All YouTube dimensions for design and video (2021)

The right YouTube dimensions for your channel!

Have you just started a YouTube channel or do you want to give your channel a fresh new look? Then it is important that you are aware of all the dimensions of YouTube, because there are quite a few. Here is an overview of all YouTube dimensions and formats; from banner to end cards and from YouTube titles to video descriptions.

YOUTUBE BANNER SIZE

Once a viewer lands on your channel, it’s important that your banner immediately reflects what the viewer can expect (think upload schedule, logo, any presenters, etc.). To set up your banner perfectly for the different devices (television, tablet, smartphone), you can find the dimensions below.

PROFILE PICTURE SIZE YOUTUBE

It is important to properly display your brand’s logo for the different devices. To make it fit, it is important that the avatar and therefore the profile picture of your YouTube channel is 800 x 800 px.

LOGO SIZE YOUTUBE

To generate more subscribers and is good for your branding, is to use the watermark. This appears in the bottom right of the screen when your videos start. As soon as you hover your mouse over it (note: desktop only), a subscribe button automatically appears. The size of a watermark is 150 x 150 px.

YOUTUBE THUMBNAIL SIZES

A thumbnail tells directly what a video is about. Therefore, it’s not entirely unimportant to get the most out of this. The ideal resolution of a thumbnail is 1280 x 720 px. Upload your thumbnail in .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG (preferably in PNG) with a maximum of 2MB and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Also make sure you ‘reserve’ a spot for the timecode, so it doesn’t fall over your text in the thumbnail.

YOUTUBE END CARD SIZES

To keep your viewer longer on the platform, it is important that you edit custom end cards of 10-15 seconds behind each video you want to upload. This will ensure that your viewer clicks through to one of your other videos or playlists. YouTube has several standard templates, but below is an example showing the dimensions of the subscribe button, two additional videos and an YouTube bar.

NUMBER IN CHARACTERS IN TITLE

The titles of YouTube videos may consist of one hundred characters. Make sure that the most important subject/keyword is at the front of your title, so that it does not disappear when you watch it on another device. On a laptop, the entire title is visible, while on your smartphone the title is partly lost.

NUMBER IN CHARACTERS IN TAGS

Something that is often forgotten are tags, but tags are crucial for the findability of your videos. YouTube video tags are allowed to consist of 500 characters. Make sure you use at least 300 characters when filling out your tags. This will give enough context to your videos and so to your channel. By the way, make sure all tags are relevant, so if you don’t get further than 300 characters, leave it at that!

NUMBER OF CHARACTERS IN DESCRIPTION

The description is also often not taken seriously, but just like tags, your video description is crucial for SEO optimization and for the findability. The first three lines should consist of a short description of the video in question. Again, make sure that the most important topic/keyword is at the front. The rest of your description consists of a playlist description, channel description and the links to your social. In addition, don’t forget to include a subscriber link in your video description. A lot of information, but the video description should also consist of 5000 characters for a reason!

VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS

Always upload your video as MP4 on YouTube
Ensure a minimum audiovisual duration of 33 seconds
Make sure the aspect ratio is 16:9
Upload your video in a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 for the best results

Are you curious about all the possibilities of YouTube or do you already have a channel that could be more successful? Then contact us right away or request a review.

Want to discover what a YouTube marketing agency can do for you?

Born and raised on YouTube, we’ve developed a unique, data-driven approach to create effective videos. As the second-largest global search engine, tapping into YouTube’s full potential requires more than just uploading videos. A specialized YouTube agency can efficiently navigate this complex platform, ensuring your marketing investment translates into measurable results. Click here to learn more about a YouTube marketing agency.

Written by

  • Yara Mureau

    Account Manager

    Team5pm

    yara@team5pm.com

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