The right YouTube hack can be the difference between spending all afternoon or 15 minutes to consummate a task.

Simply these tips optimize more than than just your time—they optimize your YouTube marketing efforts, as well. From subscriber-boosting features to video-making tools, these hacks are engineered to help you go the most out of the platform.

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21 YouTube hacks, tips and features

1. Navigate YouTube with keyboard shortcuts

Memorize these keyboard shortcuts to maneuver YouTube with ease and print your coworkers.

Spacebar Play or pause a video
g Play or intermission a video in thespian
k Mute or unmute a video
Left and right pointer Jump backward or forward 5 seconds
j Jump backward 10 seconds
l Jump forward 10 seconds
, When video is paused, skip to next frame
Upward and downward arrow Increase and decrease volume
> Speed up video playback rate.
< Slow down video playback rate.
1—9 Jump to the ten% to xc% of the video marker.
0 Go to the showtime of the video
/ Get to the search box
f Activate total screen
c Activate closed captions

two. Create links that start at specific times

There are occasions when it'due south necessary to skip an intro, preamble, or but jump to a relevant clip. When y'all'd like to share a link to a video that starts at a specific time, try this YouTube hack.

How to do it:

  1. Click Share.
  2. Check the Outset at box.
  3. Accommodate the time.
  4. Copy the link.

YouTube links

Tip: If you tin can, put the time a second or two before the actual offset time. That style people won't miss a matter.

3. Download the thumbnail prototype of the video

Need the thumbnail of a YouTube video for a newsletter or social postal service? Don't take a low-res screen capture. This workaround lets you relieve the thumbnail in loftier-res.

How to do it:

  1. Re-create the Video ID. Information technology'due south the eleven characters that follows: youtube.com/sentinel?five=.
  2. Paste the VideoID hither: img.youtube.com/vi/[VideoID]/maxresdefault.jpg
  3. Put the full link into your browser. Save the image.

Here'due south how to add a custom video thumbnail to your videos:

4. Create a GIF from a YouTube video

Do i meliorate than an image with a GIF. GIFs go a lot of activity on social media. Y'all tin can use them to promote your YouTube aqueduct or to deliver on-brand replies.

How to create a GIF from a YouTube video:

  1. Open the video.
  2. Add the word "gif" earlier YouTube in the url. Information technology should read: www.gifyoutube.com/[VideoID]
  3. Customize your GIF.

How to create a GIF from a YouTube video

v. See the transcript of a video

YouTube automatically creates transcripts for every video created on its platform. Non only does this feature make videos more accessible, information technology also makes pulling quotes and copy a lot easier.

How to meet the transcript of a YouTube video:

  1. From the video, click the three-dot ellipsis beside Salve.
  2. Select Open transcript.

YouTube video transcript

If you don't see it, the creator likely decided to hide the transcript. Continue in mind that many video creators don't edit their transcripts so it might non be perfect.

vi. Create a Branded YouTube URL

Ditch the unmemorable string of letters and numbers and add together smoothen to your YouTube aqueduct with a branded URL.

There are a few prerequisites. To be able to create a custom slug, your channel needs to have at least 100 subscribers, a aqueduct icon, and channel art. Information technology also has to exist more than 30 days old.

Once you've ticked those boxes, hither's how to exercise information technology:

  1. Click your profile picture in the top right. Select Settings.
  2. Under Your YouTube Channel, click View advanced settings.
  3. Under Aqueduct settings, select the link beside You lot're eligible for a custom URL.
  4. The Become a custom URL box will listing the custom URLs you've been approved for. You tin't change what appears in the grey box, and you may need to add together letters or numbers to brand information technology unique.
  5. Hold to the Custom URL Terms of Use and click click Change URL.

Hootsuite's YouTube URL

Starting from scratch? Learn how to create a YouTube channel for your brand.

7. Share an auto-subscribe link

Practice y'all accept YouTube buttons or subscribe call-to-actions on your channels? If y'all do, chances are they link to your YouTube aqueduct. That'due south great, only yous tin do one better.

Follow these steps to create a link that opens with an automatic subscribe prompt:

  1. Discover your channel ID or Custom URL. From your channel page, y'all'll find information technology here: https://www.youtube.com/user/[ChannelID]. For instance, Hootsuite's is: Hootsuite.
  2. Paste your ID here: world wide web.youtube.com/user/[ChannelID]?sub_confirmation=1.
  3. Use this link for your subscribe CTAs.

Hither'due south what information technology looks similar when someone clicks on the link:

Confirm channel subscription button on YouTube

Hither's how to get free YouTube subscribers—the real way.

8. Create closed captions to better accessibility and SEO

Closed captions or subtitles brand your content available to a larger audience. That includes viewers that are deaf or difficult of hearing, or people watching the video with sound off. As a bonus, this too improves the search engine optimization ranking for your video.

There are two means to go virtually this. You tin either create subtitles or closed captions on YouTube, or upload a transcript file. We recommend that latter because you tin can save the file as you go and store it as a backup in example the video gets deleted past mistake.

Here's how to create subtitles or airtight captions:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left menu, select Subtitles.
  3. Click the video you'd similar to edit.
  4. Click Add Linguistic communication and select your language.
  5. Under subtitles, select Add.
  6. Enter your captions every bit the video plays.

Here's how to upload a transcript:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left menu, select Videos.
  3. Click on the title or thumbnail of a video.
  4. Select More options.
  5. Select Upload subtitles/cc.
  6. Choose between With timing or Without timing. Select Continue.
  7. Upload your file.
  8. Select Save.

If you go this route, you'll need to save your captions as a plainly text file (.txt) to upload it to YouTube. Hither are a few formatting tips, recommended by YouTube:

  • Use a blank line to force the start of a new caption.
  • Utilise square brackets to designate background sounds like [music] or [adulation].
  • Add >> to identify speakers or change of speaker.

youtube captions

ix. Translate video titles and descriptions

Chances are your audience consists of viewers that speak multiple languages. It may not be possible to translate all of your content, but translated titles and descriptions make your video more than discoverable in a 2d language. Plus, the small gesture can go a long way to bear witness that you care.

You may already exist able to guess your audience's predominant languages. Or you may have no idea. In any instance, you lot tin double bank check with YouTube Analytics. Await under Summit subtitle/cc languages report to acquire what languages rank highest.

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Here's how to add together the translations to your YouTube videos:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left card, select Subtitles.
  3. Select a video.
  4. If you haven't selected the language for a video, yous'll be asked to cull the linguistic communication. Click Confirm.
  5. Select Add together language and choose the language you'd like to translate to.
  6. Nether Championship & description, select Add.
  7. Enter the translated title and description. Press Publish.

10. Add cards to your videos

Cards can make your video more engaging and cantankerous-promote other content. You tin can create cards with polls, or cards that link to other channels, videos or playlists, and other destinations.

Cards work best when they appear with calls to activity. For example, if you lot mention your newsletter in the script, consider adding a carte at that moment.

How to add together cards to your YouTube videos:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select Videos from the left carte du jour.
  3. Click the video you'd like to edit.
  4. Click the Cards box.
  5. Select Add bill of fare. So, select Create.
  6. Customize your menu and click Create carte du jour.
  7. Adjust the time for the card to appear below the video.

Tip: YouTube recommends video cards are placed within the last twenty% of a video. That'south when viewers are likely looking for what to sentry side by side.

11. Use terminate screens to promote extra content

Leave some time at the end of your YouTube video for an terminate screen phone call-to-action.

Terminate screens appear in the last 5-20 seconds of a video, and direct viewers to different destinations of your choice. You can utilize them to encourage viewers to subscribe to your aqueduct, picket another video or playlist, visit another aqueduct, or an canonical website.

How to do it:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Open the Videos page and select a video.
  3. Select Editor from the left menu.
  4. Select Add an cease screen.

Notation: Finish screens and cards are not eligible on videos fabricated for kids. Linking to approved websites is currently only available to members of the YouTube Partner Program.

12. Add a custom subscribe button to videos

Want to grow channel subscriptions? A subscribe button, also known as branding watermark, is a slick YouTube subscribers hack. With the button, desktop viewers tin can direct subscribe to your channel, fifty-fifty if they're in full-screen.

Earlier you add a push, you'll need to create it. The square prototype must be in PNG or GIF format, with a minimum of 150 X 150 pixels and maximum size of 1MB. YouTube recommends using one or two colours only, and a transparent background.

How to do it:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Select Channel and then Branding.
  4. Select Choose image. Upload the epitome you'd like to use as your branding watermark.
  5. Select the display fourth dimension for the branding watermark. Y'all tin can cull the entire video, a custom time, of the last 15 seconds of the video.
  6. Relieve changes.

xiii. Download royalty-costless sound effects and music

If yous haven't discovered YouTube's Sound Library all the same, you're in for a treat.

The music library includes songs in merely nigh every genre and mood. Among the audio furnishings you'll find everything from express mirth tracks to an old engine sputter.

How to do it:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left carte du jour, select Audio library.
  3. Choose Free music or Sound furnishings from the upper tabs.
  4. Preview tracks by clicking the Play icon.
  5. Click the arrow to download the rail y'all've chosen.

YouTube creator, Mystery Guitar Man (aka Joe Penna), offers some best practices for adding music.

xiv. Blur objects or faces in your videos

Need to cover up a logo or add an artistic result? This secret YouTube feature lets yous add a mistiness, whether the figure is static or moving.

How to exercise it:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select Videos.
  3. Click the video you'd like to edit.
  4. Select Editor.
  5. Click Add Mistiness.
  6. Next to Custom blurring click Edit.
  7. Hover over the video and click Pause .
  8. Click and drag the box to adapt the blur.
  9. Click Done.
  10. Click Save.

Here'southward how to blur faces:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select Videos.
  3. Click the video you'd similar to edit.
  4. Select Editor.
  5. Click Go Started.
  6. Click Add together Mistiness.
  7. Adjacent to Mistiness faces click Edit.
  8. In one case processing is complete, click the thumbnails of the faces you'd like to blur.
  9. Click Salve.
  10. Click Save over again.

15. Keep viewers watching with playlists

Playlists permit viewers to have what YouTube describes as a "lean-back" feel. They take the guesswork out of video watching past automatically queuing a series of related videos into one solid list. And they make information technology easier for viewers to linger longer with your content.

Equally an added bonus, playlists too help to sort content. Group videos by category, topic, theme, production, etc.

How to create a playlist:

  1. Find a video you desire in the playlist.
  2. Nether the video, click Save .
  3. Click Create new playlist.
  4. Enter a playlist name.
  5. Click Create.

If you're looking to grow your presence on YouTube, playlists can be a collaborative tool, also. Bear witness some love to other creators by adding videos from some other channel to your list. Or invite users to collaborate on the playlist.

How to add collaborators to a playlist:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select Playlists.
  3. Click Edit next to the appropriate playlist.
  4. Beneath the playlist's championship, click More .
  5. Select Interact .
  6. Slide on Collaborators can add videos to this playlist.
  7. Turn on Permit new collaborators.
  8. Copy the playlist link and share it with the people you want to collaborate with.

Here are a bunch of different means to promote your YouTube channel.

xvi. Pin a comment to the peak of your feed

At that place are many reasons you may want to pin a comment—or a viewer'due south comment—to the pinnacle of your feed. Maybe you want to heave engagement with a question or telephone call-to-action. If a lot of commenters are asking the aforementioned question, you may desire to pivot your response. If someone leaves a witty response or winning testimonial, show them some love with the pin handling.

Here's how to pin a comment to the top of your feed:

  1. Go to your Customs tab.
  2. Select the comment you lot want to pivot.
  3. Click More so Pin.

YouTube comment pinned

17. Create a blocked words listing

As YouTube says, non all comments will exist high quality. One feature you tin can utilize to ensure inappropriate language does non announced on your feed is a blocked words list.

Add together words or phrases that you do not want associated with your page, whether vulgar, controversial—or but off topic.

How to create a blocked words listing for YouTube comments:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select Settings from the left menu, so select Community.
  3. Scroll down to the Blocked Words field. Add the words or phrases you would like blocked, separated by commas.

Comments that include blocked language will be held for review before they are shown publicly.

xviii. Schedule a video to publish afterward

If you have a busy content agenda, or but don't want to bombard subscribers with a serial of videos, consider scheduling your posts in advance.

You can upload and schedule videos directly from the Hootsuite dashboard. Once y'all've added the video file and copy, it's as elementary every bit setting a appointment and time. And you can edit your video upwards until the final minute.

Hither's how to schedule YouTube videos from Hootsuite (and YouTube).

19. Use Google Trends for research and inspiration

Looking for a picayune keyword or content inspiration? Try Google Trends.

Visit Google Trends and add a search word. One time you have your results, click the dropdown menu that says WebSearch and select YouTube Search.

From there y'all tin can filter results past time frame, geography, and subregion. Accept a look at related topics and related queries to see similar searches people are making. This is a good way to find relevant keywords to improve organic search results and rank with YouTube's algorithm.

Want to create a trending tutorial? If you run a food business, search "how to bake." Under related queries yous'll find people are searching how to bake plain cake, pre-cooked ham, sourdough bread amidst other things. Search "interior design" and you'll run into that farmhouse and minimalism are trending.

Google trends for "How to Bake"

xx. Edit multiple videos at once

There are instances where you'll need to brand the same change to multiple videos. For instance, maybe y'all'd similar to add a specific tag that'southward suddenly trending. Or, possibly your account is being spammed and you'd similar to hold potentially inappropriate comments for review.

Any the reason, YouTube allows creators to brand majority edits on videos. Here's how to do it:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Select Videos.
  3. Check the boxes of the videos you plan to edit.
  4. Select Edit, and so choose the type of alter y'all'd like to make.
  5. When yous are finished, select Update videos.

YouTube bulk edits

21. Go alive with a pre-recorded Premiere

YouTube live is a great way to stage a virtual event. But live streams can also entail bloopers and gaffs—or simply not allow for the level of edited and production you're subsequently.

Luckily, this YouTube hack provides a high-production workaround. YouTube Premieres let you schedule a video so an audience tin can lookout man it at the same time. Even live chat is available. Merely unlike a alive stream, content can exist pre-recorded and edited every bit you see fit.

How to do information technology:

  1. Visit youtube.com/upload.
  2. Select your video to upload and make full in the video details.
  3. On the Preview & publish tab, select Set equally a Premiere.
  4. Cull between Start immediately and Schedule for a after date.
  5. Select Done to complete the upload procedure.

One time you've set upwardly your Premiere, a public watch folio is created. As you stir upwardly buzz promoting the premiere, share the link and encourage viewers to fix a reminder.

Ready for action? Hither'southward how to go alive on YouTube.

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