Guide to Supercharged Video Engagement with YouTube Notes

How to Add YouTube Annotations and Cards?

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Update: YouTube has replaced annotation with end screen. You can find the latest informaiton about YouTube screen and YouTube cards here.

YouTube Cards and Annotations are very useful if you want to encourage your viewrs to take an action, like Subscribe, go to another video or associated website, etc. Today, we’re going to show you the differences between cards and annotations, and how to add them in YouTube videos.

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The main difference between annotation and cards is their outlook. Cards are more graphical whereas annotations are text based. The cards slide in once you click the small “i” button on the video where as the annotation is there based on the timings set by the user. Moreover the main differences between the two are:

1. YouTube Cards are small and unobtrusive, unless a viewer chooses to click on them, which is why they are the better option when you are trying to get views on other videos. Irritating a few people with a big annotation might be worth it if you also draw other people’s attention to your cause or website, but it is not a good way to endear yourself to people you are trying to get views and subscriptions from. When a card is clicked a thumbnail will appear with a link to your additional content. YouTube Cards are often better than annotations for adding links to your videos because they look much tidier. Also, unlike annotations, cards will be visible to people watching your videos on their mobile devices.

2. You cannot use Cards just to insert notes into your videos, though, and you cannot adjust their size like you can with annotations. So, if you do need a link to be large and extremely noticeable, annotations might still be your best option. Cards and annotations can even be used in combination sometimes.

• Part 1: How to Add YouTube Cards
• Part 2: How to Add YouTube Annotations

How to add YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are similar to annotations but more interactive. They allow the owner of the video to add images and other links. A small box appears, clicking on which will activate the cards.

• Click on the “Video Manager” tab

• Click “Edit” tab under the video screen shot you want to add the card on
• Click on the “Cards” tab

• On the right panel click on “Add Card” drop down menu and select the type of card you want to add
• Click on the create button which will open the corresponding video
• Once you finish the subsequent information required click create card
• Select the timeline for the playhead to appear which leads to the card slide

• Apply changes and exit

How to add YouTube annotations

YouTube Annotation is addition of a text layer, link or hotspots over your video. They add interactive boxes which link to other websites or videos (any link you want).

• Click on the video manager tab
• Click edit tab under the video screen shot you want to add the annotation on
• Click on the “End screen & Annotation” tab

• On the right panel click on “+ Add Element” and select the kind of annotation you want to add
• Adjust the position of Annotation, you can drag the rectangle to locate it at any position of the video, move the slide to set the start and end time of the annotation

• Apply changes

The types of YouTube annotations:

1. Speech Bubbles

Speech Bubbles: look like the dialogue box in a comic strip. There is a tail which you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation. Speech bubbles are great for adding in funny comments.

2. Notes

Notes: come in a limited selection of colors and can be adjusted to take up a maximum of 30% of your player screen. Sometimes you need a huge annotation to get an important point across, but using huge note annotations too often – especially near the beginnings of your videos – will annoy viewers. If you need a large note annotation make sure to place it later in your video, when a viewer will already be invested in what they are watching and less likely to click away.

3. Titles

Titles: are large pieces of text that go either at the beginning of your video or in-between different topics within your video. YouTube’s titles are not very nice to look at, but they are a decent option if you do not have access to video editing software.

4. Spotlights

Spotlights: have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a user hovers over the spotlight. Spotlights are great for turning elements within your video into links.

5. Labels

Labels: are completely transparent, like spotlights, but the user does not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

6. Pauses

Pauses: are no longer available to add to your videos, although Pause Annotations added before they were removed still work. Pause Annotations used to stop your video for a set period of time when your annotation appeared.

If somebody watches your video and gets to the end then that means they enjoyed it and will probably be open to checking out more of your content. Rather than hoping that your other videos show up in the ‘Suggested Videos’ YouTube will show after yours has finished playing you should always include an outro, or ending card, after your video to recommend your own work. Annotations are used in a lot of successful YouTuber’s ending cards.

One form this takes is small Note annotations in the bottom corners of the screen, one linking to your previous video and one to the next. Sometimes your viewers might not necessarily get the most enjoyment out of your videos by watching them in order, though. Sometimes you want to link viewers to the videos that are most related to the one they just watched.

The best outros also include a subscribe button, which can be created using annotations. These annotations work best when combined with a verbal call to action. Make sure your outro lasts long enough for people to make the decision to subscribe or click another video.

No matter what kind of annotations you are using, you should never use more than two of them at a time anywhere except for your outro. You should also never place annotations at the very top of your screen, or in the middle at the bottom. If your video is embedding on a separate website then the player will cover annotations at the top of the screen, and ads might cover annotations placed in the bottom-middle of the screen. Keep in mind when using annotations that they will not be visible to users watching your videos on mobile devices. If mobile traffic is very important to you then consider using YouTube Cards.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Cutting Down on Workload: The Ultimate Mac MP4 Apps List

What is the Best MP4 Cutter for YouTubers On Mac?

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Editing videos is a big part of YouTubers’ job including cutting MP4, customizing intros and outros, grading video colors, adding a multitude of effects, and many more. All YouTube celebrities use a diverse set of video editing features such as filters, transitions, custom titles and captions, and overlays.

These post-processing effects ensure that their videos don’t only look aesthetically pleasing but are more engaging and interactive to keep their viewers hooked from the beginning right till the end. This is exactly why cutting MP4 videos and editing have become monumentally significant for newcomers.

Having said that, most of the beginners and hobbyists either can’t afford or want to pay for professional video editing software for cutting MP4 such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. In this time, FilmoraX will be a better choice to cut MP4 for Youtube

Before we further delve into the details of advanced video cutter functions, let’s first develop an understanding of the basics.

Section1. Basic Video Cutter Functions

Section2. Advanced Video Cutter Functions

Section 1. Basic Video Cutter Functions

These are the features of cutting MP4 videos that are used by almost all of the YouTuber to give their videos a more engaging look and contextualize them based on the content. For instance, almost all of the YouTubers use customized captions and titles to share information that is highly valuable for the viewers and enables them to develop a connection with the YouTuber.

Almost all of the YouTubers have customized intros and outros in their videos but some of the notable names include MKBHD, PewDiePie, and Smosh. In the process of cutting MP4 videos, they add these effects to create a brand for themselves.

• Customizing Intros & Outros

One of the most basic functions of cutting MP4 or other videos intended for YouTube audiences is to add your intro and outro.

- Intro - It is a customized beginning where YouTubers usually add their channel name or its logo along with the title of the video. This helps them to develop a personal brand and add context to what their audience is about to see.

- Outro - It is the customized ending of the video where most content creators choose to add a call to action (CTA) encouraging them to engage with the channel or the video in some manner. For example, they may add an outro that asks the users to subscribe to the YouTube channel.

• Rich Stickers & Titles

These are customized stickers, captions, and titles that enable YouTubers to add contextual information at any point in the video to add more value to their content during the process of cutting MP4 videos. For example, if a YouTuber is running a smartphone review channel, they can add rich stickers that contain specifications of the smartphone for those who are interested in particulars.

Including such information, while cutting MP4 also adds to the credibility of the content creator as they are perceived as more professional and dedicated to their job.

Steps to Perform Basic Video Cutter Effects on Filmora X

Here’s how you can add intros and outros to your YouTube videos using Wondershare Filmora X for cutting MP4 videos.

1. Add intro background and select your favorite audio or sound effect
2. Add your logo and/or text to the intro video
3. Now add cool effects to improve the appearance of your intro
4. Export your intro video and add it to shared media

You can also use Filmora templates for cutting MP4 videos to create your intro video for your YouTube content.

In Filmora, you will find a wide variety of templates for titles, openers, end credits, plain texts, callouts, and more for cutting MP4 and other video formats. You can use the premade template to add the desired text effect and then edit them according to your preferences. If you want to use these settings again, save the customized text effects as presets. It will save you a lot of time.

Section 2. Advanced Video Cutter Functions

These are the cutting MP4 effects that aren’t used by beginners but hobbyists and professional video content creators may use them to add production value and interactive dimension to their content.

• Green Screen - This effect allows YouTubers to add any type of live or static background while cutting MP4 videos adding production value to their video.
• Motion Tracking - This is a cinematic method that enables YouTubers to include digital visuals in live-action video. It ensures that everything including scale, position, relative motion, and orientation is accurate.
• Color Matching - If you are shooting your video with different cameras, every camera records the footage in its own color profile. Color matching is used to introduce color consistency throughout the video. Filmora X is perfectly capable of handling color matching while you are cutting MP4 and other videos.

Some of the channels and YouTubers that rely on advanced video cutting MP4 effects include Vlad and Niki, MKBHD, Dude Perfect, Canal KondZilla, Like Nastya Vlog, and Kids Diana Show.

Performing Advanced Cutting MP4 Video Effects on Filmora X

• Using Green Screen

Step 1 - Set up and position the green screen and add adequate lighting.

Step 2 - Make sure that you don’t wear anything that’s green and start shooting.

Step 3 - Download green screen backgrounds from the website of your choice.

Step 4 - Import your green screen footage into Filmora X and adjust the settings according to your preferences.

Step 5 - Position the background-clip so it looks natural and then export the video in your required format (MP4).

• Using Motion Tracking

Step 1 - Go to Behaviors in Control Panel and select the top clip. Then click on the “plus” button right next to Behaviors.

Step 2 - Here, select the motion track from the list and open the folder to select the footage you want to track.

Step 3 - This will automatically start motion analysis of the video clip and you’ll be notified with grey tracker points once the analysis is complete.

Step 4 - You can draw around the region that you want to follow the motion and it will be automatically applied to the object.

Step 5 - Preview the clip and adjust any settings if the result isn’t according to your liking.

• Using Color Matching

Step 1 - Drag the video clip to your timeline and move the play head to the frame you want to color match.

Step 2 - Select the remaining video clips and apply color matching through the right-click or the toolbar. Select the frame as a reference and click on ‘Match’.

Step 3 - Now, using the slider, adjust the extent to which you want the color setting of other clips that need to be matched. See the result in the ‘comparison view’.

Final Word

Cutting MP4 or other videos for YouTube content creation is a major part of the process. You need to have reliable and versatile video editing software that can get the job done without any hassle. And while there are professional packages available, they cost way too much for the YouTubers who are just starting out or are just hobbyists. That’s where Filmora X can be an exceptional alternative offering a wide variety of features at a fraction of the cost.

You can try Filmora X for free for cutting MP4 videos before you pay for the fully-featured software.

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Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown