8 Sites to Download Free Green Screen Backgrounds and Footage

Top 8 Sites to Get Free Green Screen Backgrounds and Footage

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Green screen or also known as chroma key is used when you swap the background of a video with another background. It provides you the opportunity to create fancy YouTube videos without forming an expensive set or going to a distant location and will reduce your cost! You can shoot your video at any place, at any time you want and then you can just swap the background with a fancy animation!

In this article, we are going to show you 8 sites to download green screen footage and how to make green screen videos for free.

• Part1: Top 8 site for free green screen background videos
• Part2: How to make and apply a green screen background video
• Part3: How to use the green screen in video

---

The best video editor for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , not only allows you to cut, crop, rotate, reverse videos, but also offers advanced features like PIP, Green Screen , or audio mixing. What’s more, you can find lots of effects on Fashion, gaming, education, tutorial, sports, etc. Check this article to know more.

In the video tutorial below, we will walk you through the steps to transforming your video into a cinematic marvel. With a few simple clicks and adjustments, you can take your audience to another world.

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

---

Part 1: Top 8 sites to get free green screen videos

With the latest release, you can now download video effects, video footage, stock image, and royalty-free sound effect and music from the effects store Wondershare Filmstock .

1. Videvo

Get amazing and high-quality videos that are free of the copyright at Videvo. It is a free stock website for videos that also offers free stock motion graphics that can be used in any projects you want. There are 4 segments that are clip-type, category, resolution, and license with further sub-categories for you to choose from. Only the videos with the Creative Commons license 3.0 must be given credit to the original creator.

The features of Videvo include-

• Use video clips free of charge.
• Offers free stock videos and motion graphics.
• Use the video for any types of production, personal or commercial.
• You may browse free green screen background videos.

2. VideoBlocks

Download high-quality free stock video at VideoBlocks. Started in the year 2009, VideoBlocks offers animated free green screen background to 4k videos and after-effect templates.

The features are-

• Offers royalty-free stock video footages.
• Choose from the background, after-effects, and collections.
• From Chroma key to blue screen and touchscreen gestures.
• Come in 3 types of pricing plans basic, unlimited, and enterprise.

3. Videezy

From sharing HD quality videos to free green screen backgrounds and amazingly cool video footages, Videezy is a platform with numerous free stock video clips, backgrounds and more.

The features of Videezy include-

• All videos on this platform are licensed CC0.
• Share free green screen backgrounds.
• Offer ultra HD resolution.
• A range of themes.

4. Pond5

You can now license your videos with Pond5 which is an international community of brands and media creators. It is a website with more than 60000 contributors of content from about 150 countries. Over 10000 videos are uploaded on Pond5 each day.

The features of Pond5 include-

• Browse more than 700k royalty-free video production tracks.
• Discover HD and 4K clips from filmmakers renowned globally.
• Easy visual search with drag and drop video feature.
• Free green screen background with animated HD videos.
• Several filters to present your green background video amazingly.

5. iStock

If you wish to search for millions of premium quality images, try iStock that handpicks and maintains the leading stock content globally.

The features of iStock include-

• From the green background to blue and orange backgrounds, iStock offers all.
• Find HD Video and 4K footage with green screen background at a nominal price just for the video and not the size.
• Pricing is flexible.

6. Green Screen Animals

The animals are truly difficult to capture. With the Green Screen Animals, you get the easiest and cost-effective access to high-quality video clips of domestic and exotic animals on a free green screen background.

The features are-

• Offers ultra HD 6k resolution video footage.
• You get access to any format as per your requirement.
• Use 3D chimpanzee models in your project with the green screen background.
• Getting performance from the animals can be a tough call, Green Screen Animals makes it easy.

7. Footage Island

Get video footage for both private and commercial use completely free. You just need to give credit to Footage Island and use the content free.

• Free green screen background footages available.
• Free download for both personal and commercial use with just credits to the channel.

8. Shutterstock

You can sort green screen videos from shutterstock using various search options like popular, latest, best match, and random. You may also select SD, 4k or HD resolution, choose a character from people, animals or abstract, categories and more.

The features include-

• Over 1 lakh stock videos and video clips.
• Curated video collection.
• Categories like entertainment, news, sports, royalty.
• Add music to your free green screen background video.
• Easy editing tools for a great video.

Part 2: How to make and apply a green screen background

In our last article, we have shared with you how to make and use green screen footage .

While, in this article, we won’t repeat it but just share with you some tips for making and applying green screen footage in video editings.

The core objective is to have a smooth one colored background which is easy to replace in post-production. Since the green screen is employed in the film industry on a mega scale, professional green screen kits are quite expensive. Hence it is much more feasible that a DIY solution is employed for the required results.

For a good quality result from a DIY green screen, you need to take care of the following items:

1. Screen Quality

Green screens can be wall painted with a chroma key, a large sheet of cloth hung without any creases, or a portable setup canvas that can cover the given area.

2. Lightning

The most important thing to be kept in mind is that your background should be lit evenly. Any shadows on the background should be avoided. The distance of the subject should be at least ten feet from the background, to minimize any kind of shadow.

You may also like: >> Blue Screen VS Green Screen: All You Need to Know

Part 3: How to composite green screen video footage

The next step is to utilize the downloaded free green screen footage with your video.

The best green screen software for personal and semi-professional use is Filmora. It allows you to import and work on videos shot in any format (AVI, MPEG, MKV, MP4, etc.) and seamlessly integrate your video with the background.

We have already demonstrated the steps of compositing and editing green screen videos at the beginning of the article. While in the video tutorial below, you can check the samples of using Filmora to compositing downloaded free green screen footage.

You can edit a video with green screen using Filmora easily. Check the below video to learn how to manage it.

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

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Green screen or also known as chroma key is used when you swap the background of a video with another background. It provides you the opportunity to create fancy YouTube videos without forming an expensive set or going to a distant location and will reduce your cost! You can shoot your video at any place, at any time you want and then you can just swap the background with a fancy animation!

In this article, we are going to show you 8 sites to download green screen footage and how to make green screen videos for free.

• Part1: Top 8 site for free green screen background videos
• Part2: How to make and apply a green screen background video
• Part3: How to use the green screen in video

---

The best video editor for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , not only allows you to cut, crop, rotate, reverse videos, but also offers advanced features like PIP, Green Screen , or audio mixing. What’s more, you can find lots of effects on Fashion, gaming, education, tutorial, sports, etc. Check this article to know more.

In the video tutorial below, we will walk you through the steps to transforming your video into a cinematic marvel. With a few simple clicks and adjustments, you can take your audience to another world.

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

---

Part 1: Top 8 sites to get free green screen videos

With the latest release, you can now download video effects, video footage, stock image, and royalty-free sound effect and music from the effects store Wondershare Filmstock .

1. Videvo

Get amazing and high-quality videos that are free of the copyright at Videvo. It is a free stock website for videos that also offers free stock motion graphics that can be used in any projects you want. There are 4 segments that are clip-type, category, resolution, and license with further sub-categories for you to choose from. Only the videos with the Creative Commons license 3.0 must be given credit to the original creator.

The features of Videvo include-

• Use video clips free of charge.
• Offers free stock videos and motion graphics.
• Use the video for any types of production, personal or commercial.
• You may browse free green screen background videos.

2. VideoBlocks

Download high-quality free stock video at VideoBlocks. Started in the year 2009, VideoBlocks offers animated free green screen background to 4k videos and after-effect templates.

The features are-

• Offers royalty-free stock video footages.
• Choose from the background, after-effects, and collections.
• From Chroma key to blue screen and touchscreen gestures.
• Come in 3 types of pricing plans basic, unlimited, and enterprise.

3. Videezy

From sharing HD quality videos to free green screen backgrounds and amazingly cool video footages, Videezy is a platform with numerous free stock video clips, backgrounds and more.

The features of Videezy include-

• All videos on this platform are licensed CC0.
• Share free green screen backgrounds.
• Offer ultra HD resolution.
• A range of themes.

4. Pond5

You can now license your videos with Pond5 which is an international community of brands and media creators. It is a website with more than 60000 contributors of content from about 150 countries. Over 10000 videos are uploaded on Pond5 each day.

The features of Pond5 include-

• Browse more than 700k royalty-free video production tracks.
• Discover HD and 4K clips from filmmakers renowned globally.
• Easy visual search with drag and drop video feature.
• Free green screen background with animated HD videos.
• Several filters to present your green background video amazingly.

5. iStock

If you wish to search for millions of premium quality images, try iStock that handpicks and maintains the leading stock content globally.

The features of iStock include-

• From the green background to blue and orange backgrounds, iStock offers all.
• Find HD Video and 4K footage with green screen background at a nominal price just for the video and not the size.
• Pricing is flexible.

6. Green Screen Animals

The animals are truly difficult to capture. With the Green Screen Animals, you get the easiest and cost-effective access to high-quality video clips of domestic and exotic animals on a free green screen background.

The features are-

• Offers ultra HD 6k resolution video footage.
• You get access to any format as per your requirement.
• Use 3D chimpanzee models in your project with the green screen background.
• Getting performance from the animals can be a tough call, Green Screen Animals makes it easy.

7. Footage Island

Get video footage for both private and commercial use completely free. You just need to give credit to Footage Island and use the content free.

• Free green screen background footages available.
• Free download for both personal and commercial use with just credits to the channel.

8. Shutterstock

You can sort green screen videos from shutterstock using various search options like popular, latest, best match, and random. You may also select SD, 4k or HD resolution, choose a character from people, animals or abstract, categories and more.

The features include-

• Over 1 lakh stock videos and video clips.
• Curated video collection.
• Categories like entertainment, news, sports, royalty.
• Add music to your free green screen background video.
• Easy editing tools for a great video.

Part 2: How to make and apply a green screen background

In our last article, we have shared with you how to make and use green screen footage .

While, in this article, we won’t repeat it but just share with you some tips for making and applying green screen footage in video editings.

The core objective is to have a smooth one colored background which is easy to replace in post-production. Since the green screen is employed in the film industry on a mega scale, professional green screen kits are quite expensive. Hence it is much more feasible that a DIY solution is employed for the required results.

For a good quality result from a DIY green screen, you need to take care of the following items:

1. Screen Quality

Green screens can be wall painted with a chroma key, a large sheet of cloth hung without any creases, or a portable setup canvas that can cover the given area.

2. Lightning

The most important thing to be kept in mind is that your background should be lit evenly. Any shadows on the background should be avoided. The distance of the subject should be at least ten feet from the background, to minimize any kind of shadow.

You may also like: >> Blue Screen VS Green Screen: All You Need to Know

Part 3: How to composite green screen video footage

The next step is to utilize the downloaded free green screen footage with your video.

The best green screen software for personal and semi-professional use is Filmora. It allows you to import and work on videos shot in any format (AVI, MPEG, MKV, MP4, etc.) and seamlessly integrate your video with the background.

We have already demonstrated the steps of compositing and editing green screen videos at the beginning of the article. While in the video tutorial below, you can check the samples of using Filmora to compositing downloaded free green screen footage.

You can edit a video with green screen using Filmora easily. Check the below video to learn how to manage it.

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

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Green screen or also known as chroma key is used when you swap the background of a video with another background. It provides you the opportunity to create fancy YouTube videos without forming an expensive set or going to a distant location and will reduce your cost! You can shoot your video at any place, at any time you want and then you can just swap the background with a fancy animation!

In this article, we are going to show you 8 sites to download green screen footage and how to make green screen videos for free.

• Part1: Top 8 site for free green screen background videos
• Part2: How to make and apply a green screen background video
• Part3: How to use the green screen in video

---

The best video editor for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , not only allows you to cut, crop, rotate, reverse videos, but also offers advanced features like PIP, Green Screen , or audio mixing. What’s more, you can find lots of effects on Fashion, gaming, education, tutorial, sports, etc. Check this article to know more.

In the video tutorial below, we will walk you through the steps to transforming your video into a cinematic marvel. With a few simple clicks and adjustments, you can take your audience to another world.

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

---

Part 1: Top 8 sites to get free green screen videos

With the latest release, you can now download video effects, video footage, stock image, and royalty-free sound effect and music from the effects store Wondershare Filmstock .

1. Videvo

Get amazing and high-quality videos that are free of the copyright at Videvo. It is a free stock website for videos that also offers free stock motion graphics that can be used in any projects you want. There are 4 segments that are clip-type, category, resolution, and license with further sub-categories for you to choose from. Only the videos with the Creative Commons license 3.0 must be given credit to the original creator.

The features of Videvo include-

• Use video clips free of charge.
• Offers free stock videos and motion graphics.
• Use the video for any types of production, personal or commercial.
• You may browse free green screen background videos.

2. VideoBlocks

Download high-quality free stock video at VideoBlocks. Started in the year 2009, VideoBlocks offers animated free green screen background to 4k videos and after-effect templates.

The features are-

• Offers royalty-free stock video footages.
• Choose from the background, after-effects, and collections.
• From Chroma key to blue screen and touchscreen gestures.
• Come in 3 types of pricing plans basic, unlimited, and enterprise.

3. Videezy

From sharing HD quality videos to free green screen backgrounds and amazingly cool video footages, Videezy is a platform with numerous free stock video clips, backgrounds and more.

The features of Videezy include-

• All videos on this platform are licensed CC0.
• Share free green screen backgrounds.
• Offer ultra HD resolution.
• A range of themes.

4. Pond5

You can now license your videos with Pond5 which is an international community of brands and media creators. It is a website with more than 60000 contributors of content from about 150 countries. Over 10000 videos are uploaded on Pond5 each day.

The features of Pond5 include-

• Browse more than 700k royalty-free video production tracks.
• Discover HD and 4K clips from filmmakers renowned globally.
• Easy visual search with drag and drop video feature.
• Free green screen background with animated HD videos.
• Several filters to present your green background video amazingly.

5. iStock

If you wish to search for millions of premium quality images, try iStock that handpicks and maintains the leading stock content globally.

The features of iStock include-

• From the green background to blue and orange backgrounds, iStock offers all.
• Find HD Video and 4K footage with green screen background at a nominal price just for the video and not the size.
• Pricing is flexible.

6. Green Screen Animals

The animals are truly difficult to capture. With the Green Screen Animals, you get the easiest and cost-effective access to high-quality video clips of domestic and exotic animals on a free green screen background.

The features are-

• Offers ultra HD 6k resolution video footage.
• You get access to any format as per your requirement.
• Use 3D chimpanzee models in your project with the green screen background.
• Getting performance from the animals can be a tough call, Green Screen Animals makes it easy.

7. Footage Island

Get video footage for both private and commercial use completely free. You just need to give credit to Footage Island and use the content free.

• Free green screen background footages available.
• Free download for both personal and commercial use with just credits to the channel.

8. Shutterstock

You can sort green screen videos from shutterstock using various search options like popular, latest, best match, and random. You may also select SD, 4k or HD resolution, choose a character from people, animals or abstract, categories and more.

The features include-

• Over 1 lakh stock videos and video clips.
• Curated video collection.
• Categories like entertainment, news, sports, royalty.
• Add music to your free green screen background video.
• Easy editing tools for a great video.

Part 2: How to make and apply a green screen background

In our last article, we have shared with you how to make and use green screen footage .

While, in this article, we won’t repeat it but just share with you some tips for making and applying green screen footage in video editings.

The core objective is to have a smooth one colored background which is easy to replace in post-production. Since the green screen is employed in the film industry on a mega scale, professional green screen kits are quite expensive. Hence it is much more feasible that a DIY solution is employed for the required results.

For a good quality result from a DIY green screen, you need to take care of the following items:

1. Screen Quality

Green screens can be wall painted with a chroma key, a large sheet of cloth hung without any creases, or a portable setup canvas that can cover the given area.

2. Lightning

The most important thing to be kept in mind is that your background should be lit evenly. Any shadows on the background should be avoided. The distance of the subject should be at least ten feet from the background, to minimize any kind of shadow.

You may also like: >> Blue Screen VS Green Screen: All You Need to Know

Part 3: How to composite green screen video footage

The next step is to utilize the downloaded free green screen footage with your video.

The best green screen software for personal and semi-professional use is Filmora. It allows you to import and work on videos shot in any format (AVI, MPEG, MKV, MP4, etc.) and seamlessly integrate your video with the background.

We have already demonstrated the steps of compositing and editing green screen videos at the beginning of the article. While in the video tutorial below, you can check the samples of using Filmora to compositing downloaded free green screen footage.

You can edit a video with green screen using Filmora easily. Check the below video to learn how to manage it.

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

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Green screen or also known as chroma key is used when you swap the background of a video with another background. It provides you the opportunity to create fancy YouTube videos without forming an expensive set or going to a distant location and will reduce your cost! You can shoot your video at any place, at any time you want and then you can just swap the background with a fancy animation!

In this article, we are going to show you 8 sites to download green screen footage and how to make green screen videos for free.

• Part1: Top 8 site for free green screen background videos
• Part2: How to make and apply a green screen background video
• Part3: How to use the green screen in video

---

The best video editor for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , not only allows you to cut, crop, rotate, reverse videos, but also offers advanced features like PIP, Green Screen , or audio mixing. What’s more, you can find lots of effects on Fashion, gaming, education, tutorial, sports, etc. Check this article to know more.

In the video tutorial below, we will walk you through the steps to transforming your video into a cinematic marvel. With a few simple clicks and adjustments, you can take your audience to another world.

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

---

Part 1: Top 8 sites to get free green screen videos

With the latest release, you can now download video effects, video footage, stock image, and royalty-free sound effect and music from the effects store Wondershare Filmstock .

1. Videvo

Get amazing and high-quality videos that are free of the copyright at Videvo. It is a free stock website for videos that also offers free stock motion graphics that can be used in any projects you want. There are 4 segments that are clip-type, category, resolution, and license with further sub-categories for you to choose from. Only the videos with the Creative Commons license 3.0 must be given credit to the original creator.

The features of Videvo include-

• Use video clips free of charge.
• Offers free stock videos and motion graphics.
• Use the video for any types of production, personal or commercial.
• You may browse free green screen background videos.

2. VideoBlocks

Download high-quality free stock video at VideoBlocks. Started in the year 2009, VideoBlocks offers animated free green screen background to 4k videos and after-effect templates.

The features are-

• Offers royalty-free stock video footages.
• Choose from the background, after-effects, and collections.
• From Chroma key to blue screen and touchscreen gestures.
• Come in 3 types of pricing plans basic, unlimited, and enterprise.

3. Videezy

From sharing HD quality videos to free green screen backgrounds and amazingly cool video footages, Videezy is a platform with numerous free stock video clips, backgrounds and more.

The features of Videezy include-

• All videos on this platform are licensed CC0.
• Share free green screen backgrounds.
• Offer ultra HD resolution.
• A range of themes.

4. Pond5

You can now license your videos with Pond5 which is an international community of brands and media creators. It is a website with more than 60000 contributors of content from about 150 countries. Over 10000 videos are uploaded on Pond5 each day.

The features of Pond5 include-

• Browse more than 700k royalty-free video production tracks.
• Discover HD and 4K clips from filmmakers renowned globally.
• Easy visual search with drag and drop video feature.
• Free green screen background with animated HD videos.
• Several filters to present your green background video amazingly.

5. iStock

If you wish to search for millions of premium quality images, try iStock that handpicks and maintains the leading stock content globally.

The features of iStock include-

• From the green background to blue and orange backgrounds, iStock offers all.
• Find HD Video and 4K footage with green screen background at a nominal price just for the video and not the size.
• Pricing is flexible.

6. Green Screen Animals

The animals are truly difficult to capture. With the Green Screen Animals, you get the easiest and cost-effective access to high-quality video clips of domestic and exotic animals on a free green screen background.

The features are-

• Offers ultra HD 6k resolution video footage.
• You get access to any format as per your requirement.
• Use 3D chimpanzee models in your project with the green screen background.
• Getting performance from the animals can be a tough call, Green Screen Animals makes it easy.

7. Footage Island

Get video footage for both private and commercial use completely free. You just need to give credit to Footage Island and use the content free.

• Free green screen background footages available.
• Free download for both personal and commercial use with just credits to the channel.

8. Shutterstock

You can sort green screen videos from shutterstock using various search options like popular, latest, best match, and random. You may also select SD, 4k or HD resolution, choose a character from people, animals or abstract, categories and more.

The features include-

• Over 1 lakh stock videos and video clips.
• Curated video collection.
• Categories like entertainment, news, sports, royalty.
• Add music to your free green screen background video.
• Easy editing tools for a great video.

Part 2: How to make and apply a green screen background

In our last article, we have shared with you how to make and use green screen footage .

While, in this article, we won’t repeat it but just share with you some tips for making and applying green screen footage in video editings.

The core objective is to have a smooth one colored background which is easy to replace in post-production. Since the green screen is employed in the film industry on a mega scale, professional green screen kits are quite expensive. Hence it is much more feasible that a DIY solution is employed for the required results.

For a good quality result from a DIY green screen, you need to take care of the following items:

1. Screen Quality

Green screens can be wall painted with a chroma key, a large sheet of cloth hung without any creases, or a portable setup canvas that can cover the given area.

2. Lightning

The most important thing to be kept in mind is that your background should be lit evenly. Any shadows on the background should be avoided. The distance of the subject should be at least ten feet from the background, to minimize any kind of shadow.

You may also like: >> Blue Screen VS Green Screen: All You Need to Know

Part 3: How to composite green screen video footage

The next step is to utilize the downloaded free green screen footage with your video.

The best green screen software for personal and semi-professional use is Filmora. It allows you to import and work on videos shot in any format (AVI, MPEG, MKV, MP4, etc.) and seamlessly integrate your video with the background.

We have already demonstrated the steps of compositing and editing green screen videos at the beginning of the article. While in the video tutorial below, you can check the samples of using Filmora to compositing downloaded free green screen footage.

You can edit a video with green screen using Filmora easily. Check the below video to learn how to manage it.

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

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Comprehensive Tutorial on Youtube Annotation

How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

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 Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

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 Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

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 Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

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 Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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