![[New] Clearing Up Black Screens in YouTube Playback](https://www.lifewire.com/thmb/E2gzS4D1Fsosj0zymmyQRpy1W7U=/400x300/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-650169899-59ebc988d088c00011559878.jpg)
[New] Clearing Up Black Screens in YouTube Playback
Clearing Up Black Screens in YouTube Playback
There might be some instances where when you try to play a clip on one of the most popular streaming video sites, you are displayed with a YouTube black screen. There could be several reasons behind this.
That said, the following sections discuss some of the common causes of YouTube video black screen, and explain how you can fix the issue easily with merely a few simple mouse clicks. Here, you will also learn how to resolve the problem if it occurs on your smartphone.
Best Video Editor for YouTubers: Wondershare Filmora
Filmora is one of the most popular video editing software among YouTubers, whether you’re creating gameplay, education, travel videos, or other types of videos, you will find Filmora perfectly meets your needs. You can create the YouTube video at the correct aspect ratio to remove the black bar , record the screen, webcam, and voiceover at the same time, edit as you like.
Wondershare Filmora
Create stunning effects with simple clicks.
Part 1: What Causes a YouTube Black Screen Error?
As mentioned earlier, although there could be any reason for videos black on YouTube, some of the most common ones are listed below:
Obsolete Web Browser
Because the websites and online portals are regularly updated by the developers to keep them secure from intruders and attackers, the web browsers must also be updated accordingly to keep up the pace. If your instance of the web browser is outdated, you may experience a YouTube TV black screen.
Incompatible Browser Extensions
This mostly happens while using Google Chrome. Because Chrome Web Store is populated with a plethora of extensions, it is likely that any of those might become outdated (or get updated), thus becoming incompatible with the current version of the web browser.
Slow Internet Connection
This issue could be from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side. At your part, the maximum you can do is, try switching to a wired network, or if you are using Wi-Fi, consider taking your PC or laptop closer to the wireless router.
Stale DNS Cache
Every time you visit a website, its DNS (Domain Name System) record is automatically stored in the DNS cache. This helps in the address resolution process (fetching the URL) the next time you open the site. If the DNS information gets stale in the DNS cache, the browser may fail to locate the website, a YouTube video in this case, and you will be displayed with the black screen.
Outdated Display Driver
As it is with Windows itself, even the graphic card driver must be updated regularly to maintain your PC’s health. If an updated version of the display driver is not installed on your Windows computer, you may experience YouTube black screen.
Part 2: How to Fix YouTube Video Black Screen [*Quick Way]
Depending on the root cause of the issue, the solutions to fix the YouTube video black screen issue may differ. Nevertheless, some of the most effective remedies are discussed below in detail:
1. Web Browser Solution(s)
Solution 1: Update Your Web Browser
When you experience YouTube video black screen, try updating your web browser to its latest version. Assuming that you’re using Google Chrome, the update process is given below:
Launch Google Chrome, click the Customize and control Google Chrome icon from the top-right corner, and then select Update Google Chrome from the menu that appears.
Note: If the Update Google Chrome option isn’t available, it simply means that you are already using the latest version of the browser
Solution 2: Restart the Web Browser
If the video isn’t visible even after updating Google Chrome, or if you’re already using the most recent version but the issue is still there, you can close the web browser, and relaunch it to see if that helps.
Solution 3: Use a Different Browser
If Google Chrome itself is the culprit, the video should be visible on a different browser. You may consider using Mozilla Firefox or the Windows’ default app, Microsoft Edge.
Copy the URL of the faulty video from Google Chrome’s address bar, and then launch a different web browser, and paste the copied URL in the new browser’s address bar. Press Enter and see if the video plays correctly.
Solution 4: Clean the Web Browser
Sometimes even the web browser history and caches can also prevent a YouTube video from being displayed. Therefore, it would be a good idea to clear the browser data, and see if it helps. The process is given below:
After launching the web browser (Google Chrome is used here for example), go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, and then go to More tools, and then select Clear browsing data.
Switch between the Basic and Advanced tabs on the Clear browsing data box to choose the records that you want to delete, and then choose your preferred duration of the records from the Time range drop-down list.
Click Clear data from the bottom-right corner to clear browsing caches.
Solution 5: Disable/Remove the Extensions
If one or more browser extensions are incompatible, even then you may experience YouTube black screen. In such a case, you can disable those extensions, or permanently remove them to resolve the issue. You can learn the process of doing so by following the instructions that are given below:
Launch Google Chrome and go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, go to More tools, then select Extensions from the submenu that appears.
Turn off the switch for each of the installed extensions to check if the issue is fixed.
Note: If this solution works, you can try enabling the extensions one at a time, and check turning on which one causes YouTube video black screen. Once the culprit extension is found, you can click Remove to get rid of it altogether.
Solution 6: Reinstall the Browser
If the video is visible on a different web browser, probably the default one that you are using got corrupted. A quick resolution would be to remove its instance from your PC, and install a fresh copy. To do so:
• Type Control Panel in the Cortana search box, and then click Control Panel from the results list.
• On the Control Panel window, click Uninstall a program from under the Programs
• Click to select the browser from the list of installed apps (Google Chrome here) and select Uninstall from above the list.
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to remove the web browser from your PC. Next, use Microsoft Edge (or any other browser) to download and install a fresh copy of Google Chrome and see if the issue is fixed
2. ISP or Internet Speed Solution(s)
If you are experiencing a slow Internet connection, the issue might be either from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side, or on your part. In any case, you can try the following solutions to fix the issue:
Solution 1: Get Your PC/Laptop Closer to the Router
If you are using a Wi-Fi network, consider bringing your device a bit closer to the wireless router and see if the issue is fixed. You may also want to recheck and ensure that there are no highly magnetic devices (a speaker or something similar) placed near the router.
Solution 2: Switch to a Wired Network
If the problem persists, try connecting your laptop/desktop PC to your router with a LAN cable, and then try reopening the YouTube video to see if it plays correctly this time.
PC/Windows Solution(s)
At times, your computer could be the main culprit, and trying some basic troubleshooting steps might resolve the issue. Some of the most effective solutions are listed below:
Solution 1: Clear DNS Cache
Clearing the DNS cache ensures that your PC is now ready to accept and save new DNS records in the cache. The process of clearing the existing cache data is listed below:
Type CMD in the Cortana search box, and click Run as administrator from the right menu of the results list.
Click Yes on the User Account Control confirmation box, and in the Command Prompt window, type IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS and press Enter
Try opening the YouTube video again and see if the issue is fixed
Solution 2: Update the Graphic Card Driver
Anything that you see on your computer screen is because of the graphics card. Since a driver is needed to interact with the device, an old one might prevent the videos from getting displayed. If the graphics card is the culprit, the chances are that you won’t be able to see any video at all, be it from YouTube or offline. Therefore, checking if you are using the latest version of the graphic card driver wouldn’t harm you. The process is given below:
Right-click Start and go to Device Manager from the context menu
Expand the Display adapters tree on the Device Manager snap-in, and right-click the graphics card from the list and select Update driver from the context menu.
Click Search automatically for drivers from the next screen that appears and follow the on-screen instructions from there to update the graphic card driver.
Note: If your PC has multiple graphic cards installed in it, you will have to follow this procedure for each of them individually.
Part 3: How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Mobile?
If you wish to watch online videos on your smartphone, but experience YouTube video black screen, the process of fixing the issue on the phones is comparatively simple. The steps that are given below explain the procedure:
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Android
Clear the Cache
Go to Settings and then tap Apps from the Settings Go to YouTube and then scroll down to Storage.
Tap it and then select Clear data and Clear cache. Relaunch YouTube and see if the issue is fixed.
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen On iOS
Delete and Reinstall the App
Long-tap the YouTube app on your iOS device, and then tap Remove App, and then select Delete App.
Go to App Store and download and install a fresh copy of YouTube, and see if the problem is resolved.
Conclusion
There could be several reasons for YouTube black screen, and depending on the root cause of the issue, the troubleshooting methods may vary. While some inconsistencies can be fixed from within the web browser itself, at times you may need to tweak your operating system to get an accurate solution. Likewise, while using an Android smartphone, you can clear YouTube data and cache; and remove and reinstall the app altogether when on an iOS device.
Wondershare Filmora
Create stunning effects with simple clicks.
Part 1: What Causes a YouTube Black Screen Error?
As mentioned earlier, although there could be any reason for videos black on YouTube, some of the most common ones are listed below:
Obsolete Web Browser
Because the websites and online portals are regularly updated by the developers to keep them secure from intruders and attackers, the web browsers must also be updated accordingly to keep up the pace. If your instance of the web browser is outdated, you may experience a YouTube TV black screen.
Incompatible Browser Extensions
This mostly happens while using Google Chrome. Because Chrome Web Store is populated with a plethora of extensions, it is likely that any of those might become outdated (or get updated), thus becoming incompatible with the current version of the web browser.
Slow Internet Connection
This issue could be from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side. At your part, the maximum you can do is, try switching to a wired network, or if you are using Wi-Fi, consider taking your PC or laptop closer to the wireless router.
Stale DNS Cache
Every time you visit a website, its DNS (Domain Name System) record is automatically stored in the DNS cache. This helps in the address resolution process (fetching the URL) the next time you open the site. If the DNS information gets stale in the DNS cache, the browser may fail to locate the website, a YouTube video in this case, and you will be displayed with the black screen.
Outdated Display Driver
As it is with Windows itself, even the graphic card driver must be updated regularly to maintain your PC’s health. If an updated version of the display driver is not installed on your Windows computer, you may experience YouTube black screen.
Part 2: How to Fix YouTube Video Black Screen [*Quick Way]
Depending on the root cause of the issue, the solutions to fix the YouTube video black screen issue may differ. Nevertheless, some of the most effective remedies are discussed below in detail:
1. Web Browser Solution(s)
Solution 1: Update Your Web Browser
When you experience YouTube video black screen, try updating your web browser to its latest version. Assuming that you’re using Google Chrome, the update process is given below:
Launch Google Chrome, click the Customize and control Google Chrome icon from the top-right corner, and then select Update Google Chrome from the menu that appears.
Note: If the Update Google Chrome option isn’t available, it simply means that you are already using the latest version of the browser
Solution 2: Restart the Web Browser
If the video isn’t visible even after updating Google Chrome, or if you’re already using the most recent version but the issue is still there, you can close the web browser, and relaunch it to see if that helps.
Solution 3: Use a Different Browser
If Google Chrome itself is the culprit, the video should be visible on a different browser. You may consider using Mozilla Firefox or the Windows’ default app, Microsoft Edge.
Copy the URL of the faulty video from Google Chrome’s address bar, and then launch a different web browser, and paste the copied URL in the new browser’s address bar. Press Enter and see if the video plays correctly.
Solution 4: Clean the Web Browser
Sometimes even the web browser history and caches can also prevent a YouTube video from being displayed. Therefore, it would be a good idea to clear the browser data, and see if it helps. The process is given below:
After launching the web browser (Google Chrome is used here for example), go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, and then go to More tools, and then select Clear browsing data.
Switch between the Basic and Advanced tabs on the Clear browsing data box to choose the records that you want to delete, and then choose your preferred duration of the records from the Time range drop-down list.
Click Clear data from the bottom-right corner to clear browsing caches.
Solution 5: Disable/Remove the Extensions
If one or more browser extensions are incompatible, even then you may experience YouTube black screen. In such a case, you can disable those extensions, or permanently remove them to resolve the issue. You can learn the process of doing so by following the instructions that are given below:
Launch Google Chrome and go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, go to More tools, then select Extensions from the submenu that appears.
Turn off the switch for each of the installed extensions to check if the issue is fixed.
Note: If this solution works, you can try enabling the extensions one at a time, and check turning on which one causes YouTube video black screen. Once the culprit extension is found, you can click Remove to get rid of it altogether.
Solution 6: Reinstall the Browser
If the video is visible on a different web browser, probably the default one that you are using got corrupted. A quick resolution would be to remove its instance from your PC, and install a fresh copy. To do so:
• Type Control Panel in the Cortana search box, and then click Control Panel from the results list.
• On the Control Panel window, click Uninstall a program from under the Programs
• Click to select the browser from the list of installed apps (Google Chrome here) and select Uninstall from above the list.
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to remove the web browser from your PC. Next, use Microsoft Edge (or any other browser) to download and install a fresh copy of Google Chrome and see if the issue is fixed
2. ISP or Internet Speed Solution(s)
If you are experiencing a slow Internet connection, the issue might be either from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side, or on your part. In any case, you can try the following solutions to fix the issue:
Solution 1: Get Your PC/Laptop Closer to the Router
If you are using a Wi-Fi network, consider bringing your device a bit closer to the wireless router and see if the issue is fixed. You may also want to recheck and ensure that there are no highly magnetic devices (a speaker or something similar) placed near the router.
Solution 2: Switch to a Wired Network
If the problem persists, try connecting your laptop/desktop PC to your router with a LAN cable, and then try reopening the YouTube video to see if it plays correctly this time.
PC/Windows Solution(s)
At times, your computer could be the main culprit, and trying some basic troubleshooting steps might resolve the issue. Some of the most effective solutions are listed below:
Solution 1: Clear DNS Cache
Clearing the DNS cache ensures that your PC is now ready to accept and save new DNS records in the cache. The process of clearing the existing cache data is listed below:
Type CMD in the Cortana search box, and click Run as administrator from the right menu of the results list.
Click Yes on the User Account Control confirmation box, and in the Command Prompt window, type IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS and press Enter
Try opening the YouTube video again and see if the issue is fixed
Solution 2: Update the Graphic Card Driver
Anything that you see on your computer screen is because of the graphics card. Since a driver is needed to interact with the device, an old one might prevent the videos from getting displayed. If the graphics card is the culprit, the chances are that you won’t be able to see any video at all, be it from YouTube or offline. Therefore, checking if you are using the latest version of the graphic card driver wouldn’t harm you. The process is given below:
Right-click Start and go to Device Manager from the context menu
Expand the Display adapters tree on the Device Manager snap-in, and right-click the graphics card from the list and select Update driver from the context menu.
Click Search automatically for drivers from the next screen that appears and follow the on-screen instructions from there to update the graphic card driver.
Note: If your PC has multiple graphic cards installed in it, you will have to follow this procedure for each of them individually.
Part 3: How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Mobile?
If you wish to watch online videos on your smartphone, but experience YouTube video black screen, the process of fixing the issue on the phones is comparatively simple. The steps that are given below explain the procedure:
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Android
Clear the Cache
Go to Settings and then tap Apps from the Settings Go to YouTube and then scroll down to Storage.
Tap it and then select Clear data and Clear cache. Relaunch YouTube and see if the issue is fixed.
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen On iOS
Delete and Reinstall the App
Long-tap the YouTube app on your iOS device, and then tap Remove App, and then select Delete App.
Go to App Store and download and install a fresh copy of YouTube, and see if the problem is resolved.
Conclusion
There could be several reasons for YouTube black screen, and depending on the root cause of the issue, the troubleshooting methods may vary. While some inconsistencies can be fixed from within the web browser itself, at times you may need to tweak your operating system to get an accurate solution. Likewise, while using an Android smartphone, you can clear YouTube data and cache; and remove and reinstall the app altogether when on an iOS device.
Wondershare Filmora
Create stunning effects with simple clicks.
Part 1: What Causes a YouTube Black Screen Error?
As mentioned earlier, although there could be any reason for videos black on YouTube, some of the most common ones are listed below:
Obsolete Web Browser
Because the websites and online portals are regularly updated by the developers to keep them secure from intruders and attackers, the web browsers must also be updated accordingly to keep up the pace. If your instance of the web browser is outdated, you may experience a YouTube TV black screen.
Incompatible Browser Extensions
This mostly happens while using Google Chrome. Because Chrome Web Store is populated with a plethora of extensions, it is likely that any of those might become outdated (or get updated), thus becoming incompatible with the current version of the web browser.
Slow Internet Connection
This issue could be from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side. At your part, the maximum you can do is, try switching to a wired network, or if you are using Wi-Fi, consider taking your PC or laptop closer to the wireless router.
Stale DNS Cache
Every time you visit a website, its DNS (Domain Name System) record is automatically stored in the DNS cache. This helps in the address resolution process (fetching the URL) the next time you open the site. If the DNS information gets stale in the DNS cache, the browser may fail to locate the website, a YouTube video in this case, and you will be displayed with the black screen.
Outdated Display Driver
As it is with Windows itself, even the graphic card driver must be updated regularly to maintain your PC’s health. If an updated version of the display driver is not installed on your Windows computer, you may experience YouTube black screen.
Part 2: How to Fix YouTube Video Black Screen [*Quick Way]
Depending on the root cause of the issue, the solutions to fix the YouTube video black screen issue may differ. Nevertheless, some of the most effective remedies are discussed below in detail:
1. Web Browser Solution(s)
Solution 1: Update Your Web Browser
When you experience YouTube video black screen, try updating your web browser to its latest version. Assuming that you’re using Google Chrome, the update process is given below:
Launch Google Chrome, click the Customize and control Google Chrome icon from the top-right corner, and then select Update Google Chrome from the menu that appears.
Note: If the Update Google Chrome option isn’t available, it simply means that you are already using the latest version of the browser
Solution 2: Restart the Web Browser
If the video isn’t visible even after updating Google Chrome, or if you’re already using the most recent version but the issue is still there, you can close the web browser, and relaunch it to see if that helps.
Solution 3: Use a Different Browser
If Google Chrome itself is the culprit, the video should be visible on a different browser. You may consider using Mozilla Firefox or the Windows’ default app, Microsoft Edge.
Copy the URL of the faulty video from Google Chrome’s address bar, and then launch a different web browser, and paste the copied URL in the new browser’s address bar. Press Enter and see if the video plays correctly.
Solution 4: Clean the Web Browser
Sometimes even the web browser history and caches can also prevent a YouTube video from being displayed. Therefore, it would be a good idea to clear the browser data, and see if it helps. The process is given below:
After launching the web browser (Google Chrome is used here for example), go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, and then go to More tools, and then select Clear browsing data.
Switch between the Basic and Advanced tabs on the Clear browsing data box to choose the records that you want to delete, and then choose your preferred duration of the records from the Time range drop-down list.
Click Clear data from the bottom-right corner to clear browsing caches.
Solution 5: Disable/Remove the Extensions
If one or more browser extensions are incompatible, even then you may experience YouTube black screen. In such a case, you can disable those extensions, or permanently remove them to resolve the issue. You can learn the process of doing so by following the instructions that are given below:
Launch Google Chrome and go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, go to More tools, then select Extensions from the submenu that appears.
Turn off the switch for each of the installed extensions to check if the issue is fixed.
Note: If this solution works, you can try enabling the extensions one at a time, and check turning on which one causes YouTube video black screen. Once the culprit extension is found, you can click Remove to get rid of it altogether.
Solution 6: Reinstall the Browser
If the video is visible on a different web browser, probably the default one that you are using got corrupted. A quick resolution would be to remove its instance from your PC, and install a fresh copy. To do so:
• Type Control Panel in the Cortana search box, and then click Control Panel from the results list.
• On the Control Panel window, click Uninstall a program from under the Programs
• Click to select the browser from the list of installed apps (Google Chrome here) and select Uninstall from above the list.
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to remove the web browser from your PC. Next, use Microsoft Edge (or any other browser) to download and install a fresh copy of Google Chrome and see if the issue is fixed
2. ISP or Internet Speed Solution(s)
If you are experiencing a slow Internet connection, the issue might be either from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side, or on your part. In any case, you can try the following solutions to fix the issue:
Solution 1: Get Your PC/Laptop Closer to the Router
If you are using a Wi-Fi network, consider bringing your device a bit closer to the wireless router and see if the issue is fixed. You may also want to recheck and ensure that there are no highly magnetic devices (a speaker or something similar) placed near the router.
Solution 2: Switch to a Wired Network
If the problem persists, try connecting your laptop/desktop PC to your router with a LAN cable, and then try reopening the YouTube video to see if it plays correctly this time.
PC/Windows Solution(s)
At times, your computer could be the main culprit, and trying some basic troubleshooting steps might resolve the issue. Some of the most effective solutions are listed below:
Solution 1: Clear DNS Cache
Clearing the DNS cache ensures that your PC is now ready to accept and save new DNS records in the cache. The process of clearing the existing cache data is listed below:
Type CMD in the Cortana search box, and click Run as administrator from the right menu of the results list.
Click Yes on the User Account Control confirmation box, and in the Command Prompt window, type IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS and press Enter
Try opening the YouTube video again and see if the issue is fixed
Solution 2: Update the Graphic Card Driver
Anything that you see on your computer screen is because of the graphics card. Since a driver is needed to interact with the device, an old one might prevent the videos from getting displayed. If the graphics card is the culprit, the chances are that you won’t be able to see any video at all, be it from YouTube or offline. Therefore, checking if you are using the latest version of the graphic card driver wouldn’t harm you. The process is given below:
Right-click Start and go to Device Manager from the context menu
Expand the Display adapters tree on the Device Manager snap-in, and right-click the graphics card from the list and select Update driver from the context menu.
Click Search automatically for drivers from the next screen that appears and follow the on-screen instructions from there to update the graphic card driver.
Note: If your PC has multiple graphic cards installed in it, you will have to follow this procedure for each of them individually.
Part 3: How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Mobile?
If you wish to watch online videos on your smartphone, but experience YouTube video black screen, the process of fixing the issue on the phones is comparatively simple. The steps that are given below explain the procedure:
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Android
Clear the Cache
Go to Settings and then tap Apps from the Settings Go to YouTube and then scroll down to Storage.
Tap it and then select Clear data and Clear cache. Relaunch YouTube and see if the issue is fixed.
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen On iOS
Delete and Reinstall the App
Long-tap the YouTube app on your iOS device, and then tap Remove App, and then select Delete App.
Go to App Store and download and install a fresh copy of YouTube, and see if the problem is resolved.
Conclusion
There could be several reasons for YouTube black screen, and depending on the root cause of the issue, the troubleshooting methods may vary. While some inconsistencies can be fixed from within the web browser itself, at times you may need to tweak your operating system to get an accurate solution. Likewise, while using an Android smartphone, you can clear YouTube data and cache; and remove and reinstall the app altogether when on an iOS device.
Wondershare Filmora
Create stunning effects with simple clicks.
Part 1: What Causes a YouTube Black Screen Error?
As mentioned earlier, although there could be any reason for videos black on YouTube, some of the most common ones are listed below:
Obsolete Web Browser
Because the websites and online portals are regularly updated by the developers to keep them secure from intruders and attackers, the web browsers must also be updated accordingly to keep up the pace. If your instance of the web browser is outdated, you may experience a YouTube TV black screen.
Incompatible Browser Extensions
This mostly happens while using Google Chrome. Because Chrome Web Store is populated with a plethora of extensions, it is likely that any of those might become outdated (or get updated), thus becoming incompatible with the current version of the web browser.
Slow Internet Connection
This issue could be from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side. At your part, the maximum you can do is, try switching to a wired network, or if you are using Wi-Fi, consider taking your PC or laptop closer to the wireless router.
Stale DNS Cache
Every time you visit a website, its DNS (Domain Name System) record is automatically stored in the DNS cache. This helps in the address resolution process (fetching the URL) the next time you open the site. If the DNS information gets stale in the DNS cache, the browser may fail to locate the website, a YouTube video in this case, and you will be displayed with the black screen.
Outdated Display Driver
As it is with Windows itself, even the graphic card driver must be updated regularly to maintain your PC’s health. If an updated version of the display driver is not installed on your Windows computer, you may experience YouTube black screen.
Part 2: How to Fix YouTube Video Black Screen [*Quick Way]
Depending on the root cause of the issue, the solutions to fix the YouTube video black screen issue may differ. Nevertheless, some of the most effective remedies are discussed below in detail:
1. Web Browser Solution(s)
Solution 1: Update Your Web Browser
When you experience YouTube video black screen, try updating your web browser to its latest version. Assuming that you’re using Google Chrome, the update process is given below:
Launch Google Chrome, click the Customize and control Google Chrome icon from the top-right corner, and then select Update Google Chrome from the menu that appears.
Note: If the Update Google Chrome option isn’t available, it simply means that you are already using the latest version of the browser
Solution 2: Restart the Web Browser
If the video isn’t visible even after updating Google Chrome, or if you’re already using the most recent version but the issue is still there, you can close the web browser, and relaunch it to see if that helps.
Solution 3: Use a Different Browser
If Google Chrome itself is the culprit, the video should be visible on a different browser. You may consider using Mozilla Firefox or the Windows’ default app, Microsoft Edge.
Copy the URL of the faulty video from Google Chrome’s address bar, and then launch a different web browser, and paste the copied URL in the new browser’s address bar. Press Enter and see if the video plays correctly.
Solution 4: Clean the Web Browser
Sometimes even the web browser history and caches can also prevent a YouTube video from being displayed. Therefore, it would be a good idea to clear the browser data, and see if it helps. The process is given below:
After launching the web browser (Google Chrome is used here for example), go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, and then go to More tools, and then select Clear browsing data.
Switch between the Basic and Advanced tabs on the Clear browsing data box to choose the records that you want to delete, and then choose your preferred duration of the records from the Time range drop-down list.
Click Clear data from the bottom-right corner to clear browsing caches.
Solution 5: Disable/Remove the Extensions
If one or more browser extensions are incompatible, even then you may experience YouTube black screen. In such a case, you can disable those extensions, or permanently remove them to resolve the issue. You can learn the process of doing so by following the instructions that are given below:
Launch Google Chrome and go to the Customize and control Google Chrome menu, go to More tools, then select Extensions from the submenu that appears.
Turn off the switch for each of the installed extensions to check if the issue is fixed.
Note: If this solution works, you can try enabling the extensions one at a time, and check turning on which one causes YouTube video black screen. Once the culprit extension is found, you can click Remove to get rid of it altogether.
Solution 6: Reinstall the Browser
If the video is visible on a different web browser, probably the default one that you are using got corrupted. A quick resolution would be to remove its instance from your PC, and install a fresh copy. To do so:
• Type Control Panel in the Cortana search box, and then click Control Panel from the results list.
• On the Control Panel window, click Uninstall a program from under the Programs
• Click to select the browser from the list of installed apps (Google Chrome here) and select Uninstall from above the list.
• Follow the on-screen instructions from there to remove the web browser from your PC. Next, use Microsoft Edge (or any other browser) to download and install a fresh copy of Google Chrome and see if the issue is fixed
2. ISP or Internet Speed Solution(s)
If you are experiencing a slow Internet connection, the issue might be either from your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) side, or on your part. In any case, you can try the following solutions to fix the issue:
Solution 1: Get Your PC/Laptop Closer to the Router
If you are using a Wi-Fi network, consider bringing your device a bit closer to the wireless router and see if the issue is fixed. You may also want to recheck and ensure that there are no highly magnetic devices (a speaker or something similar) placed near the router.
Solution 2: Switch to a Wired Network
If the problem persists, try connecting your laptop/desktop PC to your router with a LAN cable, and then try reopening the YouTube video to see if it plays correctly this time.
PC/Windows Solution(s)
At times, your computer could be the main culprit, and trying some basic troubleshooting steps might resolve the issue. Some of the most effective solutions are listed below:
Solution 1: Clear DNS Cache
Clearing the DNS cache ensures that your PC is now ready to accept and save new DNS records in the cache. The process of clearing the existing cache data is listed below:
Type CMD in the Cortana search box, and click Run as administrator from the right menu of the results list.
Click Yes on the User Account Control confirmation box, and in the Command Prompt window, type IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS and press Enter
Try opening the YouTube video again and see if the issue is fixed
Solution 2: Update the Graphic Card Driver
Anything that you see on your computer screen is because of the graphics card. Since a driver is needed to interact with the device, an old one might prevent the videos from getting displayed. If the graphics card is the culprit, the chances are that you won’t be able to see any video at all, be it from YouTube or offline. Therefore, checking if you are using the latest version of the graphic card driver wouldn’t harm you. The process is given below:
Right-click Start and go to Device Manager from the context menu
Expand the Display adapters tree on the Device Manager snap-in, and right-click the graphics card from the list and select Update driver from the context menu.
Click Search automatically for drivers from the next screen that appears and follow the on-screen instructions from there to update the graphic card driver.
Note: If your PC has multiple graphic cards installed in it, you will have to follow this procedure for each of them individually.
Part 3: How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Mobile?
If you wish to watch online videos on your smartphone, but experience YouTube video black screen, the process of fixing the issue on the phones is comparatively simple. The steps that are given below explain the procedure:
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen on Android
Clear the Cache
Go to Settings and then tap Apps from the Settings Go to YouTube and then scroll down to Storage.
Tap it and then select Clear data and Clear cache. Relaunch YouTube and see if the issue is fixed.
How to Troubleshoot YouTube Black Screen On iOS
Delete and Reinstall the App
Long-tap the YouTube app on your iOS device, and then tap Remove App, and then select Delete App.
Go to App Store and download and install a fresh copy of YouTube, and see if the problem is resolved.
Conclusion
There could be several reasons for YouTube black screen, and depending on the root cause of the issue, the troubleshooting methods may vary. While some inconsistencies can be fixed from within the web browser itself, at times you may need to tweak your operating system to get an accurate solution. Likewise, while using an Android smartphone, you can clear YouTube data and cache; and remove and reinstall the app altogether when on an iOS device.
Captivating Content: Top Three Channel Growth Strategies
The Best Storytelling Techniques to Grow Your YouTube Channel
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
In the distracting world, we live in, you need to be a good storyteller to grow your YouTube channel. Your audience is not going to stick around to watch your whole video if your content isn’t enticing or relatable. If you want to get people to watch all your videos, you need to get them emotionally invested with your stories.
Here are 3 methods for creating an awesome story:
1. Create Suspense
The hero has an objective, but the plan might fail.
The likelihood of something going wrong is what makes a story suspenseful. When you tell a suspenseful story, your audience will have a heightened focus and a strong motivation to continue listening. They want to know if the hero succeeds. Keep the audience waiting and expecting. Don’t give away the ending right away.
What Does a Suspenseful Story Sound Like?
When we talk about a story that is dragging on, it is because there is no suspense. There is nothing at stake, there are no obstacles, there is no problem and, with no problem, there is no promise of resolution.
Here are a few examples you can use to pump more suspense into your story:
- Address a fear (example: being alone for the prom)
- An objective (example: asking the crush out to the dance)
- Consequences of failing (example: being embarrassed in front of the whole school)
- Limited time (example: prom is next week)
- Obstacles (example: the crush has an aggressive ex.)
You can feel your heart rate speeding up simply thinking about the character’s story in the example. Does it have a happy ending or not? We want to know!
Raise Questions After Questions
A good storyteller knows that as soon as they answer a question for their audience, they need to present another one. The audience will always need to have a puzzle in their mind, one that needs to be solved. That is what will keep their interest.
For example: If the hero ends up going to the prom with his crush, the next big question can be: Will they kiss at the last dance?
This continues building on the tension and increasing the stakes evermore.
Check out the suspenseful story from YouTuber, MissRemiAshten . The way she tells the story, we discover more and about her psycho neighbor and the incident gradually. A little bit of information about the neighbor is revealed at a time… not all at once.
Include a Cliffhanger
We’ve all had those moments at the end of an intense television show where we are shouting at the screen because it suddenly cut to black as the main characters were left in a precarious position. That emotional outburst is brought to us by a good cliffhanger, and a good cliffhanger can assure us that the audience will return for more.
But there needs to be more! A cliffhanger is a promise to the viewer that eventually they will be rewarded for their patience and it will be satisfying.
In this cliffhanger from Casey Neistat, he simply asks us a question, “Was that good?” This calls upon us to recall all the awesome YouTube videos we have seen created by filmmakers that aren’t considered “prestigious.” A cliffhanger does not have to end with an epic reveal; it can wrap up with loose ends and allow the audience to tie it up themselves.
How to Deliver a Good Cliffhanger
Applying good cliffhangers to your YouTube videos is a balancing act. You want to draw your audience in, but you also need to have a payoff that is worth the wait.
Done well, a cliffhanger will leave your audience wanting more. Done poorly, a cliffhanger will leave your audience feeling to mislead and a little ripped off, hesitant to listen to more stories from you.
A good cliffhanger does not have to be life or death, but it does have to be the moment the story has been leading up to.
Before you start telling your story, consider the key details that are most impactful.
Once you have the points you want to hit, plan out the reveal. Weave the story together, but withhold the pivotal details until the cliffhanger. Thendeliver it on camera confidently .
Here are two ways you can present your cliffhanger for amplified effect:
1. Slow Down and Have Pauses
As your story intensifies, bring the pace down — or stop completely. The silence becomes the cliffhanger. It can last a second or more, depending on how confident you are in the tension you have built.
Your next words or shots can be the reveal. If you are skilled enough, you can lead into another story one that connects to the previous. If you are trying this, make sure that in the end, the payoff has double the impact. The reveal needs to be twice as powerful if you are going to take the audience on another journey before wrapping up and answering the long-awaited questions.
2. Use Repetition
Whether you want to misdirect your audience or hammer home a point, using repetition throughout your story will help you build the tension you need to establish the cliffhanger.
In this example, we see YouTuber, A little bit of Monika uses both pace and repetition in her storytelling method.
The video starts off at a speedy pace, all the way until the last scene where the confrontation occurs. That’s her slowing down the story so that we are all anticipating the reveal. Is she or is she not actor, Saoirse Ronan?
Through this short video, the repetition of the name is used to show her confidence that her roommate is not who she said it is. The more affirming she becomes, the more likely we as the viewers are going to side with her. This is a simple example of misdirection.
The more you say something or show something, the more important it becomes for the audience — at least, you want it to appear important.
2. Use Empathy
A storyteller must be empathetic.
If your audience cannot empathize with what you are communicating, it would not have the intended effect. Storytelling is all about taking people out of their bodies and putting them in someone else’s.
If you are telling a story about the time your car broke down, you want people to empathize and feel the helplessness of being stuck on a highway, waving cars down to help.
Empathy makes people feel more human. Telling a story people can relate to, even if it didn’t happen to them, is a sign of a quality storyteller.
Don’t Use Too Many Facts and Figures
If you began your story by saying that 1/1,000 cars on the highway break down, that doesn’t evoke any major emotion. There is nothing human about it.
It’s an interesting stat, sure, but the audience is unsure how they should respond. Is that a lot? Is that because of the highway? Is it because of the drivers? Nobody knows… it’s numbered with no context.
However, if you told the story about that time you had to abandon your vehicle and walk down the highway in order to make your important appointment. Suddenly, the audience can empathize with the tribulations you have gone through.
Facts and figures are useful in reports, but not as much in compelling stories.
Evoke the Senses
If I talk about hot melting chocolate, standing in the rain, or the smell of your grandmother’s bedroom, your senses are activated. From all your life experiences, your brain is able to form familiar sensations without any physical changes to your surrounding. That’s the power of storytelling.
Good storytellers use these sensory details and descriptive imagery to spice up a story. This draws the audience in and gives them a more immersive experience when listening to your stories.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does it smell like?
- What can you hear?
- What do you see?
- What can you physically feel?
This example from YouTuber, Kiril Dobrev perfectly exemplifies what sensory igniting storytelling can do. He illustrates the sensation of being in Hong Kong, not simply through visuals but physical motions and audio effects.
Use Metaphors
As a YouTube storyteller, sometimes you will have to communicate complex ideas. When that happens, use a metaphor to increase the impact.
If you are telling a story about how much you dislike your teacher, you can list off all the ways she is unlikable or you can sum it up with a line like this: “My teacher makes the school a prison.”
That is a metaphor comparing school to prison. Most people haven’t been to prison, but understand what the metaphor is insinuating. School is not a fun place to be because of that teacher.
By connecting two different things, you allow the audience to paint the image in their mind quickly. It doesn’t take a lot of words to create a memorable metaphor. I encourage you to use metaphors anytime you need to address something complicated.
3. Take the Audience on a Meaningful Journey
Perhaps the most important element of a good story is that the journey is meaningful.
- Is it educational?
- Is it entertaining?
- Is it motivational or inspiring?
Knowing how you want to leave your audience feeling is foresight that will improve your YouTube storytelling abilities. Before you start telling your tale, ask: How do I want to change my audience?
YouTuber, Jamie Windsor tells a few stories connected to creativity and plagiarism. Anyone who has ever created anything can relate to his story and thus his audience can empathize.
It is also clear as a viewer that at the end of this 15-minute long video, his audience will have gone on a meaningful journey with him.
His story is a cautionary tale. He wants to educate us so that we can avoid making the same mistakes he did. He used his real-life experience to teach us and that makes it a meaningful video to watch. That was a good story.
Are there any YouTubers that you consider to be fantastic storytellers? Please share it in the comments box below.
Select a Versatile Video Editing Software to Stand Up from Numerous YouTubers
Users worldwide highly recommend Filmora because it comes loaded with various features, which helps to discover the editing skills, add an image to the imagination, and empower creativity.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Also read:
- Decoding the Core Contrasts Between YouTube and DailyMention
- Coping with YouTube Copyright Claims A Step-by-Step Guide for 2024
- In 2024, Behind the Scenes YouTube Live Thumbnail Secrets
- 2024 Approved All You Need to Know Understanding Video ASPECT RATIOS on YOUTUBE
- In 2024, Access the Archived Unique Methods for Viewing Old YouTube
- 6+ Software Choices Download YouTube Music as MP3 for iPhone Users for 2024
- [New] Amplify YouTube Performance - Rapid Video Rendering Guide
- Decoding YouTube's Algorithm Behind Prominent Comments
- Elevating Your Video Content YouTube to IGTV Transition for 2024
- Opposite Ends of the Coin Creative Youtube Rewind Strategies
- Unlocking YouTube Potential with Extended Video Submissions
- Global Earning Maestro of Video Content
- YouTube Recommended Videos - Block the Videos
- 2024 Approved Decoding YouTube’s Operations Following Uploads
- Elevate Engagement on YouTube Fending Off Automated Audiences for 2024
- [Updated] Essential Tips on Acquiring Profitable YT Channels
- In 2024, Discovering Income Monetization Through YouTube Sponsored Videos?
- Quality Guffaws Uncover the Top 15 YouTube Comedy Talents
- Dominating Viewers' Spaces Channel Empire Rules
- Cutting-Edge Techniques to Upgrade Channel Descriptions for 2024
- Create Professional Minecraft Graphics
- In 2024, Celebrating Matrimony The Best Wedding Movies From YouTube to Vimeo
- 2024 Approved Cutting-Edge Editing A Roadmap for High-Quality YouTube Sounds
- [Updated] DIY Guide Screen Capture & Sound From YouTube
- In 2024, Download and Relive A Compreran Review of Top YouTube Playlist Extractors
- Accelerate/Decelerate Your YouTube Videos A Step-by-Step Guide
- In 2024, A Peek Into the Best Non-Youtube Sites for Videostreams
- Tips for Teachers Using YouTube in Classroom
- Channel Elevation Strategy – Quickly Reach Your 10K View Quota!
- [New] Digital Dollar First Steps in YouTubers' Revenue
- [Updated] Elevate Your Earning Game with YouTube's Member Status
- 2024 Approved 12 Best Vlogging Cameras for Vloggers
- [New] Enhancing Video Quality Editing Tips for Published Content
- Elevating Your Channels' Profits with Impactful and Effective Trailers for 2024
- Essential Vids Summary Uncovered for 2024
- [New] 2024 Approved Viral Cooking Hits Best TikTok Dishes
- How To Remove or Bypass Knox Enrollment Service On Google Pixel 8
- In 2024, Hide location on Apple iPhone 12 Pro and Android without others knowing | Dr.fone
- In 2024, Choosing the Right Green Screen Tool for Your Mac
- Updated Top 8 Speech-to-Text Tools Compatible with Windows & macOS Systems
- [Updated] The Blueprint of Crafting Digital Collaboration Spheres
- How to Transfer Photos from Tecno Pova 5 to New Android? | Dr.fone
- Top 9 Nokia C22 Monitoring Apps for Parental Controls | Dr.fone
- Expert Overview 2024'S Comprehensive Video Show App
- In 2024, Easy Guide to Google Pixel 8 Pro FRP Bypass With Best Methods
- How to Flash Dead Infinix Smart 8 Safely | Dr.fone
- [New] In 2024, Insta Speedster's Playbook Power Through Video and Likes
- 4 Easy Ways for Your Oppo A18 Hard Reset | Dr.fone
- Different Methods for Resetting Nokia C32 Phones with Screen Locked and Not | Dr.fone
- Unveiling the Secrets of Vimeo Videos Exploring Aspect Ratio Options for 2024
- How to Fix Android App Not Installed Error on Itel S23+ Quickly? | Dr.fone
- Create a Stunning Light Sweep Effect in Filmora. Use Simple and Easy Steps to Export a High-Quality Video that Will Impress Even Pro Video Editors
- Latest Guide How To Bypass Infinix Smart 8 Plus FRP Without Computer
- Updated A New Dawn for Music Creation A Compilation of the Most Promising AI Composers
- Phone Filmmaking Essentials Optimizing for Vertical Aspect Ratio for 2024
- Top 10 Windows & macOS Compatible DAWs The Ultimate Selection for 2024
- 5 Ways to Restart Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) Without Power Button | Dr.fone
- Updated Remove Unwanted Elements Top Video Blur Apps for Mobile for 2024
- Title: [New] Clearing Up Black Screens in YouTube Playback
- Author: Steven
- Created at : 2024-05-25 20:04:31
- Updated at : 2024-05-26 20:04:31
- Link: https://youtube-clips.techidaily.com/new-clearing-up-black-screens-in-youtube-playback/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
