How to Upload an HD Video to YouTube

Uploading the Video

1. Verify your YouTube account (optional). If you have not verified your account, you can only upload videos that are a maximum length of 15 minutes with a maximum size of 20GB. Verified accounts can upload videos that are up to 12 hours long and 128 GB in size. Use the followings steps to verify your account, if you have not already done so:

   1. Go to https://www.youtube.com/verify in a web browser.
   2. Select your country.
   3. Select the option to receive a phone call or text message.
   4. Enter your phone number and click Submit.
   5. Wait for the phone call or text message.
   6. Enter the 6-digit verification code in YouTube verification page and click Submit.

2. Go to https://www.youtube.com in a web browser. This is the website for YouTube.

   1. If you are not signed in automatically, click Sign In in the upper-right corner. Select your YouTube account and enter your password to sign in. If you don't see your YouTube account listed, click Use another account and enter the email address and password associated with your YouTube account.

3. Click the icon that resembles a camera with a plus sign (+) in the center. It's in the top-right corner of the page. A menu will expand.

4. Click Upload video. It's the first item in the drop-down menu.

5. Click Select File. It's the blue button in the center of the screen. This opens your computer's file browser.

   1. You can also drag and drop a video in the center of the window.

6. Select the video and click Open. The video will begin uploading to YouTube.

7. Enter a title for the video. By default, the file name will be the title of the video. If you want to give it a different name, you can type it under the box labeled "Title".

8. Enter a description of the video. Use the box labeled "Description" to type a brief description of the video.

9. Select a video thumbnail. After the video is done processing, this step will be available. This is a still from the video that will display as the video's thumbnail when your video appears is a video search.

   1. You can also click the Upload thumbnail box and select a custom thumbnail to upload.

10. Select if the video is for kids or not. YouTube now requires you to select the audience the video was made for. If the video was made for kids, tick "Yes, it's made for kids.". If it's not made for kids, tick "No, it's not made for kids."

    1. In order to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), YouTube requires you to set the audience for each video you upload. If a video is marked as "Made for kid" features such as personalized ads, comments, info cards, and end screens will not be available. YouTube may set the audience settings for videos that are marked incorrectly. Intentionally marking videos incorrectly may result in consequences from YouTube. ^[6]

11. Set an age restriction (optional). If your video has content that may be inappropriate for kids, you can click Age Restriction (Advanced) and then tick Yes, restrict my video to viewers over 18 only.

12. Click More Options (Optional). The More Options button at the bottom of the page displays more settings for your video. You can find the following options under "More Options:"

    1. Paid Promotions: If your video has paid promotions, tick "This video contains paid promotion like a product placement or endorsement." You can then tick the option if you want to add a message to inform viewers of paid promotions.
    2. Tags: Tags are keywords that users type in the search bar to display your video in a search. Type any tags you want to be associated with your video in the box below "Tags."
    3. Language, subtitles, closed captions (CC): Use the drop-down menu to select a language for your video. After you select a language, you can select a caption certification, and even upload a subtitles script file, if you have one.
    4. Recording date and location: If you want the video to include the recording date and location, use the boxes below "Recording date and location" to select a date and enter a location.
    5. License and Distribution: Here you have the option to select the Standard YouTube License or the Creative Commons License. You also have the option to allow embedding and publish to subscriptions feed.
    6. Category: Here you can select a category for the video and enter information related to the video
    7. Comments and Ratings: Use the drop-down menu to select if you want to allow all comments, hold inappropriate comments for review, hold all comments for review, or disable comments. You can also select if you want the comments to be sorted by top comments or the newest comments.

13. Click Next. It's the blue button in the lower-right corner.

14. Add end screens or cards (Optional). You can use end screens and cards to promote related content during and after your video. To add an end screen or card, click Add to the right of "Add and end screen" or "Add Cards". To enter the video card editor. Follow the instructions to add cards to your video.

    1. To return to YouTube Studio from the video card editor, click Return to YouTube Studio in the upper-right corner.

15. Set your video visibility. This sets who is allowed to view your video and how easy it is to find. To set your video visibility, click Publish Now. Then tick one of the following:

    1. Public: This allows anyone to search and view your video.
    2. Unlisted: This only allows those with a link to view your video.
    3. Private: This only allows those you choose to view your video.

16. Schedule a publish date (optional). You have the option to set when you want the video to be published. To schedule a publish date, click Schedule and then use the drop-down boxes to select the date and time you want the video to be published. Then click Schedule in the lower-right corner.

17. Click Done. It's the blue button in the lower-right corner. This saves your video settings. Your video will be published immediately, or at the time you schedule for it to publish. You will then be presented with a window that gives you the option to share your video on social media.

    1. If the video displays in a lower resolution, click the gear icon at its bottom-right side, click the Quality drop-down, then select a higher resolution. The video may appear at a lower resolution until it is completely done processing.
    2. If the quality of the video is not what you expected, it could be the result of a poor internet connection.