16 YouTube Settings EVERYONE Should CHANGE NOW

Summary

This video covers 16 essential YouTube settings that can significantly impact your video’s success. It explains how to optimize settings for visibility, AI-generated content, legal requirements for kids’ content, subscriber notifications, scheduling, pay promotions, and more. The video stresses the importance of scheduling uploads to match viewer activity, proper moderation of comments, and using tools like video chapters, end screens, and A/B thumbnail testing. It also highlights the Creative Commons license, YouTube’s categorization, and the importance of transparency in sponsored content. The video concludes with strategies to enhance viewer engagement and video performance on YouTube.

Takeaways

• 😀 Set your video visibility to 'Private' initially to allow YouTube time to process the video and ensure higher quality and copyright checks.
• 😀 If you're using AI-generated content, always read and answer the 'altered content' question to avoid penalties like demonetization or content removal.
• 😀 Be honest about whether your content is made for kids, as misclassification can lead to penalties or even FTC involvement.
• 😀 Consider whether to notify subscribers when a video goes live. In rare cases, you may want to turn it off to avoid sending bad signals to YouTube's algorithm.
• 😀 Use the scheduled publishing feature to release videos at optimal times based on audience activity, ideally 2–3 hours before peak engagement.
• 😀 Always declare paid promotions in your videos to maintain credibility and follow legal requirements.
• 😀 Avoid using automatic video chapters, as they can sometimes be inaccurate. Manually adding chapters provides better control and improves viewer experience.
• 😀 While YouTube categories help with video discovery, they are not as important as metadata like title, description, and tags.
• 😀 Be cautious with experimental settings like 'Automatic Places' and 'Automatic Concepts,' as they may not be fully functional or might impact viewer experience.
• 😀 Use the 'Creative Commons' license cautiously, as it allows others to freely use your content, potentially leading to wider exposure but without direct control over the use of your material.

Q & A

Why should you set your video to 'Private' instead of 'Public' right after uploading?

Setting your video to 'Private' allows YouTube to process it properly, check for copyright issues, and optimize the quality before making it publicly visible. This ensures the best viewing experience for your audience.

What is the importance of answering the 'Altered Content' question correctly when using AI-generated content?

Answering the 'Altered Content' question correctly ensures that YouTube can appropriately label your video. Incorrect answers can result in penalties, such as demonetization or even video removal.

What are the implications of labeling a video as 'Made for Kids'?

Labeling a video as 'Made for Kids' disables certain features such as comments, cards, and end screens. It's crucial to label your video accurately to avoid penalties, including legal action from the FTC.

When should you consider turning off subscriber notifications for a video?

You should consider turning off notifications if the video isn't targeted at your core audience, such as when uploading a channel trailer or a video that may not resonate with most of your subscribers.

How can scheduling your video release time help improve its performance?

Scheduling videos to go public at specific times based on when your audience is most active can lead to more views and better engagement. This can be determined through YouTube analytics or audience behavior patterns.

Why is it advised to avoid using the automatic chapter feature on YouTube?

Automatic chapters may not be accurate and could negatively impact video quality. Manually creating chapters ensures they are relevant and helpful to viewers, improving engagement and retention.

What role do YouTube categories play in video discoverability?

Categories are meant to help YouTube understand the type of content, but their actual impact on video discoverability is minimal. It's better to focus on metadata like titles and descriptions for search optimization.

What is the potential risk of using automatic settings like 'Automatic Places' and 'Automatic Concepts'?

Automatic settings might add irrelevant or confusing content to your video description, which could affect viewer experience. It's best to turn these settings off unless you are familiar with their effects.

What is the Creative Commons license and how does it impact your video?

The Creative Commons license allows others to freely use your video without asking for permission, potentially expanding its reach. However, it means relinquishing some control over how your content is used.

How does enabling the 'Shorts Remix' setting benefit creators?

Enabling 'Shorts Remix' allows YouTube Shorts creators to use snippets of your content, which can help increase your video’s visibility and engagement on the Shorts platform while keeping all actions within YouTube.