Elevating Your Channels’ Profits with Impactful and Effective Trailers

How to Create a YouTube Channel Trailer to Increase Revenue

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many YouTube content creators assume that no one checks out their channel trailer . Some may not even know about the concept of a trailer, while others are not sure how to create one. We will explain the concept of a YouTube channel trailer, how to make a great trailer, and how to get more subscribers and views through a quality trailer on your YouTube channel.

• Part1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer
• Part2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel
• Part3: Best YouTube Trailer Maker
• Part4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

Part 1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer?

Think of a channel trailer as an introduction to a movie or television show. You can choose to show the trailer to anyone who is not subscribe to your channel, when they land on your channel page.

The objective of a trailer is to hook the audience, promote your personality and content, and convince them it will be worth their time to check out some of your videos. And you must do all these things within 30 to 45 seconds !

Most content creators can benefit from creating a channel trailer. Unless you are a famous personality through a sports/acting/television/singing career, people who land on your channel may have no idea who you are. A proper trailer gives them an introduction to your personality and content.

Part 2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel

After you know how to create a YouTube trail, why not add your new created trailer to YouTube channel right now. Here is the right steps.

Step 1: Go to channel

Log in your YouTube account. Then click your users icon to find My channel. At the top right corner, click CUSTOMIZE CHANNEL and then choose For new visitors.

Step 2: Add trailer to YouTube

After clicking plus icon in the middle to add your amazing trailer, a playlist window will appear. Now select the trailer you want to use. Click Save. Then you will see a trailer is added. You can also change trailer or remove trailer.

Part 3: Best Channel YouTube Trailer Maker

1. Wondershare Filmora

Searching for a free and powerful video editing tool that you can use on both Windows and Mac computers? Wondershare Filmora may be the ideal program for you. It is very easy to use, even for beginners who do not have that much editing experience.

Features:

• It is free and very easy to add captions to the trailer video.
• There are many interesting options for adding video effects within the program.
• It features a modern interface that is intuitive and easy to operate. All the important controls and settings are easily accessible through the menus and submenus.
• The program operates smoothly, even on older machines.

2. WeVideo

Hoping to edit content while you are on the go? By using a less powerful laptop, library computer or a friend’s device, you could edit your trailer within a couple hours. WeVideo is an online video editor that makes it so easy to edit videos in up to 4K resolution.

Features:

• The program is fast and very easy to use. It does not even require any downloads.
• As it is an online program, there are no compatibility issues with Windows, Mac or even Chromebook devices.
• It is possible to mix and match up to 600 different formats for graphics, audio, video and other effects.

3. Virtual Dub

If you are seeking something that is open source and free, you may be interested in Virtual Dub. It is a completely free and open source program that you can use for quick capturing, encoding and editing video.

While it is not going to give you the same power and options as some of the other editors, it is a very simple tool that can be effective for specific use cases. If you are just hoping to record, encode and quickly put together a 30 second YouTube trailer, it is the ideal program.

Features:

• Offers the ability to capture videos on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
• Works best with AVI files, but it is possible to use other video formats such as MKV and MP4 as well.
• It is possible to create video using a series of image files - or merge image files into existing video content.

Part 4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

1. Let Viewers Know What is Coming

People appreciate routine. You can mention how many times a week you create content and the days when you publish. You can also have a brief overview of the type of videos you make, which will tell a new viewer what to expect if they subscribe to your channel!

2. Keep It Short

YouTube trailers that are more than a minute long will not succeed. People have a very short attention span. They want to be hooked immediately. 30 to 45 seconds is the sweet spot, with 30 seconds preferable! It may sound overwhelming to condense everything about your channel into 30 seconds, but that is where a great video script can help! However, sometimes both short videos and long videos work.

3. Use Some Fun Annotations

YouTube is great for having unique and helpful graphics on the screen while your video is playing. Having some fun and useful annotations, such as the days you make videos or a subscribe icon, during the intro video can be very helpful to new viewers. They also help to boost viewer engagement with your content!

4. Assume You Have New Viewers

Do not create a YouTube channel trailer with inside jokes or comments. This trailer is for people who know nothing about you or your channel. You are trying to hook them into your content, not provide a few laughs to existing subscribers.

5. Update Your Trailer Regularly

As a content creator, you may find that your brand changes every six months to a year. Maybe you change up your look, type of content, frequency of uploads or other parts of the channel. Ensure you are updating your trailer each time you make significant changes to your channel!

Conclusion

Creating a channel trailer for your YouTube page is a wonderful way to introduce a new audience to your content. They learn about you and the topics that you are passionate about. It convinces them to watch one of your videos and subscribe to your channel. And by using one of the YouTube Trailer Maker software options above, you will be creating quality trailers for your channel in no time!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many YouTube content creators assume that no one checks out their channel trailer . Some may not even know about the concept of a trailer, while others are not sure how to create one. We will explain the concept of a YouTube channel trailer, how to make a great trailer, and how to get more subscribers and views through a quality trailer on your YouTube channel.

• Part1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer
• Part2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel
• Part3: Best YouTube Trailer Maker
• Part4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

Part 1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer?

Think of a channel trailer as an introduction to a movie or television show. You can choose to show the trailer to anyone who is not subscribe to your channel, when they land on your channel page.

The objective of a trailer is to hook the audience, promote your personality and content, and convince them it will be worth their time to check out some of your videos. And you must do all these things within 30 to 45 seconds !

Most content creators can benefit from creating a channel trailer. Unless you are a famous personality through a sports/acting/television/singing career, people who land on your channel may have no idea who you are. A proper trailer gives them an introduction to your personality and content.

Part 2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel

After you know how to create a YouTube trail, why not add your new created trailer to YouTube channel right now. Here is the right steps.

Step 1: Go to channel

Log in your YouTube account. Then click your users icon to find My channel. At the top right corner, click CUSTOMIZE CHANNEL and then choose For new visitors.

Step 2: Add trailer to YouTube

After clicking plus icon in the middle to add your amazing trailer, a playlist window will appear. Now select the trailer you want to use. Click Save. Then you will see a trailer is added. You can also change trailer or remove trailer.

Part 3: Best Channel YouTube Trailer Maker

1. Wondershare Filmora

Searching for a free and powerful video editing tool that you can use on both Windows and Mac computers? Wondershare Filmora may be the ideal program for you. It is very easy to use, even for beginners who do not have that much editing experience.

Features:

• It is free and very easy to add captions to the trailer video.
• There are many interesting options for adding video effects within the program.
• It features a modern interface that is intuitive and easy to operate. All the important controls and settings are easily accessible through the menus and submenus.
• The program operates smoothly, even on older machines.

2. WeVideo

Hoping to edit content while you are on the go? By using a less powerful laptop, library computer or a friend’s device, you could edit your trailer within a couple hours. WeVideo is an online video editor that makes it so easy to edit videos in up to 4K resolution.

Features:

• The program is fast and very easy to use. It does not even require any downloads.
• As it is an online program, there are no compatibility issues with Windows, Mac or even Chromebook devices.
• It is possible to mix and match up to 600 different formats for graphics, audio, video and other effects.

3. Virtual Dub

If you are seeking something that is open source and free, you may be interested in Virtual Dub. It is a completely free and open source program that you can use for quick capturing, encoding and editing video.

While it is not going to give you the same power and options as some of the other editors, it is a very simple tool that can be effective for specific use cases. If you are just hoping to record, encode and quickly put together a 30 second YouTube trailer, it is the ideal program.

Features:

• Offers the ability to capture videos on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
• Works best with AVI files, but it is possible to use other video formats such as MKV and MP4 as well.
• It is possible to create video using a series of image files - or merge image files into existing video content.

Part 4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

1. Let Viewers Know What is Coming

People appreciate routine. You can mention how many times a week you create content and the days when you publish. You can also have a brief overview of the type of videos you make, which will tell a new viewer what to expect if they subscribe to your channel!

2. Keep It Short

YouTube trailers that are more than a minute long will not succeed. People have a very short attention span. They want to be hooked immediately. 30 to 45 seconds is the sweet spot, with 30 seconds preferable! It may sound overwhelming to condense everything about your channel into 30 seconds, but that is where a great video script can help! However, sometimes both short videos and long videos work.

3. Use Some Fun Annotations

YouTube is great for having unique and helpful graphics on the screen while your video is playing. Having some fun and useful annotations, such as the days you make videos or a subscribe icon, during the intro video can be very helpful to new viewers. They also help to boost viewer engagement with your content!

4. Assume You Have New Viewers

Do not create a YouTube channel trailer with inside jokes or comments. This trailer is for people who know nothing about you or your channel. You are trying to hook them into your content, not provide a few laughs to existing subscribers.

5. Update Your Trailer Regularly

As a content creator, you may find that your brand changes every six months to a year. Maybe you change up your look, type of content, frequency of uploads or other parts of the channel. Ensure you are updating your trailer each time you make significant changes to your channel!

Conclusion

Creating a channel trailer for your YouTube page is a wonderful way to introduce a new audience to your content. They learn about you and the topics that you are passionate about. It convinces them to watch one of your videos and subscribe to your channel. And by using one of the YouTube Trailer Maker software options above, you will be creating quality trailers for your channel in no time!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many YouTube content creators assume that no one checks out their channel trailer . Some may not even know about the concept of a trailer, while others are not sure how to create one. We will explain the concept of a YouTube channel trailer, how to make a great trailer, and how to get more subscribers and views through a quality trailer on your YouTube channel.

• Part1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer
• Part2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel
• Part3: Best YouTube Trailer Maker
• Part4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

Part 1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer?

Think of a channel trailer as an introduction to a movie or television show. You can choose to show the trailer to anyone who is not subscribe to your channel, when they land on your channel page.

The objective of a trailer is to hook the audience, promote your personality and content, and convince them it will be worth their time to check out some of your videos. And you must do all these things within 30 to 45 seconds !

Most content creators can benefit from creating a channel trailer. Unless you are a famous personality through a sports/acting/television/singing career, people who land on your channel may have no idea who you are. A proper trailer gives them an introduction to your personality and content.

Part 2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel

After you know how to create a YouTube trail, why not add your new created trailer to YouTube channel right now. Here is the right steps.

Step 1: Go to channel

Log in your YouTube account. Then click your users icon to find My channel. At the top right corner, click CUSTOMIZE CHANNEL and then choose For new visitors.

Step 2: Add trailer to YouTube

After clicking plus icon in the middle to add your amazing trailer, a playlist window will appear. Now select the trailer you want to use. Click Save. Then you will see a trailer is added. You can also change trailer or remove trailer.

Part 3: Best Channel YouTube Trailer Maker

1. Wondershare Filmora

Searching for a free and powerful video editing tool that you can use on both Windows and Mac computers? Wondershare Filmora may be the ideal program for you. It is very easy to use, even for beginners who do not have that much editing experience.

Features:

• It is free and very easy to add captions to the trailer video.
• There are many interesting options for adding video effects within the program.
• It features a modern interface that is intuitive and easy to operate. All the important controls and settings are easily accessible through the menus and submenus.
• The program operates smoothly, even on older machines.

2. WeVideo

Hoping to edit content while you are on the go? By using a less powerful laptop, library computer or a friend’s device, you could edit your trailer within a couple hours. WeVideo is an online video editor that makes it so easy to edit videos in up to 4K resolution.

Features:

• The program is fast and very easy to use. It does not even require any downloads.
• As it is an online program, there are no compatibility issues with Windows, Mac or even Chromebook devices.
• It is possible to mix and match up to 600 different formats for graphics, audio, video and other effects.

3. Virtual Dub

If you are seeking something that is open source and free, you may be interested in Virtual Dub. It is a completely free and open source program that you can use for quick capturing, encoding and editing video.

While it is not going to give you the same power and options as some of the other editors, it is a very simple tool that can be effective for specific use cases. If you are just hoping to record, encode and quickly put together a 30 second YouTube trailer, it is the ideal program.

Features:

• Offers the ability to capture videos on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
• Works best with AVI files, but it is possible to use other video formats such as MKV and MP4 as well.
• It is possible to create video using a series of image files - or merge image files into existing video content.

Part 4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

1. Let Viewers Know What is Coming

People appreciate routine. You can mention how many times a week you create content and the days when you publish. You can also have a brief overview of the type of videos you make, which will tell a new viewer what to expect if they subscribe to your channel!

2. Keep It Short

YouTube trailers that are more than a minute long will not succeed. People have a very short attention span. They want to be hooked immediately. 30 to 45 seconds is the sweet spot, with 30 seconds preferable! It may sound overwhelming to condense everything about your channel into 30 seconds, but that is where a great video script can help! However, sometimes both short videos and long videos work.

3. Use Some Fun Annotations

YouTube is great for having unique and helpful graphics on the screen while your video is playing. Having some fun and useful annotations, such as the days you make videos or a subscribe icon, during the intro video can be very helpful to new viewers. They also help to boost viewer engagement with your content!

4. Assume You Have New Viewers

Do not create a YouTube channel trailer with inside jokes or comments. This trailer is for people who know nothing about you or your channel. You are trying to hook them into your content, not provide a few laughs to existing subscribers.

5. Update Your Trailer Regularly

As a content creator, you may find that your brand changes every six months to a year. Maybe you change up your look, type of content, frequency of uploads or other parts of the channel. Ensure you are updating your trailer each time you make significant changes to your channel!

Conclusion

Creating a channel trailer for your YouTube page is a wonderful way to introduce a new audience to your content. They learn about you and the topics that you are passionate about. It convinces them to watch one of your videos and subscribe to your channel. And by using one of the YouTube Trailer Maker software options above, you will be creating quality trailers for your channel in no time!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many YouTube content creators assume that no one checks out their channel trailer . Some may not even know about the concept of a trailer, while others are not sure how to create one. We will explain the concept of a YouTube channel trailer, how to make a great trailer, and how to get more subscribers and views through a quality trailer on your YouTube channel.

• Part1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer
• Part2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel
• Part3: Best YouTube Trailer Maker
• Part4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

Part 1: What is a YouTube Channel Trailer?

Think of a channel trailer as an introduction to a movie or television show. You can choose to show the trailer to anyone who is not subscribe to your channel, when they land on your channel page.

The objective of a trailer is to hook the audience, promote your personality and content, and convince them it will be worth their time to check out some of your videos. And you must do all these things within 30 to 45 seconds !

Most content creators can benefit from creating a channel trailer. Unless you are a famous personality through a sports/acting/television/singing career, people who land on your channel may have no idea who you are. A proper trailer gives them an introduction to your personality and content.

Part 2: How to Add YouTube Trailer to Channel

After you know how to create a YouTube trail, why not add your new created trailer to YouTube channel right now. Here is the right steps.

Step 1: Go to channel

Log in your YouTube account. Then click your users icon to find My channel. At the top right corner, click CUSTOMIZE CHANNEL and then choose For new visitors.

Step 2: Add trailer to YouTube

After clicking plus icon in the middle to add your amazing trailer, a playlist window will appear. Now select the trailer you want to use. Click Save. Then you will see a trailer is added. You can also change trailer or remove trailer.

Part 3: Best Channel YouTube Trailer Maker

1. Wondershare Filmora

Searching for a free and powerful video editing tool that you can use on both Windows and Mac computers? Wondershare Filmora may be the ideal program for you. It is very easy to use, even for beginners who do not have that much editing experience.

Features:

• It is free and very easy to add captions to the trailer video.
• There are many interesting options for adding video effects within the program.
• It features a modern interface that is intuitive and easy to operate. All the important controls and settings are easily accessible through the menus and submenus.
• The program operates smoothly, even on older machines.

2. WeVideo

Hoping to edit content while you are on the go? By using a less powerful laptop, library computer or a friend’s device, you could edit your trailer within a couple hours. WeVideo is an online video editor that makes it so easy to edit videos in up to 4K resolution.

Features:

• The program is fast and very easy to use. It does not even require any downloads.
• As it is an online program, there are no compatibility issues with Windows, Mac or even Chromebook devices.
• It is possible to mix and match up to 600 different formats for graphics, audio, video and other effects.

3. Virtual Dub

If you are seeking something that is open source and free, you may be interested in Virtual Dub. It is a completely free and open source program that you can use for quick capturing, encoding and editing video.

While it is not going to give you the same power and options as some of the other editors, it is a very simple tool that can be effective for specific use cases. If you are just hoping to record, encode and quickly put together a 30 second YouTube trailer, it is the ideal program.

Features:

• Offers the ability to capture videos on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
• Works best with AVI files, but it is possible to use other video formats such as MKV and MP4 as well.
• It is possible to create video using a series of image files - or merge image files into existing video content.

Part 4: 5 Tips for Creating a Great Trailer

1. Let Viewers Know What is Coming

People appreciate routine. You can mention how many times a week you create content and the days when you publish. You can also have a brief overview of the type of videos you make, which will tell a new viewer what to expect if they subscribe to your channel!

2. Keep It Short

YouTube trailers that are more than a minute long will not succeed. People have a very short attention span. They want to be hooked immediately. 30 to 45 seconds is the sweet spot, with 30 seconds preferable! It may sound overwhelming to condense everything about your channel into 30 seconds, but that is where a great video script can help! However, sometimes both short videos and long videos work.

3. Use Some Fun Annotations

YouTube is great for having unique and helpful graphics on the screen while your video is playing. Having some fun and useful annotations, such as the days you make videos or a subscribe icon, during the intro video can be very helpful to new viewers. They also help to boost viewer engagement with your content!

4. Assume You Have New Viewers

Do not create a YouTube channel trailer with inside jokes or comments. This trailer is for people who know nothing about you or your channel. You are trying to hook them into your content, not provide a few laughs to existing subscribers.

5. Update Your Trailer Regularly

As a content creator, you may find that your brand changes every six months to a year. Maybe you change up your look, type of content, frequency of uploads or other parts of the channel. Ensure you are updating your trailer each time you make significant changes to your channel!

Conclusion

Creating a channel trailer for your YouTube page is a wonderful way to introduce a new audience to your content. They learn about you and the topics that you are passionate about. It convinces them to watch one of your videos and subscribe to your channel. And by using one of the YouTube Trailer Maker software options above, you will be creating quality trailers for your channel in no time!

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Mastering Visual Marketing on YouTube with Banners & Thumbnails

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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