The following tutorial walks you through the steps to upload a video via your PC or the YouTube mobile app.
How to Upload a Video to YouTube
You must have an account before you can upload videos to YouTube. If you have a Google account, that’s all you need to create a YouTube channel. Otherwise, create a Google account before moving forward. When uploading videos from the YouTube mobile app, you have two options: On a laptop or desktop computer, use your preferred web browser to navigate to the YouTube website. Select Sign In in the upper-right corner. You’re taken to a new page where you can sign in to your existing Google account. On the YouTube mobile app, select the profile icon in the upper-right corner. A pop-up appears with a few options. Select Sign In to enter your Google account details.
Scroll through the thumbnails of your device’s most recently recorded videos to choose one to upload.Record a new video directly through the mobile app.
The built-in recording feature is great for casual video bloggers. However, it may not be the best option if you need to use additional apps or other software to edit your video before posting. These instructions focus on uploading a recorded video to YouTube. Consult your device’s instructions for recording a video.
Add Details About Your Video: Web Version
As you wait for your video to upload, enter some details and customize the settings. A progress bar at the top of the page gives you an idea of how it’ll take the video to process, which depends on the video’s file size and your internet connection speed. Title (required): By default, YouTube names your video “VID XXXXXXXX XXXXXX” using a combination of numbers. Erase this field, and title the clip whatever you like. If you want it to appear in search results, include relevant keywords in the title. Description: You can include a more detailed description of the video in this field, along with additional information such as links to social profiles or websites. Adding keywords in this section helps your video show up in search results. Thumbnail: Choose a portion of your YouTube video to display as the thumbnail, or upload a different picture. If you don’t choose a thumbnail, YouTube automatically selects one for you. Playlists: As you upload, you can add the video to one of your current YouTube playlists, or you can create a new one. Audience (required): YouTube requires that you indicate if the video is made for children or not. Age restriction (advanced): In this section, you can configure additional settings for the video to make it easier for people to find and view it. Although this section is named age restriction (advance), you can also do the following:
Make a declaration about sponsorships or endorsements.Create tags.Select a language for the video.Select your caption certification.Set a recording date.Specify the video’s location.Set the licensing restrictions.Select a distribution option.Select a category for the video.Sort your comments.Disable comments.Allow the community to make contributions to your video.Make the video statistics public or private.
Add Details About Your Video: App Version
Uploading videos to YouTube using the mobile app is slightly different than uploading from a PC. Similar to other popular video-sharing apps like Instagram, you first get a few quick editing tools to play around with, followed by a tab where you can fill in the video details. After you select a video from your device, you’re taken to the editing feature, which has two tools you can access from the bottom menu.
Trim: Cut the video down to a select portion you want to upload.Add filters: Apply fun filter effects to your video to change the colors or enhance its look.
When you’re happy with your editing, select Next in the upper-right corner to move to the video details.
Title: Enter a title for the video using descriptive keywords if you want to increase your chances of showing up in search results.Description: Add an optional video description with additional information such as a call to action and links. Use keywords to increase your chances of ranking well in search results.Privacy: Select whether you want your video listed as Public, Unlisted, or Private. In this section, select Scheduled to set the video privacy settings to change to Public at a certain date and time automatically.Location: Add your exact physical location.Add to playlists: You can create a new playlist as you upload the video, or you can add the video to a playlist you previously created.
After you fill in the video details, select Upload in the upper-right corner. You’ll see a progress bar showing how long you must wait before it finishes uploading.
Use YouTube Studio for Insights About Your Video
Once your video finishes uploading, check out YouTube Studio for insights on it, including views, channel subscribers, comments, and more. To access YouTube Studio on a PC or the mobile app, select your profile icon in the upper-right corner, then choose YouTube Studio. The YouTube Studio dashboard shows a summary of your channel’s information, such as your most recently uploaded videos and your video analytics. Use it to see how viewers watch and interact with your videos. This spots trends to help you improve your content and uploading habits.
