From Novice to Pro: Your Step-by-Step Guide to YouTube Live Images

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.”

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

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.

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!

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

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!

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

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!

Enhance Interaction: Share Your Custom YouTube Playlist

YouTube has become the most popular video-sharing platform on the internet, with users from all over the world uploading and watching videos daily. You can find content on just about any topic you can think of on YouTube, making it an excellent resource for entertainment and education.

But what if you’ve created a playlist of your favorite videos and think your friends or family would enjoy it? To help you with this, we’ve put together an extensive guide on how to share a YouTube playlist on your computer and mobile devices.

So, let’s get started with our guide without any further delay!

Why Doesn’t The Share Function In The Playlist Work?

Firstly, let’s figure out why the “Share” function doesn’t work. The “Share” function in the playlist does not work because it is set to “private,” and YouTube doesn’t allow you to share them. To fix this, you must first change the privacy settings of the playlist to “public” in the following way:

Step1 Head to the YouTube website using a browser on your PC and sign in to your account.

Step2

• Click the three-line “Menu” icon at the top-left of your screen.
• Go to “Library.”
• Scroll down to the “Playlist” section.

Step3 Select your playlist labeled as “Private.” On the next page, click the “Private” option in the playlist details section and select “Public” to change the visibility of your playlist.

Once the privacy setting has been changed, the “share” function will work as intended.

How To Share The YouTube Playlist?

If you want to share the playlist on YouTube using your computer or mobile device, read the instructions below carefully:

1. For Computers

Here are four different ways to share your YouTube playlist using your laptop or desktop computer:

How To Share Your Own YouTube Playlist With A Link To View?

Sharing your YouTube playlist is a perfect way to increase the number of views and subscribers, allowing your viewers to see all the videos in one place.

This is especially helpful if you have a series of videos that you want viewers to watch. Here are the step-by-step instructions for achieving this task:

Step1 Visit the YouTube website using a browser on your computer and sign in to your account. Click your Profile in the top-right of the screen and select “Your Channel” from the drop-down menu, which will take you to your YouTube channel’s dashboard.

Step2 Next, go to the “Playlist” tab and click the “View Full Playlist” option under your playlist to access it.

Step3 Finally, click the “Share” icon in the playlist’s details section, and a window will pop up. From here, you can either click “Copy” to save the link to your clipboard or share the playlist directly to WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Email, KakaoTalk, Reddit, and more platforms.

How To Share Someone Else’s YouTube Playlist With A Link To View?

If you want to share someone else’s YouTube playlist with a link, do the following steps in sequence:

Step1 In the first step, launch your preferred browser, visit the YouTube website, and sign in to your account using your credentials.

Step2 On the left side of the website’s main interface, click the “Library” option and scroll down to the Playlists section.

Step3 Under the “Playlists” section, click on the playlist you want to share. Now, click the “Share” icon in the playlist’s details section, and a pop-up window will appear. In the “Share” section, copy the URL and paste it into an email, message, or social media post to share.

That’s all there is to it! Anyone you’ve shared the link with can watch the entire playlist.

How To Share The Playlist While Watching?

We all love using YouTube for research or just scrolling through videos to pass the time, and we often share our favorite videos with others. What if you wish to share a whole YouTube playlist while watching it?

Fortunately, there’s a simple and quick way to do this, and here are the step-by-step instructions for this method.

Step1 In the first step, head to the YouTube website using a browser and use the search bar to access the playlist.

Step2 Click the playlist to start watching it. Next, click the playlist title in the grey box on the right-hand side.

Step3 On the playlist page, click the “Share” icon in the details section, and a window will pop-up. Click “Copy” to save the link or directly share the playlist to social platforms.

That’s it! The recipient will now be able to watch the entire YouTube playlist you’ve shared.

How To Share A YouTube Playlist With A Link To Collaborate

Through the “Collaborate on playlists” feature, YouTube allows you to add friends to your playlist, who can then add videos to it.

Here’s how you can share a YouTube playlist with a link to collaborate with your friends:

Step1 In the first step, go to the YouTube website using your preferred browser, and sign in to your channel’s Gmail account using your email address and password.

Step2 Click your “Profile” icon, choose the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu and go to the “Playlist.”

Step3 In the next step, click the “View Full Playlist” option under your preferred playlist. This will take you to your playlist page.

Step4 In the details section of your YouTube playlist on the playlist page, click the three dots (ellipsis) icon and select the “Collaborate” option.

Step5 A pop-up window will appear on your screen. Toggle on the “Collaborators can add videos to this playlist” option to enable it, and the “Allow new collaborators” option will appear.

Toggle on the “Allow new collaborators” option, click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard, and click “Done” to apply the changes.

That’s about it! You can now share the playlist link with your friends, who can now add videos to it.

2. For iOS and Android

If you want to quickly share a YouTube playlist using your iOS or Android device, follow these instructions step-by-step:

Note: The method of sharing the YouTube playlist on an iOS device is the same as mentioned above.

Step1 Since most devices have YouTube already installed, locate the YouTube app in your device’s app drawer and launch it.

Step2 On the app’s main interface/Home screen, tap the “Library” option at the bottom right corner of your device’s screen.

Step3 Now, scroll down to the “Playlists” section and open the playlist you wish to share with your friends.

Step4 In the playlist’s details section, tap the “Share” icon above the “Play All” button. Now, tap the “Copy” icon to save the playlist’s URL on your clipboard, or use other available options to share the playlist directly.

Bonus: Do You Want To Create Your Own YouTube Videos?

We hope you have found the solution to share your YouTube Playlist. Supposing you are a common YouTube user and like to share the fantastic things you found on this platform, are you interested in making a YouTube video by yourself? If yes, please watch the video below to start editing your own videos with a user-friendly video editor - Wondershare Filmora . With it, you can create your video with ease:

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve explored why the share function in the playlist is not working and how to share a YouTube playlist using your computer and mobile device.

Step1 Since most devices have YouTube already installed, locate the YouTube app in your device’s app drawer and launch it.

Step2 On the app’s main interface/Home screen, tap the “Library” option at the bottom right corner of your device’s screen.

Step3 Now, scroll down to the “Playlists” section and open the playlist you wish to share with your friends.

Step4 In the playlist’s details section, tap the “Share” icon above the “Play All” button. Now, tap the “Copy” icon to save the playlist’s URL on your clipboard, or use other available options to share the playlist directly.

Bonus: Do You Want To Create Your Own YouTube Videos?

We hope you have found the solution to share your YouTube Playlist. Supposing you are a common YouTube user and like to share the fantastic things you found on this platform, are you interested in making a YouTube video by yourself? If yes, please watch the video below to start editing your own videos with a user-friendly video editor - Wondershare Filmora . With it, you can create your video with ease:

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve explored why the share function in the playlist is not working and how to share a YouTube playlist using your computer and mobile device.