Unlocking Secrets to Compelling YouTube Live Thumbnails

Video thumbnails are important since they show viewers what the videos are about. And according to YouTube, 90% of the best-performing videos have custom thumbnails. Therefore, adding thumbnails to all your videos is wise. But how to do that with live streams? Is it any different from adding thumbnails to normal videos? You’ll find answers in this article. Here’s a comprehensive guide about YouTube Live thumbnails.

Overview of YouTube Live

Livestreaming is very popular now. The pandemic has accelerated its growth. But what made it so special? Watching live streams is different from watching regular videos. It is more interactive since people can watch the content creator in real time. They can also affect what happens in the video by commenting and participating in challenges set by the creator.

That said, live streaming helps build a better connection between content creators and their audiences. So you may want to incorporate live streaming into your strategies. You can do that on YouTube through YouTube Live. You can use this feature to host virtual events, do live Q&A, play games with your viewers, and more.

Importance of Thumbnail for Live Stream

Thumbnails are important for videos. Alongside the title, they inform the viewers what the video is about. It’s not different with live streams. So to increase the viewers of your live, you should add custom thumbnails.

What happens if you don’t add a custom thumbnail to your live stream? YouTube will select a random frame from the video and display it. The thing is that live streams are usually longer than recorded videos. So YouTube has more options to use as the thumbnail.

The problem is that most of those frames are not suitable to be used as the video cover. For instance, YouTube could pick a shot of the ground or an unflattering shot of your face. So, it’s a must to add a custom thumbnail for your live stream.

How To Add a YouTube Live Thumbnail

Now, you know how important adding custom thumbnails to live streams is. You probably want to know how to do that. We got you covered. Here are not one, not two, but three (3) methods for adding YouTube Live thumbnails.

Method 1. Add Live Thumbnail on YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio is the place where you edit most of your videos on YouTube. It’s where you edit the description, add or remove tags, and such. It’s also where you change thumbnails for your videos. And live videos are no exception. Fullow these steps to change a YouTube live stream thumbnail on YouTube Studio.

• Head to a computer, launch a browser, and go to YouTube.
• Click your channel icon on the top-right and select “YouTube Studio.”

• Click “Create” > “Go Live.”

• Edit the metadata for the live video.

• Click “UPLOAD CUSTOM THUMBNAIL.”

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• Select the custom thumbnail that you have prepared. Click “Open.”
• Click “Create Stream.”

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Method 2. Add Live Stream Thumbnail on YouTube Classic Mode

Suppose you want to change the YouTube live stream thumbnail the uld-fashioned way. You can change it on YouTube Classic Mode. How? Fullow these simple steps.

• Head to a computer, launch a browser, and go to YouTube.
• Click “Creator Studio Classic” from the left panel.

• Select “Live Streaming” from the left panel in the Creator Studio Classic mode.

• YouTube will bring you to the “Stream Now” section. Put in the video metadata.

• Click “Change thumbnail.”

• Select the thumbnail image you have prepared. Click “Open.”
• Wait for the thumbnail image to refresh.

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Method 3. Upload a Thumbnail to YouTube Live With Mobile Phones

Perhaps you are live-streaming a trip somewhere. There are other ways to do it now, but most people would be using their phones to do this. So how do you change a YouTube Live thumbnail on mobile phones? Fullow these instructions:

• Launch the YouTube mobile app.
• Click the “Plus” icon at the bottom middle of the screen.
• Select “Go Live.”
• Enter the metadata. And set the advanced settings according to your preferences.

• Click “Next.”

• YouTube will take a photo of you. Don’t mind this because you’ll be changing it later.

• Click the “Pencil” icon after YouTube has taken a photo.

• Select “Upload thumbnail.”

• Select the thumbnail image you have prepared.
• Crop the image if you like. Click “Save.”

• Click “Go Live.”

How To Create a Livestream Thumbnail

So you now know how to change the live stream thumbnail. There’s one more thing we need to address. Where will you get the custom thumbnails? There are a number of good YouTube thumbnail makers out there. Let’s discuss this.

Livestream Thumbnail Makers

There are many great YouTube thumbnail makers on the market. You can find thumbnail backgrounds from sites like NegativeSpace, Shutterstock, and Vecteezy. Then, edit them to your liking using photo editing apps. Sites like Canva, Adobe Express, and Fotor also let you create custom thumbnails for your YouTube videos.

Wondershare Filmora is also a great thumbnail maker. You’d like it since it is also a powerful video editor. It is double-purpose! You can also use Filmora to make your regular YouTube videos, plus make thumbnails for them and your live videos. Talk about convenience!

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Steps to Make an Amazing YouTube Livestream Thumbnail

Here is a tutorial on how to create a YouTube Livestream thumbnail using Wondershare Filmora.

• Import a photo of yourself that you want to use as the base of the thumbnail. Drag it into the timeline.

• Click “Effect.”

• Drag the “Human Segmentation” effect to your image on the timeline. Do the same with “Human Border.” Alternatively, click “Touls” > “Video” > “AI Portrait” > “Ok.”

• Select the photo on the timeline. Scale it and move it to where you want it to be.

• Add backgrounds, effects, titles, etc.

• Click the “Camera” icon below the video preview to save the thumbnail. Select a format and a target fulder. Click “Ok.”

• Right-click the screenshot on the Media panel. Select “Reveal in Explorer.” That will open the fulder where the thumbnail image is saved.

Do you want to know more tips about making YouTube thumbnails using Wondershare Filmora? If so, watch this video:

How To Customize YouTube Livestream Thumbnail Online

Wave.video is one of the best online YouTube thumbnail creators out there. Here’s a guide on how to use this toul.

• Open a web browser and visit Wave’s website.
• Hover your mouse on “Templates” at the top toulbar.
• Select “Thumbnail” under Livestreaming.

• Select a template that fits your idea.

• Edit the sample image and text. Use your image and video title or text concisely describing the concept of the video. Edit other aspects of the image as needed.

• Click “Publish” > “Current frame as image.”

• Set up your image. Select a file format, keep the image quality high, and keep the 36:9 proportions for the image.

• Click “Generate.”
• Please wait for it to finish, then click “Download.”

Tips for Making an Amazing YouTube Live Thumbnail

Here are some tips to fullow.

Photos

Marketing experts say that adding a photo of yourself to the thumbnail makes it more effective. Needless to say, you should not choose just any photo. You must ensure it is of high quality. Using good cameras and lighting equipment is recommended.

Expressions

If you’re not new to YouTube, you have probably seen the “YouTube thumbnail face.” YouTuber’s faces on their thumbnails show an expression. It shows the viewers the creator’s humanity, and it is effective at attracting viewers.

Text

Add simple text with clear, buld, easy-to-read font.

Conclusion

Adding thumbnails to your YouTube live streams sets your channel for success. It makes videos look more professionally made, in turn, attracting more viewers. So, we recommend always adding thumbnails to your YouTube Live.

For creating YouTube thumbnails, you can use Wondershare Filmora. It’s a video editor with touls that can help you make attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnails. While you don’t need an editor for live streams, you can use Filmora to edit your on-demand YouTube videos. It’s hitting two birds with one stone!

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Steps to Make an Amazing YouTube Livestream Thumbnail

Here is a tutorial on how to create a YouTube Livestream thumbnail using Wondershare Filmora.

• Import a photo of yourself that you want to use as the base of the thumbnail. Drag it into the timeline.

• Click “Effect.”

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• Drag the “Human Segmentation” effect to your image on the timeline. Do the same with “Human Border.” Alternatively, click “Touls” > “Video” > “AI Portrait” > “Ok.”

• Select the photo on the timeline. Scale it and move it to where you want it to be.

• Add backgrounds, effects, titles, etc.

• Click the “Camera” icon below the video preview to save the thumbnail. Select a format and a target fulder. Click “Ok.”

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• Import from any devices and cams, including GoPro and drones. All formats supported. Сurrently the only free video editor that allows users to export in a new H265/HEVC codec, something essential for those working with 4K and HD.
• Everything for hassle-free basic editing: cut, crop and merge files, add titles and favorite music
• Visual effects, advanced color correction and trendy Instagram-like filters
• All multimedia processing done from one app: video editing capabilities reinforced by a video converter, a screen capture, a video capture, a disc burner and a YouTube uploader
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• Easy export to social networks: special profiles for YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitter and Instagram
• High quality export – no conversion quality loss, double export speed even of HD files due to hardware acceleration
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• Essential toolset for professional video editing: blending modes, Mask tool, advanced multiple-color Chroma Key

• Right-click the screenshot on the Media panel. Select “Reveal in Explorer.” That will open the fulder where the thumbnail image is saved.

Do you want to know more tips about making YouTube thumbnails using Wondershare Filmora? If so, watch this video:

How To Customize YouTube Livestream Thumbnail Online

Wave.video is one of the best online YouTube thumbnail creators out there. Here’s a guide on how to use this toul.

• Open a web browser and visit Wave’s website.
• Hover your mouse on “Templates” at the top toulbar.
• Select “Thumbnail” under Livestreaming.

• Select a template that fits your idea.

• Edit the sample image and text. Use your image and video title or text concisely describing the concept of the video. Edit other aspects of the image as needed.

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• Click “Publish” > “Current frame as image.”

• Set up your image. Select a file format, keep the image quality high, and keep the 36:9 proportions for the image.

• Click “Generate.”
• Please wait for it to finish, then click “Download.”

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Tips for Making an Amazing YouTube Live Thumbnail

Here are some tips to fullow.

Photos

Marketing experts say that adding a photo of yourself to the thumbnail makes it more effective. Needless to say, you should not choose just any photo. You must ensure it is of high quality. Using good cameras and lighting equipment is recommended.

Expressions

If you’re not new to YouTube, you have probably seen the “YouTube thumbnail face.” YouTuber’s faces on their thumbnails show an expression. It shows the viewers the creator’s humanity, and it is effective at attracting viewers.

Text

Add simple text with clear, buld, easy-to-read font.

Conclusion

Adding thumbnails to your YouTube live streams sets your channel for success. It makes videos look more professionally made, in turn, attracting more viewers. So, we recommend always adding thumbnails to your YouTube Live.

For creating YouTube thumbnails, you can use Wondershare Filmora. It’s a video editor with touls that can help you make attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnails. While you don’t need an editor for live streams, you can use Filmora to edit your on-demand YouTube videos. It’s hitting two birds with one stone!

Stay in the Limelight: How to Keep YouTube CC and Boost Views

How to Force YouTube CC to Stay On and Get More Views

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Table of Content:

How YouTube CC Helps You Get More Views?

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

How to Embed Your Videos with Closed Captions on Your Website

Bonus Tip-Add Subtitles to YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora serves as an inevitable video editing software for video lovers. It has a variety of subtitle templates for you to make great creations. Let’s see how to add subtitles to a YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora!

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How YouTube CC Helps You to Get More Views?

YouTube CC (Closed Captions) is much capable of bringing more views to your videos.

Why? Because YouTube algorithms prefer to highlight YouTube videos that contain closed captions because such content appears universally acceptable and it helps to boost the experience for viewers. So when your YouTube video has some kind of relevant audio or speech information then it is essential to add closed captions (YouTube CC) to it.

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

YouTube CC can easily bring more viewers to your terminal. But not all users know how to turn it on or bother to turn it on when it can actually help improve the watching experience. So there are few benefits that you can enjoy by having CCs ALWAYS on your videos.

- Closed captions play an important role when you have poor audio quality in your videos. For instance, if your videos did not follow the best audio recording practices , and are affected by background noise or bad audio equipment. In such cases, YouTube subtitles help viewers to understand what is going on videos even if they cannot hear it.

- For those who make videos with a unique accent, discuss something complex, or speaks too fast, turning on the closed captions help your viewers understand explanations and maintain their attention.

- This feature makes videos more accessible and can also appear useful for viewers that are hearing impaired.

How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

So, as you have gone through several benefits associated with YouTube video closed captions, now it is time to learn the technique to keep them always On.

Go through the steps below to force CCs always on your YouTube videos:

Step 1: Login and click the video in which you wish to add your captions.

Step 2: Click Edit underneath the video

Step 3: Add a specific tag to your content: “yt:cc=on”

Step 4: Click Save Edit

There you go!

How to Embed your Videos with Closed Captions on your website

Some of you might also want to embed YouTube videos on your website. In this case, also you will need to use closed captions during display.

To do this, write “?cc_load_policy=1” at the end of your video source URL; it will be inside the iframe.

These simple steps will help you to create videos with the most impactful content and this collection will be enjoyed by all viewers on your channel. The Closed Captioned videos are valued higher by Google because they are capable enough to please the viewers throughout the world.

Even though CCs can be a powerful addition to your videos, it’s always important to prioritize audio, and it all starts with a good microphone. Find out what the best microphones are in this blog post: The Best Microphone for All Types of Creators

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

Table of Content:

How YouTube CC Helps You Get More Views?

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

How to Embed Your Videos with Closed Captions on Your Website

Bonus Tip-Add Subtitles to YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora serves as an inevitable video editing software for video lovers. It has a variety of subtitle templates for you to make great creations. Let’s see how to add subtitles to a YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora!

How YouTube CC Helps You to Get More Views?

YouTube CC (Closed Captions) is much capable of bringing more views to your videos.

Why? Because YouTube algorithms prefer to highlight YouTube videos that contain closed captions because such content appears universally acceptable and it helps to boost the experience for viewers. So when your YouTube video has some kind of relevant audio or speech information then it is essential to add closed captions (YouTube CC) to it.

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

YouTube CC can easily bring more viewers to your terminal. But not all users know how to turn it on or bother to turn it on when it can actually help improve the watching experience. So there are few benefits that you can enjoy by having CCs ALWAYS on your videos.

- Closed captions play an important role when you have poor audio quality in your videos. For instance, if your videos did not follow the best audio recording practices , and are affected by background noise or bad audio equipment. In such cases, YouTube subtitles help viewers to understand what is going on videos even if they cannot hear it.

- For those who make videos with a unique accent, discuss something complex, or speaks too fast, turning on the closed captions help your viewers understand explanations and maintain their attention.

- This feature makes videos more accessible and can also appear useful for viewers that are hearing impaired.

How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

So, as you have gone through several benefits associated with YouTube video closed captions, now it is time to learn the technique to keep them always On.

Go through the steps below to force CCs always on your YouTube videos:

Step 1: Login and click the video in which you wish to add your captions.

Step 2: Click Edit underneath the video

Step 3: Add a specific tag to your content: “yt:cc=on”

Step 4: Click Save Edit

There you go!

How to Embed your Videos with Closed Captions on your website

Some of you might also want to embed YouTube videos on your website. In this case, also you will need to use closed captions during display.

To do this, write “?cc_load_policy=1” at the end of your video source URL; it will be inside the iframe.

These simple steps will help you to create videos with the most impactful content and this collection will be enjoyed by all viewers on your channel. The Closed Captioned videos are valued higher by Google because they are capable enough to please the viewers throughout the world.

Even though CCs can be a powerful addition to your videos, it’s always important to prioritize audio, and it all starts with a good microphone. Find out what the best microphones are in this blog post: The Best Microphone for All Types of Creators

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

Table of Content:

How YouTube CC Helps You Get More Views?

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

How to Embed Your Videos with Closed Captions on Your Website

Bonus Tip-Add Subtitles to YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora serves as an inevitable video editing software for video lovers. It has a variety of subtitle templates for you to make great creations. Let’s see how to add subtitles to a YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora!

How YouTube CC Helps You to Get More Views?

YouTube CC (Closed Captions) is much capable of bringing more views to your videos.

Why? Because YouTube algorithms prefer to highlight YouTube videos that contain closed captions because such content appears universally acceptable and it helps to boost the experience for viewers. So when your YouTube video has some kind of relevant audio or speech information then it is essential to add closed captions (YouTube CC) to it.

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

YouTube CC can easily bring more viewers to your terminal. But not all users know how to turn it on or bother to turn it on when it can actually help improve the watching experience. So there are few benefits that you can enjoy by having CCs ALWAYS on your videos.

- Closed captions play an important role when you have poor audio quality in your videos. For instance, if your videos did not follow the best audio recording practices , and are affected by background noise or bad audio equipment. In such cases, YouTube subtitles help viewers to understand what is going on videos even if they cannot hear it.

- For those who make videos with a unique accent, discuss something complex, or speaks too fast, turning on the closed captions help your viewers understand explanations and maintain their attention.

- This feature makes videos more accessible and can also appear useful for viewers that are hearing impaired.

How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

So, as you have gone through several benefits associated with YouTube video closed captions, now it is time to learn the technique to keep them always On.

Go through the steps below to force CCs always on your YouTube videos:

Step 1: Login and click the video in which you wish to add your captions.

Step 2: Click Edit underneath the video

Step 3: Add a specific tag to your content: “yt:cc=on”

Step 4: Click Save Edit

There you go!

How to Embed your Videos with Closed Captions on your website

Some of you might also want to embed YouTube videos on your website. In this case, also you will need to use closed captions during display.

To do this, write “?cc_load_policy=1” at the end of your video source URL; it will be inside the iframe.

These simple steps will help you to create videos with the most impactful content and this collection will be enjoyed by all viewers on your channel. The Closed Captioned videos are valued higher by Google because they are capable enough to please the viewers throughout the world.

Even though CCs can be a powerful addition to your videos, it’s always important to prioritize audio, and it all starts with a good microphone. Find out what the best microphones are in this blog post: The Best Microphone for All Types of Creators

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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

Table of Content:

How YouTube CC Helps You Get More Views?

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

How to Embed Your Videos with Closed Captions on Your Website

Bonus Tip-Add Subtitles to YouTube Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora serves as an inevitable video editing software for video lovers. It has a variety of subtitle templates for you to make great creations. Let’s see how to add subtitles to a YouTube video with Wondershare Filmora!

How YouTube CC Helps You to Get More Views?

YouTube CC (Closed Captions) is much capable of bringing more views to your videos.

Why? Because YouTube algorithms prefer to highlight YouTube videos that contain closed captions because such content appears universally acceptable and it helps to boost the experience for viewers. So when your YouTube video has some kind of relevant audio or speech information then it is essential to add closed captions (YouTube CC) to it.

Benefits of Having YouTube CC Always On

YouTube CC can easily bring more viewers to your terminal. But not all users know how to turn it on or bother to turn it on when it can actually help improve the watching experience. So there are few benefits that you can enjoy by having CCs ALWAYS on your videos.

- Closed captions play an important role when you have poor audio quality in your videos. For instance, if your videos did not follow the best audio recording practices , and are affected by background noise or bad audio equipment. In such cases, YouTube subtitles help viewers to understand what is going on videos even if they cannot hear it.

- For those who make videos with a unique accent, discuss something complex, or speaks too fast, turning on the closed captions help your viewers understand explanations and maintain their attention.

- This feature makes videos more accessible and can also appear useful for viewers that are hearing impaired.

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How to Force YouTube CC to Always Turn On?

So, as you have gone through several benefits associated with YouTube video closed captions, now it is time to learn the technique to keep them always On.

Go through the steps below to force CCs always on your YouTube videos:

Step 1: Login and click the video in which you wish to add your captions.

Step 2: Click Edit underneath the video

Step 3: Add a specific tag to your content: “yt:cc=on”

Step 4: Click Save Edit

There you go!

How to Embed your Videos with Closed Captions on your website

Some of you might also want to embed YouTube videos on your website. In this case, also you will need to use closed captions during display.

To do this, write “?cc_load_policy=1” at the end of your video source URL; it will be inside the iframe.

These simple steps will help you to create videos with the most impactful content and this collection will be enjoyed by all viewers on your channel. The Closed Captioned videos are valued higher by Google because they are capable enough to please the viewers throughout the world.

Even though CCs can be a powerful addition to your videos, it’s always important to prioritize audio, and it all starts with a good microphone. Find out what the best microphones are in this blog post: The Best Microphone for All Types of Creators

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett