Are There Restrictions in Saving YouTube Videos?

YouTube is currently the most useful video streaming platform. This platform has a wide range of amazing videos that make it one of the most subscribed platforms in the world today. This is why thousands of people do screen recordings on YouTube every day for various uses. Some of them record content to use in studies, to share with friends, for offline entertainment and other acceptable ways. There are those that record YouTube content, edit and re-upload it in their own accounts.

However, since YouTube is the most streaming platform in the world today, it has set guidelines and strict rules to be followed to make sure that people do not misuse the platform at all. The YouTube content is protected by US copyright law, and it indicates that any form of recording or conversion of this copyrighted content is illegal. Other issues related to video and audio recording come from various copyright laws and intellectual property rights.

Is Screen Recording YouTube Illegal?

The legality and illegality of recording YouTube content depend on the purpose of recording. It is absolutely legal to record videos for personal purposes such as sharing content with your friends or keeping them for offline enjoyment.

However, if you have been asking is screen recording on YouTube illegal? Yes it is, if your aim is other than the mentioned above. Some people record YouTube videos for malicious purposes such as reuploading them on YouTube or on other platforms to earn money from it. Such acts are illegal and are punishable.

If YouTube detects any illegal upload, it will suspend the subscriber’s account. The illegal content is removed from the YouTube platform within 24 hours. It is advisable for all the users to comply with the set policy strictly and do the screen recording in legal ways and allowed purposes. Before recording any content on YouTube, you must ask yourself this question first; is screen recording on YouTube illegal?

How to Record YouTube Videos

With the above in mind, it is important to know how to record YouTube videos on PC in the right way. To be able to record the videos in the right way, you need to use one of the many available screen recording programs available in the market today.

However, since there are many screen recording programs available that can record YouTube videos with audio, it is important to choose the most suitable for your tasks. Filmora is an all-in-one video and audio recorder capable of recording, editing, and converting videos without losing quality. This software is quite intuitive and very easy to use. By choosing Filmora, you are halfway to knowing if; it is illegal to record music from YouTube. This is because it is a YouTube supporting program. Filmora is a recording and editing tool with many features to help you know how to record YouTube videos on pc. Such are;

Screen recording
Audio duking.
Screen detection.
Video stabilization.
Export to YouTube and Vimeo.
Green screen support.
Media library.
GIF support.
Record HD video in 4K/1080P/720p, support frame
Previewing rendering
Silence detection.
Auto-ripple.
Split-screen presets.
Advanced text editing.
Tilt-shift.
Chroma key.
Video and audio control.
Auto mix.

Follow the following steps when you want to record screen with Wondershare Filmora;

Step1: Download and install Wondershare Filmora.

If you do not have this software installed on your computer, you need to start by downloading and installing it on your device and then launch it. Having downloaded Filmora, you are halfway to knowing whether it is legal or is it illegal to record music from YouTube.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 2: Launch Filmora.

Now that you have installed this software, launch the Wondershare Filmora program and the main interface of the Filmora application will pop up to get you to the recording options. This interface has about four options; Audio reframe, Audio Best Sync, PC screen, and AI portrait. All these are set to make your work easier when recording videos and audio. Click on the new project from the welcome screen.

Step 3: Click on the record PC screen option.

You can customize your recording options to suit your interest and then open your browser and open the YouTube video you want to record. After this is done, click on the red button to start recording the screen. Now you are aware of the steps you need to take when you want to record a YouTube video with audio.

How to Edit Recorded YouTube Video

Regardless of the software, you are using to edit your YouTube videos, there are common steps that you can follow to make your journey a success. Filmora is efficient and reliable software that you can easily operate when editing your videos. This is why I will take you through the steps that you need to take when editing YouTube videos with this program.

Step 1: Split or combine your video clips

Just like other alternative editing programs, the Wondershare Filmora video editing program has a timeline view of the project you are working on. This is where you can cut or drop your shots as each of the shots are in separate files that you should combine with others to make one complete video.

Filmora has an effective split feature, that can help you cut footage into parts, and after, you can move the splits into the correct position or delete the unwanted parts. The Quick Trim feature can help you to choose any part of your video quickly when previewing.

Filmora supports almost all the formats used to make videos and photos and this will help you reduce obstacles when you want to combine footage shot with different devices. With such capabilities, it is easy to add video clips, photos, and audio when editing Your YouTube Videos.

For you to combine several footages into one, you need to place all clips in the video track in an orderly way. Then set the timeline view and move the shots around, cut or trim to shorten as you prefer. To give your final production a professional look, you can add transitions between shots.

Step 2: Rotate, Crop, Pan, and Zoom

At this point, you can rotate the video at any angle, or direction and you can as well change the scale of your video footage. If you want the viewers to focus on a certain part of the video frame, apply the Pan & Zoom feature.

Step 3: Add audio, texts, and more effects.

Now that you have edited your different video shots into a single video, you can now take the step of adding some more effects to your video. At this point, you can add different staff such as music, texts, and different other effects that you would prefer your viewers to see in your video. Some may think this is difficult to do if they have not tried it before.

The Wondershare Filmora screen editor has appropriate features to help you add all the effect you need without wasting time at all. This program will guide you through how to add effects to your YouTube videos. This is an important step in answering the question asked by many; is it illegal to record music from YouTube? If you adhere to YouTube rules and policy, you can incorporate music and other effects into your YouTube videos without fear.

Step 4: Save and Export

After adding all the special effects, you are almost at the final stage. The next important thing to do is to choose the format of saving your video file. After making sure that your video format is set, and then you can export your video file.

Remember to save your file in a format acceptable to the platform that you are intending to upload your videos. Some of the major video formats accepted by YouTube include MP4, AVI, and VMA. You can use any of these formats to save your YouTube video files.

You don’t need to upload your videos later as the Filmora features will allow you to upload YouTube videos directly. It will choose the appropriate format, frame, and codec that suit your video files.

When editing your YouTube videos on your computer, remember to follow the above steps carefully, and remember to use the right widescreen format, and render your video files in either 1080p or 720p high definition.

Having equipped yourself with such knowledge, you can download the Filmora software and install it on your computer as it is one of the very best software when it comes to recording and editing videos and audio.

Conclusion

Now you know what to do and what not to do when it comes to recording and editing YouTube videos. Remember, for you to avoid problems with the YouTube platform, work in the brackets of the set policy. Find the right and fitting video editor such as Filmora to assist you in recording and editing videos for YouTube. There are many Filmora tutorial guides that can help you know how to download and install it on your PC.

Follow the following steps when you want to record screen with Wondershare Filmora;

Step1: Download and install Wondershare Filmora.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 2: Launch Filmora.

Step 3: Click on the record PC screen option.

How to Edit Recorded YouTube Video

Step 1: Split or combine your video clips

Step 2: Rotate, Crop, Pan, and Zoom

Step 3: Add audio, texts, and more effects.

Step 4: Save and Export

Conclusion

Follow the following steps when you want to record screen with Wondershare Filmora;

Step1: Download and install Wondershare Filmora.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 2: Launch Filmora.

Step 3: Click on the record PC screen option.

How to Edit Recorded YouTube Video

Step 1: Split or combine your video clips

Step 2: Rotate, Crop, Pan, and Zoom

Step 3: Add audio, texts, and more effects.

Step 4: Save and Export

Conclusion

Follow the following steps when you want to record screen with Wondershare Filmora;

Step1: Download and install Wondershare Filmora.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 2: Launch Filmora.

Step 3: Click on the record PC screen option.

How to Edit Recorded YouTube Video

Step 1: Split or combine your video clips

Step 2: Rotate, Crop, Pan, and Zoom

Step 3: Add audio, texts, and more effects.

Step 4: Save and Export

Conclusion

Mastering YouTube Images: Your Complete Thumbnail Handbook

The Ultimate Guide to YouTube Thumbnails that Get Views

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Search for any topic on YouTube and you’ll find thousands of videos. How do you decide which of them to watch? Thumbnails play a major role in what viewers decide to click on. They’re often more important than video titles.

Viewers click on thumbnails that both standout and feel relevant to their search. Your task when it comes to creating YouTube thumbnails is to make something that does both of those things while also maintaining your personal style.

How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail
YouTube Thumbnail Makers
How to Make Thumbnails that Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)
Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail

In order to create a custom video thumbnail, you’ll need a program to put it together in. You can use an image editing program like Photoshop if you have one, but if you don’t you can check out these free thumbnail makers.

Here are some examples of popular thumbnail styles.

1. The Classic Thumbnail (Photo or Screenshot)

A photo that shows what happens in your video – whether that means the finished ‘look’ from your makeup tutorial or you posing in front of the landmark you shot your travel vlog in front of – is a great way to let viewers know what to expect. While curiosity can be a big motive behind clicking on a video thumbnail (or anything online), when people have searched for a specific topic they want to be convinced that your video has what they’re looking for.

#1. Choose Your Photo

To start off, either choose a still frame from your video or take a photograph while you’re still set up from your video. A separate photograph is usually a better idea because your video editor might not be able to export a high-quality snapshot, and also because you’re able to choose your facial expression.

Aim to make this shot a close-up or medium close-up and make sure you’re either in the center of the screen or off to one side, as per the ‘rule of thirds’. Many cameras allow you to bring an optional grid up onto your viewfinder. This will divide your screen into three equal segments both vertically and horizontally. Try to make sure your eyes line up with the top line, and if you’re going to be off to one side then make sure you’re on one of the vertical lines. This will ensure your image is visually appealing.

If you want to add text later, it’s a good idea to be off to one side.

Including your face is important for most types of YouTube videos. People are attracted to eye contact and are more likely to click on thumbnails that feature a face. Gamers might choose to use a picture of a video game character instead and it will have the same effect.

Some situations where it isn’t essential to include your face include tech reviews, where viewers will be more interested in seeing the product, and cooking videos where people are looking to be tempted by a yummy food pic.

#2. Add Text and/or Images

This part isn’t essential – in some cases, a photo is enough – but a lot of the thumbnails for the videos ranked highest in YouTube’s search results include either a couple of words of text, a simple graphic (i.e. an emoji), or both.

In some cases you might use text to make it clear what type of video you’ve made, i.e. ‘review’ or ‘tutorial’. It’s best to keep any text you use brief, but you could get a bit more descriptive and write something like ‘fall makeup tutorial’. Three words is probably the most you can get away with. Remember that your text will be shrunk down with the rest of your image; you need to make it big enough to read easily once it’s shrunk, and that means you don’t have a ton of room for text.

You should also avoid fonts that are harder to read. Fonts with a lot of curves can be harder to read, and you want to make sure you choose a color that stands out from your background. Yellow might work against black, but it probably won’t work against the beige wall of your sunny bedroom. Sans serif fonts tend to be best.

Another tactic used in successful thumbnails is to add small graphics, like emojis or small images (i.e. pumpkins for a Halloween video), which are related to your video’s content. As with text, you don’t want to overload your thumbnail with images, but they’re a great way to add something eye-catching that’s a bit different from competing thumbnails.

2. The Emotional Laser (Background + Face Reacting)

One increasingly popular style of YouTube thumbnail is what we’re going to call the ‘Emotional Laser’. It’s bright (like, blindingly bright), it communicates a clear feeling, and it creates high expectations for how exciting the video’s content is going to be.

The three main elements of the Emotional Laser thumbnail are a background (usually bright), your face on the right wearing an over-pronounced expression, and either the thing your expression is in reaction to (i.e. food, a product, the topic of your video in text) or reinforcement of your emotion (i.e an emoji or question marks) on the left.

#1. Ham It Up (Take Your Reaction Photo)

Take a high-quality photograph of yourself conveying strong emotion. Generally, you want to look extremely excited, disgusted, angry, or shocked depending on the theme of the video.

If there’s an object you want to include in your thumbnail, like a product you’ll be talking about, then it’s a good idea to hold it for this photo. Hold it to one side of your head, turn towards it slightly (but not so much that the camera can only see the side of your face) and put on the expression that’s supposed to be a reaction to the object.

It can be a good idea to take this photo in front of a solid color so you can remove the background easily with chroma key.

#2. Choose Your Background

Your background might be scenery, a solid color, or even the room you filmed the video in. Light or bright colors are popular. Make sure there’s nothing that will distract from your expression. If your background is a room, or anything else where there could be things like pictures hanging, you may want to add a blur effect in the next step.

#3. Put It Together

In your thumbnail maker or a program like Photoshop, you’ll need to put your photo and your background together. This will work differently depending on what program you use. If your program has a chroma key tool and your reaction photo was taken against a solid color then you can make that solid color transparent.

What if I don’t have a separate background? If you don’t have a background you want to use, but you still want your reaction to stand out the same way it would if you did, then you can use your photo editor’s blur tool to turn the normal background of your photo into something you can pop-out from.

#4. Add Extras (Text, Emojis, etc.)

If instead of an object you plan to fill the other side of your thumbnail with text, question marks, emojis, or some other graphic element then now is the time to add it.

Part 2: How to Upload a YouTube Thumbnail

When you upload a new video to YouTube, you will see a Custom thumbnail option under Video thumbnails after your upload is complete.

If you want to add a custom thumbnail to a video that’s already up, that’s easy too.

Go to your Video Manager in the Creator Studio.
Find the video you want to change the thumbnail for and click Edit next to it.
Click Custom thumbnail on the right of the preview screen.
Upload your thumbnail and click Save changes.

Remember when you’re uploading custom thumbnails that you need to use a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and that your file size has to be under 2MB.

YouTube recommends that thumbnail images have a resolution of 1280x720px, and you cannot upload an image with a width of less than 640 pixels.

Make sure that all of your thumbnails adhere to YouTube’s Community guidelines. Anything sexually suggestive, violent, or otherwise graphic could result in your video being age-restricted.

Part 3: YouTube Thumbnail Makers

You don’t have to go out and buy a photo editor like Photoshop to make custom video thumbnails (although it’s a good thing to use if you already have it). Here are two free online programs you can use instead:

Canva is an intuitive option with templates for Thumbnails, Channel Art, and other social media graphics. There are stock photos and graphics provided, but not all of them are free (paid options cost $1 each). Canva’s templates do tend to include paid resources, so you may want to use them mostly for their layouts or as inspiration and replace everything they provide with your own images.

Generally, using Canva is as easy as dragging and dropping things where you want them. You’ll be able to set the dimensions for your project so the image you export is a perfect size. Adding text and changing the size, font, or color is easy too.

Adobe Spark also has templates for channel art, and it’s also very easy to use. The first time you use it helpful notes will pop up to guide you through the process. Using templates is especially simple because you just click on the elements in the pre-made thumbnail and replace them with your own photos/text.

You can make changes to the colors in your Spark thumbnail easily by selecting a new color scheme or filter. You can even toggle through layouts easily. When you choose a new layout, Spark will rearrange all the pieces of your current thumbnail to align with the new layout so you can quickly see what it looks like instead of having to rebuild.

Click to check more YouTube thumbnail makers

Part 4: How to Make Thumbnails That Get Clicks (Without Clickbait!)

Here are the top 10 best practices for creating effective YouTube thumbnails:

#1. Show What Your Video Is About

Being mysterious and clickbaity can get you views, if you’re already big. For small YouTubers, it pays off to be clear about your video’s topic. You want people to click who want to watch the actual content of your video. Even if you manage to get some clicks by being mysterious, you’ll probably end up with low viewer retention because people are clicking away when they realize your video isn’t what they were looking for. That will make YouTube’s algorithm rank your video lower, and then even fewer people will find it.

If your video is a product review, show the product in the thumbnail and maybe even write ‘review’ on it. If your video is a makeup tutorial, show your face with the finished makeup and maybe even include pictures of the products you used. People want to know what they’re clicking on before they click.

#2. Use a Consistent Layout

As you grow, you’ll want people to be able to see one of your thumbnails and instantly know it’s yours. Building a recognizable brand is about consistency. Try to stick with one basic layout for all of your videos. You can still customize every individual thumbnail by using different facial expressions and different graphics, but try to use similar backgrounds, fonts, and general layouts (i.e. you to the right of the thumbnails, text to the left) over and over.

#3. Use Your Face

Why should people want to watch your videos? If the answer is ‘because I can teach them to create delicious food’ or ‘because they want to learn about the latest iPhone’ then your thumbnail should include that food or that iPhone.

If part of the reason people want to watch your videos is you – your personality and your sense of humor – then you should be in your thumbnail.

Viewers who are on YouTube because they like seeing a creator’s personality like to feel the presence of that personality in the video thumbnail, and eye contact naturally draws attention and clicks.

#4. Add Small Graphics

Adding small graphics, like emojis or hearts, to your thumbnail can help you stand out in a couple different ways. First, if they’re being compared to thumbnails that are just screenshots from the video, your thumbnails will look a lot more polished. Second, they’ll add a splash of color which can draw eyes to your video in a search where other thumbnails are not using those same colors.

#5. Your Text Should Be Huge

Your thumbnail will end up being a fraction of the size it is while you’re creating it in your thumbnail maker, and that means that any text you use will end up being shrunk down. You could probably type a six-word sentence in a size 18 font and have it look fine while you’re making your thumbnail, but after you upload it there’s no way people will be able to read it at a glance.

Aim for a huge font size, and 3 words or less (so your thumbnail doesn’t end up looking crowded).

#6. Check Out The Competition

Type your video’s title or topic into the search engine on YouTube and look at the thumbnails for the videos that come up. These are your competition. You want to make a thumbnail that is similar enough to what comes up that viewers know it’s on the same topic, but different enough that it stands out.

Generally, if most of the thumbnails have the same layout, you’ll want to mimic that layout. Where you can break from the crowd is in the colors, fonts, and graphics you use.

Part 5: Animated YouTube Thumbnails

Whether or not you upload a custom thumbnail to YouTube, YouTube’s A.I will choose what it thinks are the 3 juiciest seconds of your video (you cannot choose for yourself) and play them as a GIF-like animation when people mouseover your video thumbnails.

As of now, this only works in the Google Chrome desktop browser. Videos have to be at least 30 seconds long to get moving thumbnails.

Alright, now that you know everything about YouTube thumbnails, go make one! Tell us in the comments what you’re going to do to make your video thumbnails stand out.

Touch Up YouTube Videos with Effects & Elements in Filmora

As one of the most widely used video editing software in YouTube video editing, Filmora provides lots of templates and effects with an intuitive interface. Download the free trial version and get started now.

Richard Bennett

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

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