How to Upload Video Clips to YouTube

How It Works

  1. Log into your YouTube account.
  2. In the upper right area of the YouTube window click on the Upload button.


  3. Next you will go to the Video File Upload screen.
  4. Click on the Upload Video button.



  5. The Select file to upload dialogue box will open next.
  6. Navigate to the video file on your computer that you want to upload.
  7. Click ONCE on the video file to select it.



  8. Click on the Open button at the bottom right of the dialog box.



  9. The file will automatically start to upload. You will see a dark blue progress bar move from left to right indicating file upload progress.


  10. When the file has been successfully uploaded in the top left of the window you will see a green circle with a check mark inside it. To the right you will see the word Success.
  11. The uploaded file name will be to the right of the green check circle. This indicates your file has successfully been uploaded to YouTube.



  12. On the right under the word Success you will see the Embed and Sharing Options Link.
  13. Click on this link.



  14. Next the top part of the window will expand downward showing the URL and Embed code.
  15. The URL code may be copied and used to make a link on a website page that will link to the video.
  16. The Embed code may be copied and pasted into any website page enabling the video to actually play on the website page. This is a great feature because it allows you to have a YouTube video that actually runs on the YouTube servers but plays in on your website page.
  17. To create a URL link or Embed the video copy the appropriate code and either incorporate it into your web page yourself or send it to your web developer for inclusion on one of your website pages. Your web developer should know what to do with this code.



  18. In the same window you will see locations where you can enter additional information about your video as shown in the next image.


  19. Title field: enter the video title. This will be displayed as the video's title on your YouTube video channel.
  20. Description: enter the text that describes your video.
  21. Tags: enter good keywords that relate to the video subject. These keywords will be used by Google and other search engines to find your video.
  22. Category: open the drop down menu and select an appropriate category for your video's topic.
  23. Privacy: if you want to share your video openly select the default setting Share your video with the world (recommended).
  24. When done click on the Save Changes button.



  25. To change your video information and access even more options at the top right of the YouTube window and roll your mouse over your channel name (username).
  26. In the next figure the username is van21demo.
  27. A drop down menu will open.
  28. Click on My Videos.



  29. Next you will see a list of uploaded videos that are active on your YouTube channel as shown in the next figure where the video spring poppies is shown.
  30. To edit or add to the video's information click on the Edit button.



  31. You can now edit the information you previously entered or add new information.



  32. Look for the Video Thumbnail title below the Category/Style drop down menu. If you do not see three little thumbnail images click on Video Thumbnail.
  33. This will open a view where you will see three thumbnail images selected at random from your video. Normally the center image will be highlighted in yellow indicating that this is the image that is used to represent your video in video search results as well as in lists of favorites that others may make to your video and also in several locations on your channel. To select a different image click on the thumbnail of your choosing. Note it may take up to six hours for the change to take effect.



  34. When done making your changes click on the Save Changes button.



How to Get to Your YouTube Channel

  1. The internet address to your YouTube channel will be www.youtube.com/ plus your username.
  2. The Internet address (URL) for the example channel Van21demo shown in the next image as www.youtube.com/van21demo. In this example the channel username is Van21demo.



  3. To get to your channel just enter the URL (Internet address) to your YouTube channel in any browser address field and hit the Enter key to go to your YouTube channel.