Get Into the Game: Starting an Apple-Powered Sports Network

How to Create a Sports YouTube Channel on Mac?

Richard Bennett

Dec 14, 2023• Proven solutions

It is no secret that there is a huge audience of sports, including e-sports and gaming, on YouTube who appreciates high-quality content. These viewers are searching for sports YouTubers who create insightful and entertaining content that isn’t only rich in terms of content but production as well. It means that sports channels on YouTube have to rely on special video editing effects to ensure they are delivering what their viewers expect.

That being said, it is usually not easy for aspiring sports YouTubers to start since they have little to no experience when it comes to creating premium sports videos for YouTube. This article will help you out in terms of starting a new YouTube sports channel, especially if you are a mac user.

• Section1. Necessary Elements of a YouTube Sports Channel
• Section2. Must Use Feature for Making a Sports YouTube Channel
• Section3. Which Video Editing Software Has these Features?

Section 1. Necessary Elements of a YouTube Sports Channel

If you want to start a YouTube sports channel, you need to keep in mind that sports videos are fundamentally different from other types of videos. This requires you to have a strong grasp not only on content but video editing as well. Here are some of the top elements that every YouTube sports channel needs.

1.Insightful Producer Perspective

First of all, you should try to have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the sport you are going to talk about on your channel. If you are just an amateur or a casual fan, you will need to do more preparation as a sports YouTuber.

2.Brief and Clear Delivery

The second most important thing is to communicate your perspective in an entertaining, brief, and interactive manner so your viewers remain engaged and keep coming back to your channel. If you fail to communicate properly, your viewers will go somewhere else to watch what they are looking for.

3.Advanced Video Editing

Apart from the content, you need to make yourself familiar with using advanced video editing features such as picture-in-picture, screen recording, and audio recording. These allow you to provide a high-quality viewing experience to your YouTube channel audience.

4.Branded Intro & Outro

You need to set yourself apart with the impactful branding of your sports YouTube channel. It means that the software you are using on your Mac needs to have smart editing features including the ability to add cool intros and outros that become the trademark of your sports channel.

You May Also Like:

• YouTuber Skillshare: Essential Video Cutting Skills For YouTubers>>>
• What is the Best MP4 Cutter for YouTubers On Mac?>>>

Section 2. Must Use Feature for Making a Sports YouTube Channel

There are many features that you may need in your sports content creation. High video quality will bring more views and attract more fans to your YouTube channel. Here are some features you may use in making sports videos.

1. Making a Sports YouTube Channel - Screen Recording

One of the top features that you must use in your sports content creation is screen recording. It is a vital feature for all sports YouTubers and it is used extensively for multiple reasons:

• It gives content creators the ability to give demonstrations in a clear and convenient manner that is easily understandable.
• Screen recording also allows them to create how-to and tutorial videos for games and other sports.
• They can also use this feature to record a video clip that may not be easy to include in the final video.

This feature will give your audience the opportunity to understand your point clearly without having to visualize everything in their heads. Everything you say would be right in front of them in the form of screen recording and they can easily get your perspective.

2. Making a Sports YouTube Channel- Picture in Picture

Another key feature that is widely used by YouTube sports channels is picture-in-picture, especially those who engage in live commentary while the game or match is still being played. As a Mac YouTube channel producer, you must use this feature to gain the following advantages:

• Picture in Picture allows you to stay visible to your audience while commentating or giving your opinion on a game.
• It also provides you with the ability to divert more focus on the game so the bigger part of the screen is dedicated to sports.
• You can also switch between the smaller and bigger video sections when necessary, for example during a break or interval.
• It gives you the opportunity to make your YouTube channel more personalized with your own take on picture-in-picture.

Picture in picture is a great feature for sports YouTubers on Mac as it keeps the video entertaining and personalized. Without using a picture-in-picture feature, you will find it difficult to compete with other sports YouTube channels.

3. Making a Sports YouTube Channel - Audio Recording

There are times when you cannot use the native audio of the sports video and need to add your own. It means that you need to record your own audio file and add it to the video before uploading it to your YouTube channel. This feature allows you to:

• Edit the audio of your sports video to make it more customizable according to your target audience.
• Remove the audio that might cause copyright issues and add your own to ensure your content remains original.
• Add your own remarks, commentary, and opinions in the video in full or in parts to make it more engaging and interactive.
• Make videos where you just need background music and don’t need the original audio such as montages, tributes, etc.

Clear and crisp audio recording is necessary to ensure that the video you upload on your sports YouTube channel is of high quality. Low-quality audio will damage the whole experience and leave a bad taste in the mouth of your viewers.

You May Also Like: Edit Audios in Wondershare Filmora For Mac

Filmstock Stock Media Library ](https://filmstock.wondershare.com/creative-theme-sports?spm=rs.filmora%5Fweb&source%5Fchannel=seo%5Farticle )

Section 3. What Video Editing Software Has these Features?

There are many video editing software applications that enable you to use the above-mentioned features. However, if you are just starting out and want to become a producer of your own YouTube sports channel using Mac, here are some of your options:

1. WonderShare Filmora X - Make sports channel editing easier

If you are just getting ready to do a YouTube sports channel and do not have any experience, Filmora is a good choice. There is no video editing software that provides better value.

This software contains most of the features and functions needed to create sports videos, such as audio and screen recording along with pip capability, and picture-in-picture. You can also use Filmora X to add cool branded intros and outros to customize your sports videos.

2.iMovie - Build-in software for Mac users

If you don’t want to rely on third-party software, the default built-in video editing software on Mac provides you with the basic editing features you may need.

3.Adobe Premiere Elements - Professional software to edit sport videos

If you want professional-grade software and don’t really care about the price, you can get Adobe Premiere Elements. Keep in mind that it is a highly advanced software for professionals and you may not need a wide variety of features offered here.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Swift Technique: Coding Images for YouTube Channel Thumbnails

There is a saying that first impressions last, and this is proven true, especially when it comes to YouTube video viewership. For sure, you have experienced watching a video out of curiosity because of its thumbnail. That is why content creators take time to resize YouTube thumbnails or use a YouTube thumbnail size converter to customize the preview images that represent their videos.

This technique not only attract viewers to watch your video, but it also gives a glimpse of your content. In this article, we will provide you with a quick tutorial on how to resize a YouTube thumbnail and suggest handy tools you can use to create the perfect YouTube video thumbnail!

Best YouTube Thumbnail Size

According to YouTube’s help center, there are some things to remember when creating a thumbnail for your YouTube videos.

• First, make sure that the thumbnail size is 1280 pixels by 720 pixels and 640 pixels wide. It is the best YouTube thumbnail size.
• When it comes to the thumbnail dimension, make sure to use an aspect ratio of 16:9.
• Also, your YouTube thumbnail image should not exceed 2MB and is in either JPG, GIF or PNG format.

How To Resize Your YouTube Thumbnail

The primary reason for changing the YouTube thumbnail size is to gain more audience. If you are a content creator, your main goal is to introduce your content to a wider range of viewers, right? So you have to pay attention to even the smallest detail, such as YouTube thumbnails to increase viewership and top YouTube SEO.

In fact, YouTube recommends this technique to get more viewers. Also, resizing your YouTube thumbnail will prevent you from getting the “file larger than 2MB error” which can cause your thumbnail to be discarded.

So, how can you use this technique? Check our tutorial below as we walk you through various recommended methods for resizing a YouTube thumbnail:

Method 1: Resize YouTube Thumbnail With Windows Default App

The easiest way to resize YouTube thumbnails is through the Windows default app. Within just a few modifications, you can resize your thumbnail to fit as a preview image for your YouTube video.

Please take note that your image should be at least 2 megabytes or less to achieve the perfect YouTube thumbnail fit. If your image exceeds the limit, your thumbnail will either be rejected, or your image will have a black screen around it-which is not ideal at all.

Now, let us start the tutorial.

Step1 Open an image you want to set as a thumbnail. Then, Right-click> Resize.

Step2 Select “Define custom dimensions.”

Step3 Set the width to 1280 and the height to 720. Then tick the box for “Maintain Aspect Ratio “and click “Save Resized Copy.”

Step4 Click the upload thumbnail button on YouTube and import your resized image.

Method 2. Online YouTube Thumbnail Size Converter

The second method you can use is the online YouTube thumbnail size converter. As it completely works in browsers, you do not need to worry about any app installation to access the feature. Furthermore, using online YouTube thumbnail size converters ensures you maintain your image resolution and prevents it from getting blurry or pixelated.

There are various YouTube thumbnail resizers available online. Some of the most popular are Fotor, Super Image Converter, Pixelied, Super Image Converter , Adobe Express , Newisty, and Promo . Let us focus on the last online tool and the steps on how to use it.

Promo is a free online software you can use to convert an image to a YouTube thumbnail. It is one of the best YouTube Thumbnail tools as it uses simple operation steps and automatically resizes your image without losing its quality.

Here are the steps on how to use the Promo YouTube thumbnail size converter:

Step1 Go to Promo’s official website and import your image

Step2 Scroll down and find the YouTube thumbnail size where your resized image is displayed. Then, click “Download.”

Method 3: Convert the Image to YouTube Thumbnail Using Wondershare Filmora

It is without a doubt that online YouTube thumbnail resizers are great tools for converting your image to an ideal YouTube thumbnail. But it would be much better if you resize your video using the same app you use for editing. That way, you will save time using two separate apps, and your task will be much more efficient using an all-in-one video editing tool.

Wondershare Filmora , one of the most well-known software for creating high-quality and compelling videos, combines these functions in one app. Filmora is not just an excellent software for crafting YouTube videos but also a reliable tool you can use in creating and resizing YouTube thumbnails.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to use Filmora in resizing your YouTube thumbnail. It is divided into two parts:

1. Take a Snapshot as the Thumbnail with Filmora

Step1 Open the video in the timeline, click the play icon in the player window, and pause when you reach the desired frame for the YouTube thumbnail. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot.

Step2 In the snapshot window, choose to save the snapshot as a PNG or JPG file.

Step3 Select the output storage location and click OK.

2. Resize the YouTube Thumbnail

Step1 Import the image into the app timeline.

Step2 Drag and drop the image into the timeline and click the green “Export“ button. In the popup Export window, select GIF. Next, click “Settings“ to adjust the resolution.

Step3 As the recommended size of a YouTube Thumbnail is 1280 * 720 pixels, you can set the resolution to 1280 * 720. Then click Apply and Export the GIF. You can now upload the GIF thumbnail to your YouTube account.

Method 4. Convert Images to YouTube Thumbnail Using Third-Party Software

In addition to using dedicated video editing software, several third-party image editing programs can be used to resize images for use as YouTube thumbnails. Programs like GIMP are popular for this purpose, as it offers a wide range of tools and features for editing and resizing images.

This program allows you to import an image, resize it to the dimensions required for a YouTube thumbnail (typically 1280 x 720 pixels), and save the edited version to your desired location. Using an image editing program can be a good option if you need more control over the appearance of your thumbnail or if you want to make more extensive edits beyond simply resizing the image.

To resize an image using an image editing program like GIMP, follow these steps:

Step1 Install and launch GIMP on your computer.

Step2 Click on “File“ > “Open,” then search for the file you want to resize.

Step3 Click on “Image“ > “Scale Image“ and make sure that the resolution is 1920 by 1080.

Step4 Click on “File“ > “Export As“ and toggle the “Select File Type (By Extension)“ option. Choose JPG/JPEG format because it can compress the thumbnail enough to stay within the limit of 2 megabytes.

Step5 You can change the quality of the image and click the “Export“ button to save the thumbnail.

Comparison of These 4 YouTube Thumbnail Resizing Methods

Now that we’ve explored the four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails, it’s time to compare the pros and cons of each method. In this section, we’ll consider factors such as ease of use, speed, quality, cost, and compatibility to help you determine the best option for your needs.

Take a look at the table below for a more detailed comparison.

| | Windows Default App | Online YouTube Thumbnail Size Converter | Wondershare Filmora | Third-Party Software | |
| ————————————————– | ——————————————- | ———————– | ———————— | ——– |
| Other Software Required or Not | No | Yes (Internet Browser) | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Connection Required | No | Yes | No | No |
| Complexity of Operations | Easy | Easy | Easy | Moderate |
| Support Other Editing of the YouTube Thumbnail | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| File Size Limit | None | 25MB | None | None |

Resizing YouTube thumbnails using the Windows default app is a quick and easy method that requires no additional software or tools. However, the quality of the resized thumbnail may improve if the original image is low resolution, and this method is only suitable for users on Windows operating systems.

Online YouTube thumbnail size converters are convenient and easy to use, and they can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. They also typically preserve the quality of the original image. However, some online converters may have size limits or require a subscription to unlock all features, and using an online converter can be slower than using a dedicated software tool.

Using Wondershare Filmora allows you to create and edit YouTube thumbnails within a single application, which can be a time-saving advantage if you’re already using Filmora for other video editing tasks. However, Filmora is a paid software, so there is a cost associated with using it, and it may have a steeper learning curve for users new to video editing.

Image editing programs like GIMP offer many features and tools for customizing your thumbnail, including adding text, applying filters, and making more extensive edits beyond simply resizing the image. They also typically offer more control over the quality and appearance of the resized thumbnail.

However, using a third-party image editing program may require a learning curve and maybe more time-consuming than other methods, and there may be a cost associated with purchasing the software.

Each of the four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails has its pros and cons, and the best method will depend on the user’s specific needs and preferences.

Conclusion

This article explored four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails: using the Windows default app, online converters, Wondershare Filmora, and image editing programs like GIMP. Each method has advantages and disadvantages; the best one depends on your specific needs and preferences. No matter your chosen method, you can resize YouTube thumbnails confidently with these tools and techniques.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to use Filmora in resizing your YouTube thumbnail. It is divided into two parts:

1. Take a Snapshot as the Thumbnail with Filmora

Step1 Open the video in the timeline, click the play icon in the player window, and pause when you reach the desired frame for the YouTube thumbnail. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot.

Step2 In the snapshot window, choose to save the snapshot as a PNG or JPG file.

Step3 Select the output storage location and click OK.

2. Resize the YouTube Thumbnail

Step1 Import the image into the app timeline.

Step2 Drag and drop the image into the timeline and click the green “Export“ button. In the popup Export window, select GIF. Next, click “Settings“ to adjust the resolution.

Step3 As the recommended size of a YouTube Thumbnail is 1280 * 720 pixels, you can set the resolution to 1280 * 720. Then click Apply and Export the GIF. You can now upload the GIF thumbnail to your YouTube account.

Method 4. Convert Images to YouTube Thumbnail Using Third-Party Software

In addition to using dedicated video editing software, several third-party image editing programs can be used to resize images for use as YouTube thumbnails. Programs like GIMP are popular for this purpose, as it offers a wide range of tools and features for editing and resizing images.

This program allows you to import an image, resize it to the dimensions required for a YouTube thumbnail (typically 1280 x 720 pixels), and save the edited version to your desired location. Using an image editing program can be a good option if you need more control over the appearance of your thumbnail or if you want to make more extensive edits beyond simply resizing the image.

To resize an image using an image editing program like GIMP, follow these steps:

Step1 Install and launch GIMP on your computer.

Step2 Click on “File“ > “Open,” then search for the file you want to resize.

Step3 Click on “Image“ > “Scale Image“ and make sure that the resolution is 1920 by 1080.

Step4 Click on “File“ > “Export As“ and toggle the “Select File Type (By Extension)“ option. Choose JPG/JPEG format because it can compress the thumbnail enough to stay within the limit of 2 megabytes.

Step5 You can change the quality of the image and click the “Export“ button to save the thumbnail.

Comparison of These 4 YouTube Thumbnail Resizing Methods

Now that we’ve explored the four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails, it’s time to compare the pros and cons of each method. In this section, we’ll consider factors such as ease of use, speed, quality, cost, and compatibility to help you determine the best option for your needs.

Take a look at the table below for a more detailed comparison.

| | Windows Default App | Online YouTube Thumbnail Size Converter | Wondershare Filmora | Third-Party Software | |
| ————————————————– | ——————————————- | ———————– | ———————— | ——– |
| Other Software Required or Not | No | Yes (Internet Browser) | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Connection Required | No | Yes | No | No |
| Complexity of Operations | Easy | Easy | Easy | Moderate |
| Support Other Editing of the YouTube Thumbnail | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| File Size Limit | None | 25MB | None | None |

Resizing YouTube thumbnails using the Windows default app is a quick and easy method that requires no additional software or tools. However, the quality of the resized thumbnail may improve if the original image is low resolution, and this method is only suitable for users on Windows operating systems.

Online YouTube thumbnail size converters are convenient and easy to use, and they can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. They also typically preserve the quality of the original image. However, some online converters may have size limits or require a subscription to unlock all features, and using an online converter can be slower than using a dedicated software tool.

Using Wondershare Filmora allows you to create and edit YouTube thumbnails within a single application, which can be a time-saving advantage if you’re already using Filmora for other video editing tasks. However, Filmora is a paid software, so there is a cost associated with using it, and it may have a steeper learning curve for users new to video editing.

Image editing programs like GIMP offer many features and tools for customizing your thumbnail, including adding text, applying filters, and making more extensive edits beyond simply resizing the image. They also typically offer more control over the quality and appearance of the resized thumbnail.

However, using a third-party image editing program may require a learning curve and maybe more time-consuming than other methods, and there may be a cost associated with purchasing the software.

Each of the four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails has its pros and cons, and the best method will depend on the user’s specific needs and preferences.

Conclusion

This article explored four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails: using the Windows default app, online converters, Wondershare Filmora, and image editing programs like GIMP. Each method has advantages and disadvantages; the best one depends on your specific needs and preferences. No matter your chosen method, you can resize YouTube thumbnails confidently with these tools and techniques.

Also read: