Direct Transmission of Google Meet Into Your YouTube Playlist

Google Meet helps people to connect virtually with each other in a well-protected environment. If you have physical restrictions, Google Meet can provide an enhanced ecosystem to collaborate with your team members. With high video and audio quality, it can prevent you from any sort of disturbance. If you want to connect with a larger audience during your Google Meet sessions, you can go for live streaming.

This article will address how to conduct Google Meet live stream through the platform of YouTube. To learn more, continue reading this guide.

1. Available Google Workspace Edition
2. Approval of YouTube Channel for Live
3. Connect your YouTube Channel to Google Meet

• How to Live Stream from Google Meet to YouTube
• Bonus Tip: Easily Record your Google Meet Live Stream

Part 1: Three Things to Check Before Starting Your Live

Before increasing your audience from Google Meet live stream on YouTube, make sure to check the below prerequisites.

1. Available Google Workspace Edition

For Google Meet YouTube live, there are some requirements. The reason is that not every ordinary user of Google Meet can go for YouTube live streaming. To do so, you should buy any of the following pricing plans:

Google Workspace Pricing Plan	Price
Enterprise Starter	Approx. $10/User/Month
Enterprise Standard	Approx. $20/User/Month
Enterprise Plus	Approx. $30/User/Month
Education Plus	Approx. $5/Student/Month
Teaching and Learning Upgrade	Approx. $4/License/Month
Workspace Individual Subscriber	Approx. $9.9/Month
Google One Subscribers with 2 TB or More Storage Space	Approx. $10/Month

Note: To know the exact pricing plans of Google Workspace, you have to contact Google Support.

2. Approval of YouTube Channel for Live

To conduct live streaming, you must receive approval from the YouTube channel. For this, you must access your channel’s YouTube Studio to perform the account verification. Now to activate and enable live streaming on your YouTube account, check the following steps:

Step1 Open your YouTube account and click on the “Profile” icon given at the top-right corner. After opening the Profile menu, click on the “YouTube Studio” option.

Step2 A new window will be displayed on your screen. From the left panel, select “Content” among other options. Under the section called “Live,” locate the “Get Started” option. Afterward, tap on the “Request” option and perform the verification steps for enabling live streaming. After 24 hours, you would get approval for live streaming on YouTube. Hence, you would be able to live stream Google Meet meetings through your YouTube channel.

3. Connect your YouTube Channel to Google Meet

Once you get approval for live streaming, you can connect the YouTube channel to your Google Meet account. If the Host Management option is disabled, anyone within the Google Meet session can start live streaming. Conversely, only hosts or co-hosts can begin live streaming if this option is activated. Moreover, the individual who is starting the live stream from Google Meet will get connected to his YouTube channel.

Furthermore, you should use the same email address to enter the Google Meet that is connected to your YouTube account. By using the same email address, you can ensure smooth live streaming of Google Meet sessions to your YouTube channel. Also, you can only use laptops or desktops for initiating live streaming. The reason is that the Google Meet live stream on YouTube is not currently available on mobile devices.

Part 2: How to Live Stream from Google Meet to YouTube

Once you have fulfilled all the requirements, you can start a live stream from Google Meet to YouTube. Check the following steps to execute the process:

Step1 To allow Google Meet sessions to live stream on YouTube, the Google Workspace admin must adjust some settings. To begin, log in to the “Admin Console” on the Workspace administrator account. Now go to “Apps” and access the “Google Workspace” option.

Step2 Afterward, click “Google Meet” and tap on the “Stream” option. Once done, click on the “Pencil” icon to open the Settings menu. Now enable the options “Let People Steam Their Meetings” and “Let People Use YouTube to Stream Meetings.” Once done with the changes, click on the “Save” button.

Step3 Make sure that the Google account attached to your YouTube channel is capable of live streaming. Once done, go to your YouTube channel and tap on the “Create” button. Afterward, hit the “Live” button.

Step4 Now enter your Google Meet session and click on the “Activities” option. From the Activities menu, select “Live Streaming.” Now a small menu will open for live-streaming settings. You can create a new event and add an event title. Make sure to choose the privacy options and desired language. Afterward, click on the “Start Streaming” option.

Step5 A small pop-up will appear that will tell you to remind your participants about live streaming. After reminding, click on the “Start” button. You can see the red “Live” button that will indicate to you the ongoing live-streaming session. Once you have concluded the live streaming by clicking on the “Stop Streaming” button, you can check the video analytics by visiting your YouTube channel.

Bonus Tip: Easily Record your Google Meet Live Stream

Do you want to save your Google Meet live-stream session? The best tool through which you can save your essential live-streaming sessions is Wondershare Filmora Screen Recorder . By using this efficient screen recorder, you can access your saved live streaming session and revise the important points discussed in it.

The screen recorder of Filmora is capable of capturing webcam and screen recording simultaneously. You can select a customized recording area through this tool. For example, you can choose a full screen, a specific window, or a customized area. Furthermore, this screen recording tool can also capture your microphone and system’s sounds in high quality. At the same time, as a powerful video editor, you can edit your videos with various advanced features of Filmora to bring them to the next level. Click the video below to learn more about Filmora’s new features.

Steps to Record Live Streaming Using Filmora Screen Recorder

Are you ready to capture your live-streaming session on Google Meet? Here are the simple and accurate steps to begin the process:

Step1 Open the Screen Recorder

Download Wondershare Filmora and open its interface. Click the “Screen Recorder” option given on the main homepage. By doing so, a screen recorder window will open. Here, you can select screen recording modes such as full-screen, target window, or custom. Also, make sure to choose your system’s audio and microphone to proceed.

Step2 Adjust Settings and Start Recording

From Settings, you can also select the quality, frame rate, and color of mouse clicks. Once you have adjusted all the settings properly, hit the “REC” button.

Step3 End the Recording

After the countdown, the screen recording will begin. To stop the recording, you can press the F9 button from your keyboard. After the recording ends, the file will be dropped into the media library of Filmora.

Conclusion

Google Meet is a reliable environment to connect and collaborate with people. To increase your reach and target audience, you can conduct Google Meet live streaming on YouTube. This article has discussed a detailed way through which you can live stream your Google Meet session on your YouTube channel.

To save and access your live streaming sessions later, you can try the screen recorder of Wondershare Filmora . This screen recorder can capture screen and respective audio in high quality.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: Three Things to Check Before Starting Your Live

Before increasing your audience from Google Meet live stream on YouTube, make sure to check the below prerequisites.

1. Available Google Workspace Edition

For Google Meet YouTube live, there are some requirements. The reason is that not every ordinary user of Google Meet can go for YouTube live streaming. To do so, you should buy any of the following pricing plans:

Google Workspace Pricing Plan	Price
Enterprise Starter	Approx. $10/User/Month
Enterprise Standard	Approx. $20/User/Month
Enterprise Plus	Approx. $30/User/Month
Education Plus	Approx. $5/Student/Month
Teaching and Learning Upgrade	Approx. $4/License/Month
Workspace Individual Subscriber	Approx. $9.9/Month
Google One Subscribers with 2 TB or More Storage Space	Approx. $10/Month

Note: To know the exact pricing plans of Google Workspace, you have to contact Google Support.

2. Approval of YouTube Channel for Live

To conduct live streaming, you must receive approval from the YouTube channel. For this, you must access your channel’s YouTube Studio to perform the account verification. Now to activate and enable live streaming on your YouTube account, check the following steps:

Step1 Open your YouTube account and click on the “Profile” icon given at the top-right corner. After opening the Profile menu, click on the “YouTube Studio” option.

Step2 A new window will be displayed on your screen. From the left panel, select “Content” among other options. Under the section called “Live,” locate the “Get Started” option. Afterward, tap on the “Request” option and perform the verification steps for enabling live streaming. After 24 hours, you would get approval for live streaming on YouTube. Hence, you would be able to live stream Google Meet meetings through your YouTube channel.

3. Connect your YouTube Channel to Google Meet

Once you get approval for live streaming, you can connect the YouTube channel to your Google Meet account. If the Host Management option is disabled, anyone within the Google Meet session can start live streaming. Conversely, only hosts or co-hosts can begin live streaming if this option is activated. Moreover, the individual who is starting the live stream from Google Meet will get connected to his YouTube channel.

Furthermore, you should use the same email address to enter the Google Meet that is connected to your YouTube account. By using the same email address, you can ensure smooth live streaming of Google Meet sessions to your YouTube channel. Also, you can only use laptops or desktops for initiating live streaming. The reason is that the Google Meet live stream on YouTube is not currently available on mobile devices.

Part 2: How to Live Stream from Google Meet to YouTube

Once you have fulfilled all the requirements, you can start a live stream from Google Meet to YouTube. Check the following steps to execute the process:

Step1 To allow Google Meet sessions to live stream on YouTube, the Google Workspace admin must adjust some settings. To begin, log in to the “Admin Console” on the Workspace administrator account. Now go to “Apps” and access the “Google Workspace” option.

Step2 Afterward, click “Google Meet” and tap on the “Stream” option. Once done, click on the “Pencil” icon to open the Settings menu. Now enable the options “Let People Steam Their Meetings” and “Let People Use YouTube to Stream Meetings.” Once done with the changes, click on the “Save” button.

Step3 Make sure that the Google account attached to your YouTube channel is capable of live streaming. Once done, go to your YouTube channel and tap on the “Create” button. Afterward, hit the “Live” button.

Step4 Now enter your Google Meet session and click on the “Activities” option. From the Activities menu, select “Live Streaming.” Now a small menu will open for live-streaming settings. You can create a new event and add an event title. Make sure to choose the privacy options and desired language. Afterward, click on the “Start Streaming” option.

Step5 A small pop-up will appear that will tell you to remind your participants about live streaming. After reminding, click on the “Start” button. You can see the red “Live” button that will indicate to you the ongoing live-streaming session. Once you have concluded the live streaming by clicking on the “Stop Streaming” button, you can check the video analytics by visiting your YouTube channel.

Bonus Tip: Easily Record your Google Meet Live Stream

Do you want to save your Google Meet live-stream session? The best tool through which you can save your essential live-streaming sessions is Wondershare Filmora Screen Recorder . By using this efficient screen recorder, you can access your saved live streaming session and revise the important points discussed in it.

The screen recorder of Filmora is capable of capturing webcam and screen recording simultaneously. You can select a customized recording area through this tool. For example, you can choose a full screen, a specific window, or a customized area. Furthermore, this screen recording tool can also capture your microphone and system’s sounds in high quality. At the same time, as a powerful video editor, you can edit your videos with various advanced features of Filmora to bring them to the next level. Click the video below to learn more about Filmora’s new features.

Steps to Record Live Streaming Using Filmora Screen Recorder

Are you ready to capture your live-streaming session on Google Meet? Here are the simple and accurate steps to begin the process:

Step1 Open the Screen Recorder

Download Wondershare Filmora and open its interface. Click the “Screen Recorder” option given on the main homepage. By doing so, a screen recorder window will open. Here, you can select screen recording modes such as full-screen, target window, or custom. Also, make sure to choose your system’s audio and microphone to proceed.

Step2 Adjust Settings and Start Recording

From Settings, you can also select the quality, frame rate, and color of mouse clicks. Once you have adjusted all the settings properly, hit the “REC” button.

Step3 End the Recording

After the countdown, the screen recording will begin. To stop the recording, you can press the F9 button from your keyboard. After the recording ends, the file will be dropped into the media library of Filmora.

Conclusion

Google Meet is a reliable environment to connect and collaborate with people. To increase your reach and target audience, you can conduct Google Meet live streaming on YouTube. This article has discussed a detailed way through which you can live stream your Google Meet session on your YouTube channel.

To save and access your live streaming sessions later, you can try the screen recorder of Wondershare Filmora . This screen recorder can capture screen and respective audio in high quality.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Strategies for Effective Video Markup on YouTube

How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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