Step-by-Step Guide for YouTube Video Editing Pros and Amateurs Alike

How To Edit YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.

Table of Contents: Ultimate Guide to YouTube Video Editing INTRODUCTION START BIGOPENING TITLE INTRODUCTION CUTS JUMP CUTASSOCIATIVE CUT TRANSFORM ZOOMCAMERA SHAKECOLOR/LEVEL ADJUSTMENT TRANSITIONS WIPEZOOM VISUAL ELEMENTS CALL-TO-ACTION VISUALS TIME MANIPULATION TIMELAPSESLOW MOTION AUDIO CENSORSOUND EFFECTSBACKGROUND MUSICMUTING BACKGROUND MUSICVOICE-OVERCompressor

Part 1: Introduction

1. Start Big

“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)

In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.

In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.

2. Opening Title Introduction

Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.

Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.

Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.

For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?

Part 2: Cuts

1. Jump Cut

A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).

Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.

Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.

Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .

2. Associative Cut

Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.

In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.

Part 3: Transform

1. Zoom

Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.

RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .

2. Camera Shake

Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.

3. Color/Level Adjustment

A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.

Part 4: Transitions

1. Wipe

Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.

2. Zoom

The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.

Part 5: Visual Elements

In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.

1. Call-To-Action Visuals

Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.

Part 6: Time Manipulation

1. Timelapse

“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone

A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.

2. Slow Motion

Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.

Part 7: Audio

1. Censor

The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.

2. Sound Effects

Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.

3. Background Music

Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.

4. Muting Background Music

A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.

5. Voice-Over

Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.

6. Compressor

A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.

For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.

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

YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.

Table of Contents: Ultimate Guide to YouTube Video Editing INTRODUCTION START BIGOPENING TITLE INTRODUCTION CUTS JUMP CUTASSOCIATIVE CUT TRANSFORM ZOOMCAMERA SHAKECOLOR/LEVEL ADJUSTMENT TRANSITIONS WIPEZOOM VISUAL ELEMENTS CALL-TO-ACTION VISUALS TIME MANIPULATION TIMELAPSESLOW MOTION AUDIO CENSORSOUND EFFECTSBACKGROUND MUSICMUTING BACKGROUND MUSICVOICE-OVERCompressor

Part 1: Introduction

1. Start Big

“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)

In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.

In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.

2. Opening Title Introduction

Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.

Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.

Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.

For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?

Part 2: Cuts

1. Jump Cut

A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).

Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.

Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.

Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .

2. Associative Cut

Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.

In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.

Part 3: Transform

1. Zoom

Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.

RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .

2. Camera Shake

Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.

3. Color/Level Adjustment

A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.

Part 4: Transitions

1. Wipe

Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.

2. Zoom

The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.

Part 5: Visual Elements

In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.

1. Call-To-Action Visuals

Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.

Part 6: Time Manipulation

1. Timelapse

“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone

A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.

2. Slow Motion

Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.

Part 7: Audio

1. Censor

The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.

2. Sound Effects

Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.

3. Background Music

Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.

4. Muting Background Music

A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.

5. Voice-Over

Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.

6. Compressor

A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.

For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.

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

YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.

Table of Contents: Ultimate Guide to YouTube Video Editing INTRODUCTION START BIGOPENING TITLE INTRODUCTION CUTS JUMP CUTASSOCIATIVE CUT TRANSFORM ZOOMCAMERA SHAKECOLOR/LEVEL ADJUSTMENT TRANSITIONS WIPEZOOM VISUAL ELEMENTS CALL-TO-ACTION VISUALS TIME MANIPULATION TIMELAPSESLOW MOTION AUDIO CENSORSOUND EFFECTSBACKGROUND MUSICMUTING BACKGROUND MUSICVOICE-OVERCompressor

Part 1: Introduction

1. Start Big

“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)

In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.

In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.

2. Opening Title Introduction

Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.

Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.

Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.

For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?

Part 2: Cuts

1. Jump Cut

A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).

Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.

Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.

Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .

2. Associative Cut

Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.

In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.

Part 3: Transform

1. Zoom

Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.

RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .

2. Camera Shake

Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.

3. Color/Level Adjustment

A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.

Part 4: Transitions

1. Wipe

Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.

2. Zoom

The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.

Part 5: Visual Elements

In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.

1. Call-To-Action Visuals

Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.

Part 6: Time Manipulation

1. Timelapse

“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone

A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.

2. Slow Motion

Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.

Part 7: Audio

1. Censor

The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.

2. Sound Effects

Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.

3. Background Music

Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.

4. Muting Background Music

A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.

5. Voice-Over

Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.

6. Compressor

A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.

For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.

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

YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.

Table of Contents: Ultimate Guide to YouTube Video Editing INTRODUCTION START BIGOPENING TITLE INTRODUCTION CUTS JUMP CUTASSOCIATIVE CUT TRANSFORM ZOOMCAMERA SHAKECOLOR/LEVEL ADJUSTMENT TRANSITIONS WIPEZOOM VISUAL ELEMENTS CALL-TO-ACTION VISUALS TIME MANIPULATION TIMELAPSESLOW MOTION AUDIO CENSORSOUND EFFECTSBACKGROUND MUSICMUTING BACKGROUND MUSICVOICE-OVERCompressor

Part 1: Introduction

1. Start Big

“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)

In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.

In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.

2. Opening Title Introduction

Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.

Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.

Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.

For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?

Part 2: Cuts

1. Jump Cut

A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).

Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.

Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.

Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .

2. Associative Cut

Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.

In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.

Part 3: Transform

1. Zoom

Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.

RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .

2. Camera Shake

Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.

3. Color/Level Adjustment

A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.

Part 4: Transitions

1. Wipe

Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.

2. Zoom

The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.

Part 5: Visual Elements

In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.

1. Call-To-Action Visuals

Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.

Part 6: Time Manipulation

1. Timelapse

“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone

A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.

2. Slow Motion

Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.

Part 7: Audio

1. Censor

The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.

2. Sound Effects

Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.

3. Background Music

Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.

4. Muting Background Music

A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.

5. Voice-Over

Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.

6. Compressor

A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.

For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Transforming Thumbnails: Implementing Neon Borders for Attraction

Your YouTube video, or any other clip published on any forum, gets a larger number of hits if it has an attractive thumbnail. And, the fact is, a thumbnail becomes 10x more attractive when the main character that the image has have a neon border around it.

With that said, in the following sections, you will learn a couple of methods on how to add a YouTube thumbnail border around the main characters and/or objects that are significant to the clip.

In this article

01 Add Glowing Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail with Filmora

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

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