"[New] Cross-Platform Dimensions  Titling for YTB Shorts & Beyond"

"[New] Cross-Platform Dimensions Titling for YTB Shorts & Beyond"

Steven Lv12

Cross-Platform Dimensions: Titling for YTB Shorts & Beyond

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

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The vertical video went to a mainstream media style. Nowadays, it’s common for online video, especially on social apps. Mobile video has become the most common way to watch online videos. It makes sense then that vertical is the preferred familiarization for videos. Users don’t want to twist their phones to watch a 30-second ad. Knowing YouTube shorts vertical size is important as well as Facebook vertical video specs.

Social juggernauts like Facebook and YouTube have adopted vertical video size or formats in current years. The newer social apps, like Snapchat and TikTok, use vertical video completely. While most platforms now prefer vertical video, they each have different patterns. Even Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere is different.

Users tinkering in video marketing know it’s essential to stay updated on social media video sizes across all platforms. But, we also know that it is time-consuming to dig through each technical specification of each social app. For that purpose, we have covered all network video sizes for each platform. So, browse the table of contents below and find the video dimensions, aspect ratios, and file sizes you need.

In this article

01 [What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?](#Part 1)

02 [Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps](#Part 2)

03 [Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size](#Part 3)

Part 1 What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?

Videos come in different sizes. However, one principle is standard in creating them, the vertical video aspect ratio (width to height). This refers to how you compare and create the video height to video ratio (how you intend to record and produce your video).

Ideally, it is what you and viewers will see while watching your video. To create a perfect video, any video creator should decide on the relationship between the video height and width.

When creating YouTube vertical video dimensions, the width is usually longer than the height. Most television videos have a standard ratio of 4:3 and 16:9. However, social media videos are created using a 1:1 and 9:16 ratio.

social media video dimension

A smartphone can shoot vertical videos perfectly, but some media players like cameras require editing and adjusting the sizes to get the correct aspect ratio. Experts won’t have difficulties adjusting horizontally shot videos, but an amateur will. Fortunately, you can avoid taking unprofessional shoots by focusing on the frame’s center to capture your subject wholly without clipping important aspects. While editing Facebook vertical video dimensions and other social apps, the results could vary depending on the editing software. But you can rotate the video within the software to get the correct dimensions lest you get ugly videos full of black backgrounds filling the frame.

Most cameras and video recorders have inbuilt settings that switch to aspect ratio when you start recording. And the good thing is that you can adjust the settings to your desired dimensions in the settings section. If you are shooting a vertical video without a preset aspect ratio, then:

  • Shoot gently without switching your camera horizontally, especially if you are capturing a narrow view.
  • Avoid fast spans as it appears intense on the camera that could result in blurry animations.
  • Focus on what you are capturing, and if need be, zoom in to capture every essential detail.

The importance of applying aspect ratio in videos is to ensure your images and videos have excellent resolution. This way, you have a chance to present (market) your idea professionally.

Part 2 Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps

Here is a guide on how to shoot vertical dimensions for various social apps –

1. YouTube Vertical Video Dimension Guide

It is common for viewers to switch to YouTube and watch videos, and this is why you need the work on the perfect YouTube vertical video size. Initially, you could display YouTube videos in different dimensions, but this is no longer the case since the app’s dynamic innovation to view animations in preferred sizes.

youtube vertical video size

Usually, YouTube videos are recorded at a standard aspect ratio of 16: 9. It means that you cannot customize the dimensions as this is this ratio is the default.

Though the 16:9 dimensions are standard, you can also shoot your videos using different ratios like 1:1 (square), 4:3, or 9:16 (vertically). In this case, your video will fit different YouTube videos on each device but will display white or grey padding on the frames by default.

Manually adding padding to your videos reduces the ability to adjust them to different ratios on various devices. If you are yet to switch to YouTube vertical video dimensions, you are missing to increase brand awareness.

2. Facebook Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Facebook vertical video specs have mainly been using the 16:9 ratio. And since the app attracts billions of global users, it’s high time to optimize your snapshots and try posting in different formats.

fb vertical video size

For your next FB vertical video size for feed videos, think of square snapshots (1:1), 2:3, 4:5, or 16:9. If you love creating Facebook stories, you can stick to the 9:16 ratio. And for Facebook live videos, stick with the Facebook video vertical size, 16:9 dimensions. Note that most Facebook video posts will automatically have a standard measurement of 16:9.

3. Instagram Vertical Video Dimensions Guide

Since the inception of Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere, the ratio has always been 1:1. This dimension makes it optimal for phones and small-sized screens. Here is the ultimate guide for your new Instagram animations:

  • 1:1 for square videos.
  • 4:5 for portrait shots.
  • 9:16 when shooting vertical animations.

If you are going live on Instagram, we recommend 9:16, while you can shoot in 1:1, 4:5, and 16:9 ratios for feed videos. For Instagram stories, we suggest 9:16, but you can always work around 1:1, 4:9, and 16:9.

Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere

4. Twitter Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Twitter is quite different when considering feed video dimensions; portrait and square. The former (portrait) is a favorite for ads and marketing videos display (increase brand visibility), whereas the latter is perfect for displaying videos on multiple devices.

Twitter videos can be perfect in the below dimensions:

  • Promotional video ads 1:2 39 to 2.39:1
  • Six-second short ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • First video ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • Personal portrait (vertical) videos 9:16
  • Personal horizontal animations 1:2.39 – 2.39:1

twitter vertical video dimension

5. WhatsApp Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Most people don’t know the importance of resizing WhatsApp videos. Sharing videos on your WhatsApp status is a marketing strategy, but you must resize your videos well. Most video WhatsApp vertical videos have 4:3 dimensions and a 1080 × 1920 pixels size.

Part 3 Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size

The smartphone has become the primary tool for taking photos or recording videos, but we hold our mobile phone in a different direction while shooting videos, which causes the wrong adjustment while uploading it. Fortunately, there are ways, and your video can fit any screen without any compromises. Bellow, we are going to tell you two methods to adjust vertical video size

Method 1: Filmora

Filmora allows users to rotate your video to any point they want. What’s more, you can zoom in or crop the undesired parts in the video with a snap. It also offers you preset aspect ratios like 16:9, 9:16; 4:5, 1:1, etc., to help you quickly find the perfect aspect ratio for YouTube, Instagram, and other social apps. Let’s see how to change video adjustment in Filmora.

How to crop aspect ratio at the starting interface:

In this method, you must upload the animation first. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Upload your video into the editing panel.

Step2: Scroll to the drop-down menu to see various dimensions (1:1. 4:3, 9:16, 16:9, and 21:9).

Step3: Select the desired ratio and apply.

select the ratio

Modifying aspect ratio in project settings:

This method allows you to preset the ratios before uploading your media. Most files are preset to a 4:3 ratio, but you can adjust as you wish. Note that uploading a video with other aspect ratios will automatically switch to the default one. However, you can change the ratio by clicking on the project settings tab.

project setting

Changing aspect ratio when editing:

You can crop your video after importing it to the Filmora panel using the crop and zoom tools.

Step 1: Right-click on the file in the panel.

Step 2: Select crop and zoom.

Step 3: Click on the desired ratio from the suggestions (16:9, 4:3, 1:1, and 9:16) and confirm the action by clicking OK.

crop aoom interface

You can also modify the aspect ratio manually, add filters, and blur the background to enhance resolution when editing.

Auto reframing:

Latest Filmora running versions like V10.5 have the auto-reframe feature that can help crop aspect ratio seamlessly. The good thing about this feature is that it detects any object and can remove it if need be. Plus, this video editor also comes with preset aspect ratios that conveniently suit different social apps.

You can auto reframe by:

Step 1: Import the video to the panel. Right-click on the file and select the auto-reframe icon.

auto reframe

Step 2: Choose the desired aspect ratio.

choose the aspect ratio

Step 3: Click the analyze icon and wait for the results in a preview window.

Step 4: Adjust the frame by dragging the box to balance the object or leave it if you love the results.

adjust frame box

Step 5: When done, rename it and click the export feature to save your new file.

auto reframe save video

Step 6: Edit (add effects) as desired.

Modifying aspect ratio when exporting:

After saving your file, you can export it to your desired media display device and change the aspect ratio based on your platform settings, as discussed above.

output format

Method 2: Final Cut Pro

Apple’s Final Cut Pro is a compelling software for video editing and compositing. The interface is designed similar with many other video editing programs such as Adobe Premiere and Combustion etc.

To prepare:

  • Take vertical videos.
  • Connect iPhone to an editing system.
  • Enter a password on the iPhone.
  • Started Final Cut Pro.
  • Create a new library, named it “Vertical Video”.

Steps to adjust vertical video size with Final cut pro:

Step 1: To import the video clip, you want to edit, click on the File > Import Media. The connected iPhone screen appears in the top left corner. The circle icon shows that FCP is still collecting data from the phone and the pointing arrow allows to disconnect.

Step 2: When the iPhone is chosen in the sidebar, thumbnails appear at the bottom of the Media Import window. For example, you can see the four vertical video clips, choose one to edit.

Step 3: The iPhone compresses MP4 video. While editing a simple project, you don’t need to generate optimized media. However, optimizing media will save you time in the long run if you plan to add lots of effects.

Step 4: Now, generate a new project and apply the Automatic settings.

Step 5: Next, edit a vertical clip into the empty new project. Even if this isn’t the first clip you want the audience to see, it is essential because FCP uses this clip to configure the project settings.

Step 6: When that first video clip is edited into the timeline, this dialog arrives. Note that the frame size is already fixed by the size of the video you shot on the iPhone. Don’t change any settings. It allows FCP to automatically configure the project to match the specs of this clip. If you’ve done this correctly, your clip appears vertically in the Viewer.

Wondershare Filmora

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

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

filmorax boxpng

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

ai portrait wondershare filmora

Conclusion

As you can tell, video dimensions significantly influence your media resolution and impact. Aspect ratio is the standard way to modify your media to fit YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and other social apps. Changing dimensions is a DIY process; you can edit YouTube vertical video dimensions and other social apps like Facebook and Instagram through Filmora or Final Cut Pro.

Try It Free Try It Free

The vertical video went to a mainstream media style. Nowadays, it’s common for online video, especially on social apps. Mobile video has become the most common way to watch online videos. It makes sense then that vertical is the preferred familiarization for videos. Users don’t want to twist their phones to watch a 30-second ad. Knowing YouTube shorts vertical size is important as well as Facebook vertical video specs.

Social juggernauts like Facebook and YouTube have adopted vertical video size or formats in current years. The newer social apps, like Snapchat and TikTok, use vertical video completely. While most platforms now prefer vertical video, they each have different patterns. Even Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere is different.

Users tinkering in video marketing know it’s essential to stay updated on social media video sizes across all platforms. But, we also know that it is time-consuming to dig through each technical specification of each social app. For that purpose, we have covered all network video sizes for each platform. So, browse the table of contents below and find the video dimensions, aspect ratios, and file sizes you need.

In this article

01 [What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?](#Part 1)

02 [Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps](#Part 2)

03 [Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size](#Part 3)

Part 1 What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?

Videos come in different sizes. However, one principle is standard in creating them, the vertical video aspect ratio (width to height). This refers to how you compare and create the video height to video ratio (how you intend to record and produce your video).

Ideally, it is what you and viewers will see while watching your video. To create a perfect video, any video creator should decide on the relationship between the video height and width.

When creating YouTube vertical video dimensions, the width is usually longer than the height. Most television videos have a standard ratio of 4:3 and 16:9. However, social media videos are created using a 1:1 and 9:16 ratio.

social media video dimension

A smartphone can shoot vertical videos perfectly, but some media players like cameras require editing and adjusting the sizes to get the correct aspect ratio. Experts won’t have difficulties adjusting horizontally shot videos, but an amateur will. Fortunately, you can avoid taking unprofessional shoots by focusing on the frame’s center to capture your subject wholly without clipping important aspects. While editing Facebook vertical video dimensions and other social apps, the results could vary depending on the editing software. But you can rotate the video within the software to get the correct dimensions lest you get ugly videos full of black backgrounds filling the frame.

Most cameras and video recorders have inbuilt settings that switch to aspect ratio when you start recording. And the good thing is that you can adjust the settings to your desired dimensions in the settings section. If you are shooting a vertical video without a preset aspect ratio, then:

  • Shoot gently without switching your camera horizontally, especially if you are capturing a narrow view.
  • Avoid fast spans as it appears intense on the camera that could result in blurry animations.
  • Focus on what you are capturing, and if need be, zoom in to capture every essential detail.

The importance of applying aspect ratio in videos is to ensure your images and videos have excellent resolution. This way, you have a chance to present (market) your idea professionally.

Part 2 Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps

Here is a guide on how to shoot vertical dimensions for various social apps –

1. YouTube Vertical Video Dimension Guide

It is common for viewers to switch to YouTube and watch videos, and this is why you need the work on the perfect YouTube vertical video size. Initially, you could display YouTube videos in different dimensions, but this is no longer the case since the app’s dynamic innovation to view animations in preferred sizes.

youtube vertical video size

Usually, YouTube videos are recorded at a standard aspect ratio of 16: 9. It means that you cannot customize the dimensions as this is this ratio is the default.

Though the 16:9 dimensions are standard, you can also shoot your videos using different ratios like 1:1 (square), 4:3, or 9:16 (vertically). In this case, your video will fit different YouTube videos on each device but will display white or grey padding on the frames by default.

Manually adding padding to your videos reduces the ability to adjust them to different ratios on various devices. If you are yet to switch to YouTube vertical video dimensions, you are missing to increase brand awareness.

2. Facebook Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Facebook vertical video specs have mainly been using the 16:9 ratio. And since the app attracts billions of global users, it’s high time to optimize your snapshots and try posting in different formats.

fb vertical video size

For your next FB vertical video size for feed videos, think of square snapshots (1:1), 2:3, 4:5, or 16:9. If you love creating Facebook stories, you can stick to the 9:16 ratio. And for Facebook live videos, stick with the Facebook video vertical size, 16:9 dimensions. Note that most Facebook video posts will automatically have a standard measurement of 16:9.

3. Instagram Vertical Video Dimensions Guide

Since the inception of Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere, the ratio has always been 1:1. This dimension makes it optimal for phones and small-sized screens. Here is the ultimate guide for your new Instagram animations:

  • 1:1 for square videos.
  • 4:5 for portrait shots.
  • 9:16 when shooting vertical animations.

If you are going live on Instagram, we recommend 9:16, while you can shoot in 1:1, 4:5, and 16:9 ratios for feed videos. For Instagram stories, we suggest 9:16, but you can always work around 1:1, 4:9, and 16:9.

Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere

4. Twitter Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Twitter is quite different when considering feed video dimensions; portrait and square. The former (portrait) is a favorite for ads and marketing videos display (increase brand visibility), whereas the latter is perfect for displaying videos on multiple devices.

Twitter videos can be perfect in the below dimensions:

  • Promotional video ads 1:2 39 to 2.39:1
  • Six-second short ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • First video ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • Personal portrait (vertical) videos 9:16
  • Personal horizontal animations 1:2.39 – 2.39:1

twitter vertical video dimension

5. WhatsApp Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Most people don’t know the importance of resizing WhatsApp videos. Sharing videos on your WhatsApp status is a marketing strategy, but you must resize your videos well. Most video WhatsApp vertical videos have 4:3 dimensions and a 1080 × 1920 pixels size.

Part 3 Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size

The smartphone has become the primary tool for taking photos or recording videos, but we hold our mobile phone in a different direction while shooting videos, which causes the wrong adjustment while uploading it. Fortunately, there are ways, and your video can fit any screen without any compromises. Bellow, we are going to tell you two methods to adjust vertical video size

Method 1: Filmora

Filmora allows users to rotate your video to any point they want. What’s more, you can zoom in or crop the undesired parts in the video with a snap. It also offers you preset aspect ratios like 16:9, 9:16; 4:5, 1:1, etc., to help you quickly find the perfect aspect ratio for YouTube, Instagram, and other social apps. Let’s see how to change video adjustment in Filmora.

How to crop aspect ratio at the starting interface:

In this method, you must upload the animation first. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Upload your video into the editing panel.

Step2: Scroll to the drop-down menu to see various dimensions (1:1. 4:3, 9:16, 16:9, and 21:9).

Step3: Select the desired ratio and apply.

select the ratio

Modifying aspect ratio in project settings:

This method allows you to preset the ratios before uploading your media. Most files are preset to a 4:3 ratio, but you can adjust as you wish. Note that uploading a video with other aspect ratios will automatically switch to the default one. However, you can change the ratio by clicking on the project settings tab.

project setting

Changing aspect ratio when editing:

You can crop your video after importing it to the Filmora panel using the crop and zoom tools.

Step 1: Right-click on the file in the panel.

Step 2: Select crop and zoom.

Step 3: Click on the desired ratio from the suggestions (16:9, 4:3, 1:1, and 9:16) and confirm the action by clicking OK.

crop aoom interface

You can also modify the aspect ratio manually, add filters, and blur the background to enhance resolution when editing.

Auto reframing:

Latest Filmora running versions like V10.5 have the auto-reframe feature that can help crop aspect ratio seamlessly. The good thing about this feature is that it detects any object and can remove it if need be. Plus, this video editor also comes with preset aspect ratios that conveniently suit different social apps.

You can auto reframe by:

Step 1: Import the video to the panel. Right-click on the file and select the auto-reframe icon.

auto reframe

Step 2: Choose the desired aspect ratio.

choose the aspect ratio

Step 3: Click the analyze icon and wait for the results in a preview window.

Step 4: Adjust the frame by dragging the box to balance the object or leave it if you love the results.

adjust frame box

Step 5: When done, rename it and click the export feature to save your new file.

auto reframe save video

Step 6: Edit (add effects) as desired.

Modifying aspect ratio when exporting:

After saving your file, you can export it to your desired media display device and change the aspect ratio based on your platform settings, as discussed above.

output format

Method 2: Final Cut Pro

Apple’s Final Cut Pro is a compelling software for video editing and compositing. The interface is designed similar with many other video editing programs such as Adobe Premiere and Combustion etc.

To prepare:

  • Take vertical videos.
  • Connect iPhone to an editing system.
  • Enter a password on the iPhone.
  • Started Final Cut Pro.
  • Create a new library, named it “Vertical Video”.

Steps to adjust vertical video size with Final cut pro:

Step 1: To import the video clip, you want to edit, click on the File > Import Media. The connected iPhone screen appears in the top left corner. The circle icon shows that FCP is still collecting data from the phone and the pointing arrow allows to disconnect.

Step 2: When the iPhone is chosen in the sidebar, thumbnails appear at the bottom of the Media Import window. For example, you can see the four vertical video clips, choose one to edit.

Step 3: The iPhone compresses MP4 video. While editing a simple project, you don’t need to generate optimized media. However, optimizing media will save you time in the long run if you plan to add lots of effects.

Step 4: Now, generate a new project and apply the Automatic settings.

Step 5: Next, edit a vertical clip into the empty new project. Even if this isn’t the first clip you want the audience to see, it is essential because FCP uses this clip to configure the project settings.

Step 6: When that first video clip is edited into the timeline, this dialog arrives. Note that the frame size is already fixed by the size of the video you shot on the iPhone. Don’t change any settings. It allows FCP to automatically configure the project to match the specs of this clip. If you’ve done this correctly, your clip appears vertically in the Viewer.

Wondershare Filmora

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

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

filmorax boxpng

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

ai portrait wondershare filmora

Conclusion

As you can tell, video dimensions significantly influence your media resolution and impact. Aspect ratio is the standard way to modify your media to fit YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and other social apps. Changing dimensions is a DIY process; you can edit YouTube vertical video dimensions and other social apps like Facebook and Instagram through Filmora or Final Cut Pro.

Try It Free Try It Free

The vertical video went to a mainstream media style. Nowadays, it’s common for online video, especially on social apps. Mobile video has become the most common way to watch online videos. It makes sense then that vertical is the preferred familiarization for videos. Users don’t want to twist their phones to watch a 30-second ad. Knowing YouTube shorts vertical size is important as well as Facebook vertical video specs.

Social juggernauts like Facebook and YouTube have adopted vertical video size or formats in current years. The newer social apps, like Snapchat and TikTok, use vertical video completely. While most platforms now prefer vertical video, they each have different patterns. Even Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere is different.

Users tinkering in video marketing know it’s essential to stay updated on social media video sizes across all platforms. But, we also know that it is time-consuming to dig through each technical specification of each social app. For that purpose, we have covered all network video sizes for each platform. So, browse the table of contents below and find the video dimensions, aspect ratios, and file sizes you need.

In this article

01 [What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?](#Part 1)

02 [Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps](#Part 2)

03 [Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size](#Part 3)

Part 1 What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?

Videos come in different sizes. However, one principle is standard in creating them, the vertical video aspect ratio (width to height). This refers to how you compare and create the video height to video ratio (how you intend to record and produce your video).

Ideally, it is what you and viewers will see while watching your video. To create a perfect video, any video creator should decide on the relationship between the video height and width.

When creating YouTube vertical video dimensions, the width is usually longer than the height. Most television videos have a standard ratio of 4:3 and 16:9. However, social media videos are created using a 1:1 and 9:16 ratio.

social media video dimension

A smartphone can shoot vertical videos perfectly, but some media players like cameras require editing and adjusting the sizes to get the correct aspect ratio. Experts won’t have difficulties adjusting horizontally shot videos, but an amateur will. Fortunately, you can avoid taking unprofessional shoots by focusing on the frame’s center to capture your subject wholly without clipping important aspects. While editing Facebook vertical video dimensions and other social apps, the results could vary depending on the editing software. But you can rotate the video within the software to get the correct dimensions lest you get ugly videos full of black backgrounds filling the frame.

Most cameras and video recorders have inbuilt settings that switch to aspect ratio when you start recording. And the good thing is that you can adjust the settings to your desired dimensions in the settings section. If you are shooting a vertical video without a preset aspect ratio, then:

  • Shoot gently without switching your camera horizontally, especially if you are capturing a narrow view.
  • Avoid fast spans as it appears intense on the camera that could result in blurry animations.
  • Focus on what you are capturing, and if need be, zoom in to capture every essential detail.

The importance of applying aspect ratio in videos is to ensure your images and videos have excellent resolution. This way, you have a chance to present (market) your idea professionally.

Part 2 Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps

Here is a guide on how to shoot vertical dimensions for various social apps –

1. YouTube Vertical Video Dimension Guide

It is common for viewers to switch to YouTube and watch videos, and this is why you need the work on the perfect YouTube vertical video size. Initially, you could display YouTube videos in different dimensions, but this is no longer the case since the app’s dynamic innovation to view animations in preferred sizes.

youtube vertical video size

Usually, YouTube videos are recorded at a standard aspect ratio of 16: 9. It means that you cannot customize the dimensions as this is this ratio is the default.

Though the 16:9 dimensions are standard, you can also shoot your videos using different ratios like 1:1 (square), 4:3, or 9:16 (vertically). In this case, your video will fit different YouTube videos on each device but will display white or grey padding on the frames by default.

Manually adding padding to your videos reduces the ability to adjust them to different ratios on various devices. If you are yet to switch to YouTube vertical video dimensions, you are missing to increase brand awareness.

2. Facebook Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Facebook vertical video specs have mainly been using the 16:9 ratio. And since the app attracts billions of global users, it’s high time to optimize your snapshots and try posting in different formats.

fb vertical video size

For your next FB vertical video size for feed videos, think of square snapshots (1:1), 2:3, 4:5, or 16:9. If you love creating Facebook stories, you can stick to the 9:16 ratio. And for Facebook live videos, stick with the Facebook video vertical size, 16:9 dimensions. Note that most Facebook video posts will automatically have a standard measurement of 16:9.

3. Instagram Vertical Video Dimensions Guide

Since the inception of Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere, the ratio has always been 1:1. This dimension makes it optimal for phones and small-sized screens. Here is the ultimate guide for your new Instagram animations:

  • 1:1 for square videos.
  • 4:5 for portrait shots.
  • 9:16 when shooting vertical animations.

If you are going live on Instagram, we recommend 9:16, while you can shoot in 1:1, 4:5, and 16:9 ratios for feed videos. For Instagram stories, we suggest 9:16, but you can always work around 1:1, 4:9, and 16:9.

Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere

4. Twitter Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Twitter is quite different when considering feed video dimensions; portrait and square. The former (portrait) is a favorite for ads and marketing videos display (increase brand visibility), whereas the latter is perfect for displaying videos on multiple devices.

Twitter videos can be perfect in the below dimensions:

  • Promotional video ads 1:2 39 to 2.39:1
  • Six-second short ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • First video ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • Personal portrait (vertical) videos 9:16
  • Personal horizontal animations 1:2.39 – 2.39:1

twitter vertical video dimension

5. WhatsApp Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Most people don’t know the importance of resizing WhatsApp videos. Sharing videos on your WhatsApp status is a marketing strategy, but you must resize your videos well. Most video WhatsApp vertical videos have 4:3 dimensions and a 1080 × 1920 pixels size.

Part 3 Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size

The smartphone has become the primary tool for taking photos or recording videos, but we hold our mobile phone in a different direction while shooting videos, which causes the wrong adjustment while uploading it. Fortunately, there are ways, and your video can fit any screen without any compromises. Bellow, we are going to tell you two methods to adjust vertical video size

Method 1: Filmora

Filmora allows users to rotate your video to any point they want. What’s more, you can zoom in or crop the undesired parts in the video with a snap. It also offers you preset aspect ratios like 16:9, 9:16; 4:5, 1:1, etc., to help you quickly find the perfect aspect ratio for YouTube, Instagram, and other social apps. Let’s see how to change video adjustment in Filmora.

How to crop aspect ratio at the starting interface:

In this method, you must upload the animation first. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Upload your video into the editing panel.

Step2: Scroll to the drop-down menu to see various dimensions (1:1. 4:3, 9:16, 16:9, and 21:9).

Step3: Select the desired ratio and apply.

select the ratio

Modifying aspect ratio in project settings:

This method allows you to preset the ratios before uploading your media. Most files are preset to a 4:3 ratio, but you can adjust as you wish. Note that uploading a video with other aspect ratios will automatically switch to the default one. However, you can change the ratio by clicking on the project settings tab.

project setting

Changing aspect ratio when editing:

You can crop your video after importing it to the Filmora panel using the crop and zoom tools.

Step 1: Right-click on the file in the panel.

Step 2: Select crop and zoom.

Step 3: Click on the desired ratio from the suggestions (16:9, 4:3, 1:1, and 9:16) and confirm the action by clicking OK.

crop aoom interface

You can also modify the aspect ratio manually, add filters, and blur the background to enhance resolution when editing.

Auto reframing:

Latest Filmora running versions like V10.5 have the auto-reframe feature that can help crop aspect ratio seamlessly. The good thing about this feature is that it detects any object and can remove it if need be. Plus, this video editor also comes with preset aspect ratios that conveniently suit different social apps.

You can auto reframe by:

Step 1: Import the video to the panel. Right-click on the file and select the auto-reframe icon.

auto reframe

Step 2: Choose the desired aspect ratio.

choose the aspect ratio

Step 3: Click the analyze icon and wait for the results in a preview window.

Step 4: Adjust the frame by dragging the box to balance the object or leave it if you love the results.

adjust frame box

Step 5: When done, rename it and click the export feature to save your new file.

auto reframe save video

Step 6: Edit (add effects) as desired.

Modifying aspect ratio when exporting:

After saving your file, you can export it to your desired media display device and change the aspect ratio based on your platform settings, as discussed above.

output format

Method 2: Final Cut Pro

Apple’s Final Cut Pro is a compelling software for video editing and compositing. The interface is designed similar with many other video editing programs such as Adobe Premiere and Combustion etc.

To prepare:

  • Take vertical videos.
  • Connect iPhone to an editing system.
  • Enter a password on the iPhone.
  • Started Final Cut Pro.
  • Create a new library, named it “Vertical Video”.

Steps to adjust vertical video size with Final cut pro:

Step 1: To import the video clip, you want to edit, click on the File > Import Media. The connected iPhone screen appears in the top left corner. The circle icon shows that FCP is still collecting data from the phone and the pointing arrow allows to disconnect.

Step 2: When the iPhone is chosen in the sidebar, thumbnails appear at the bottom of the Media Import window. For example, you can see the four vertical video clips, choose one to edit.

Step 3: The iPhone compresses MP4 video. While editing a simple project, you don’t need to generate optimized media. However, optimizing media will save you time in the long run if you plan to add lots of effects.

Step 4: Now, generate a new project and apply the Automatic settings.

Step 5: Next, edit a vertical clip into the empty new project. Even if this isn’t the first clip you want the audience to see, it is essential because FCP uses this clip to configure the project settings.

Step 6: When that first video clip is edited into the timeline, this dialog arrives. Note that the frame size is already fixed by the size of the video you shot on the iPhone. Don’t change any settings. It allows FCP to automatically configure the project to match the specs of this clip. If you’ve done this correctly, your clip appears vertically in the Viewer.

Wondershare Filmora

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

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

filmorax boxpng

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

ai portrait wondershare filmora

Conclusion

As you can tell, video dimensions significantly influence your media resolution and impact. Aspect ratio is the standard way to modify your media to fit YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and other social apps. Changing dimensions is a DIY process; you can edit YouTube vertical video dimensions and other social apps like Facebook and Instagram through Filmora or Final Cut Pro.

Try It Free Try It Free

The vertical video went to a mainstream media style. Nowadays, it’s common for online video, especially on social apps. Mobile video has become the most common way to watch online videos. It makes sense then that vertical is the preferred familiarization for videos. Users don’t want to twist their phones to watch a 30-second ad. Knowing YouTube shorts vertical size is important as well as Facebook vertical video specs.

Social juggernauts like Facebook and YouTube have adopted vertical video size or formats in current years. The newer social apps, like Snapchat and TikTok, use vertical video completely. While most platforms now prefer vertical video, they each have different patterns. Even Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere is different.

Users tinkering in video marketing know it’s essential to stay updated on social media video sizes across all platforms. But, we also know that it is time-consuming to dig through each technical specification of each social app. For that purpose, we have covered all network video sizes for each platform. So, browse the table of contents below and find the video dimensions, aspect ratios, and file sizes you need.

In this article

01 [What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?](#Part 1)

02 [Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps](#Part 2)

03 [Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size](#Part 3)

Part 1 What Vertical Video Size Do We Usually Use?

Videos come in different sizes. However, one principle is standard in creating them, the vertical video aspect ratio (width to height). This refers to how you compare and create the video height to video ratio (how you intend to record and produce your video).

Ideally, it is what you and viewers will see while watching your video. To create a perfect video, any video creator should decide on the relationship between the video height and width.

When creating YouTube vertical video dimensions, the width is usually longer than the height. Most television videos have a standard ratio of 4:3 and 16:9. However, social media videos are created using a 1:1 and 9:16 ratio.

social media video dimension

A smartphone can shoot vertical videos perfectly, but some media players like cameras require editing and adjusting the sizes to get the correct aspect ratio. Experts won’t have difficulties adjusting horizontally shot videos, but an amateur will. Fortunately, you can avoid taking unprofessional shoots by focusing on the frame’s center to capture your subject wholly without clipping important aspects. While editing Facebook vertical video dimensions and other social apps, the results could vary depending on the editing software. But you can rotate the video within the software to get the correct dimensions lest you get ugly videos full of black backgrounds filling the frame.

Most cameras and video recorders have inbuilt settings that switch to aspect ratio when you start recording. And the good thing is that you can adjust the settings to your desired dimensions in the settings section. If you are shooting a vertical video without a preset aspect ratio, then:

  • Shoot gently without switching your camera horizontally, especially if you are capturing a narrow view.
  • Avoid fast spans as it appears intense on the camera that could result in blurry animations.
  • Focus on what you are capturing, and if need be, zoom in to capture every essential detail.

The importance of applying aspect ratio in videos is to ensure your images and videos have excellent resolution. This way, you have a chance to present (market) your idea professionally.

Part 2 Vertical Video Dimension for Different Social Apps

Here is a guide on how to shoot vertical dimensions for various social apps –

1. YouTube Vertical Video Dimension Guide

It is common for viewers to switch to YouTube and watch videos, and this is why you need the work on the perfect YouTube vertical video size. Initially, you could display YouTube videos in different dimensions, but this is no longer the case since the app’s dynamic innovation to view animations in preferred sizes.

youtube vertical video size

Usually, YouTube videos are recorded at a standard aspect ratio of 16: 9. It means that you cannot customize the dimensions as this is this ratio is the default.

Though the 16:9 dimensions are standard, you can also shoot your videos using different ratios like 1:1 (square), 4:3, or 9:16 (vertically). In this case, your video will fit different YouTube videos on each device but will display white or grey padding on the frames by default.

Manually adding padding to your videos reduces the ability to adjust them to different ratios on various devices. If you are yet to switch to YouTube vertical video dimensions, you are missing to increase brand awareness.

2. Facebook Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Facebook vertical video specs have mainly been using the 16:9 ratio. And since the app attracts billions of global users, it’s high time to optimize your snapshots and try posting in different formats.

fb vertical video size

For your next FB vertical video size for feed videos, think of square snapshots (1:1), 2:3, 4:5, or 16:9. If you love creating Facebook stories, you can stick to the 9:16 ratio. And for Facebook live videos, stick with the Facebook video vertical size, 16:9 dimensions. Note that most Facebook video posts will automatically have a standard measurement of 16:9.

3. Instagram Vertical Video Dimensions Guide

Since the inception of Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere, the ratio has always been 1:1. This dimension makes it optimal for phones and small-sized screens. Here is the ultimate guide for your new Instagram animations:

  • 1:1 for square videos.
  • 4:5 for portrait shots.
  • 9:16 when shooting vertical animations.

If you are going live on Instagram, we recommend 9:16, while you can shoot in 1:1, 4:5, and 16:9 ratios for feed videos. For Instagram stories, we suggest 9:16, but you can always work around 1:1, 4:9, and 16:9.

Instagram vertical video dimensions premiere

4. Twitter Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Twitter is quite different when considering feed video dimensions; portrait and square. The former (portrait) is a favorite for ads and marketing videos display (increase brand visibility), whereas the latter is perfect for displaying videos on multiple devices.

Twitter videos can be perfect in the below dimensions:

  • Promotional video ads 1:2 39 to 2.39:1
  • Six-second short ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • First video ads 1:2.39 – 2.39:1
  • Personal portrait (vertical) videos 9:16
  • Personal horizontal animations 1:2.39 – 2.39:1

twitter vertical video dimension

5. WhatsApp Vertical Video Dimension Guide

Most people don’t know the importance of resizing WhatsApp videos. Sharing videos on your WhatsApp status is a marketing strategy, but you must resize your videos well. Most video WhatsApp vertical videos have 4:3 dimensions and a 1080 × 1920 pixels size.

Part 3 Tips: How to Adjust Vertical Videos Size

The smartphone has become the primary tool for taking photos or recording videos, but we hold our mobile phone in a different direction while shooting videos, which causes the wrong adjustment while uploading it. Fortunately, there are ways, and your video can fit any screen without any compromises. Bellow, we are going to tell you two methods to adjust vertical video size

Method 1: Filmora

Filmora allows users to rotate your video to any point they want. What’s more, you can zoom in or crop the undesired parts in the video with a snap. It also offers you preset aspect ratios like 16:9, 9:16; 4:5, 1:1, etc., to help you quickly find the perfect aspect ratio for YouTube, Instagram, and other social apps. Let’s see how to change video adjustment in Filmora.

How to crop aspect ratio at the starting interface:

In this method, you must upload the animation first. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Upload your video into the editing panel.

Step2: Scroll to the drop-down menu to see various dimensions (1:1. 4:3, 9:16, 16:9, and 21:9).

Step3: Select the desired ratio and apply.

select the ratio

Modifying aspect ratio in project settings:

This method allows you to preset the ratios before uploading your media. Most files are preset to a 4:3 ratio, but you can adjust as you wish. Note that uploading a video with other aspect ratios will automatically switch to the default one. However, you can change the ratio by clicking on the project settings tab.

project setting

Changing aspect ratio when editing:

You can crop your video after importing it to the Filmora panel using the crop and zoom tools.

Step 1: Right-click on the file in the panel.

Step 2: Select crop and zoom.

Step 3: Click on the desired ratio from the suggestions (16:9, 4:3, 1:1, and 9:16) and confirm the action by clicking OK.

crop aoom interface

You can also modify the aspect ratio manually, add filters, and blur the background to enhance resolution when editing.

Auto reframing:

Latest Filmora running versions like V10.5 have the auto-reframe feature that can help crop aspect ratio seamlessly. The good thing about this feature is that it detects any object and can remove it if need be. Plus, this video editor also comes with preset aspect ratios that conveniently suit different social apps.

You can auto reframe by:

Step 1: Import the video to the panel. Right-click on the file and select the auto-reframe icon.

auto reframe

Step 2: Choose the desired aspect ratio.

choose the aspect ratio

Step 3: Click the analyze icon and wait for the results in a preview window.

Step 4: Adjust the frame by dragging the box to balance the object or leave it if you love the results.

adjust frame box

Step 5: When done, rename it and click the export feature to save your new file.

auto reframe save video

Step 6: Edit (add effects) as desired.

Modifying aspect ratio when exporting:

After saving your file, you can export it to your desired media display device and change the aspect ratio based on your platform settings, as discussed above.

output format

Method 2: Final Cut Pro

Apple’s Final Cut Pro is a compelling software for video editing and compositing. The interface is designed similar with many other video editing programs such as Adobe Premiere and Combustion etc.

To prepare:

  • Take vertical videos.
  • Connect iPhone to an editing system.
  • Enter a password on the iPhone.
  • Started Final Cut Pro.
  • Create a new library, named it “Vertical Video”.

Steps to adjust vertical video size with Final cut pro:

Step 1: To import the video clip, you want to edit, click on the File > Import Media. The connected iPhone screen appears in the top left corner. The circle icon shows that FCP is still collecting data from the phone and the pointing arrow allows to disconnect.

Step 2: When the iPhone is chosen in the sidebar, thumbnails appear at the bottom of the Media Import window. For example, you can see the four vertical video clips, choose one to edit.

Step 3: The iPhone compresses MP4 video. While editing a simple project, you don’t need to generate optimized media. However, optimizing media will save you time in the long run if you plan to add lots of effects.

Step 4: Now, generate a new project and apply the Automatic settings.

Step 5: Next, edit a vertical clip into the empty new project. Even if this isn’t the first clip you want the audience to see, it is essential because FCP uses this clip to configure the project settings.

Step 6: When that first video clip is edited into the timeline, this dialog arrives. Note that the frame size is already fixed by the size of the video you shot on the iPhone. Don’t change any settings. It allows FCP to automatically configure the project to match the specs of this clip. If you’ve done this correctly, your clip appears vertically in the Viewer.

Wondershare Filmora

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

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Learn More >

filmorax boxpng

AI Portrait – The best feature of Wondershare Filmora for gameplay editing

The AI Portrait is a new add-on in Wondershare Filmora. It can easily remove video backgrounds without using a green screen or chroma key, allowing you to add borders, glitch effects, pixelated, noise, or segmentation video effects.

ai portrait wondershare filmora

Conclusion

As you can tell, video dimensions significantly influence your media resolution and impact. Aspect ratio is the standard way to modify your media to fit YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and other social apps. Changing dimensions is a DIY process; you can edit YouTube vertical video dimensions and other social apps like Facebook and Instagram through Filmora or Final Cut Pro.

Enhancing Viewability: Creating Custom YouTube Thumbnails

How To Add Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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


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

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

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

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

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

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

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

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

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

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

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

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

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

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

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

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

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

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

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

 YouTube Studio button

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

Change YouTube Video Info

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

Change YouTube Video Thumbnail

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

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

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

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

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

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

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

1. Stay On Topic

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Should be relevant

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

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

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail:  Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

3. People Like People

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

Just make sure you’re in them.

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

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

4. Check Out The Competition

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

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

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

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Making Tips

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

6. Make Your Text Huge

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

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

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

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

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

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

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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


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

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

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

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

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

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

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

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

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

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

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

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

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

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

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

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

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

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

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

 YouTube Studio button

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

Change YouTube Video Info

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

Change YouTube Video Thumbnail

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

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

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

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

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

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

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

1. Stay On Topic

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Should be relevant

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

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

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail:  Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

3. People Like People

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

Just make sure you’re in them.

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

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

4. Check Out The Competition

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

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

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

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Making Tips

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

6. Make Your Text Huge

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

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

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

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

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

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

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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


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

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

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

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

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

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

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

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

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

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

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

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

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

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

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

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

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

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

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

 YouTube Studio button

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

Change YouTube Video Info

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

Change YouTube Video Thumbnail

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

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

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

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

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

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

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

1. Stay On Topic

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Should be relevant

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

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

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail:  Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

3. People Like People

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

Just make sure you’re in them.

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

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

4. Check Out The Competition

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

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

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

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Making Tips

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

6. Make Your Text Huge

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

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

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

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

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

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

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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


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

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

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

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

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

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

YouTube Thumbnail

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

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

Part 2: Thumbnail Makers to Create Custom YouTube Thumbnails

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

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

1. Create YouTube Thumbnail with Online solution - Canva

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

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

You may also like: Best online Photo Editor

2. Design YouTube thumbnail with a Desktop solution - Gimp

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

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

Part 3: How to Change A Thumbnail On YouTube

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

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

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

 YouTube Studio button

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

Change YouTube Video Info

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

Change YouTube Video Thumbnail

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

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

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

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

You may also like: How to Make YouTube Channel Art

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

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

You may also like: Best video editing software for YouTube

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

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

1. Stay On Topic

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Should be relevant

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

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

2. Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail:  Don’t Be Mysterious

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

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

3. People Like People

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

Just make sure you’re in them.

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

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

4. Check Out The Competition

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

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

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

5. Use Color in Interesting Ways

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

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

 YouTube Thumbnail Making Tips

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

6. Make Your Text Huge

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Thumbnail

1. What is YouTube Thumbnail?

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

2. Can You Change YouTube Thumbnail After Publishing?

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

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

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

4. Why YouTube Thumbnail is Important?

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

author avatar

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Also read:

  • Title: "[New] Cross-Platform Dimensions Titling for YTB Shorts & Beyond"
  • Author: Steven
  • Created at : 2024-05-25 20:06:52
  • Updated at : 2024-05-26 20:06:52
  • Link: https://youtube-clips.techidaily.com/new-cross-platform-dimensions-titling-for-ytb-shorts-and-beyond/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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"[New] Cross-Platform Dimensions Titling for YTB Shorts & Beyond"