Dailymotion vs YouTube: Who Earns More From Video Content?

Online video creators are always searching for ways to make their passion profitable. YouTube and Dailymotion are two of the largest video platforms. Millions of users use these platforms, and they have updated features. How do you choose the right video platform?

This article compares Dailymotion monetization to YouTube on privacy, audience, and analytics. To ease this exploration, Filmora is assisting us. This software edits videos to increase platforms’ income-generating potential. Read this article to monetize your videos in a better way, and join us on this journey.

Video Monetization Editor Create engaging and valuable videos with Wondershare Filmora for YouTube and Dailymotion Monetization!

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. Exploring YouTube and Dailymotion: Platforms for Creators

YouTube : What is it?

A three-person team, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, founded YouTube in 2005. Their goal is to create YouTube as a global platform for sharing videos. A huge $1.65 billion was paid by Google for buying YouTube. YouTube then became a more popular website with over two billion users every month.

Lots of creators, like makeup artists and gamers, make money on YouTube. With the platform, you can livestream, make money from your videos, and watch tons of user-made videos.

Dailymotion : What is it?

A French entrepreneur and an English entrepreneur founded Dailymotion in 2005. Dailymotion became one of the most popular video platforms in France and then Europe in just 1 year. You can upload and share videos on Dailymotion like on YouTube. There is a slight difference in their focus. Dailymotion’s content tends to be professional, while YouTube’s is user-made.

Dailymotion has over 300 million users every month. It’s accessible in 35 different languages. Also, for pro content, it offers features like “Motionmaker” to users and live streaming to creators.

The popularity and user base of YouTube and Dailymotion

YouTube’s user interface is very easy and simple to use. You can filter the results with date and popularity at the top bar of the website. You can watch YouTube without ads and gain access to YouTube analytics.

It’s cool to create your own channel on YouTube. It allows you to upload videos, customize your banner, and create a community.

It is easy to stream videos or share them with friends by creating playlists. YouTube and Dailymotion both have easy-to-use interfaces. You can customize your own channel, and it has categories and channels. YouTube has advanced playlist features, but Dailymotion does not.

It’s not all fun and games - YouTube has fewer ads than Dailymotion. A premium subscription to Dailymotion removes the ads and gives you access to other features.

Both Platforms have Different Content and Audiences

YouTube Content and Audience

Video content on YouTube ranges from cooking tips to music videos. It even offers live streaming concerts and mind-blowing documentaries. Gamer, beauty, sports, and learning enthusiasts will enjoy this channel.

YouTube allows you to upload 12-hour-long videos to increase your watch time. You can also share all types of experiences in the long video. Every day, 2.51 billion active users watch over one billion hours of content. Creators can showcase their work in high definition, up to 8K, on the platform, which is a major advantage. Mobile devices and smartphones also allow offline viewing of videos.

Dailymotion Content and Audience

There’s something special about Dailymotion. The site provides YouTube videos, animated shorts, music, documentaries, and TV shows. Although Dailymotion has upload limits, its videos are still of high quality, up to 1080p. There is a vibrant community of creators looking to connect with their audiences as well. There were 545.3 million visits to Dailymotion in April 2023, making it a strong competitor. Depending on your taste and the content you’re looking for, you can choose either.

Part 2. YouTube vs. Dailymotion Monetization: Unraveling the Key Differences

YouTube and Dailymotion monetization features and opportunities

It’s crucial for content creators to know which monetization options each platform offers. Let’s have a look at the monetization options available on YouTube and Dailymotion. It is possible to earn money from your content on both Dailymotion and YouTube. Dailymotion is easier to monetize, despite its broader and more sophisticated offering.

Programs and options for monetizing YouTube

There are many ways for YouTube creators to make money from their content. You can display video ads for sponsorships, AdSense payments, and merchandise sales. YouTube offers more monetization options and is more advanced than Dailymotion. The YouTube monetization rules can be tricky to meet for eligible accounts.

Programs and options for monetizaton Dailymotion

Creators can also monetize their content on Dailymotion. Dailymotion has fewer monetization options than YouTube. Unlike YouTube, Dailymotion allows creators to earn money through ads.

The Dailymotion Partner Program has made several French video creators extremely wealthy. The CPM is always low for video creators around the world, for whatever reason. Dailymotion Partners from France earn 3000 - 4000 euros per month. Global Partners withdraw the monthly least of $100.

Monetization Requirements and Earning Potential

YouTube’s YPP monetizes accounts with 1,000 subscribers and earns revenue through advertising. You’ll get 55% of the revenue generated by the ads shown during, before, and after your videos. It is also possible to charge channel memberships. For every 1,000 views, the average YouTuber makes about $18.

The Dailymotion Partner Program monetizes your videos. The least number of views you need to monetize your content is 1,000 (combined). One hour of watch time on the platform generates $57 in income, making it a great way to make money!

Choosing Between YouTube and Dailymotion Channel Monetization

Now that you’ve seen a YouTube vs. Dailymotion comparison, you are leaning toward one. Let’s dive into some key questions if you’re still not sure ( you can use both platforms ):

• Do you have a specific group in mind? It’s important to think about who your audience is.
• Are Your Videos Targeted? Do your videos match specific search queries?
• Video Length and Size: How long and big are your videos?
• Monetization: Want to make money? Consider your subscriber count.
• Privacy Control: How much control do you need over your content’s privacy?
• Analytics: Do you want detailed data on your video performance?

YouTube is your best bet if you want organic search traffic, a wide audience, and hefty videos. If you want privacy control, or if you want to monetize, Dailymotion shines.

Whatever you pick, remember to add captions to your videos. Transcription tools can help with that, making your content more accessible and engaging.

Part 3. Enhance Your Monetization Journey with Wondershare Filmora: A Video Editing Solution

Let’s take a look at a powerful tool to enhance your gaming experience. It’s Wondershare Filmora. Creating engaging and valuable videos is easy with Wondershare Filmora. An attractive user interface, a media library, and many useful features make it a great choice. A video tool that turns content creators’ vision into professional content. Filmora is perfect for YouTubers, filmmakers, and vloggers of all skill levels.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora Features for Monetization Magic

1.Creative Templates

Filmora’s video templates make it easy to create nice videos. With these templates, you can easily make a captivating intro or an engaging end screen. You make more money when you keep your audience interested.

2. Advanced Audio Editing

To create engaging content, you must have great audio. With Filmora’s audio tools, you can stretch, denoise, and duck audio to improve your videos. Having engaged viewers means you’re more likely to generate income from ads and sales.

3. Enhancing Your Videos with Video Effects

Using Wondershare Filmora, you can transform your ordinary videos into something extraordinary. There are a variety of effects available, such as overlays, filters, and transitions. Filters allow you to change your videos’ feel and appearance. With overlays, like glitch overlays, you can enhance your videos.

4. Color Correction

Wondershare Filmora’s color correction tool can make your videos much better. You can change the colors and mood of your videos with Filmora’s color options. To make your videos look more professional, you can adjust their brightness or darkness. Using vibrant colors can help you earn more and draw in more customers.

Conclusion

When it comes to making money from your passion, picking the right platform is crucial. This guide has shown the main differences between YouTube and Dailymotion monetization. With Wondershare Filmora, you can make the most money from both places.

YouTube is great for long videos, a big audience, and finding people naturally. Monetization Dailymotion is good for making money without needing as many subscribers.

If you put captions on your videos, more people will watch. Think of Filmora as a friend who helps you make money with fun, good videos. It’s like having a partner in making money from your videos.

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. Exploring YouTube and Dailymotion: Platforms for Creators

YouTube : What is it?

A three-person team, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, founded YouTube in 2005. Their goal is to create YouTube as a global platform for sharing videos. A huge $1.65 billion was paid by Google for buying YouTube. YouTube then became a more popular website with over two billion users every month.

Lots of creators, like makeup artists and gamers, make money on YouTube. With the platform, you can livestream, make money from your videos, and watch tons of user-made videos.

Dailymotion : What is it?

A French entrepreneur and an English entrepreneur founded Dailymotion in 2005. Dailymotion became one of the most popular video platforms in France and then Europe in just 1 year. You can upload and share videos on Dailymotion like on YouTube. There is a slight difference in their focus. Dailymotion’s content tends to be professional, while YouTube’s is user-made.

Dailymotion has over 300 million users every month. It’s accessible in 35 different languages. Also, for pro content, it offers features like “Motionmaker” to users and live streaming to creators.

The popularity and user base of YouTube and Dailymotion

YouTube’s user interface is very easy and simple to use. You can filter the results with date and popularity at the top bar of the website. You can watch YouTube without ads and gain access to YouTube analytics.

It’s cool to create your own channel on YouTube. It allows you to upload videos, customize your banner, and create a community.

It is easy to stream videos or share them with friends by creating playlists. YouTube and Dailymotion both have easy-to-use interfaces. You can customize your own channel, and it has categories and channels. YouTube has advanced playlist features, but Dailymotion does not.

It’s not all fun and games - YouTube has fewer ads than Dailymotion. A premium subscription to Dailymotion removes the ads and gives you access to other features.

Both Platforms have Different Content and Audiences

YouTube Content and Audience

Video content on YouTube ranges from cooking tips to music videos. It even offers live streaming concerts and mind-blowing documentaries. Gamer, beauty, sports, and learning enthusiasts will enjoy this channel.

YouTube allows you to upload 12-hour-long videos to increase your watch time. You can also share all types of experiences in the long video. Every day, 2.51 billion active users watch over one billion hours of content. Creators can showcase their work in high definition, up to 8K, on the platform, which is a major advantage. Mobile devices and smartphones also allow offline viewing of videos.

Dailymotion Content and Audience

There’s something special about Dailymotion. The site provides YouTube videos, animated shorts, music, documentaries, and TV shows. Although Dailymotion has upload limits, its videos are still of high quality, up to 1080p. There is a vibrant community of creators looking to connect with their audiences as well. There were 545.3 million visits to Dailymotion in April 2023, making it a strong competitor. Depending on your taste and the content you’re looking for, you can choose either.

Part 2. YouTube vs. Dailymotion Monetization: Unraveling the Key Differences

YouTube and Dailymotion monetization features and opportunities

It’s crucial for content creators to know which monetization options each platform offers. Let’s have a look at the monetization options available on YouTube and Dailymotion. It is possible to earn money from your content on both Dailymotion and YouTube. Dailymotion is easier to monetize, despite its broader and more sophisticated offering.

Programs and options for monetizing YouTube

There are many ways for YouTube creators to make money from their content. You can display video ads for sponsorships, AdSense payments, and merchandise sales. YouTube offers more monetization options and is more advanced than Dailymotion. The YouTube monetization rules can be tricky to meet for eligible accounts.

Programs and options for monetizaton Dailymotion

Creators can also monetize their content on Dailymotion. Dailymotion has fewer monetization options than YouTube. Unlike YouTube, Dailymotion allows creators to earn money through ads.

The Dailymotion Partner Program has made several French video creators extremely wealthy. The CPM is always low for video creators around the world, for whatever reason. Dailymotion Partners from France earn 3000 - 4000 euros per month. Global Partners withdraw the monthly least of $100.

Monetization Requirements and Earning Potential

YouTube’s YPP monetizes accounts with 1,000 subscribers and earns revenue through advertising. You’ll get 55% of the revenue generated by the ads shown during, before, and after your videos. It is also possible to charge channel memberships. For every 1,000 views, the average YouTuber makes about $18.

The Dailymotion Partner Program monetizes your videos. The least number of views you need to monetize your content is 1,000 (combined). One hour of watch time on the platform generates $57 in income, making it a great way to make money!

Choosing Between YouTube and Dailymotion Channel Monetization

Now that you’ve seen a YouTube vs. Dailymotion comparison, you are leaning toward one. Let’s dive into some key questions if you’re still not sure ( you can use both platforms ):

• Do you have a specific group in mind? It’s important to think about who your audience is.
• Are Your Videos Targeted? Do your videos match specific search queries?
• Video Length and Size: How long and big are your videos?
• Monetization: Want to make money? Consider your subscriber count.
• Privacy Control: How much control do you need over your content’s privacy?
• Analytics: Do you want detailed data on your video performance?

YouTube is your best bet if you want organic search traffic, a wide audience, and hefty videos. If you want privacy control, or if you want to monetize, Dailymotion shines.

Whatever you pick, remember to add captions to your videos. Transcription tools can help with that, making your content more accessible and engaging.

Part 3. Enhance Your Monetization Journey with Wondershare Filmora: A Video Editing Solution

Let’s take a look at a powerful tool to enhance your gaming experience. It’s Wondershare Filmora. Creating engaging and valuable videos is easy with Wondershare Filmora. An attractive user interface, a media library, and many useful features make it a great choice. A video tool that turns content creators’ vision into professional content. Filmora is perfect for YouTubers, filmmakers, and vloggers of all skill levels.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora Features for Monetization Magic

1.Creative Templates

Filmora’s video templates make it easy to create nice videos. With these templates, you can easily make a captivating intro or an engaging end screen. You make more money when you keep your audience interested.

2. Advanced Audio Editing

To create engaging content, you must have great audio. With Filmora’s audio tools, you can stretch, denoise, and duck audio to improve your videos. Having engaged viewers means you’re more likely to generate income from ads and sales.

3. Enhancing Your Videos with Video Effects

Using Wondershare Filmora, you can transform your ordinary videos into something extraordinary. There are a variety of effects available, such as overlays, filters, and transitions. Filters allow you to change your videos’ feel and appearance. With overlays, like glitch overlays, you can enhance your videos.

4. Color Correction

Wondershare Filmora’s color correction tool can make your videos much better. You can change the colors and mood of your videos with Filmora’s color options. To make your videos look more professional, you can adjust their brightness or darkness. Using vibrant colors can help you earn more and draw in more customers.

Conclusion

When it comes to making money from your passion, picking the right platform is crucial. This guide has shown the main differences between YouTube and Dailymotion monetization. With Wondershare Filmora, you can make the most money from both places.

YouTube is great for long videos, a big audience, and finding people naturally. Monetization Dailymotion is good for making money without needing as many subscribers.

If you put captions on your videos, more people will watch. Think of Filmora as a friend who helps you make money with fun, good videos. It’s like having a partner in making money from your videos.

A Comprehensive Guide to Personalizing Video Images

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube custom thumbnails are a great way to get people’s attention to your YouTube video. It’s a pretty simple process but if you are wondering how to create a thumbnail and add the thumbnail to YouTube video and customize it with the correct size. You have come to the right place. While in this article, I will show you how to create and add a thumbnail to a YouTube video and how to customize the YouTube video thumbnail. Follow these easy steps below and add eyecatching customed thumbnails to your YouTube videos in no time.

• Part 1: Create and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube
• Part 2: Tools to Create Custom YouTube Video Thumbnails
• Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube
• Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a YouTube Custom Thumbnail
• Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails to Get More Clicks
• Part 6: YouTube Thumbnail FAQs

---

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos [Steps, Tools and Tips]

We have just made a video tutorial about how to make a YouTube video thumbnail, check it below to find out the tips and tricks of making customized YouTube thumbnail.

Part 1: How to Make a Thumbnail for YouTube and Add Custom Thumbnails to YouTube

After you’ve verified your account and made your thumbnail, it’s finally time to upload it to your video and make a custom thumbnail. To do this, go to Creator Studio and then Video Manager. You’ll see a button labeled “Edit” next to each video, and an arrow pointing down. Click Thumbnail Editor.

In Thumbnail Editor, you can use the still images in the video as a thumbnail, choose a solid background color for the thumbnail, or add other images from your computer. I will show you the steps of how to customize the video still as a video thumbnail.

1. Preview the video and choose the target video still. You can click the Playback button and check the video and pause it at the desired frame. Or, you can step through each frame by clicking the Preview Frame button and Next Frame icon. Click Next to continue.

2. And now, you can add text, image and shape overlays to the thumbnail. You can change the text font, size, opacity and more.

3. Click Next to save the thumbnail and you will see how the thumbnail displays on different platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Click Save to save the video thumbnail.

In this way, you can add a custom thumbnail to the new videos and change the video thumbnail of the previously uploaded videos.

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

Of course, you can use some of the best tools to make a YouTube video thumbnail. In this part, we will show you some of the best tools to create custom YouTube thumbnails.

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

Canva is a free, powerful online image editing program with tons of great templates to get you started. One of their templates just happens to be YouTube thumbnails. Open Canva and select the “YouTube Thumbnail” design type. Use your own photo or choose from a huge library, then add text and effects to really make it stand out. Save and share — easy as that.

Check this video tutorial to see how to Make a Youtube Thumbnail using Canva.

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

Gimp is one of the most popular image editing programs around for one very simple reason: it’s powerful and free! Where Canva uses a lot of templates, Gimp gives you absolute, full control over how you want your image to look. Make a 1280x720 image and start putting together your eye-catching thumbnail exactly how you want to.

Check this video tutorial to see how to make professional Thumbnails for YouTube Videos with Gimp:

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

Note: YouTube allows verified YouTube accounts (accounts that provided YouTube with a working phone number) to upload custom thumbnail images and change them accordingly.

In this part, we’ll be going over how to change a thumbnail image on YouTube. There are pictures to make it easy to follow along.

• After signing into YouTube with your Google account, click on your profile on the top right corner. Click on YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.

• On the left side of the page, click on Videos and then find your video and click on the details button.

• Find the Thumbnail section in the basic video details tab, and then click the Upload thumbnail to select the image that you want to upload.
• Finally, click on the Save button on the right upper corner. And just like that, in seven easy steps, we’re done changing the thumbnail of a YouTube video.

If you don’t have an image to upload but you want to check out some online resources to make your own, check out our Top YouTube Thumbnail Makers .

Part 4: Things You Need to Know Before Making a Custom Thumbnail

• About the proper YouTube video thumbnail size: Your thumbnail should be 1280x720 pixels in size and be less than 2MB. The minimum width of the image is 640 pixels.
• About the YouTube Image thumbnail format: Use .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or .BMP files for your thumbnail image.
• You’ll want your thumbnails to stand out. Bright colored text is a simple, easy way to draw people’s attention. Red, white, yellow, or orange are all popular choices.
• You can even do a little homework to see what colors others are using for similar videos to yours, and then choose different colors to stand out.

One word of warning: your thumbnail should be related to the content of your video. Misleading thumbnail images, if reported, will reflect poorly on your channel. You’ll get a negative rating in the community status part of your channel. This can actually remove your ability to use custom thumbnails, so keep it honest!

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

To make a creative YouTube video, you may also need a powerful video editing software. Check how to edit a YouTube video in Filmora video editor and download it to try.

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

Part 5: Tips on How to Make Good YouTube Thumbnails - Get More Clicks

The thumbnails of your videos play a huge role in convincing people to watch them; a good YouTube thumbnail will get you more views and more potential subscribers. This part will give you 6 tips on creating thumbnails that help grow your channel. Now let’s learn how to make thumbnails using Wondershare PixStudio.

1. Stay On Topic

Your thumbnail should tell a story; it should be clear from looking at it what viewers will get out of watching the video, be it knowledge or entertainment. If your thumbnail sets expectations that your video doesn’t deliver on, people will click away quickly. You may get views quickly, but you won’t get much watch time. That will tell YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people aren’t getting what they want from this, rank it lower’. That leads to fewer views over time, and gives the people who do manage to find your video a negative opinion of your channel.

Very few people intentionally use thumbnails that have nothing to do with the content of their videos – i.e, most people understand not to use a picture of a kitten in the thumbnail for their tech review, unless maybe their kitten is the one doing the review (which would be adorable, someone should do that). People who want serious advice won’t click, and people who click to see a kitten will click away fast.

This thumbnail had better be for a kitten’s iPhone review video or people will click away. Fast.

A mistake a lot of creators do make is creating a thumbnail that is meant to evoke an emotion which the video itself does not justify. For example, if you see a picture of a YouTuber looking nervous alongside text that reads ‘My Secret’, you will think they are going to share something deeply personal. You will be curious, and you may even be worried about them. You’ll probably click. Then, if their secret is that they don’t like pineapple on pizza, you’ll probably be angry. This technique gets clicks, but not a lot of watch time and it will lose you subs in the long run.

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

A good thumbnail doesn’t make people guess. Your thumbnail should tell people what’s in your video, not make them wonder about it. People want to know what they’re being asked to spend time watching.

Often, they will be looking for the answer to a specific question and will completely ignore anything that doesn’t show – in the thumbnail – that it has their answer.

Sometimes big channels can get away with stuff like this, because large portions of their audiences are interested in them as people and will already be curious about anything they post. This technique will not bring in new viewers, though.

If this came up in a search for ‘smoky eye tutorial’, would you click it?

When people want answers, they want to feel confident that they video they click on will have those answers. If you have great content, then let people know it!

3. People Like People

Viewers are more likely to click on a thumbnail if they feel a connection when they look at it. One of the best ways to create a feeling of connection is through eye contact, and you can apply that principle to your YouTube thumbnails easily.

Just make sure you’re in them.

You can either compose a photo to use as your thumbnail, or use a screenshot from your video. Ideally, the image of you will convey the emotional tone of the video and tell potential viewers what it is about, besides you.

So, if you want to post a funny video that is also about making brownies, maybe a picture of you smiling while holding up a tray of brownies would be a better direction than just showing the brownies?

4. Check Out The Competition

Before you post your video, type your topic into YouTube’s search engine and see what comes up. This will give you insight into what kinds of thumbnails are performing well for other people, as well as what you can do to stand out in comparison.

Phil starts talking about thumbnails at 6:09, and he has great tips on checking out your competition!

For example, if all five of the top-ranked videos for the search ‘how to build a cabinet’ show images of the YouTuber smiling while holding a power tool, then your thumbnail for a video on the same topic should also be a picture of you smiling and holding a power tool. You know that works, so why not do it?

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

You want to use colors that will help you stand out from the other search results. While checking out your competition if you notice that all the people in the other thumbnails are wearing black or navy blue, it will be a good idea for you to wear a brighter color for your shoot to grab a bit more attention.

Beyond simply using colors that are different from other people’s colors, you should consider the emotions different colors trigger.

Maybe don’t use a lot of green and yellow in the thumbnail for your angry video rant?

6. Make Your Text Huge

Usually, you’ll want to use a bit of text in your thumbnail. It might be the full title of your video, or just a keyword or phrase. You don’t want to use a full sentence because you won’t have room for it if you’re using huge text.

The reason you should use huge text is so that people can read it. Remember that when people see your thumbnail in their search results, it will be much smaller than it will look while you are creating it. Text that looks big enough while you are creating your thumbnail will be much smaller when people are actually trying to read it, and that goes double for viewers watching on their small smartphone screens.

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

When you upload a video on YouTube, YouTube gives you three images to choose from in the selection of your video’s thumbnail image. These three images are just freeze-frame snapshots from different parts of your video, which may not tell your viewers what your video is really all about.

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

Yes, you can replace the auto-generated thumbnail with the customized thumbnail you like. But YouTube only allows verified YouTube accounts to upload custom thumbnail images.

3. How Long Does It Take for a Thumbnail to Change on YouTube?

Normally, if you have a good internet connection, you can see the thumbnail is changed within 10 seconds.

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

When you get more people watching your video for longer, it increases your watch time and tells YouTube’s search algorithm ‘people like this, rank it higher’. Being ranked higher gets you more views, and even more watch time. It’s a wonderful cycle that all begins with a great thumbnail (paired with a good title and the right tags).

Richard Bennett

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

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