Question about YT video thumbnail | Forums

[Retribution]

it certainly gives you an edge when it stands out, similar to the thumb nail to a track...

Exactly. One of the biggest thing for me when lookin for customs is how enticing the thumbnail represents the track, especially if im not familiar with the creator's work. I know we shouldnt judge a book by its cover, but theres gotta be a good front page to open it up. A catchy phrase is a nice bonus as well, a little sense of humor goes a long way with me, personally.

Also, is there any way i could pick a frame from a video and use it as a thumbnail, or am i only able to take a snapshot and upload it?

[Maka91]

Was going to come in on this, but seems like you guys got it all figured out.

You will need to get "monetized", although you can choose to not have any videos monetized, which you seemed to do. YouTube suggests that if you're not interested in profits, you can donate all your earnings to your favourite charity. Keep in mind that they say this as they take 32% of your earnings as you get them, and they don't pay out until you earn $100 USD, so it's a business for them.

Either way, after getting on track for monetization, you should see an option to see custom thumbnails now, under the typical 3 options which are generated based on changes of colour in frames I think.

And yes, custom thumbnails rock. Ex.

Also, is there any way i could pick a frame from a video and use it as a thumbnail, or am i only able to take a snapshot and upload it?

What I do if I'm interested in choosing my own frame from the video, is open the video editing software (or play the video using QuickTime, VLC, etc...) and pause it on the frame you are interested in using. "PrntScr", and then paste it into MS Paint. Crop out the frame you want, and save the image!

i only have 4 monetised to see how it worked....e.g. 2000 views, 15 subscribers within 1 month pays 50p or 80 cents...roughly calculated..it could be different for every one though..

That seems very low. Subscribers don't help with profit in any way other than registering views. But on average, 2,000 views should get you anywhere from $2.50-$6.00 USD. It depends on a huge amount of factors, so it's hard to say. If you put the time and effort into it, it is possible to see better results than what you've seen though.

[Retribution]

Also, is there any way i could pick a frame from a video and use it as a thumbnail, or am i only able to take a snapshot and upload it?

What I do if I'm interested in choosing my own frame from the video, is open the video editing software (or play the video using QuickTime, VLC, etc...) and pause it on the frame you are interested in using. "PrntScr", and then paste it into MS Paint. Crop out the frame you want, and save the image!

Brilliant! I would have never thought of this. Thanks man, im glad you chimed in on this.

I chose not to monetize my videos because i did not want to drive away all my subscribers with ads cluttering up. I hate those personally so i didnt want to put anyone else through that when viewing my videos. After all, this is an hobby of mine, not a chore for a little allowance.

Thanks again Maka, appreciate it man.

[Morfyboy]

cheers MAKA. i was going to say about the snap shot for the thumbnail...this can really capture a great image, that you totally own.. good look mate with your already brilliant channel..

[shamusmon]

I like to use photshop for my thumbnails to give them the edge instead of just using a screenshot

[morrillo]

Some good info in this thread, thanks guys. Tempted to start shaping some thumbnails now...but defintely no ads for me. Like Retribution said, this is a hobby for me, and I hate adverts.

[sjeffer91]

I usualy use a picture that is related to the track. for example: I used a picture of a library for the track Higher learning, and put a huge TRIALS EVOLUTION on top of it.

[Morfyboy]

I usualy use a picture that is related to the track. for example: I used a picture of a library for the track Higher learning, and put a huge TRIALS EVOLUTION on top of it.

simple but most affective.. the only reason i use pretty outragious ones is because it stands out..