[Updated] Become a YouTube Visionary with These Production Insights

[Updated] Become a YouTube Visionary with These Production Insights

Kevin Lv12

Become a YouTube Visionary with These Production Insights

How to Make YouTube Video author avatar

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding the audience for short videos you create, sharing your knowledge of publicizing the music you create has become a much simpler and cheaper process in the last fourteen years. ‘Everyone deserves a voice’ is one of the core values that motivates the founders of YouTube to continue developing the world’s largest video sharing platform. So if you are looking for your own voice, but you’re not really sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place, because in this article we are going to show you how to make attention-grabbing YouTube videos that are going to attract a huge audience.

Preparation Stage: Getting Ready to Make a YouTube Video

Achieving success on YouTube may only seem easy before you realize how much time and effort it takes to run a successful YouTube channel. Making a YouTube video isn’t much different than making any other type of short or feature film as you have to go through the same stages of the video production process. Everything, including creating YouTube videos starts with an idea, so let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take before you actually start recording your first YouTube video.

1. Start a YouTube Channel

The journey towards success begins with seemingly small and insignificant steps. Creating a YouTube channel is exactly that, a step, without which you won’t be able to become a YouTuber. All you have to do in order to create a channel on YouTube is sign in to the platform using your Google account and then head over to the Settings menu. Click on the Create a new channel option and then pick a name for your Brand channel . Dedicate some extra time to the process of selecting a name for the channel, because that is the first thing your potential followers are going to notice. The platform lets you start as many as fifty channels with one Gmail ID, and as your channels grow, you can add multiple managers to each channel you’ve started. Click on the Create button when you’re done and that’s it you’re now a proud owner of a YouTube channel.

We have summarized some tips and tricks for creating a YouTube channel account , hope that will help you to create a channel more easily.

2. Choose a Niche and Craft a Video Content Strategy

Devising a plan before you start producing content you are going to share on YouTube is going to give you a sense of direction, since there are so many different types of videos that can attract a large audience. Try to imagine your ideal YouTube follower, and then think about what they are interested in or how you can generate value for them through the content you post on your channel. Attempting to cover a broad spectrum of topics usually doesn’t produce the best results, so instead, you should focus on a specific subject and do your best to offer a unique perspective to your viewers on that subject. More importantly, you need to choose the themes for your videos that are relevant to the audience you would like to reach. Gaming, tutorials, beauty or comedy videos are just a few of the most popular genres of videos on YouTube, although which niche you’re going to pick ultimately depends on your personal interests and reasons why you chose to become a YouTuber in the first place.

Additionally, you should follow the hottest trends on the Internet so that you can find out which topics are drawing the most attention at the moment. Don’t let all these questions trouble you, simply choose a niche in which you feel the most comfortable in and start shooting. Keep a watchful eye on how your followers respond to the videos you share on your channel as time goes on and remain open to new ideas or collaborations.

3. Secure a Fresh Supply of YouTube Video Ideas

Defining your niche is just a beginning because you have to keep producing your videos at a steady pace. Most YouTube experts say that sharing new content at least once a week is necessary if you want to gather a large group of followers on your channel. Consequently, you’ll need a constant supply of ideas for new videos that cover topics your audience is interested in. A simple search on YouTube can help you discover the videos on the platform that have the most views. This should give you a pretty good idea which types of videos are the most popular at the moment and what viewers want to see the most.

Reading the comments section below a YouTube video can be a great way to discover new ideas since viewers often ask questions or search for advice on very specific aspects of the topic that particular video is covering. Moreover, YouTube isn’t the only destination on the Internet where you can find inspiration for your next video since there are countless groups and communities where you can come across interesting topics for your next video.

4. Get the Right Video and Audio Recording Equipment

The list of audio and video recording gear you’re going to need to create a YouTube video depends on the type of video you’re trying to make. Gamers who want to record gameplay and post it on their YouTube channel only need a screen capturing software or a capture card and a microphone. The list of equipment is a bit longer for YouTubers interested in the production of vlogs, comedy or review videos since they are going to need a camera or a Smartphone capable of recording videos at high resolutions, lighting equipment, tripods, steady cams, microphones. If you would like to learn more about the pieces of equipment you are going to need while recording a YouTube video, check our picks of the YouTube Video Shooting Equipment List .

Production Stage: Recording a YouTube Video

After you’ve successfully completed the preparation stage it is time to start getting ready for the next step of the process of making a YouTube video. However, you can’t just pick up a camera and start randomly shooting unrelated scenes, instead, you should follow the steps below that make the production of a video much less complicated.

1. Write a Script and Make a Shooting Schedule

Write down all of your ideas for your next video prior to shooting the first shot of that video. A script can be particularly useful if the video you’re planning on making involves a lot of narration since you’ll always know what to say next. Furthermore, you don’t have to record the entire video on the same day, and you have the freedom to plan when and where you are going to record each scene you want to include in the video.

2. Set a Scene

You control what the viewers of your YouTube video are going to see. That’s why you have to choose your shooting locations carefully and to hand-pick each prop that is going to be visible in the shot. Avoid shooting in messy rooms, because the items in the background are going to distract the viewer and reduce the quality of your videos.

3. Pick the Best Camera Positions

Once you know where and when you are going to shoot your video, you should start planning your shots. Most YouTube videos are recorded from a single camera position, but you can also experiment with different shot angles if it helps you to tell the story of the video. Don’t put the actors near direct sources of light like windows or lamps because if you do so you can easily end up ruining the shot.

4. Make Sure that You Have Enough Light in The Shot

Natural sources of light are often not enough to light a scene properly, because the amount of available light you’ll have at your disposal can change in a few minutes. That’s why nearly all YouTubers use lighting kits that enable them to control the amount of light in the shot at any moment.

5. Bonus: Making YouTube Videos Without a Camera

In case using video and audio recording equipment is a bit too technical for you, there is a simple alternative solution since you can capture all activities on your computer’s screen with software products such as Filmora or OBS Studio. This is an excellent option for gamers who want to record gameplay of their favorite video games or skilled educators that would like to share their knowledge and show others how to use a piece of software or perform any other computer-based task.

Besides screencasting, you can also assemble existing footage from old TV shows, movies or cartoons to make a YouTube video. You don’t have to worry about copyright infringements, as long as the footage you’re using is within the public domain. However, if you accidentally end up using footage without permission it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to file a lawsuit, but your video may be removed from your YouTube channel if someone reports that you’ve used footage without the permission from its owners.

Postproduction Stage: Editing the Footage You Recorded

Before you can share the video clips you recorded with a camera, Smartphone or a screencasting software, you should edit them first. Choosing video editing software isn’t always easy since there are so many different options that enable you to perform both basic and advanced video editing tasks. You can check our recommendations about some of the best video editing software for YouTube videos, in case you are still looking for a video editor that is best suited for the price range you’ve had in mind or your skill level. You should choose a video editing app that you feel the most comfortable using since you are going to spend a lot of time editing videos with it.

The video editing techniques you will utilize during the process of piecing together a YouTube video depend on a number of factors that range from the genre of the video to its visual style. However, trimming or cutting the footage, creating opening titles and end credits are among the most common video editing actions you will have to perform on each new project. Mastering these basic video editing techniques is essential for the success of your videos on YouTube since it will enable you to quickly trim a video clip by dragging one of its ends in an inward or outward direction or remove a portion of a clip you don’t want to feature in the final cut of the video from the timeline.

Hard cuts can at times disrupt the flow of a video, but you can easily fix this by adding a transition between two clips. What’s more, nearly all video editing software products on the market come bundled with rich visual and audio effects libraries that make the color grading or audio editing process much faster. Adding opening titles, lower thirds or any other image overlay can help you introduce the characters in the video to the audience, inform the audience about important aspects of the topic you’re covering or summarize the key points of the video.

Creating a soundtrack is also a vital step of the video editing process that largely influences the quality of the final video. That’s why the narration or the dialogues must be recorded professionally since even the slightest background noise can distract the viewer. Whether or not you are going to add music to a video, depends on the type of project you’re working on. Video editing software products like Filmora have their own royalty free music libraries that offer songs from Rock or Electronic and numerous other genres.

When you complete the video editing process, you should export the video to a folder on your hard drive or directly to your YouTube channel if the video editing app you’ve chosen provides that option. How long the rendering of a video is going to take depends on your computer’s processing power, video’s length, and the output resolution.

Adding/Uploading Videos to Your YouTube Channel

As we already noted you can either upload a video to YouTube directly from a video editing software or from a hard drive after the rendering process is completed. You can upload videos with 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios to your channel, and the platform support videos in resolutions up to 8K. The minimum length of a YouTube video is 33 seconds while a video’s maximum length cannot exceed the twelve-hour limit. The file’s size can’t be larger than 128GB while the frame rates can go as high as 60fps. If you need to edit the uploaded and published YouTube videos, you can check our tips about editing existing YouTube videos , and you can check out our guide about how to make money on YouTube if you would like to learn more about account monetization.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

1. Optimize Your Content for YouTube Searches

Every bit of information you add to the video increases its visibility on the platform. Even the name of the file you’re uploading to your channel should contain a keyword, and once the upload is completed you should add a title, description, and metadata if you would like to increase the video’s visibility on the platform. It is vital to select your YouTube SEO strategy before you actually start adding new videos to your strategy. In case you’re not familiar with the concept of search engine optimization for YouTube, you can find everything you need to know about YouTube SEO in our guide.

2. Create Visually Captivating Thumbnails and End Screen Elements

A thumbnail is usually a snapshot of a frame from a video, you’ve created during the video editing process or any other still image that suggests what the video is about. A small thing like adding a thumbnail to a YouTube video can increase both the number of views and the number of likes that video is getting. In addition, YouTube’s video editor enables you to add end screens that last anywhere between five and twenty seconds to your videos, but keep in mind that the video must be at least 25 seconds long to have an end screen. There are a number of fully customizable templates available that can be uses to promote your upcoming videos or to invite viewers to subscribe to your channel.

Wanna making YouTube thumbnail yourself? Check some of the best YouTube thumbnail makers list.

3. Publish, Interact and Share

YouTube lets you keep your videos private until you are ready to make them public. Once you decide to make a video available to all YouTube users, you should share it on social media like Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr. Furthermore, embedding a YouTube video on your blog or website can drastically increase the number of views it’s getting. The YouTube Analytics tool is designed to help you track the metrics that indicate how well your video is performing. Don’t know which analytics tools should use? Check our picks of some useful YouTube Analytics Tools to learn how to analyze your video.

How to Make YouTube Videos from a Mac or PC Computer?

Even though you can use almost any video editing software to edit a YouTube video, we recommend trying a versatile video editing app like Filmora to edit videos on Windows PC and Mac which offers both basic and advanced video editing features. Creating a video in Filmora doesn’t require a developed set of video editing skills, since all of the tools and options the editor offers are remarkably easy to use.

When you are ready to start a new project you should simply launch the software, and once the new project loads, you should head over to the File menu and select the Project Settings option that lets you set the resolution, aspect ratio and the frame rate of the video. Proceed to import the footage into the project by selecting one of the available options in the Import drop-down menu or by simply dragging the media assets from a folder on your hard drive and dropping them to the Filmora’s Media Panel. In case you don’t have your own audio and video footage you can download videos, music, visual and audio effects from a stock footage website like Filmstock effects store . Filmora also offers screen casting features, so you can easily record gameplay, show viewers how to use a software or capture any other type of activity on your computer’s screen.

Add each media asset you want to include in the final cut of the video to the timeline and then proceed to remove all unwanted parts of the video and audio clips from the timeline using the Cut or Trim options. Filmora offers rich transitions and visual effects libraries you can use to make the cuts between shot smoother or enhance the colors in the video clips you’re editing. Furthermore, the editor lets you take snapshots of any frame in video clips you’ve placed on the timeline in a single click which can be quite useful if you want to create a thumbnail for your YouTube video. Creating the opening titles, end credits or adding different image overlays to a video is a straight forward process since you just have to select the option that fits the style of the video you’re creating and add it to the timeline. Once you’ve completed the video editing process, you can click on the Export button and decide if you want to export a video directly to your YouTube channel or to a destination on your hard drive.

New to Filmora? Check our beginner guide about How to Edit Videos in Filmora in details or check the quick video tutorial below to find out more details.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Conclusion

Becoming a successful YouTuber requires a lot of dedication and hard work, so if at first, you don’t succeed, you should be patient and persistent. In time, as your channel grows, you will be able to monetize your videos, but only if you keep producing new content at a steady pace. Each step of the YouTube creation process is equally important, and you should dedicate an equal amount of attention to recording high-quality footage, editing, and promotion of the content you share on your YouTube channel. Was this article helpful? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and experiences with us.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding the audience for short videos you create, sharing your knowledge of publicizing the music you create has become a much simpler and cheaper process in the last fourteen years. ‘Everyone deserves a voice’ is one of the core values that motivates the founders of YouTube to continue developing the world’s largest video sharing platform. So if you are looking for your own voice, but you’re not really sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place, because in this article we are going to show you how to make attention-grabbing YouTube videos that are going to attract a huge audience.

Preparation Stage: Getting Ready to Make a YouTube Video

Achieving success on YouTube may only seem easy before you realize how much time and effort it takes to run a successful YouTube channel. Making a YouTube video isn’t much different than making any other type of short or feature film as you have to go through the same stages of the video production process. Everything, including creating YouTube videos starts with an idea, so let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take before you actually start recording your first YouTube video.

1. Start a YouTube Channel

The journey towards success begins with seemingly small and insignificant steps. Creating a YouTube channel is exactly that, a step, without which you won’t be able to become a YouTuber. All you have to do in order to create a channel on YouTube is sign in to the platform using your Google account and then head over to the Settings menu. Click on the Create a new channel option and then pick a name for your Brand channel . Dedicate some extra time to the process of selecting a name for the channel, because that is the first thing your potential followers are going to notice. The platform lets you start as many as fifty channels with one Gmail ID, and as your channels grow, you can add multiple managers to each channel you’ve started. Click on the Create button when you’re done and that’s it you’re now a proud owner of a YouTube channel.

We have summarized some tips and tricks for creating a YouTube channel account , hope that will help you to create a channel more easily.

2. Choose a Niche and Craft a Video Content Strategy

Devising a plan before you start producing content you are going to share on YouTube is going to give you a sense of direction, since there are so many different types of videos that can attract a large audience. Try to imagine your ideal YouTube follower, and then think about what they are interested in or how you can generate value for them through the content you post on your channel. Attempting to cover a broad spectrum of topics usually doesn’t produce the best results, so instead, you should focus on a specific subject and do your best to offer a unique perspective to your viewers on that subject. More importantly, you need to choose the themes for your videos that are relevant to the audience you would like to reach. Gaming, tutorials, beauty or comedy videos are just a few of the most popular genres of videos on YouTube, although which niche you’re going to pick ultimately depends on your personal interests and reasons why you chose to become a YouTuber in the first place.

Additionally, you should follow the hottest trends on the Internet so that you can find out which topics are drawing the most attention at the moment. Don’t let all these questions trouble you, simply choose a niche in which you feel the most comfortable in and start shooting. Keep a watchful eye on how your followers respond to the videos you share on your channel as time goes on and remain open to new ideas or collaborations.

3. Secure a Fresh Supply of YouTube Video Ideas

Defining your niche is just a beginning because you have to keep producing your videos at a steady pace. Most YouTube experts say that sharing new content at least once a week is necessary if you want to gather a large group of followers on your channel. Consequently, you’ll need a constant supply of ideas for new videos that cover topics your audience is interested in. A simple search on YouTube can help you discover the videos on the platform that have the most views. This should give you a pretty good idea which types of videos are the most popular at the moment and what viewers want to see the most.

Reading the comments section below a YouTube video can be a great way to discover new ideas since viewers often ask questions or search for advice on very specific aspects of the topic that particular video is covering. Moreover, YouTube isn’t the only destination on the Internet where you can find inspiration for your next video since there are countless groups and communities where you can come across interesting topics for your next video.

4. Get the Right Video and Audio Recording Equipment

The list of audio and video recording gear you’re going to need to create a YouTube video depends on the type of video you’re trying to make. Gamers who want to record gameplay and post it on their YouTube channel only need a screen capturing software or a capture card and a microphone. The list of equipment is a bit longer for YouTubers interested in the production of vlogs, comedy or review videos since they are going to need a camera or a Smartphone capable of recording videos at high resolutions, lighting equipment, tripods, steady cams, microphones. If you would like to learn more about the pieces of equipment you are going to need while recording a YouTube video, check our picks of the YouTube Video Shooting Equipment List .

Production Stage: Recording a YouTube Video

After you’ve successfully completed the preparation stage it is time to start getting ready for the next step of the process of making a YouTube video. However, you can’t just pick up a camera and start randomly shooting unrelated scenes, instead, you should follow the steps below that make the production of a video much less complicated.

1. Write a Script and Make a Shooting Schedule

Write down all of your ideas for your next video prior to shooting the first shot of that video. A script can be particularly useful if the video you’re planning on making involves a lot of narration since you’ll always know what to say next. Furthermore, you don’t have to record the entire video on the same day, and you have the freedom to plan when and where you are going to record each scene you want to include in the video.

2. Set a Scene

You control what the viewers of your YouTube video are going to see. That’s why you have to choose your shooting locations carefully and to hand-pick each prop that is going to be visible in the shot. Avoid shooting in messy rooms, because the items in the background are going to distract the viewer and reduce the quality of your videos.

3. Pick the Best Camera Positions

Once you know where and when you are going to shoot your video, you should start planning your shots. Most YouTube videos are recorded from a single camera position, but you can also experiment with different shot angles if it helps you to tell the story of the video. Don’t put the actors near direct sources of light like windows or lamps because if you do so you can easily end up ruining the shot.

4. Make Sure that You Have Enough Light in The Shot

Natural sources of light are often not enough to light a scene properly, because the amount of available light you’ll have at your disposal can change in a few minutes. That’s why nearly all YouTubers use lighting kits that enable them to control the amount of light in the shot at any moment.

5. Bonus: Making YouTube Videos Without a Camera

In case using video and audio recording equipment is a bit too technical for you, there is a simple alternative solution since you can capture all activities on your computer’s screen with software products such as Filmora or OBS Studio. This is an excellent option for gamers who want to record gameplay of their favorite video games or skilled educators that would like to share their knowledge and show others how to use a piece of software or perform any other computer-based task.

Besides screencasting, you can also assemble existing footage from old TV shows, movies or cartoons to make a YouTube video. You don’t have to worry about copyright infringements, as long as the footage you’re using is within the public domain. However, if you accidentally end up using footage without permission it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to file a lawsuit, but your video may be removed from your YouTube channel if someone reports that you’ve used footage without the permission from its owners.

Postproduction Stage: Editing the Footage You Recorded

Before you can share the video clips you recorded with a camera, Smartphone or a screencasting software, you should edit them first. Choosing video editing software isn’t always easy since there are so many different options that enable you to perform both basic and advanced video editing tasks. You can check our recommendations about some of the best video editing software for YouTube videos, in case you are still looking for a video editor that is best suited for the price range you’ve had in mind or your skill level. You should choose a video editing app that you feel the most comfortable using since you are going to spend a lot of time editing videos with it.

The video editing techniques you will utilize during the process of piecing together a YouTube video depend on a number of factors that range from the genre of the video to its visual style. However, trimming or cutting the footage, creating opening titles and end credits are among the most common video editing actions you will have to perform on each new project. Mastering these basic video editing techniques is essential for the success of your videos on YouTube since it will enable you to quickly trim a video clip by dragging one of its ends in an inward or outward direction or remove a portion of a clip you don’t want to feature in the final cut of the video from the timeline.

Hard cuts can at times disrupt the flow of a video, but you can easily fix this by adding a transition between two clips. What’s more, nearly all video editing software products on the market come bundled with rich visual and audio effects libraries that make the color grading or audio editing process much faster. Adding opening titles, lower thirds or any other image overlay can help you introduce the characters in the video to the audience, inform the audience about important aspects of the topic you’re covering or summarize the key points of the video.

Creating a soundtrack is also a vital step of the video editing process that largely influences the quality of the final video. That’s why the narration or the dialogues must be recorded professionally since even the slightest background noise can distract the viewer. Whether or not you are going to add music to a video, depends on the type of project you’re working on. Video editing software products like Filmora have their own royalty free music libraries that offer songs from Rock or Electronic and numerous other genres.

When you complete the video editing process, you should export the video to a folder on your hard drive or directly to your YouTube channel if the video editing app you’ve chosen provides that option. How long the rendering of a video is going to take depends on your computer’s processing power, video’s length, and the output resolution.

Adding/Uploading Videos to Your YouTube Channel

As we already noted you can either upload a video to YouTube directly from a video editing software or from a hard drive after the rendering process is completed. You can upload videos with 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios to your channel, and the platform support videos in resolutions up to 8K. The minimum length of a YouTube video is 33 seconds while a video’s maximum length cannot exceed the twelve-hour limit. The file’s size can’t be larger than 128GB while the frame rates can go as high as 60fps. If you need to edit the uploaded and published YouTube videos, you can check our tips about editing existing YouTube videos , and you can check out our guide about how to make money on YouTube if you would like to learn more about account monetization.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

1. Optimize Your Content for YouTube Searches

Every bit of information you add to the video increases its visibility on the platform. Even the name of the file you’re uploading to your channel should contain a keyword, and once the upload is completed you should add a title, description, and metadata if you would like to increase the video’s visibility on the platform. It is vital to select your YouTube SEO strategy before you actually start adding new videos to your strategy. In case you’re not familiar with the concept of search engine optimization for YouTube, you can find everything you need to know about YouTube SEO in our guide.

2. Create Visually Captivating Thumbnails and End Screen Elements

A thumbnail is usually a snapshot of a frame from a video, you’ve created during the video editing process or any other still image that suggests what the video is about. A small thing like adding a thumbnail to a YouTube video can increase both the number of views and the number of likes that video is getting. In addition, YouTube’s video editor enables you to add end screens that last anywhere between five and twenty seconds to your videos, but keep in mind that the video must be at least 25 seconds long to have an end screen. There are a number of fully customizable templates available that can be uses to promote your upcoming videos or to invite viewers to subscribe to your channel.

Wanna making YouTube thumbnail yourself? Check some of the best YouTube thumbnail makers list.

3. Publish, Interact and Share

YouTube lets you keep your videos private until you are ready to make them public. Once you decide to make a video available to all YouTube users, you should share it on social media like Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr. Furthermore, embedding a YouTube video on your blog or website can drastically increase the number of views it’s getting. The YouTube Analytics tool is designed to help you track the metrics that indicate how well your video is performing. Don’t know which analytics tools should use? Check our picks of some useful YouTube Analytics Tools to learn how to analyze your video.

How to Make YouTube Videos from a Mac or PC Computer?

Even though you can use almost any video editing software to edit a YouTube video, we recommend trying a versatile video editing app like Filmora to edit videos on Windows PC and Mac which offers both basic and advanced video editing features. Creating a video in Filmora doesn’t require a developed set of video editing skills, since all of the tools and options the editor offers are remarkably easy to use.

When you are ready to start a new project you should simply launch the software, and once the new project loads, you should head over to the File menu and select the Project Settings option that lets you set the resolution, aspect ratio and the frame rate of the video. Proceed to import the footage into the project by selecting one of the available options in the Import drop-down menu or by simply dragging the media assets from a folder on your hard drive and dropping them to the Filmora’s Media Panel. In case you don’t have your own audio and video footage you can download videos, music, visual and audio effects from a stock footage website like Filmstock effects store . Filmora also offers screen casting features, so you can easily record gameplay, show viewers how to use a software or capture any other type of activity on your computer’s screen.

Add each media asset you want to include in the final cut of the video to the timeline and then proceed to remove all unwanted parts of the video and audio clips from the timeline using the Cut or Trim options. Filmora offers rich transitions and visual effects libraries you can use to make the cuts between shot smoother or enhance the colors in the video clips you’re editing. Furthermore, the editor lets you take snapshots of any frame in video clips you’ve placed on the timeline in a single click which can be quite useful if you want to create a thumbnail for your YouTube video. Creating the opening titles, end credits or adding different image overlays to a video is a straight forward process since you just have to select the option that fits the style of the video you’re creating and add it to the timeline. Once you’ve completed the video editing process, you can click on the Export button and decide if you want to export a video directly to your YouTube channel or to a destination on your hard drive.

New to Filmora? Check our beginner guide about How to Edit Videos in Filmora in details or check the quick video tutorial below to find out more details.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Conclusion

Becoming a successful YouTuber requires a lot of dedication and hard work, so if at first, you don’t succeed, you should be patient and persistent. In time, as your channel grows, you will be able to monetize your videos, but only if you keep producing new content at a steady pace. Each step of the YouTube creation process is equally important, and you should dedicate an equal amount of attention to recording high-quality footage, editing, and promotion of the content you share on your YouTube channel. Was this article helpful? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and experiences with us.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding the audience for short videos you create, sharing your knowledge of publicizing the music you create has become a much simpler and cheaper process in the last fourteen years. ‘Everyone deserves a voice’ is one of the core values that motivates the founders of YouTube to continue developing the world’s largest video sharing platform. So if you are looking for your own voice, but you’re not really sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place, because in this article we are going to show you how to make attention-grabbing YouTube videos that are going to attract a huge audience.

Preparation Stage: Getting Ready to Make a YouTube Video

Achieving success on YouTube may only seem easy before you realize how much time and effort it takes to run a successful YouTube channel. Making a YouTube video isn’t much different than making any other type of short or feature film as you have to go through the same stages of the video production process. Everything, including creating YouTube videos starts with an idea, so let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take before you actually start recording your first YouTube video.

1. Start a YouTube Channel

The journey towards success begins with seemingly small and insignificant steps. Creating a YouTube channel is exactly that, a step, without which you won’t be able to become a YouTuber. All you have to do in order to create a channel on YouTube is sign in to the platform using your Google account and then head over to the Settings menu. Click on the Create a new channel option and then pick a name for your Brand channel . Dedicate some extra time to the process of selecting a name for the channel, because that is the first thing your potential followers are going to notice. The platform lets you start as many as fifty channels with one Gmail ID, and as your channels grow, you can add multiple managers to each channel you’ve started. Click on the Create button when you’re done and that’s it you’re now a proud owner of a YouTube channel.

We have summarized some tips and tricks for creating a YouTube channel account , hope that will help you to create a channel more easily.

2. Choose a Niche and Craft a Video Content Strategy

Devising a plan before you start producing content you are going to share on YouTube is going to give you a sense of direction, since there are so many different types of videos that can attract a large audience. Try to imagine your ideal YouTube follower, and then think about what they are interested in or how you can generate value for them through the content you post on your channel. Attempting to cover a broad spectrum of topics usually doesn’t produce the best results, so instead, you should focus on a specific subject and do your best to offer a unique perspective to your viewers on that subject. More importantly, you need to choose the themes for your videos that are relevant to the audience you would like to reach. Gaming, tutorials, beauty or comedy videos are just a few of the most popular genres of videos on YouTube, although which niche you’re going to pick ultimately depends on your personal interests and reasons why you chose to become a YouTuber in the first place.

Additionally, you should follow the hottest trends on the Internet so that you can find out which topics are drawing the most attention at the moment. Don’t let all these questions trouble you, simply choose a niche in which you feel the most comfortable in and start shooting. Keep a watchful eye on how your followers respond to the videos you share on your channel as time goes on and remain open to new ideas or collaborations.

3. Secure a Fresh Supply of YouTube Video Ideas

Defining your niche is just a beginning because you have to keep producing your videos at a steady pace. Most YouTube experts say that sharing new content at least once a week is necessary if you want to gather a large group of followers on your channel. Consequently, you’ll need a constant supply of ideas for new videos that cover topics your audience is interested in. A simple search on YouTube can help you discover the videos on the platform that have the most views. This should give you a pretty good idea which types of videos are the most popular at the moment and what viewers want to see the most.

Reading the comments section below a YouTube video can be a great way to discover new ideas since viewers often ask questions or search for advice on very specific aspects of the topic that particular video is covering. Moreover, YouTube isn’t the only destination on the Internet where you can find inspiration for your next video since there are countless groups and communities where you can come across interesting topics for your next video.

4. Get the Right Video and Audio Recording Equipment

The list of audio and video recording gear you’re going to need to create a YouTube video depends on the type of video you’re trying to make. Gamers who want to record gameplay and post it on their YouTube channel only need a screen capturing software or a capture card and a microphone. The list of equipment is a bit longer for YouTubers interested in the production of vlogs, comedy or review videos since they are going to need a camera or a Smartphone capable of recording videos at high resolutions, lighting equipment, tripods, steady cams, microphones. If you would like to learn more about the pieces of equipment you are going to need while recording a YouTube video, check our picks of the YouTube Video Shooting Equipment List .

Production Stage: Recording a YouTube Video

After you’ve successfully completed the preparation stage it is time to start getting ready for the next step of the process of making a YouTube video. However, you can’t just pick up a camera and start randomly shooting unrelated scenes, instead, you should follow the steps below that make the production of a video much less complicated.

1. Write a Script and Make a Shooting Schedule

Write down all of your ideas for your next video prior to shooting the first shot of that video. A script can be particularly useful if the video you’re planning on making involves a lot of narration since you’ll always know what to say next. Furthermore, you don’t have to record the entire video on the same day, and you have the freedom to plan when and where you are going to record each scene you want to include in the video.

2. Set a Scene

You control what the viewers of your YouTube video are going to see. That’s why you have to choose your shooting locations carefully and to hand-pick each prop that is going to be visible in the shot. Avoid shooting in messy rooms, because the items in the background are going to distract the viewer and reduce the quality of your videos.

3. Pick the Best Camera Positions

Once you know where and when you are going to shoot your video, you should start planning your shots. Most YouTube videos are recorded from a single camera position, but you can also experiment with different shot angles if it helps you to tell the story of the video. Don’t put the actors near direct sources of light like windows or lamps because if you do so you can easily end up ruining the shot.

4. Make Sure that You Have Enough Light in The Shot

Natural sources of light are often not enough to light a scene properly, because the amount of available light you’ll have at your disposal can change in a few minutes. That’s why nearly all YouTubers use lighting kits that enable them to control the amount of light in the shot at any moment.

5. Bonus: Making YouTube Videos Without a Camera

In case using video and audio recording equipment is a bit too technical for you, there is a simple alternative solution since you can capture all activities on your computer’s screen with software products such as Filmora or OBS Studio. This is an excellent option for gamers who want to record gameplay of their favorite video games or skilled educators that would like to share their knowledge and show others how to use a piece of software or perform any other computer-based task.

Besides screencasting, you can also assemble existing footage from old TV shows, movies or cartoons to make a YouTube video. You don’t have to worry about copyright infringements, as long as the footage you’re using is within the public domain. However, if you accidentally end up using footage without permission it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to file a lawsuit, but your video may be removed from your YouTube channel if someone reports that you’ve used footage without the permission from its owners.

Postproduction Stage: Editing the Footage You Recorded

Before you can share the video clips you recorded with a camera, Smartphone or a screencasting software, you should edit them first. Choosing video editing software isn’t always easy since there are so many different options that enable you to perform both basic and advanced video editing tasks. You can check our recommendations about some of the best video editing software for YouTube videos, in case you are still looking for a video editor that is best suited for the price range you’ve had in mind or your skill level. You should choose a video editing app that you feel the most comfortable using since you are going to spend a lot of time editing videos with it.

The video editing techniques you will utilize during the process of piecing together a YouTube video depend on a number of factors that range from the genre of the video to its visual style. However, trimming or cutting the footage, creating opening titles and end credits are among the most common video editing actions you will have to perform on each new project. Mastering these basic video editing techniques is essential for the success of your videos on YouTube since it will enable you to quickly trim a video clip by dragging one of its ends in an inward or outward direction or remove a portion of a clip you don’t want to feature in the final cut of the video from the timeline.

Hard cuts can at times disrupt the flow of a video, but you can easily fix this by adding a transition between two clips. What’s more, nearly all video editing software products on the market come bundled with rich visual and audio effects libraries that make the color grading or audio editing process much faster. Adding opening titles, lower thirds or any other image overlay can help you introduce the characters in the video to the audience, inform the audience about important aspects of the topic you’re covering or summarize the key points of the video.

Creating a soundtrack is also a vital step of the video editing process that largely influences the quality of the final video. That’s why the narration or the dialogues must be recorded professionally since even the slightest background noise can distract the viewer. Whether or not you are going to add music to a video, depends on the type of project you’re working on. Video editing software products like Filmora have their own royalty free music libraries that offer songs from Rock or Electronic and numerous other genres.

When you complete the video editing process, you should export the video to a folder on your hard drive or directly to your YouTube channel if the video editing app you’ve chosen provides that option. How long the rendering of a video is going to take depends on your computer’s processing power, video’s length, and the output resolution.

Adding/Uploading Videos to Your YouTube Channel

As we already noted you can either upload a video to YouTube directly from a video editing software or from a hard drive after the rendering process is completed. You can upload videos with 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios to your channel, and the platform support videos in resolutions up to 8K. The minimum length of a YouTube video is 33 seconds while a video’s maximum length cannot exceed the twelve-hour limit. The file’s size can’t be larger than 128GB while the frame rates can go as high as 60fps. If you need to edit the uploaded and published YouTube videos, you can check our tips about editing existing YouTube videos , and you can check out our guide about how to make money on YouTube if you would like to learn more about account monetization.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

1. Optimize Your Content for YouTube Searches

Every bit of information you add to the video increases its visibility on the platform. Even the name of the file you’re uploading to your channel should contain a keyword, and once the upload is completed you should add a title, description, and metadata if you would like to increase the video’s visibility on the platform. It is vital to select your YouTube SEO strategy before you actually start adding new videos to your strategy. In case you’re not familiar with the concept of search engine optimization for YouTube, you can find everything you need to know about YouTube SEO in our guide.

2. Create Visually Captivating Thumbnails and End Screen Elements

A thumbnail is usually a snapshot of a frame from a video, you’ve created during the video editing process or any other still image that suggests what the video is about. A small thing like adding a thumbnail to a YouTube video can increase both the number of views and the number of likes that video is getting. In addition, YouTube’s video editor enables you to add end screens that last anywhere between five and twenty seconds to your videos, but keep in mind that the video must be at least 25 seconds long to have an end screen. There are a number of fully customizable templates available that can be uses to promote your upcoming videos or to invite viewers to subscribe to your channel.

Wanna making YouTube thumbnail yourself? Check some of the best YouTube thumbnail makers list.

3. Publish, Interact and Share

YouTube lets you keep your videos private until you are ready to make them public. Once you decide to make a video available to all YouTube users, you should share it on social media like Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr. Furthermore, embedding a YouTube video on your blog or website can drastically increase the number of views it’s getting. The YouTube Analytics tool is designed to help you track the metrics that indicate how well your video is performing. Don’t know which analytics tools should use? Check our picks of some useful YouTube Analytics Tools to learn how to analyze your video.

How to Make YouTube Videos from a Mac or PC Computer?

Even though you can use almost any video editing software to edit a YouTube video, we recommend trying a versatile video editing app like Filmora to edit videos on Windows PC and Mac which offers both basic and advanced video editing features. Creating a video in Filmora doesn’t require a developed set of video editing skills, since all of the tools and options the editor offers are remarkably easy to use.

When you are ready to start a new project you should simply launch the software, and once the new project loads, you should head over to the File menu and select the Project Settings option that lets you set the resolution, aspect ratio and the frame rate of the video. Proceed to import the footage into the project by selecting one of the available options in the Import drop-down menu or by simply dragging the media assets from a folder on your hard drive and dropping them to the Filmora’s Media Panel. In case you don’t have your own audio and video footage you can download videos, music, visual and audio effects from a stock footage website like Filmstock effects store . Filmora also offers screen casting features, so you can easily record gameplay, show viewers how to use a software or capture any other type of activity on your computer’s screen.

Add each media asset you want to include in the final cut of the video to the timeline and then proceed to remove all unwanted parts of the video and audio clips from the timeline using the Cut or Trim options. Filmora offers rich transitions and visual effects libraries you can use to make the cuts between shot smoother or enhance the colors in the video clips you’re editing. Furthermore, the editor lets you take snapshots of any frame in video clips you’ve placed on the timeline in a single click which can be quite useful if you want to create a thumbnail for your YouTube video. Creating the opening titles, end credits or adding different image overlays to a video is a straight forward process since you just have to select the option that fits the style of the video you’re creating and add it to the timeline. Once you’ve completed the video editing process, you can click on the Export button and decide if you want to export a video directly to your YouTube channel or to a destination on your hard drive.

New to Filmora? Check our beginner guide about How to Edit Videos in Filmora in details or check the quick video tutorial below to find out more details.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Conclusion

Becoming a successful YouTuber requires a lot of dedication and hard work, so if at first, you don’t succeed, you should be patient and persistent. In time, as your channel grows, you will be able to monetize your videos, but only if you keep producing new content at a steady pace. Each step of the YouTube creation process is equally important, and you should dedicate an equal amount of attention to recording high-quality footage, editing, and promotion of the content you share on your YouTube channel. Was this article helpful? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and experiences with us.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding the audience for short videos you create, sharing your knowledge of publicizing the music you create has become a much simpler and cheaper process in the last fourteen years. ‘Everyone deserves a voice’ is one of the core values that motivates the founders of YouTube to continue developing the world’s largest video sharing platform. So if you are looking for your own voice, but you’re not really sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place, because in this article we are going to show you how to make attention-grabbing YouTube videos that are going to attract a huge audience.

Preparation Stage: Getting Ready to Make a YouTube Video

Achieving success on YouTube may only seem easy before you realize how much time and effort it takes to run a successful YouTube channel. Making a YouTube video isn’t much different than making any other type of short or feature film as you have to go through the same stages of the video production process. Everything, including creating YouTube videos starts with an idea, so let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take before you actually start recording your first YouTube video.

1. Start a YouTube Channel

The journey towards success begins with seemingly small and insignificant steps. Creating a YouTube channel is exactly that, a step, without which you won’t be able to become a YouTuber. All you have to do in order to create a channel on YouTube is sign in to the platform using your Google account and then head over to the Settings menu. Click on the Create a new channel option and then pick a name for your Brand channel . Dedicate some extra time to the process of selecting a name for the channel, because that is the first thing your potential followers are going to notice. The platform lets you start as many as fifty channels with one Gmail ID, and as your channels grow, you can add multiple managers to each channel you’ve started. Click on the Create button when you’re done and that’s it you’re now a proud owner of a YouTube channel.

We have summarized some tips and tricks for creating a YouTube channel account , hope that will help you to create a channel more easily.

2. Choose a Niche and Craft a Video Content Strategy

Devising a plan before you start producing content you are going to share on YouTube is going to give you a sense of direction, since there are so many different types of videos that can attract a large audience. Try to imagine your ideal YouTube follower, and then think about what they are interested in or how you can generate value for them through the content you post on your channel. Attempting to cover a broad spectrum of topics usually doesn’t produce the best results, so instead, you should focus on a specific subject and do your best to offer a unique perspective to your viewers on that subject. More importantly, you need to choose the themes for your videos that are relevant to the audience you would like to reach. Gaming, tutorials, beauty or comedy videos are just a few of the most popular genres of videos on YouTube, although which niche you’re going to pick ultimately depends on your personal interests and reasons why you chose to become a YouTuber in the first place.

Additionally, you should follow the hottest trends on the Internet so that you can find out which topics are drawing the most attention at the moment. Don’t let all these questions trouble you, simply choose a niche in which you feel the most comfortable in and start shooting. Keep a watchful eye on how your followers respond to the videos you share on your channel as time goes on and remain open to new ideas or collaborations.

3. Secure a Fresh Supply of YouTube Video Ideas

Defining your niche is just a beginning because you have to keep producing your videos at a steady pace. Most YouTube experts say that sharing new content at least once a week is necessary if you want to gather a large group of followers on your channel. Consequently, you’ll need a constant supply of ideas for new videos that cover topics your audience is interested in. A simple search on YouTube can help you discover the videos on the platform that have the most views. This should give you a pretty good idea which types of videos are the most popular at the moment and what viewers want to see the most.

Reading the comments section below a YouTube video can be a great way to discover new ideas since viewers often ask questions or search for advice on very specific aspects of the topic that particular video is covering. Moreover, YouTube isn’t the only destination on the Internet where you can find inspiration for your next video since there are countless groups and communities where you can come across interesting topics for your next video.

4. Get the Right Video and Audio Recording Equipment

The list of audio and video recording gear you’re going to need to create a YouTube video depends on the type of video you’re trying to make. Gamers who want to record gameplay and post it on their YouTube channel only need a screen capturing software or a capture card and a microphone. The list of equipment is a bit longer for YouTubers interested in the production of vlogs, comedy or review videos since they are going to need a camera or a Smartphone capable of recording videos at high resolutions, lighting equipment, tripods, steady cams, microphones. If you would like to learn more about the pieces of equipment you are going to need while recording a YouTube video, check our picks of the YouTube Video Shooting Equipment List .

Production Stage: Recording a YouTube Video

After you’ve successfully completed the preparation stage it is time to start getting ready for the next step of the process of making a YouTube video. However, you can’t just pick up a camera and start randomly shooting unrelated scenes, instead, you should follow the steps below that make the production of a video much less complicated.

1. Write a Script and Make a Shooting Schedule

Write down all of your ideas for your next video prior to shooting the first shot of that video. A script can be particularly useful if the video you’re planning on making involves a lot of narration since you’ll always know what to say next. Furthermore, you don’t have to record the entire video on the same day, and you have the freedom to plan when and where you are going to record each scene you want to include in the video.

2. Set a Scene

You control what the viewers of your YouTube video are going to see. That’s why you have to choose your shooting locations carefully and to hand-pick each prop that is going to be visible in the shot. Avoid shooting in messy rooms, because the items in the background are going to distract the viewer and reduce the quality of your videos.

3. Pick the Best Camera Positions

Once you know where and when you are going to shoot your video, you should start planning your shots. Most YouTube videos are recorded from a single camera position, but you can also experiment with different shot angles if it helps you to tell the story of the video. Don’t put the actors near direct sources of light like windows or lamps because if you do so you can easily end up ruining the shot.

4. Make Sure that You Have Enough Light in The Shot

Natural sources of light are often not enough to light a scene properly, because the amount of available light you’ll have at your disposal can change in a few minutes. That’s why nearly all YouTubers use lighting kits that enable them to control the amount of light in the shot at any moment.

5. Bonus: Making YouTube Videos Without a Camera

In case using video and audio recording equipment is a bit too technical for you, there is a simple alternative solution since you can capture all activities on your computer’s screen with software products such as Filmora or OBS Studio. This is an excellent option for gamers who want to record gameplay of their favorite video games or skilled educators that would like to share their knowledge and show others how to use a piece of software or perform any other computer-based task.

Besides screencasting, you can also assemble existing footage from old TV shows, movies or cartoons to make a YouTube video. You don’t have to worry about copyright infringements, as long as the footage you’re using is within the public domain. However, if you accidentally end up using footage without permission it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to file a lawsuit, but your video may be removed from your YouTube channel if someone reports that you’ve used footage without the permission from its owners.

Postproduction Stage: Editing the Footage You Recorded

Before you can share the video clips you recorded with a camera, Smartphone or a screencasting software, you should edit them first. Choosing video editing software isn’t always easy since there are so many different options that enable you to perform both basic and advanced video editing tasks. You can check our recommendations about some of the best video editing software for YouTube videos, in case you are still looking for a video editor that is best suited for the price range you’ve had in mind or your skill level. You should choose a video editing app that you feel the most comfortable using since you are going to spend a lot of time editing videos with it.

The video editing techniques you will utilize during the process of piecing together a YouTube video depend on a number of factors that range from the genre of the video to its visual style. However, trimming or cutting the footage, creating opening titles and end credits are among the most common video editing actions you will have to perform on each new project. Mastering these basic video editing techniques is essential for the success of your videos on YouTube since it will enable you to quickly trim a video clip by dragging one of its ends in an inward or outward direction or remove a portion of a clip you don’t want to feature in the final cut of the video from the timeline.

Hard cuts can at times disrupt the flow of a video, but you can easily fix this by adding a transition between two clips. What’s more, nearly all video editing software products on the market come bundled with rich visual and audio effects libraries that make the color grading or audio editing process much faster. Adding opening titles, lower thirds or any other image overlay can help you introduce the characters in the video to the audience, inform the audience about important aspects of the topic you’re covering or summarize the key points of the video.

Creating a soundtrack is also a vital step of the video editing process that largely influences the quality of the final video. That’s why the narration or the dialogues must be recorded professionally since even the slightest background noise can distract the viewer. Whether or not you are going to add music to a video, depends on the type of project you’re working on. Video editing software products like Filmora have their own royalty free music libraries that offer songs from Rock or Electronic and numerous other genres.

When you complete the video editing process, you should export the video to a folder on your hard drive or directly to your YouTube channel if the video editing app you’ve chosen provides that option. How long the rendering of a video is going to take depends on your computer’s processing power, video’s length, and the output resolution.

Adding/Uploading Videos to Your YouTube Channel

As we already noted you can either upload a video to YouTube directly from a video editing software or from a hard drive after the rendering process is completed. You can upload videos with 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios to your channel, and the platform support videos in resolutions up to 8K. The minimum length of a YouTube video is 33 seconds while a video’s maximum length cannot exceed the twelve-hour limit. The file’s size can’t be larger than 128GB while the frame rates can go as high as 60fps. If you need to edit the uploaded and published YouTube videos, you can check our tips about editing existing YouTube videos , and you can check out our guide about how to make money on YouTube if you would like to learn more about account monetization.

Read More to Get : How to Loop a YouTube Video >>

1. Optimize Your Content for YouTube Searches

Every bit of information you add to the video increases its visibility on the platform. Even the name of the file you’re uploading to your channel should contain a keyword, and once the upload is completed you should add a title, description, and metadata if you would like to increase the video’s visibility on the platform. It is vital to select your YouTube SEO strategy before you actually start adding new videos to your strategy. In case you’re not familiar with the concept of search engine optimization for YouTube, you can find everything you need to know about YouTube SEO in our guide.

2. Create Visually Captivating Thumbnails and End Screen Elements

A thumbnail is usually a snapshot of a frame from a video, you’ve created during the video editing process or any other still image that suggests what the video is about. A small thing like adding a thumbnail to a YouTube video can increase both the number of views and the number of likes that video is getting. In addition, YouTube’s video editor enables you to add end screens that last anywhere between five and twenty seconds to your videos, but keep in mind that the video must be at least 25 seconds long to have an end screen. There are a number of fully customizable templates available that can be uses to promote your upcoming videos or to invite viewers to subscribe to your channel.

Wanna making YouTube thumbnail yourself? Check some of the best YouTube thumbnail makers list.

3. Publish, Interact and Share

YouTube lets you keep your videos private until you are ready to make them public. Once you decide to make a video available to all YouTube users, you should share it on social media like Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr. Furthermore, embedding a YouTube video on your blog or website can drastically increase the number of views it’s getting. The YouTube Analytics tool is designed to help you track the metrics that indicate how well your video is performing. Don’t know which analytics tools should use? Check our picks of some useful YouTube Analytics Tools to learn how to analyze your video.

How to Make YouTube Videos from a Mac or PC Computer?

Even though you can use almost any video editing software to edit a YouTube video, we recommend trying a versatile video editing app like Filmora to edit videos on Windows PC and Mac which offers both basic and advanced video editing features. Creating a video in Filmora doesn’t require a developed set of video editing skills, since all of the tools and options the editor offers are remarkably easy to use.

When you are ready to start a new project you should simply launch the software, and once the new project loads, you should head over to the File menu and select the Project Settings option that lets you set the resolution, aspect ratio and the frame rate of the video. Proceed to import the footage into the project by selecting one of the available options in the Import drop-down menu or by simply dragging the media assets from a folder on your hard drive and dropping them to the Filmora’s Media Panel. In case you don’t have your own audio and video footage you can download videos, music, visual and audio effects from a stock footage website like Filmstock effects store . Filmora also offers screen casting features, so you can easily record gameplay, show viewers how to use a software or capture any other type of activity on your computer’s screen.

Add each media asset you want to include in the final cut of the video to the timeline and then proceed to remove all unwanted parts of the video and audio clips from the timeline using the Cut or Trim options. Filmora offers rich transitions and visual effects libraries you can use to make the cuts between shot smoother or enhance the colors in the video clips you’re editing. Furthermore, the editor lets you take snapshots of any frame in video clips you’ve placed on the timeline in a single click which can be quite useful if you want to create a thumbnail for your YouTube video. Creating the opening titles, end credits or adding different image overlays to a video is a straight forward process since you just have to select the option that fits the style of the video you’re creating and add it to the timeline. Once you’ve completed the video editing process, you can click on the Export button and decide if you want to export a video directly to your YouTube channel or to a destination on your hard drive.

New to Filmora? Check our beginner guide about How to Edit Videos in Filmora in details or check the quick video tutorial below to find out more details.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Conclusion

Becoming a successful YouTuber requires a lot of dedication and hard work, so if at first, you don’t succeed, you should be patient and persistent. In time, as your channel grows, you will be able to monetize your videos, but only if you keep producing new content at a steady pace. Each step of the YouTube creation process is equally important, and you should dedicate an equal amount of attention to recording high-quality footage, editing, and promotion of the content you share on your YouTube channel. Was this article helpful? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and experiences with us.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Top 10 Globally Acclaimed Video Sensations on YouTube

Top 10 Most Viewed Videos on YouTube of All Time author avatar

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Making an incredibly successful YouTube video is the holy grail for any digital marketer. Gaining a place in the most-watched YouTube videos list is a great ambition to have, but you’ll be up against some stiff competition. Below, let’ take a look at the most viewed YouTube music video worldwide in 2021 and see what the secret to their success is.

Interested in the richest YouTubers? Check our pick of Top 10 Richest YouTubers in 2021

What is the Most Viewed YouTube Video?

Over the past couple of years, Despacito music video is undoubtedly been the most viewed video on YouTube. However, the list had changed after 2020 due to the rise of a catchy kid song - Baby Shark Dance. This child song video has reached more than 9 billion views worldwide (still growing) and led to an online dancing fever - Body Shark Challenge.

Top 10 Most Watched YouTube Videos in 2021

You may have expected this, but the majority of the most popular YouTube videos are actually music videos. Most, but not all. Here’s our list based on the latest statistics about the most viewed youtube video ever available right now. If you want to know more about the channels or the YouTubers, you can use InflueNex to get the details of them.

Here is a full list of the most viewed videos on YouTube except for Body Shark Dance.

1. Despacito - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

Views:5.4B

Despacito, the Spanish word for ‘slowly’, has broken all records in terms of the most viewed YouTube videos, reaching the milestone of two billion views faster than any other video, ever. It went on to reach 2.5 billion views faster than any other and now boasts more than five billion views, making it the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

As a song that’s almost completely sung in Spanish, the immense popularity of this video surprised everyone. Although hugely popular in Hispanic countries, Despacito was also top of the charts in 45 different countries, from Uruguay to Japan to Italy, so what made it so popular? Experts have speculated that its mix of Caribbean, Latin, pop, and rap gave it a broad appeal. Its earwormish nature, danceable beat, and perfectly summery vibe have propelled this fairly mediocre video to the heights of YouTube stardom that the rest of us can only dream about.

2. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

Views:3.7B

See You Again is a pretty cool song but is it really cool enough to be number two of the most-watched YouTube videos? Sure, the tune is catchy, and the video production is probably better than that of Despacito, but its rapid rise to YouTube stardom was still rather unexpected. Over 800 days after release, the video had clocked up almost three billion views, unseating the reigning champion of YouTube views, Psy and his K-Pop masterpiece, Gangnam Style, and today it’s sitting comfortably in the number two spot with 3.6 billion watches.

So, why did this tune go so viral? Was it the loyal Fast and the Furious fan base craving more time with the Furious 7 soundtrack, or was it the tributary nature of the video paying homage to the late Paul Walker that was bringing in the views? In truth, it was probably both and also neither. The main influencer here was simply that a lot more people were using YouTube. Between 2015 and 2016, YouTube experienced a 17 percent increase in music video viewers and a total 25 percent increase in video streams. See You Again was simply in the right place at the right time.

3. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Views:3.7B

If there’s one artist who has rocked the music scene more than any other in recent years, Mr. Sheeran is it. His double lead single from his latest album ÷ (divide) has been his most successful to date, racking up 3.5 billion views on YouTube to date with millions more added each day. It is Spotify’s most popular song ever with 1.5 billion streams and currently holds the record for the most number of weeks spent in the Billboard top 10. It’s was nominated for best single at the Brit Awards 2021 but was pipped at the post by Rag’n’Bone Man with Human.

But why does everyone love Shape of You so much? It’s a pretty simple song, with four basic chords and fairly boring romantic lyrics; what makes it so special? Some of its success is down to the physical construction of the music itself, with a pentatonic scale offering a tried and tested catchiness that’s impossible to resist. Even if you’re not a Sheeran fan, exposure has made this song familiar to you, being popular in clubs, pubs, restaurants and with buskers on street corners (not to mention certain Christmas adverts, right?). Add to all this the rise in general popularity of music videos, it’s clear to see how it’s become one of the most viewed YouTube videos of all time.

4. Gangnam Style - Psy

Views:3.2B

We’d be surprised if you could honestly say you’d never heard of Gangnam Style (and perhaps secretly tried a few horse dance moves), and Psy himself was undoubtedly pretty surprised too when he rocketed to internet fame in 2013. At its peak, this K-Pop legend was racking up 72 views per second and averaged 33 views a second for two whole years. Today, he’s fourth on the list with a total of 3.2 billion views (and yes, people are still watching).

Although it might seem Psy was inherently lucky when his song became such a huge hit, actually what he did was very clever. As well as combining a catchy tune with a ridiculously funny video, he intentionally left copyright off the video itself, almost inviting others to create their own parodies of the video, which they did in their droves. The dance he created was nothing short of genius, easily replicable by others all over the world. Despite being ‘K-Pop’, Psy’s own look is a world away from the polished pretty boy image of other artists in this genre, offering more of an anti-pop image from a guy who is clearly comfortable in his own skin. The result is the full package of measures, and deservedly places Gangnam Style in the top 10 most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

5. Masha and the Bear: Recipe for Disaster - Get Movies

Views:3.2B

A rather unusual entry for our number five slot, Masha and the Bear, as you might have guessed, is not a music video at all. It’s not even an official video, and to top it off it’s in Russian! Masha and the Bear is incredibly popular in Russia and is based loosely on an old Russian folk story, and since all 68 episodes have been uploaded to YouTube, three have surpassed the one billion view mark.

This particular episode is the crowning glory, having racked up 3.1 billion views over the years. The reason for this particular episode’s incredibly popularity is not entirely clear, although it is thought that perhaps the way Masha herself is portrayed has helped its success. Dressed in a folk costume with no legs on show and a headscarf makes the video acceptable to Muslim audiences around the world, which may have helped to spread its popularity.

6. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Views:3.2B

Also with 3.1 billion views, the inimitably catchy Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson has been his biggest hit to date. Boasting chart-topping success in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and many other locations around the world, the single won two Grammys, record of the year, and spent 14 weeks at number one in the US. So, what was it that got people watching, singing, and dancing along with Ronson and Mars?

Part of the success is undoubtedly down to the amazing lyrics of the song. From repeating how hot he is to namechecking Michelle Pfeiffer and Saint Laurent, these are feel-good power lyrics at their very best. The simple four-chord structure and effortlessly funky beat help its appeal bridge the generations, and the video itself just screams fun, fun, fun! Don’t believe us, just watch (the YouTube video, of course)!

7. Sorry - Justin Bieber

Views:3 B

It’s no surprise that the young person’s sensation that is Justin Bieber had to make an appearance in our top 10 most-watched YouTube videos. He is, after all, the epitome of the YouTube generation, and has plenty of other well-watched videos in his archives. Selling 10 million copies in 2016 alone and topping the charts in 13 countries, Sorry has racked up, to date, 2.9 billion hits on YouTube, making it his most successful music video ever. So, what was the secret to this hit’s success?

Actually, we think that the reason for the success of this particular Bieber creation is due in part to the mismatch between the visuals and the audio. A languishing video requesting redemption from a lover would typically be shot in gritty black and white and feature the singer moping about feeling sorry for themselves. Instead, Bieber opted to recruit lively dancers from New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew and furnish them with eye-popping outfits and lively dance moves to make up for the potentially depressing lyrics.

8. Sugar - Maroon 5

Views:2.7B

Maroon 5 had enjoyed a somewhat tumultuous career, achieving fame in the noughties, disappearing for a while, and then returning with outstanding hits such as ‘moves like Jagger’ and ‘One more night’. But this song, Sugar, has been their biggest video hit to date. Why? Well, the proof is in the pudding as they say.

This was a completely new concept video, shot in a variety of locations around Los Angeles and featuring Maroon 5 crashing numerous weddings. The reality is that the band did arrange things somewhat with the groom, although the bride and her guests had no idea. The resulting video is a joy to watch, as the assembled wedding parties express their shock, surprise, fear, and even anger as Levine and his crew pitch up and start singing.

Looking for the best wedding video songs? Check our top lists of the best songs for your wedding video .

9. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Views:2.6B

After a long drought of almost a year, devoted fans of Taylor Swift were sick to death of hearing ‘I Knew you were Trouble’ on the radio five hundred times a day, so Shake it Off was almost guaranteed to be a big hit. Going straight into number one on the charts and staying in the Hot 100 for 50 consecutive weeks, its success on YouTube was even greater, boasting 2.5 billion views to date and making it the 9th most-watched video on YouTube. But how?

Swift is a master of generating internet attention. With over 100 million Instagram followers, Taylor set about whipping her ‘Little Monsters’ into a frenzy about the forthcoming release of her new single. As a result, Shake it Off was pretty much all the internet cared about for a full 24 hours. The lyrics tread a thin line between playful mockery of Swift and self-aware empowerment but are also super easy to memories and sing along with. Well played madam, well played.

10. Roar - Katy Perry

Views:2.6B

In 2013, Katy Perry took a short break out of kissing girls and liking it, as well as marrying (and divorcing) Russell Brand in order to release this banging new single. By the end of the year, Roar had sold almost 10 million copies and had topped the charts in 12 different countries. Its success on the radio was only surpassed by the success of the colorful music video on YouTube, where it has secured 2.5 billion views to date.

What’s not to love about this particular video, we ask? The lyrics are super empowering, you can run to it, dance to it, or just belt out your own roar alongside Katy. The visuals are awesome too, in particular the CGI animals and skimpy leopard print bikini, which undoubtedly helped its popularity. In a year that was tough personally for Perry, she hit back and produced this powerful song, showing once again that she is indeed a champion.

Conclusion

All the videos listed above have billions of views after it is on YouTube, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you want to get more views on your YouTube videos, do not miss our guide about How to get more views on YouTube . The most viewed videos on YouTube are constantly changing, and as more and more people choose to consume their visual content in this way, we’ll undoubtedly see more records broken, more changes to this top 10, and more exciting content being produced. Were you surprised by our list? Who did you think should have made the top 10? Let us know!

How to empower your YouTube video? Whether you are targeted in YouTube music video, gameplay video, beauty & fashion, comedy, how-to video, education, or entertainment video, you always need good video editing software to edit the YouTube video. Check our pickups of the best video editing software for YouTube in the below video.

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Want to know more statistics about YouTube Reds, check our Infographic about YouTube Facts, Figures here .

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Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Also read:

  • Title: [Updated] Become a YouTube Visionary with These Production Insights
  • Author: Kevin
  • Created at : 2024-06-26 14:16:43
  • Updated at : 2024-06-27 14:16:43
  • Link: https://youtube-videos.techidaily.com/updated-become-a-youtube-visionary-with-these-production-insights/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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[Updated] Become a YouTube Visionary with These Production Insights