Elevate Your Video’s Start with Top YouTube Intro Tips

2024 | How to Make a YouTube Intro Video？

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Be it YouTube or any other streaming channel, or even for selling your videos on any e-commerce website, intros play a vital role in your brand promotion, and creating them is not as complicated as it sounds either.

The following sections describe in detail how to make a YouTube intro with Wondershare Filmora video editor, and keep it safe so it can be re-used easily in all your creations to maintain consistency and to give your brand a unique identity.

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Intro Video with Filmora

With Wondershare Filmora, you can create your custom intros from scratch, i.e., even if you don’t have an existing image or footage to start with. You can follow the method given below to learn how to make YouTube intro with Filmora:

Step 1: Add Intro Background to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, go to Media tab at the top, select the Sample Colors category from the left pane.

Notice all the existing solid and gradient colors in the Media library in the right, hover the mouse over the tile of the color you want to use as a background, and click the + icon that appears in the center to add it to the timeline.

Note: The default duration of such solids is 5 seconds. You can increase or decrease this time by dragging the right handle of track in the timeline.

Alternatively, you can also use your own background image or video clip by selecting the Project Media category from the left pane, clicking anywhere inside the Media window, and then importing your favorite media file to Filmora. After importing, you can follow the procedure given above to add it to the timeline.

Step 2: Select and Add Audio/Sound Effect to YouTube Intro

With audio in the YouTube intro, your video will be more recognizable. If you have watched PewDiePie ‘s video, you’ll find that even though he changed the images on the intro often, he keeps the music and sound the same in the intro.

In Filmora, you can use the music and sound effect in the inbuilt audio library, double click the audio thumbnail from the library to listen to the soundtrack.

Repeat the process until you find the background music or sound effect that you can use in the intro. Once found, drag and drop it to the audio track below the video.

Note: You should keep the background and the audio at the same duration. For more details about audio editing in Filmora, please check this guide about how to edit audio .

Step 3: Add Text/Logo to Intro Video

In the intro video, you can add your channel name, company name, or other branding elements for brand awareness consideration.

Click Titles tab, hover the mouse over the tile with the text you want to use, and then drag and drop it to the track above the video.

To customize, double-click the title track in the timeline, use the new window that appears in the upper-left area of the interface to change, format, and animate the text as needed, and click OK from the bottom-right corner of the library.

Also, you need to adjust the position and duration of the title to get a better view.

In the intro video, it is recommended to add your logo or slogan as well. To add your logo, drag and drop it to the track above the video, and adjust its position and size. For more details, you can check the guide about How to Add Photo or Video to Watermark .

Step 4: Add Effects to YouTube Intro

Go to Effects tab, choose a category from the top-left pane, and click and drag your preferred effect from the Effects library to the timeline.

Adjust the playback duration by dragging the right handle of the track in the timeline as explained above. Optionally, double-click the Effects track to customize the appearance as needed.

Step 5: Export the Intro and Add to Shared Media

Once you are done creating your YouTube intro with all the required ingredients, click EXPORT from the top-center area of the interface, go to the Local tab on the Export box, choose your preferred output format from the left pane (the most common and widely used is MP4), adjust other preferences like destination location, resolution, framerate, etc. from the right pane of the box, and click EXPORT to export the YouTube intro.

Once exported, back on the main interface, select Media again from the standard toolbar, select the Shared Media container from the left pane, click anywhere inside the Media library, and import the YouTube intro video you just created to Shared Media so it can be reused every time you create a new video for the series.

Also, you can save the project, and then revise the element, effects or text to make a YouTube intro vibration.

You can find there are many video tutorials about how to use Filmora to make a YouTube intro, and below is one for you to have a quick glance.

Part 2: How to Make YouTube Intros with Templates

If the turnaround time of your project is about to end, and you need to hustle up, you can always use pre-built templates that not only expedite your creation process, they also look more professional because they are designed by the experts who already have decades of experience in the industry.

Besides the pre-programmed templates and effects in Filmora, you can find more visual effect packs in the effect store Filmstock .

You can learn how to make YouTube intro video in Filmora with a template downloaded from Filmstock.

Step 1: Visit Filmora Effects Page on Filmstock

Visit https://filmstock.wondershare.com/ and log in with the same WSID that you used on Filmora, and then click EFFECTS from the top of the webpage. Since Filmstock also provides templates for After Effects, you should select Filmora Effects to access the entire Filmora Effects library.

You can search the effects that you want in the Search bar, here, since I’m looking for effects for YouTube intro, I just enter “intro”. The effects related to intro will be displayed like below.

Step 2: Download Video Effect Packs for Filmora

Click your preferred intro effect template, click Download Now and follow the on-screen instructions to obtain and download the template.

After downloading, you will see these them in red circles under titles, transitions, or filters, based on the elements included in this effect pack. You can then add this downloaded titles or transitions to the intro video.

Looking for an online solution? Check the list of Top 10 Free Online YouTube Intro Makers .

Part 3: Creative Intro Makers Made with Filmora (Video Tutorial Included)

Both the above processes on how to make YouTube intro video are helpful as long as you use effective titles, decent effects, and extremely appealing color combinations. While the first method gives you full control over the creation as you can use all your imaginations to prepare one, the second method saves your time and yet lets you come up with a professionally-looking intro clip.

Below is a video tutorial from YouTuber Nash. He demonstrated how to create a YouTube Intro with the Sample Colors, Titles, filters and sound effects.

FAQs About YouTube Intro Video Making

• 1. What is a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video is 5 seconds to 7 seconds short motion clip that comprises your company name and logo. Such intros help in your brand promotion and give any film or episode that follows them a unique identity. This allows audiences to recognize your organization, and with regular appearances, you can establish strong goodwill among your customers.

• 2. What Should I Put in a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video should have your YouTube channel name, an effective and well-formatted text, brand logo, background music, effects, and a slight and simple animation.

Conclusion

To learn how to make a YouTube intro is easy, and things can get even simpler if you are using an efficient and robust post-production software like Wondershare Filmora, which not only allows you to create such clips from the scratch, it also enables you to access Filmstock’ online library to download more fantastic templates in order to expedite your workflow.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Be it YouTube or any other streaming channel, or even for selling your videos on any e-commerce website, intros play a vital role in your brand promotion, and creating them is not as complicated as it sounds either.

The following sections describe in detail how to make a YouTube intro with Wondershare Filmora video editor, and keep it safe so it can be re-used easily in all your creations to maintain consistency and to give your brand a unique identity.

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Intro Video with Filmora

With Wondershare Filmora, you can create your custom intros from scratch, i.e., even if you don’t have an existing image or footage to start with. You can follow the method given below to learn how to make YouTube intro with Filmora:

Step 1: Add Intro Background to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, go to Media tab at the top, select the Sample Colors category from the left pane.

Notice all the existing solid and gradient colors in the Media library in the right, hover the mouse over the tile of the color you want to use as a background, and click the + icon that appears in the center to add it to the timeline.

Note: The default duration of such solids is 5 seconds. You can increase or decrease this time by dragging the right handle of track in the timeline.

Alternatively, you can also use your own background image or video clip by selecting the Project Media category from the left pane, clicking anywhere inside the Media window, and then importing your favorite media file to Filmora. After importing, you can follow the procedure given above to add it to the timeline.

Step 2: Select and Add Audio/Sound Effect to YouTube Intro

With audio in the YouTube intro, your video will be more recognizable. If you have watched PewDiePie ‘s video, you’ll find that even though he changed the images on the intro often, he keeps the music and sound the same in the intro.

In Filmora, you can use the music and sound effect in the inbuilt audio library, double click the audio thumbnail from the library to listen to the soundtrack.

Repeat the process until you find the background music or sound effect that you can use in the intro. Once found, drag and drop it to the audio track below the video.

Note: You should keep the background and the audio at the same duration. For more details about audio editing in Filmora, please check this guide about how to edit audio .

Step 3: Add Text/Logo to Intro Video

In the intro video, you can add your channel name, company name, or other branding elements for brand awareness consideration.

Click Titles tab, hover the mouse over the tile with the text you want to use, and then drag and drop it to the track above the video.

To customize, double-click the title track in the timeline, use the new window that appears in the upper-left area of the interface to change, format, and animate the text as needed, and click OK from the bottom-right corner of the library.

Also, you need to adjust the position and duration of the title to get a better view.

In the intro video, it is recommended to add your logo or slogan as well. To add your logo, drag and drop it to the track above the video, and adjust its position and size. For more details, you can check the guide about How to Add Photo or Video to Watermark .

Step 4: Add Effects to YouTube Intro

Go to Effects tab, choose a category from the top-left pane, and click and drag your preferred effect from the Effects library to the timeline.

Adjust the playback duration by dragging the right handle of the track in the timeline as explained above. Optionally, double-click the Effects track to customize the appearance as needed.

Step 5: Export the Intro and Add to Shared Media

Once you are done creating your YouTube intro with all the required ingredients, click EXPORT from the top-center area of the interface, go to the Local tab on the Export box, choose your preferred output format from the left pane (the most common and widely used is MP4), adjust other preferences like destination location, resolution, framerate, etc. from the right pane of the box, and click EXPORT to export the YouTube intro.

Once exported, back on the main interface, select Media again from the standard toolbar, select the Shared Media container from the left pane, click anywhere inside the Media library, and import the YouTube intro video you just created to Shared Media so it can be reused every time you create a new video for the series.

Also, you can save the project, and then revise the element, effects or text to make a YouTube intro vibration.

You can find there are many video tutorials about how to use Filmora to make a YouTube intro, and below is one for you to have a quick glance.

Part 2: How to Make YouTube Intros with Templates

If the turnaround time of your project is about to end, and you need to hustle up, you can always use pre-built templates that not only expedite your creation process, they also look more professional because they are designed by the experts who already have decades of experience in the industry.

Besides the pre-programmed templates and effects in Filmora, you can find more visual effect packs in the effect store Filmstock .

You can learn how to make YouTube intro video in Filmora with a template downloaded from Filmstock.

Step 1: Visit Filmora Effects Page on Filmstock

Visit https://filmstock.wondershare.com/ and log in with the same WSID that you used on Filmora, and then click EFFECTS from the top of the webpage. Since Filmstock also provides templates for After Effects, you should select Filmora Effects to access the entire Filmora Effects library.

You can search the effects that you want in the Search bar, here, since I’m looking for effects for YouTube intro, I just enter “intro”. The effects related to intro will be displayed like below.

Step 2: Download Video Effect Packs for Filmora

Click your preferred intro effect template, click Download Now and follow the on-screen instructions to obtain and download the template.

After downloading, you will see these them in red circles under titles, transitions, or filters, based on the elements included in this effect pack. You can then add this downloaded titles or transitions to the intro video.

Looking for an online solution? Check the list of Top 10 Free Online YouTube Intro Makers .

Part 3: Creative Intro Makers Made with Filmora (Video Tutorial Included)

Both the above processes on how to make YouTube intro video are helpful as long as you use effective titles, decent effects, and extremely appealing color combinations. While the first method gives you full control over the creation as you can use all your imaginations to prepare one, the second method saves your time and yet lets you come up with a professionally-looking intro clip.

Below is a video tutorial from YouTuber Nash. He demonstrated how to create a YouTube Intro with the Sample Colors, Titles, filters and sound effects.

FAQs About YouTube Intro Video Making

• 1. What is a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video is 5 seconds to 7 seconds short motion clip that comprises your company name and logo. Such intros help in your brand promotion and give any film or episode that follows them a unique identity. This allows audiences to recognize your organization, and with regular appearances, you can establish strong goodwill among your customers.

• 2. What Should I Put in a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video should have your YouTube channel name, an effective and well-formatted text, brand logo, background music, effects, and a slight and simple animation.

Conclusion

To learn how to make a YouTube intro is easy, and things can get even simpler if you are using an efficient and robust post-production software like Wondershare Filmora, which not only allows you to create such clips from the scratch, it also enables you to access Filmstock’ online library to download more fantastic templates in order to expedite your workflow.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Be it YouTube or any other streaming channel, or even for selling your videos on any e-commerce website, intros play a vital role in your brand promotion, and creating them is not as complicated as it sounds either.

The following sections describe in detail how to make a YouTube intro with Wondershare Filmora video editor, and keep it safe so it can be re-used easily in all your creations to maintain consistency and to give your brand a unique identity.

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Intro Video with Filmora

With Wondershare Filmora, you can create your custom intros from scratch, i.e., even if you don’t have an existing image or footage to start with. You can follow the method given below to learn how to make YouTube intro with Filmora:

Step 1: Add Intro Background to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, go to Media tab at the top, select the Sample Colors category from the left pane.

Notice all the existing solid and gradient colors in the Media library in the right, hover the mouse over the tile of the color you want to use as a background, and click the + icon that appears in the center to add it to the timeline.

Note: The default duration of such solids is 5 seconds. You can increase or decrease this time by dragging the right handle of track in the timeline.

Alternatively, you can also use your own background image or video clip by selecting the Project Media category from the left pane, clicking anywhere inside the Media window, and then importing your favorite media file to Filmora. After importing, you can follow the procedure given above to add it to the timeline.

Step 2: Select and Add Audio/Sound Effect to YouTube Intro

With audio in the YouTube intro, your video will be more recognizable. If you have watched PewDiePie ‘s video, you’ll find that even though he changed the images on the intro often, he keeps the music and sound the same in the intro.

In Filmora, you can use the music and sound effect in the inbuilt audio library, double click the audio thumbnail from the library to listen to the soundtrack.

Repeat the process until you find the background music or sound effect that you can use in the intro. Once found, drag and drop it to the audio track below the video.

Note: You should keep the background and the audio at the same duration. For more details about audio editing in Filmora, please check this guide about how to edit audio .

Step 3: Add Text/Logo to Intro Video

In the intro video, you can add your channel name, company name, or other branding elements for brand awareness consideration.

Click Titles tab, hover the mouse over the tile with the text you want to use, and then drag and drop it to the track above the video.

To customize, double-click the title track in the timeline, use the new window that appears in the upper-left area of the interface to change, format, and animate the text as needed, and click OK from the bottom-right corner of the library.

Also, you need to adjust the position and duration of the title to get a better view.

In the intro video, it is recommended to add your logo or slogan as well. To add your logo, drag and drop it to the track above the video, and adjust its position and size. For more details, you can check the guide about How to Add Photo or Video to Watermark .

Step 4: Add Effects to YouTube Intro

Go to Effects tab, choose a category from the top-left pane, and click and drag your preferred effect from the Effects library to the timeline.

Adjust the playback duration by dragging the right handle of the track in the timeline as explained above. Optionally, double-click the Effects track to customize the appearance as needed.

Step 5: Export the Intro and Add to Shared Media

Once you are done creating your YouTube intro with all the required ingredients, click EXPORT from the top-center area of the interface, go to the Local tab on the Export box, choose your preferred output format from the left pane (the most common and widely used is MP4), adjust other preferences like destination location, resolution, framerate, etc. from the right pane of the box, and click EXPORT to export the YouTube intro.

Once exported, back on the main interface, select Media again from the standard toolbar, select the Shared Media container from the left pane, click anywhere inside the Media library, and import the YouTube intro video you just created to Shared Media so it can be reused every time you create a new video for the series.

Also, you can save the project, and then revise the element, effects or text to make a YouTube intro vibration.

You can find there are many video tutorials about how to use Filmora to make a YouTube intro, and below is one for you to have a quick glance.

Part 2: How to Make YouTube Intros with Templates

If the turnaround time of your project is about to end, and you need to hustle up, you can always use pre-built templates that not only expedite your creation process, they also look more professional because they are designed by the experts who already have decades of experience in the industry.

Besides the pre-programmed templates and effects in Filmora, you can find more visual effect packs in the effect store Filmstock .

You can learn how to make YouTube intro video in Filmora with a template downloaded from Filmstock.

Step 1: Visit Filmora Effects Page on Filmstock

Visit https://filmstock.wondershare.com/ and log in with the same WSID that you used on Filmora, and then click EFFECTS from the top of the webpage. Since Filmstock also provides templates for After Effects, you should select Filmora Effects to access the entire Filmora Effects library.

You can search the effects that you want in the Search bar, here, since I’m looking for effects for YouTube intro, I just enter “intro”. The effects related to intro will be displayed like below.

Step 2: Download Video Effect Packs for Filmora

Click your preferred intro effect template, click Download Now and follow the on-screen instructions to obtain and download the template.

After downloading, you will see these them in red circles under titles, transitions, or filters, based on the elements included in this effect pack. You can then add this downloaded titles or transitions to the intro video.

Looking for an online solution? Check the list of Top 10 Free Online YouTube Intro Makers .

Part 3: Creative Intro Makers Made with Filmora (Video Tutorial Included)

Both the above processes on how to make YouTube intro video are helpful as long as you use effective titles, decent effects, and extremely appealing color combinations. While the first method gives you full control over the creation as you can use all your imaginations to prepare one, the second method saves your time and yet lets you come up with a professionally-looking intro clip.

Below is a video tutorial from YouTuber Nash. He demonstrated how to create a YouTube Intro with the Sample Colors, Titles, filters and sound effects.

FAQs About YouTube Intro Video Making

• 1. What is a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video is 5 seconds to 7 seconds short motion clip that comprises your company name and logo. Such intros help in your brand promotion and give any film or episode that follows them a unique identity. This allows audiences to recognize your organization, and with regular appearances, you can establish strong goodwill among your customers.

• 2. What Should I Put in a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video should have your YouTube channel name, an effective and well-formatted text, brand logo, background music, effects, and a slight and simple animation.

Conclusion

To learn how to make a YouTube intro is easy, and things can get even simpler if you are using an efficient and robust post-production software like Wondershare Filmora, which not only allows you to create such clips from the scratch, it also enables you to access Filmstock’ online library to download more fantastic templates in order to expedite your workflow.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Be it YouTube or any other streaming channel, or even for selling your videos on any e-commerce website, intros play a vital role in your brand promotion, and creating them is not as complicated as it sounds either.

The following sections describe in detail how to make a YouTube intro with Wondershare Filmora video editor, and keep it safe so it can be re-used easily in all your creations to maintain consistency and to give your brand a unique identity.

Part 1: How to Make a YouTube Intro Video with Filmora

With Wondershare Filmora, you can create your custom intros from scratch, i.e., even if you don’t have an existing image or footage to start with. You can follow the method given below to learn how to make YouTube intro with Filmora:

Step 1: Add Intro Background to Filmora

Launch Wondershare Filmora, go to Media tab at the top, select the Sample Colors category from the left pane.

Notice all the existing solid and gradient colors in the Media library in the right, hover the mouse over the tile of the color you want to use as a background, and click the + icon that appears in the center to add it to the timeline.

Note: The default duration of such solids is 5 seconds. You can increase or decrease this time by dragging the right handle of track in the timeline.

Alternatively, you can also use your own background image or video clip by selecting the Project Media category from the left pane, clicking anywhere inside the Media window, and then importing your favorite media file to Filmora. After importing, you can follow the procedure given above to add it to the timeline.

Step 2: Select and Add Audio/Sound Effect to YouTube Intro

With audio in the YouTube intro, your video will be more recognizable. If you have watched PewDiePie ‘s video, you’ll find that even though he changed the images on the intro often, he keeps the music and sound the same in the intro.

In Filmora, you can use the music and sound effect in the inbuilt audio library, double click the audio thumbnail from the library to listen to the soundtrack.

Repeat the process until you find the background music or sound effect that you can use in the intro. Once found, drag and drop it to the audio track below the video.

Note: You should keep the background and the audio at the same duration. For more details about audio editing in Filmora, please check this guide about how to edit audio .

Step 3: Add Text/Logo to Intro Video

In the intro video, you can add your channel name, company name, or other branding elements for brand awareness consideration.

Click Titles tab, hover the mouse over the tile with the text you want to use, and then drag and drop it to the track above the video.

To customize, double-click the title track in the timeline, use the new window that appears in the upper-left area of the interface to change, format, and animate the text as needed, and click OK from the bottom-right corner of the library.

Also, you need to adjust the position and duration of the title to get a better view.

In the intro video, it is recommended to add your logo or slogan as well. To add your logo, drag and drop it to the track above the video, and adjust its position and size. For more details, you can check the guide about How to Add Photo or Video to Watermark .

Step 4: Add Effects to YouTube Intro

Go to Effects tab, choose a category from the top-left pane, and click and drag your preferred effect from the Effects library to the timeline.

Adjust the playback duration by dragging the right handle of the track in the timeline as explained above. Optionally, double-click the Effects track to customize the appearance as needed.

Step 5: Export the Intro and Add to Shared Media

Once you are done creating your YouTube intro with all the required ingredients, click EXPORT from the top-center area of the interface, go to the Local tab on the Export box, choose your preferred output format from the left pane (the most common and widely used is MP4), adjust other preferences like destination location, resolution, framerate, etc. from the right pane of the box, and click EXPORT to export the YouTube intro.

Once exported, back on the main interface, select Media again from the standard toolbar, select the Shared Media container from the left pane, click anywhere inside the Media library, and import the YouTube intro video you just created to Shared Media so it can be reused every time you create a new video for the series.

Also, you can save the project, and then revise the element, effects or text to make a YouTube intro vibration.

You can find there are many video tutorials about how to use Filmora to make a YouTube intro, and below is one for you to have a quick glance.

Part 2: How to Make YouTube Intros with Templates

If the turnaround time of your project is about to end, and you need to hustle up, you can always use pre-built templates that not only expedite your creation process, they also look more professional because they are designed by the experts who already have decades of experience in the industry.

Besides the pre-programmed templates and effects in Filmora, you can find more visual effect packs in the effect store Filmstock .

You can learn how to make YouTube intro video in Filmora with a template downloaded from Filmstock.

Step 1: Visit Filmora Effects Page on Filmstock

Visit https://filmstock.wondershare.com/ and log in with the same WSID that you used on Filmora, and then click EFFECTS from the top of the webpage. Since Filmstock also provides templates for After Effects, you should select Filmora Effects to access the entire Filmora Effects library.

You can search the effects that you want in the Search bar, here, since I’m looking for effects for YouTube intro, I just enter “intro”. The effects related to intro will be displayed like below.

Step 2: Download Video Effect Packs for Filmora

Click your preferred intro effect template, click Download Now and follow the on-screen instructions to obtain and download the template.

After downloading, you will see these them in red circles under titles, transitions, or filters, based on the elements included in this effect pack. You can then add this downloaded titles or transitions to the intro video.

Looking for an online solution? Check the list of Top 10 Free Online YouTube Intro Makers .

Part 3: Creative Intro Makers Made with Filmora (Video Tutorial Included)

Both the above processes on how to make YouTube intro video are helpful as long as you use effective titles, decent effects, and extremely appealing color combinations. While the first method gives you full control over the creation as you can use all your imaginations to prepare one, the second method saves your time and yet lets you come up with a professionally-looking intro clip.

Below is a video tutorial from YouTuber Nash. He demonstrated how to create a YouTube Intro with the Sample Colors, Titles, filters and sound effects.

FAQs About YouTube Intro Video Making

• 1. What is a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video is 5 seconds to 7 seconds short motion clip that comprises your company name and logo. Such intros help in your brand promotion and give any film or episode that follows them a unique identity. This allows audiences to recognize your organization, and with regular appearances, you can establish strong goodwill among your customers.

• 2. What Should I Put in a YouTube Intro Video?

A YouTube intro video should have your YouTube channel name, an effective and well-formatted text, brand logo, background music, effects, and a slight and simple animation.

Conclusion

To learn how to make a YouTube intro is easy, and things can get even simpler if you are using an efficient and robust post-production software like Wondershare Filmora, which not only allows you to create such clips from the scratch, it also enables you to access Filmstock’ online library to download more fantastic templates in order to expedite your workflow.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

More than Just Likes and Watch Time: The Complexity of YouTube’s View Tally

How Does YouTube Count Views? It’s Not as Simple as You Think

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Also read: