Whether you're just starting a YouTube channel or have taken the first few steps, this section is designed to equip you with the essential knowledge to get your journey on YouTube off to a successful start. Here's what you can expect:
Setting up a YouTube channel, including creating a Google account and customising your channel's appearance.
Choosing a niche and identifying your target audience.
Understanding the various types of YouTube content.
Learning the video creation basics, such as the best formats, sizes, and aspect ratios for different types of videos.
Starting your Channel
Choosing a Niche
Types of YouTube Content
Video Creation & Essential Equipment
Optimising Your Videos
Subscriber: People who like your channel enough to get updates when you upload new videos. They can interact with your videos by commenting, sharing, or liking/disliking them.
YouTube Channel: Your own space on YouTube where you can upload and share videos for free. You need a Google account to create one. People can subscribe to your channel to see when you upload new videos.
YouTube Studio: A free tool that shows you detailed information about your YouTube channel, like how your videos are doing and how many subscribers you have.
YouTube Video ID: Every video you upload gets a unique code called a Video ID. This makes it easy to share and find specific videos.
Description: The text under your video where you can share extra information about the video. You could include links, social media profiles, or anything else that might interest your viewers.
Hashtags: Clickable keywords that help people find videos on certain topics. You can use them in your video's description or comments to get more views.
Private Video: Only certain people you choose can watch. It won't show up in YouTube search results.
Unlisted Video: Your video won't appear on your channel or through search, but anyone with the link can view it.
View: A count of how many times a video has been watched. It can help you figure out how popular a video is.
Audience Retention: The percentage of a video people tend to watch. It can help you see how engaging your video is.
Average Percentage Viewed (APV): This shows what part of your video, on average, people are watching. It's found by dividing the total watch time by the total number of views. The higher your APV, the more your video is keeping people's attention.
Engagement: Shows how much people interact with your videos. More likes, comments, and shares mean YouTube might suggest your video to more people.
Impressions: How often people see a thumbnail of your video in places like YouTube search results or recommended videos.
Watch Time: The total time people have spent watching your video or channel. The longer people watch, the more YouTube might suggest your video to others.
Once your channel is up and running, it's time to give it some personality. Setting up a profile picture and banner helps to define your brand identity.
Once you've completed the steps below it should look something like this:
Ensure your channel name and description are representative of the content you produce.
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Basic info' from the left-hand menu
Enter your new channel name and description
Click 'Publish'
Translating your channel name and description helps your videos reach a global audience.
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Basic info > ADD LANGUAGE' from the left-hand menu
Select the Original language, then select the Translation language
Enter the translations for your channel name and description
Click 'Done'
Your channel URL uses your unique channel ID and is visible under 'Customisation > Basic info'.
A handle is a unique identifier that helps establish your distinct presence on YouTube.
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Basic info' from the left-hand menu
Under 'Handle', you can view or change your handle
If you change your handle, click 'Publish' to confirm it
Adding site links to your banner image allows you to engage your viewers further.
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Basic info' from the left-hand menu
Click 'Add link' and enter the title and URL of your site
Select 'Links on banner' and choose which links you'd like to display
Click 'Publish'
Adding contact information lets others know how to contact you for business inquiries.
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Basic info' from the left-hand menu
Enter your email at the bottom
Click 'Publish'
A channel trailer previews your content, enabling viewers to understand what your channel offers. You can set a specific video as your channel trailer through the following steps:
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Layout' from left-hand menu
Under 'Video Spotlight', click 'ADD' and select a video for your channel trailer
Click 'Publish'
Feature a specific video on your YouTube channel's homepage for your returning subscribers:
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Layout' from the left-hand menu
Under 'Video Spotlight', click 'ADD' and select a video to feature
Click 'Publish'
You can customise the layout of your channel homepage with up to 12 sections:
Sign in to YouTube Studio
Select 'Customisation > Layout' from the left-hand menu
At the bottom, click 'ADD SECTION' and select your content type (videos, playlists, memberships, or channels)
Click 'Publish'
Regular videos are what most people think of when they consider YouTube content. These are pre-recorded, edited, and uploaded to your channel. They can be as short as a few seconds or as long as several hours. Regular videos offer the most creative control, as you can plan, shoot, and edit them to your liking.
A standard aspect ration of 16:9.
If your video has a different aspect ration, the player will automatically change to the ideal size to match your video and the viewer's device.
Up to 15 minutes long if unverified.
Increase up to a maximum of 12 hours of 256GB file size (whichever is less) if verified.
YouTube Shorts, a recent addition to the platform, are vertical videos up to 60 seconds long. They're designed for quick, on-the-go viewing and are especially popular among the mobile audience. Shorts can be an excellent way to reach new viewers if you have short, engaging content to share.
YouTube Shorts are short-form, vertical video content.
Filmed or edited on a smartphone using the YouTube app.
Up to 60 seconds or less in length.
You can create a separate channel for Shorts, or house them on your main channel.
A built-in library of music from major labels (including Warner, Sony, and Universal.)
Live streams are real-time broadcasts allowing you to interact directly with your audience. They're great for Q&As, events, or simply hanging out with your viewers. Remember, though, live streams are live - any mistakes are out there for everyone to see, and you'll need to be able to handle spontaneous interactions.
You must be verified to use them.
You must have at least 50 subscribers to go live on mobile. There is no requirement for computers.
Your stream can be uploaded as a regular video to your channel once complete.
You can capture short sections of your stream and post it to your channel as breakout content.
This specialist format provides viewers with the liberty to select their perspective. These formats, often termed as immersive, panoramic, or spherical videos, position the viewer right in the middle of the action, fostering a feeling of "being present".
Upload on computers in Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge and Opera browsers.
Watch on the YouTube app or on the YouTube VR app available on most VR headsets.
Requires specialist cameras and advanced editing software to create.
Getting into video creation might feel like plunging into a sea of technical jargon and complicated settings.
Don’t panic — here's your primer on video formats, quality settings, and the essential equipment you'll need.
Let's start with file types, codecs, and containers, the building blocks of any video file.
File types are usually identified by the extension at the end of a file name (.mp4, .mov, .avi, etc.). These extensions are tied to what's known as a container. Containers determine how the video data is organised and what data types (audio, metadata, subtitles, etc.) it can hold.
Then we have codecs, short for compressor-decompressor. Codecs are the technology used to compress and decompress video and audio data. Different codecs provide different balances between file size and video quality.
Generally speaking, the smaller you make your video file size, the lower quality it will be.
Two standard file formats for YouTube are .MP4 and .MOV.
.MP4, with the H.264 codec, is widely recommended for its balance between quality and file size. It's compatible with all major devices and platforms and supports various resolutions and aspect ratios.
.MOV, the default format for Apple's QuickTime player, provides high quality but results in larger file sizes. It's great if you need high-quality footage but might encounter issues outside Apple devices.
Each format has its pros and cons. The key is to choose the one that suits your needs regarding quality, file size and works with your set-up. .MOV will allow for higher quality, while .MP4 will provide more flexibility.
When we talk about the size of a video, we're referring to its resolution. The images on your screen are made up of thousands of little dots called Pixels. The resolution is the number of pixels displayed on the screen, usually written as width x height. For example, Full HD videos have a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, meaning they are 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels long.
YouTube supports a wide range of resolutions, from 360p (a lower quality, smaller size) to 8K (ultra-high quality, massive size). Full HD (1080p) or 4K (3840x2160) balances quality and file size for most creators.
Rather than referring to the exact amount of pixels on display, which can vary, the shape of a video will be called an aspect ratio. This is a basic formula to say how many pixels there will be for the width and the height. 
Example: 1920 x 1080 has an aspect ratio of 16:9. This is because, for every 16 pixels you have along the width, there will be 9 pixels going up the height. A square video has an aspect ratio of 1:1 — for every pixel going along the width, there will be one pixel going up the height.
The 16:9 aspect ratio, the standard widescreen format, is like a panoramic photo frame. It works great for sweeping landscapes or scenes with lots of action spread across the frame, and it's the go-to choice for desktop or TV viewing.
A 9:16 aspect ratio, which is just a rotated 16:9 frame, is your vertical video format for mobile viewers. It fills up the entire smartphone screen held upright, making it immersive and more engaging for viewers on mobile devices.
Experimenting with aspect ratios can dramatically change the look and feel of your video. For instance, a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio can give your video a retro look, or you might crop your video to an ultra-wide aspect ratio like 2.35:1 for a cinematic feel.
The funny thing about video is it is actually just a series of still images, played so fast that your eye can’t detect the pauses, and so it appears to be in motion. The number of images used to make up a video is called the frame rate. The number of images in a single second of video is called frames per second (fps).
Standard frame rates are 24, 30, or 60 fps.
24fps: The standard for films. Operating at a lower number of frames creates that slight choppiness and motion blur that most people recognise as looking ‘cinematic’.
30fps: Historically the default frame rate for American TV shows, although as TV shows have grown in quality and standing, many will now shoot in 24fps to create a more filmic look. Soap operas and other similar shows often maintain 30fps, though.
60fps: Great for high-motion footage, such as sporting events. Overall this footage is much smoother and lacks motion blur, so is great for videos where someone needs to follow along with the action, such as keeping an eye on the ball as it moves around the field.
Explore the differences between framerates here: https://frames-per-second.appspot.com
While top-notch equipment can enhance video quality, don't fret if you're on a budget. Here's some essential, affordable equipment that can still result in great videos:
A clear and well-shot video can make your audience feel like they're with you. But it's about more than just resolution or high-definition. A good camera also captures colours accurately, performs well under different lighting conditions, and allows you to control the focus, creating a depth of field that can make your videos more cinematic.
A good starter camera is your smartphone. Modern smartphones often have excellent cameras that can shoot in high definition. If you're ready to upgrade, the Canon EOS M50 Mark II or Sony ZV-E1 are great beginner-friendly options.
While a video is often seen first, it's heard just as much, so let’s discuss microphones. The microphone is your voice in every video. Poor audio quality can be distracting or even off-putting to viewers.
It's essential to have clear and crisp audio to keep your audience engaged and make your videos enjoyable to watch. Different microphones can also add a different texture to your sound, improving your video's overall mood and feel.
USB microphones like the Audio-Technica ATR2100x or the Blue Yeti offer solid performance without breaking the bank. If you're shooting on your phone, consider a lavalier mic like the Rode SmartLav+ for better audio quality.
Lighting is your best friend in setting the mood and atmosphere for your videos. It's like the weather of your video – it can change the whole vibe of your scene. Good lighting enhances the video quality, showcases the subject properly, and can dramatically improve the look and feel of your video. It can distinguish between a scene that looks drab and flat and one that looks vibrant and dynamic.
Good lighting can make a significant difference in video quality. Start with natural light if possible. A basic ring light or softbox kit can work wonders if you're shooting indoors.
But let's remember, expensive gear is just a tool. And like any tool, it's only as good as the person who wields it. In the end, it's the skill and creativity of the artist that counts.
So, start with more affordable equipment and master your craft first. Learn the basics of framing, working with light, and capturing clear, clean audio. As your skills grow, your tools can grow with you.
Focus first on what you're creating, then worry about upgrading your gear. As the saying goes, "The best camera is the one you have with you." So start shooting, start creating, and let your journey as a YouTuber unfold.
Titles should be engaging and intriguing, and give an idea of what the video is about without being clickbait-y. Descriptions can provide more context and include relevant keywords, links to your social media, or calls to action like "Subscribe!"
You can follow the following best practices to improve results:
For the video description, you can follow these best practices to improve results:
Tags are another way to help YouTube understand your content and show it in relevant searches. Use both specific and broad tags related to your video topic.
For tags, you can follow these best practices to improve results:
To summarise, in this volume, you should have gained a solid understanding of the basics of YouTube, including:
Setting up a YouTube channel, including creating a Google account and customising your channel's appearance.
Choosing a niche and identifying your target audience.
Understanding the various types of YouTube content.
Learning the video creation basics, such as the best formats, sizes, and aspect ratios for different types of videos.
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Establish what you want to achieve as a creator or a company.
Techniques for promoting your videos on other platforms and converting followers into YouTube subscribers.
The importance of maintaining consistency in uploading videos and engaging with your audience regularly.
Advanced strategies for channel growth, such as understanding YouTube analytics, A/B testing, and collaboration.
Increasing income sources through sponsorships, merchandise sales, and offering digital products or services.
How to take your brand beyond YouTube by exploring opportunities like podcasting, writing a book, or starting a separate business.
