You can join YouTube, create a YouTube video channel and upload a video in about the time its takes to drink a cup of coffee. Get started by watching the video or following our step by step instructions.
Create a YouTube Channel and Upload a Video
Step 1. To get to YouTube from the Google’s home page. Simply click the YouTube link in the black top menu bar. If you already have a Google account can sign in here and then click the YouTube link.
Step 2. You’ve arrived at the new updated YouTube home page. To use YouTube you must have a Google Account.
If you have an account you sign in to get started. If you need an account you can click the blue Create Account button. Alternatively you can use the Create Account | Sign In links in the upper right corner of the page.
Rick’s Tip: Creating a Google Account from the YouTube home page will also create a Gmail account. Note that the username is a Gmail address. If you would like to use your business or personal email address follow this link: https://accounts.google.com/NewAccount. I’ve published a helpful step by step tutorial: Setting up a Google Account without a Gmail address.
Fill out the form, create your account and then return to YouTube and click the sign in button.
Step 3. Success you are now registered with YouTube and ready to upload your first video. Click the upload link on the top menu.
Step 4. Select how your channel will appear on YouTube:
- The default option will create a channel titled with your name.
- If you would like your channel to have a different name, such as the name of your brand or organization click the Create a username link in the lower left corner.
- Choose your username using only letters and numbers. Click the blue OK, I’m ready to upload button.
Step 5. Upload the video to your YouTube channel by either clicking the Select files from your computer button or by dragging and dropping your video anywhere on the page.
Step 6. On the upload page you will see a progress bar. While your video is uploading you can fill in the basic information:
Title: The default title is the file name of your video. Change it to something descriptive, here is where keywords come in.
Description: A good description includes keywords, your business contact info and a call to action.
Tags: Use your keywords for tags and add any appropriate tags YouTube suggests.
Privacy: Select your privacy and publish settings.
Category: Choose a category from the dropdown menu.
License: I leave the standard YouTube license in place.
Click the Saved button to finish.
Step 7. The upload page will show your video’s thumbnails when it has completed processing. Select a thumbnail from the three choices.
Step 8. Share your video with your friends, clients, social networks or on your website, to get started click the Share button in the top right.
- Share a link to your video by coping the link to paste and share a document or choose the automated email.
- Choose one of the social sharing buttons to share with your social network.
- To share the video on your website:
- Click the Embed button to access all the options.
- Uncheck the default Show Suggested video when the video finishes option and select the size.
- Copy the generated code to use on your website.
Rick’s Tip: To manage your videos, click the Video Manager button on the top menu. This can also be accessed from the dropdown next to your channel name which appears on the far top right menu when you are signed in. In the Video Manager you can edit videos or perform actions such as deleting selected videos.
There you have it; your video is on YouTube in about the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Next coffee break, take the time to explore your channel and its features.
Rick’s Tip: Recently, Sue received a call from a YouTube channel owner who wanted to rename his channel. The channel’s current name which was the owner’s Google+ account username. To make the change we went to the overview section of the channel’s settings, by clicking on the channel name in the right corner next to the channel icon. Watch this video by cyanskylight for a great step by step tutorial on how to change your YouTube channel name.
I was so frustrated trying to adjust the interconnection of Google+ and YouTube automatic account settings. Multiple attempts to edit settings had not improved the situation.
Several online searches for answers lead me in different directions and more confusion and frustration.
Then I found Rick’s Tips “How to Create a YouTube Channel and Upload a Video”. Easy to follow step-by-step instructions. Easy to understand.
But there was one little detail that I still couldn’t get fixed.
The offer at the end of Rick’s video for a free 15-minute consultation and phone number was too good to pass up. Surely they wouldn’t answer the phone. Even if they did answer, it would be some geek-speaking answer-for-sale thing.
What a pleasant surprise.
A real person.
A real nice person.
A real nice helpful person that I could understand!
Sue couldn’t have been nicer or more patient. She was totally understanding and thoroughly knowledgeable about both Google+ and YouTube.
She solved my problem. She made the sun shine!
Sue, Thank you so very much.
in your debt, Ken Turner
Ken@MountainTips,com
Thanks for your kind words. I am glad that we got YouTube channel just the way you wanted it!
A few days ago, we were going crazy trying to set up our YouTube Channel. After several hours of mindblowing failure, we found Sue.
Our call of utter desperation + frustration was greated a cheeful + EXTREMELY helpful Sue.
Sue warmly helped us set up our YouTube Channel + we have successfully loaded our first of many videos. We are now launching our new battlefront against a criminal private banking network on YouTube!
THANK YOU Sue for alllllllllllllllllll your kind + generous help.
thewhistleblowers.org LOVE SUE!
Glad to hear that you are now uploading videos on your new YouTube channel. It was a pleasure to help you.
Do I HAVE to have a Google+ account to create a youtube account? If so, can it be a corporate Google+ account and not a personal one?
Yes, you don’t have to a have an established Google+ account to make a YouTube account, just a Google account. However; here is the new way of the Google YouTube – Google wants YouTube channels to have their own Google+ pages and will ask you to set that up. If you create a Google account for your corporation using an or creating a business email, and then create your YouTube channel then it will be easy to keep it all business.