Without this keyword information, YouTube may pair your video with advertisers that aren’t right for your audience. First, using the wrong keywords won’t put your content in front of the viewers who want to see it, and, second, the ads that run won’t be a good fit and thus are less likely to be clicked on. It’s also imperative that you focus on the metadata of every video. It can take some extra time to add in all of this information for each video, but it is well worth it if you are trying to get paid from YouTube.

Click here for 4 ways to start growing your channel faster.

So, how much does YouTube pay for 1 million views? Not as much as you might think. But don’t give up, because ad revenue is not the only way to make money through YouTube. Here are4 alternative ways to make money as a YouTuber .

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free

02 How is the revenue calculated?

03 CPMs and CPCs

04 How monetization is changing

$2000 for 1 Million Views

In a case study performed by Standupbits and Josef Holm, a YouTube channel is created with over 3500 comedy clips that a comedian and stand up actor had put together over the years. The YouTube clips took extensive time to upload, and the library was prevalent. The YouTube ad revenue only equated to around $2000.

Although StandUpBits had uploaded thousands of clips and received over 1 million views on their channel, their library was only able to earn around $2000 from the ad revenue sharing. It’s estimated the group had spent approximately $25,000 to finish off the clips, edit them, and upload them, which means they invested far more in the channel than they earned.

If you are thinking about a career on YouTube, reaching 1 million views might seem like an excellent target for making a successful page, and it is, but reaching 1 million views doesn’t magically guarantee financial success.

How Revenue is Calculated

In order to understand how revenue is calculated over the YouTube marketplace, a YouTube user needs to first understand what the partnership program entails. Basically, a YouTube partner has the ability to monetize their videos and serve ads on their content.

In order to join this program you need to be able to commit to uploading ad-friendly (nothing controversial) content that is completely original and high quality and which also adheres to all of the community guidelines and YouTube’s Terms of Service (YouTube actually just introduced a couple of stricter rules - click here for YouTube Monetization 2018 ).

As of February 2018, to qualify for ad revenue, the YouTube channel must have:

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.

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

The AdSense revenue that you earn through YouTube will vary depending on a large number of factors related to the specific ads running and what type of content you produce.

Understanding CPM and CPCs

What is CPM?

CPM stands as the ‘cost per mille’ or ‘cost per thousand.’

Your CPM is the amount you earn for 1000 ad impressions (1000 viewers clicking on an ad or watching a skippable ad). Your CPM is usually related to the demographics of your users, the content you regularly post, the length of time on the videos that you post, and the gender of your viewers. YouTube CPMs can vary depending on the advertising bid the company has submitted with Google. The lowest bids can be around .33 cents per thousand views, and other advertisers can spend as much as $10 for 1000 views.

For example, gaming is the most prominent genre on YouTube, and there are many gaming-related ads to go around, but most of them are very low-paying (i.e., ads for free online games). Only YouTube gamers with extensive subscriber bases get higher-paying ads.

What is CPC?

CPC means ‘cost per click.’ A CPC ad interprets an ‘ad impression’ as a click on an ad rather than a viewer merely seeing it. Most YouTube ads are CPC ads, but skippable video ads are CPV (cost per view), and impressions are based on viewers watching the ad instead of skipping it.

Changes on YouTube and How You Can Earn More

Changes that have affected the way that revenue is calculated are the ability to skip ads and the lower click rates on advertising through YouTube. A huge portion of viewers uses ad blockers, which eliminates them as potential sources of revenue.

Ultimately earning ad revenue is a big game of reaching targeted demographics and achieving ongoing viewership for your videos. It does matter where your viewers are going to be viewing from, and the audience that your viewers are in (viewers from areas with more disposable income to spend on the products advertised to them are worth more to advertisers, as are viewers who are interested in higher-cost items).

Forming relationships with brands and doing product placements or sponsored videos can be a great way to earn more revenue than you will through AdSense. Just make sure the brands you build relationships with are relevant to your audience and that you incorporate the advertising in ways that don’t annoy your viewers.

Use the right keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags. Without this keyword information, YouTube may pair your video with advertisers that aren’t right for your audience. First, using the wrong keywords won’t put your content in front of the viewers who want to see it, and, second, the ads that run won’t be a good fit and thus are less likely to be clicked on. It’s also imperative that you focus on the metadata of every video. It can take some extra time to add in all of this information for each video, but it is well worth it if you are trying to get paid from YouTube.

Click here for 4 ways to start growing your channel faster.

So, how much does YouTube pay for 1 million views? Not as much as you might think. But don’t give up, because ad revenue is not the only way to make money through YouTube. Here are4 alternative ways to make money as a YouTuber .

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free

02 How is the revenue calculated?

03 CPMs and CPCs

04 How monetization is changing

$2000 for 1 Million Views

In a case study performed by Standupbits and Josef Holm, a YouTube channel is created with over 3500 comedy clips that a comedian and stand up actor had put together over the years. The YouTube clips took extensive time to upload, and the library was prevalent. The YouTube ad revenue only equated to around $2000.

Although StandUpBits had uploaded thousands of clips and received over 1 million views on their channel, their library was only able to earn around $2000 from the ad revenue sharing. It’s estimated the group had spent approximately $25,000 to finish off the clips, edit them, and upload them, which means they invested far more in the channel than they earned.

If you are thinking about a career on YouTube, reaching 1 million views might seem like an excellent target for making a successful page, and it is, but reaching 1 million views doesn’t magically guarantee financial success.

How Revenue is Calculated

In order to understand how revenue is calculated over the YouTube marketplace, a YouTube user needs to first understand what the partnership program entails. Basically, a YouTube partner has the ability to monetize their videos and serve ads on their content.

In order to join this program you need to be able to commit to uploading ad-friendly (nothing controversial) content that is completely original and high quality and which also adheres to all of the community guidelines and YouTube’s Terms of Service (YouTube actually just introduced a couple of stricter rules - click here for YouTube Monetization 2018 ).

As of February 2018, to qualify for ad revenue, the YouTube channel must have:

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.

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

The AdSense revenue that you earn through YouTube will vary depending on a large number of factors related to the specific ads running and what type of content you produce.

Understanding CPM and CPCs

What is CPM?

CPM stands as the ‘cost per mille’ or ‘cost per thousand.’

Your CPM is the amount you earn for 1000 ad impressions (1000 viewers clicking on an ad or watching a skippable ad). Your CPM is usually related to the demographics of your users, the content you regularly post, the length of time on the videos that you post, and the gender of your viewers. YouTube CPMs can vary depending on the advertising bid the company has submitted with Google. The lowest bids can be around .33 cents per thousand views, and other advertisers can spend as much as $10 for 1000 views.

For example, gaming is the most prominent genre on YouTube, and there are many gaming-related ads to go around, but most of them are very low-paying (i.e., ads for free online games). Only YouTube gamers with extensive subscriber bases get higher-paying ads.

What is CPC?

CPC means ‘cost per click.’ A CPC ad interprets an ‘ad impression’ as a click on an ad rather than a viewer merely seeing it. Most YouTube ads are CPC ads, but skippable video ads are CPV (cost per view), and impressions are based on viewers watching the ad instead of skipping it.

Changes on YouTube and How You Can Earn More

Changes that have affected the way that revenue is calculated are the ability to skip ads and the lower click rates on advertising through YouTube. A huge portion of viewers uses ad blockers, which eliminates them as potential sources of revenue.

Ultimately earning ad revenue is a big game of reaching targeted demographics and achieving ongoing viewership for your videos. It does matter where your viewers are going to be viewing from, and the audience that your viewers are in (viewers from areas with more disposable income to spend on the products advertised to them are worth more to advertisers, as are viewers who are interested in higher-cost items).

Forming relationships with brands and doing product placements or sponsored videos can be a great way to earn more revenue than you will through AdSense. Just make sure the brands you build relationships with are relevant to your audience and that you incorporate the advertising in ways that don’t annoy your viewers.

Use the right keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags. Without this keyword information, YouTube may pair your video with advertisers that aren’t right for your audience. First, using the wrong keywords won’t put your content in front of the viewers who want to see it, and, second, the ads that run won’t be a good fit and thus are less likely to be clicked on. It’s also imperative that you focus on the metadata of every video. It can take some extra time to add in all of this information for each video, but it is well worth it if you are trying to get paid from YouTube.

Click here for 4 ways to start growing your channel faster.

So, how much does YouTube pay for 1 million views? Not as much as you might think. But don’t give up, because ad revenue is not the only way to make money through YouTube. Here are4 alternative ways to make money as a YouTuber .

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free

02 How is the revenue calculated?

03 CPMs and CPCs

04 How monetization is changing

$2000 for 1 Million Views

In a case study performed by Standupbits and Josef Holm, a YouTube channel is created with over 3500 comedy clips that a comedian and stand up actor had put together over the years. The YouTube clips took extensive time to upload, and the library was prevalent. The YouTube ad revenue only equated to around $2000.

Although StandUpBits had uploaded thousands of clips and received over 1 million views on their channel, their library was only able to earn around $2000 from the ad revenue sharing. It’s estimated the group had spent approximately $25,000 to finish off the clips, edit them, and upload them, which means they invested far more in the channel than they earned.

If you are thinking about a career on YouTube, reaching 1 million views might seem like an excellent target for making a successful page, and it is, but reaching 1 million views doesn’t magically guarantee financial success.

How Revenue is Calculated

In order to understand how revenue is calculated over the YouTube marketplace, a YouTube user needs to first understand what the partnership program entails. Basically, a YouTube partner has the ability to monetize their videos and serve ads on their content.

In order to join this program you need to be able to commit to uploading ad-friendly (nothing controversial) content that is completely original and high quality and which also adheres to all of the community guidelines and YouTube’s Terms of Service (YouTube actually just introduced a couple of stricter rules - click here for YouTube Monetization 2018 ).

As of February 2018, to qualify for ad revenue, the YouTube channel must have:

1. You will need to have 1,000 subscribers.

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

The AdSense revenue that you earn through YouTube will vary depending on a large number of factors related to the specific ads running and what type of content you produce.

Understanding CPM and CPCs

What is CPM?

CPM stands as the ‘cost per mille’ or ‘cost per thousand.’

Your CPM is the amount you earn for 1000 ad impressions (1000 viewers clicking on an ad or watching a skippable ad). Your CPM is usually related to the demographics of your users, the content you regularly post, the length of time on the videos that you post, and the gender of your viewers. YouTube CPMs can vary depending on the advertising bid the company has submitted with Google. The lowest bids can be around .33 cents per thousand views, and other advertisers can spend as much as $10 for 1000 views.

For example, gaming is the most prominent genre on YouTube, and there are many gaming-related ads to go around, but most of them are very low-paying (i.e., ads for free online games). Only YouTube gamers with extensive subscriber bases get higher-paying ads.

What is CPC?

CPC means ‘cost per click.’ A CPC ad interprets an ‘ad impression’ as a click on an ad rather than a viewer merely seeing it. Most YouTube ads are CPC ads, but skippable video ads are CPV (cost per view), and impressions are based on viewers watching the ad instead of skipping it.

Changes on YouTube and How You Can Earn More

Changes that have affected the way that revenue is calculated are the ability to skip ads and the lower click rates on advertising through YouTube. A huge portion of viewers uses ad blockers, which eliminates them as potential sources of revenue.

Ultimately earning ad revenue is a big game of reaching targeted demographics and achieving ongoing viewership for your videos. It does matter where your viewers are going to be viewing from, and the audience that your viewers are in (viewers from areas with more disposable income to spend on the products advertised to them are worth more to advertisers, as are viewers who are interested in higher-cost items).

Forming relationships with brands and doing product placements or sponsored videos can be a great way to earn more revenue than you will through AdSense. Just make sure the brands you build relationships with are relevant to your audience and that you incorporate the advertising in ways that don’t annoy your viewers.

Use the right keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags. Without this keyword information, YouTube may pair your video with advertisers that aren’t right for your audience. First, using the wrong keywords won’t put your content in front of the viewers who want to see it, and, second, the ads that run won’t be a good fit and thus are less likely to be clicked on. It’s also imperative that you focus on the metadata of every video. It can take some extra time to add in all of this information for each video, but it is well worth it if you are trying to get paid from YouTube.

Click here for 4 ways to start growing your channel faster.

So, how much does YouTube pay for 1 million views? Not as much as you might think. But don’t give up, because ad revenue is not the only way to make money through YouTube. Here are4 alternative ways to make money as a YouTuber .

Wondershare Filmora

Get started easily with Filmora’s powerful performance, intuitive interface, and countless effects!

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free

Elevate Thumbnails: Fantasy Elements Added

YouTube is a platform where you can make money from videos. But in order to earn, your videos should get lots of views. The thing is that YouTube is a competitive space. So many others are trying to do the same. Thus, you’ll be competing for viewers’ time and attention. How can you win that battle? One way is to add eye-catching YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The video thumbnail will leave an impression on viewers looking for something to watch. So ensuring it is high-quality is crucial. In this article, you’ll learn where to find amazing thumbnail backgrounds and how to add them to your thumbnails.

Why Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

When people are searching for something to watch on YouTube, they’ll look at two (2) things:

1. They’ll check the title to see how relevant it is to what they’re looking for.
2. Two, they’ll check the video thumbnail.

Thumbnail helps them determine off the bat if the video is high quality or not. A poor thumbnail will push them away, while a good one will encourage them to click.

That said, YouTubers should ensure their thumbnails are on point. Your thumbnails should be visually striking. One way to achieve that is by changing the thumbnail background. It allows you to remove unnecessary objects from the image. Additionally, it lets you improve the aesthetic of the thumbnail.

Now the question is: how do you change a YouTube thumbnail background?

Where To Find a New YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Thanks to the resource sites on the Internet, you can always find kickass backgrounds to create an attractive YouTube Thumbnail. Here, we recommend five (5) powerful apps/websites to help you easily find ideal thumbnail backgrounds.

1. Search for Numerous YouTube Thumbnail Backgrounds in Filmora

Pros

• Get access to YouTube Thumbnail Backgrounds within the video editing tool.
• Provides you with millions of stock images to choose from.
• The collection of stock media is constantly updated, giving you more and more options for your thumbnail background.

Cons

• The software itself is not totally free.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.

Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.

The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there’s a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.

Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.

Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.

2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images

Pros

• With over 22 million stock media resources, it offers a significant amount of photos, vectors, and graphic resources.
• The website is well-designed and void of pop-ups, making it very easy to search for specific photos.

Cons

• The free version has lots of limitations.
• The premium version is expensive.
• Download times can sometimes be slow.

Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it’s highly likely to have the image you are looking for.

Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.

3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free

Pros

• One of the largest libraries of stock photos.
• Gives a 30-day free trial that lets you make 10 downloads totally free of charge.
• Includes free images.

Cons

• The free trial lasts only 30 days. It becomes very expensive after that has expired.

Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It’s so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.

Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you’ll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.

4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy

Pros

• Millions of free resources.
• Cheaper than alternatives.

Cons

• The free version does not give you full commercial rights and requires you to add attribution.
• The free version allows you to download only 10 files a day.

Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.

Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.

5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace

Pros

• Photos downloaded from the website are free to use
• NegativeSpace encourages attribution, though, to thank the photographer that took the photo.

Cons

• The collection includes mostly photographs with just a few vectors here and there.
• The website can sometimes be slow to load.

NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they’re meant to be used as backgrounds.

Please note, however, that if you’re looking for vector illustrations, you’d better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.

How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?

Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.

Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora’s native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube’s suggested thumbnail size.

It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don’t have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.

Filmora’s tools for editing the video thumbnail aren’t too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature to easily change it.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What is Filmora’s AI Portrait Feature?

Wondershare Filmora’s AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.

Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called “human segmentation.” It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It’s really convenient!

Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.

1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.

2. Select the thumbnail image. Click “Tools” > “Video” > “AI Portrait.”

3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click “OK.”

4. Click “Stock Media” > “Photos.” Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.

5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.

6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.

7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.

8. Select the format and storage path.

9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select “Reveal In Explorer” to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.

The Bottom Line

Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.

The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.

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