With over 210 million users in the U.S. alone,

 viewers' choices have become rapidly diverse on YouTube. Collaborating with a fellow YouTuber can help you attract more of those viewers and get extra watch time for your channel, a perk every creator wants!

A YouTube collab video is produced by two (or more) creators who typically work on separate accounts. By creating one video made for both of their audiences, the collaborators get to introduce new viewers to each other's content. 

So what's in it for you? Well, those new viewers may decide to visit your channel. If they like what they see, they might even subscribe!

Collabs are refreshing for your own audience as well because they get to see new content from you. Collaborations allow you to show different parts of your personality that you wouldn't usually express. You can play new games, explore exciting locations, and do much more with your new YouTube buddy.

Read More: YouTube Collabs - 6 Tips for an Awesome Video Project

Before you collab with other YouTubers, you need to be clear on who you’re collaborating with. Ideally, your collaborator has a similar audience size and shares your niche (at least partially). 

is for measuring yourself against similar creators, but it can help also help you find people to work with.

You can also check forums, subreddits, and other social communities where like-minded creators connect. Some of these will be paid communities, so you can expect a more serious crowd and look for potential collaborators.

Now that we've covered the basics, let’s dive into the five different collab ideas to try on your channel.

A YouTube classic, challenges have been a safe bet for most creators looking to do successful collabs over the years. It’s got everything a good collab needs: great clips, uncontrollable laughter, epic fails, and top-notch content. The staple challenges you can try are "Try Not To Laugh," "Never Have I Ever," "Best Friend Tag," and any 24-hour challenge, among others.

Challenges are flexible in the sense that you can do them remotely instead of meeting in person. So, no matter your niche, there’s a challenge video for you! 

With YouTube announcing exclusive dance challenges on Shorts from time to time

, you can also collaborate on trends like these!

This might not be feasible for many, but if you can, filming (or streaming) yourself doing fun activities outside is almost always a hit. IRL (In real life) might be one of the hardest kinds of content to make out there. Creators face technical difficulties, location-related issues, and the occasional “sniper” who wants to troll for fun. But the sheer variety of content that can be produced IRL should more than compensate for that.

Amusement parks, haunted houses, picturesque walks, or a short trip to the mountains, could be great ideas for IRL collabs.

The YouTube community has seen a tremendous increase in cross-channel hosting in recent years. You get to be the presenter of another person's channel and publish content on topics you both find interesting. This will expose you to a new lot of viewers who’ll probably find you interesting!

The value of cross-hosting increased after the pandemic. The simplicity with which this collaboration concept can be executed is one of its main advantages.

Why create one video collaboration when you can create a whole series? Making two or more videos will make viewers eagerly anticipate the next one you and your collaborator will share. This is a very effective way to increase views.

Upload the second video to the other channel.

Cross-promote each video on both channels.

If you have an educational channel, activities that are not educational may not be beneficial for your viewers. But there is one YouTube collab idea you can try.

The opportunities that come with posting reviews and tutorials are enormous, particularly within the home and beauty communities. It's possible to get more views on how-to videos, particularly if your instructions are thorough and helpful.

Because collaboration videos have become so common, it's not surprising that even small YouTubers want to join in. Working together with another YouTuber to produce original material has a lot of advantages. Along with increasing interactions, views, and subscribers, you'll also make your audience find your material more engaging.

Now, it’s time to partner up with another YouTuber looking for a collab! 

And while you’re at it, check out some other ways to gain and retain your subscribers.

Group of young adults recording a video podcast with laptops, smartphones, and coffee cups.

Collaboration videos can be hard to pull off but are awesome for promoting your channel to different audiences. Here are the 5 best ideas to try for your next collab!

The Top 5 YouTube Collaboration Ideas to Try Right Now

Do you have writer’s block when it comes to 

? It may not seem like it, but you’re not the only one feeling this way. Many creators struggle to find words that both describe their content and encourage people to watch it.

Want some pointers? Instead of writing from scratch, find ways to 

 video title, so that’s a great place to start. This powerful tool uses artificial intelligence to take your titles from bland to brilliant, or perhaps even mundane to marvelous.

Bottom line? You can learn a lot by watching how it works. So here are four ways to write better YouTube titles, according to our AI Coach.

What do viewers want to achieve? That’s one of the first questions to ask when writing YouTube titles. Are they trying to lose weight? Do they want a big promotion that comes with a higher salary?

. If it’s a specific number, like “lose 30 pounds in 30 days,” say that. If it’s an idea, like “change your perspective to make new friends,” say that!

Let’s look at an example from our AI Coach. Someone asked it to fix a simple title: “How to Monetize Your Videos Without Showing Your Face.”

The AI Coach didn’t make many edits. But it spiced things up by replying, “How to Make $1,000 a Month on YouTube Without Showing Your Face.”

Here’s why the AI Coach recommended that title:

It’s more descriptive, which helps viewers understand the video.

It targets a widespread desire (making money on YouTube).

AI Coach explains why it suggested a video title

Previously, we said you should write specific titles instead of vague ones. But is that 

It depends on the video you’re making, 

so don’t feel like you have to be specific all the time. 

Sometimes secrets are more enticing. They create a sense of wonder and mystery, drawing people in to receive a rare piece of knowledge they've been craving.

So what does this look like in action? Recently, our AI Coach helped someone write a simpler, more mysterious title. It went from “The Only Ingredient That Cures Dandruff! Breaking Down All The Dandruff Shampoos On The Market” to “Discover The Secret Ingredient Used To Cure Dandruff.”

We asked the AI Coach, “Why this title?” It replied:

It’s mysterious and intriguing (uses words like “discover” and “secret”).

The AI Coach explains why it suggested a video title

On the flip side, some secrets are too good to keep to yourself. If you know a fact or a statistic (that will make people gasp), you'll get more clicks by adding it to your title. This typically works when the secret is so shocking, people only have one-word follow-up questions. 

 Of course, they’ll have to watch the video to find out.

Our best example comes from yet another AI coaching student. They asked, “How do I fix this title: ‘Neuroscientist Says People With OCD Usually Get Rich.’ "

The AI Coach changed it to “Neuroscientist Reveals Unusual Insight About People With OCD: They Tend to Get Rich!?”

This title is a bit long, so you could shorten it to something like, “People With OCD Get Rich!? A Neuroscientist Explains How and Why.” But overall, the new title is better than what the creator started with.

The most critical detail is at the front (people with OCD get rich).

It’s more descriptive and engaging (“neuroscientist reveals” versus “neuroscientist says”).

4. Add Some Emotion to Your YouTube Titles

 with pure, unbridled emotion. Don’t just describe a video and upload it to YouTube; imagine what viewers should feel when they read your title, then use the right words to bring that experience to life.

Need an example? One creator asked our AI Coach to enhance a title that was just OK: “5 Tips for Coping With Rejection from a Job Interview.” They got three powerful suggestions:

“How to Bounce Back from Job Interview Rejection: 5 Expert Tips”

“Don't Let Job Interview Rejection Get You Down: 5 Tips for Moving Forward”

“From Rejection to Resilience: 5 Tips for Job Interview Recovery”

These titles don’t just sound better; they address the emotional pain of being rejected. They’re more likely to make someone feel seen and understood, which leads to more engagement.

Beyond that, here’s why the AI Coach picked those titles:

The emotional pull makes the titles relatable.

The AI Coach explains why it suggested new video titles

 to start a conversation. You can ask it to fix your video titles, write a short script, or help you with your content strategy.

Or you can read our complete guide to writing YouTube titles!

Thoughtful white robot with glowing eyes in modern office with city skyline view

What makes a good video title on YouTube? That's what hundreds of creators asked our AI Coach, and it shared some of the best advice we’ve ever seen.

Ask an AI Coach: 4 Ways to Spice Up Your YouTube Video Titles

In the last few years, livestreaming has become increasingly popular for interacting with viewers, nurturing relationships, and

. By showing up week after week to entertain your audience, you bring yourself closer to every creator's dream: rapid channel growth.

Plus, with YouTube making livestream VODs available in real-time, the potential for creating other forms of content from a single livestream is huge! That alone makes it one of the best types of content to have on your channel.

To enable live streaming on YouTube, follow the steps below:


1. Make sure you have a verified YouTube account and are in good standing with YouTube.

2. On a computer, visit YouTube and click on the camera icon in the top right corner.

4. Fill in the details for your stream, including title, description, privacy settings, and monetization options. Also, while you’re on the monetization tab, don't forget to turn on the “Supers.”

5. Set up your encoding software according to YouTube's recommended settings.

6. Preview your stream to make sure everything looks good, and you're set to start your stream!

Note that you may need to wait up to 24 hours after verifying your account before you can go live. If you want to stream from your mobile phone, you must 

fulfill the YouTube Partner Program criteria

You can click on the in-built “webcam” option to stream on YouTube right away. Or, you can set up your own streaming software.

But, in order to give your audience the best viewing experience, you need to use certain livestream tools right now. Here are five that are really beneficial:

Livestreaming requires a stable and high-quality internet connection because the video and audio data is transmitted in real-time. Viewers have a bad experience if the speed of the internet connection is not reliable, irrespective of the content.

Remember, this isn’t just the download speed we’re talking about. Delivering the best streams requires a high upload speed. Make sure your internet delivers at least 30 Mbps of upload speed. 

A wired (ethernet) connection is almost always a better choice than Wi-Fi for streaming

To take the quality of your streams to the next level, you need to use streaming software. This is a program that acts as a video encoder and allows you to broadcast live video and audio over the internet.

If you're just starting out with streaming, 

 is a great choice. It's free, open source, and easy to use. With OBS Studio, you can easily record your screen or webcam, add custom graphics and overlays, and even switch between multiple camera angles.

 which allows you to stream your content to multiple platforms simultaneously, including Twitch, Facebook, and more. You can also add alerts and connect with different people directly on StreamYard.

Now, understandably, adding custom content like graphics, overlays, and tickers can give your stream that edge over ordinary ones. But how do you do it?

To create custom graphics and overlays for your YouTube livestream, you can use software such as 

 or GIMP. Here are some steps to get started:

Determine the size and format you want for your graphics and overlays. This will depend on the dimensions of your livestream window.

Create a new file in your graphics software with the appropriate dimensions and format.

Design your graphics and overlays using the various tools available in the software. You can create text, shapes, and images to add to your design.

Once you have finished your design, export it in a format that is compatible with your livestreaming software. Common formats include PNG and JPEG.

Import your graphics and overlays into your livestreaming software and position them on the screen as desired.

You can always use services like Envato Elements to take this burden off your shoulders. Their high-quality assets, such as graphics, fonts, templates, photos, videos, and audio files, will elevate your live video production value while saving you time and energy.

Remember to keep your design simple and easy to read, as viewers may have little time to process the information on the screen. Also, test your graphics and overlays before going live to ensure they are displaying correctly.

 to take this burden off your shoulders. Their high-quality assets, such as graphics, fonts, templates, photos, videos, and audio files, will elevate your live video production value while saving you time and energy.

This one is totally optional. But if you want to see those cool custom designs you created utilized to their full potential, you need a stream deck.

A stream deck is a personalized device that streamers can use to rapidly and effortlessly accomplish specific activities while streaming. It has physical buttons that can be programmed to perform tasks such as opening programs, controlling audio mixers, and switching scenes.

A stream deck can be a useful tool for streamers who want to streamline their workflow and make it easier to engage with their audience. By using a stream deck, you can focus on your content and interact with viewers more effectively.

Buying a stream deck could be a very costly affair, with decent products priced at a minimum of around $200. A cheap (or free) solution could be using software or apps which could turn any mobile devices you own into a customizable stream deck! You can use tools like Touch Portal, Stream Deck Mobile, Deckboard, etc.

All of the equipment we mentioned above will create an enjoyable stream for your viewers but adding a few accessories can enhance the experience even more. So, if you do have some dollars to spare, this is the time to spend them.

To stream video games, you need to purchase a capture card. A capture card is a device that allows you to record and stream gameplay from video game consoles or a PC. It is typically installed in a PCIe slot on a computer and connects to the gaming console or PC via HDMI. The capture card then captures the video and audio signal, which can then be streamed.

If gaming is not your thing, then your primary investment should be better audio-visual livestreaming equipment. A well-lit stream with good audio affects the overall quality of a stream the most and you want to make sure it’s in the best shape.

Using these tools will make your viewers happy and keep they’ll come back for more of your quality content! 

Male livestreamer celebrating at his desk

Excited gamer celebrating victory while playing video games on a desktop computer setup.

Certain tools can take your livestreaming content to the next level if used properly. Here are a few that we recommend you to start using today!

5 Tools You Need to Improve Your YouTube Livestreams Today

When is the best time to post on YouTube? How many videos should I upload each week?

New creators tend to ask these questions at the start of their journey, but they're not alone in wanting to 

. Virtually every creator — from those just getting started to seasoned veterans — must reassess their workload at some point. It's a great way to balance viewers' expectations while ensuring you don't burn out on YouTube.

Want to find that sweet spot in your schedule? Here's how to build a content plan based on audience behavior and your own personal goals.

1. Let Your Viewers Choose the Best Dates and Times

Sometimes, the best way to determine what your viewers want is to ask them! Do they prefer to watch videos in the morning, evening, or as soon as they're posted? Would they rather watch your videos once a week or twice a week? Questions like these give you a basic understanding of your viewers' expectations and what a content schedule could look like.

 to learn more about your viewers. You can create a poll (or two) asking viewers to choose the dates and times they want to watch your content. In fact, lifestyle creators 

 have done this multiple times on their channel (shown below).

In the first poll, 92% of viewers said they would rather watch two videos throughout the week instead of two on Friday.

A poll asking viewers which week days they would watch videos

And the second poll indicates that most viewers watch videos at night. So instead of posting at noon or 4 p.m., Josh&Sav could experiment with publishing later in the day.

A YouTube poll asking viewers what time of day they watch videos

If you choose this method, remember that viewers' beliefs and actions don't always align. So while asking them what they 

 do is an excellent first step, try to back up those stories with data.

2. Determine When Your Viewers Are Most Active

Want to know the best time to post on YouTube without second-guessing yourself? Check your audience analytics in the YouTube Studio. In this section of the site, you'll find a graph showing which days and times your viewers are on YouTube.

The Analytics option is below playlists on the navigation bar

The audience tab is between the content and revenue tabs

" section, then analyze the graph to see when your viewers are most active. The bright purple areas show increased activity.

YouTube's "when you viewers are on YouTube" graph

Want to go even deeper? Instead of only knowing when your viewers are online, 

 viewers watch your content. From there, it's easy to click through each day of the week and find the best time to post on YouTube.

3. Explore the 'Average Views Per Viewer' on Your Channel

Creating an upload schedule is tough when you aren't sure how many videos to post throughout the week. But don't worry: This is another piece of data you can pull from the YouTube Studio.

The specific metric you're looking for is 

, or AVPV for short. AVPV represents the number of videos each unique viewer watches on your channel. So if your AVPV is three, that means the average viewer watches three videos on your channel before clicking away.

Why is this important? If you know the number of videos people watch, you can build an upload schedule around that figure. 

So the first step is finding your AVPV with this handy guide

After that, here's what to do as you build your schedule:

 (1 or less): Focus on improving the quality of your content, not posting more videos.

 (2 or higher): Experiment with posting more videos. If the quality of your content goes down, go back to your previous frequency. After all, you don't want your AVPV to drop because your videos aren't as desirable as before.

4. Think About Your Current Schedule and Energy Levels

After you've done all the steps above, the only thing left to do is analyze the data and responses. Should you post one video each week or take things up a notch by posting three or more?

Once you have a number in mind, you can start asking the tough questions:

Can I commit to this schedule without burning out?

How will this new plan affect the quality of my content?

the best YouTube schedule is one you can maintain

. Try to build a realistic plan that sets you up for long-term success!

A woman writing in a journal that has a calendar

Person in orange sweater writing in a spiral planner calendar with a pencil.

Creating an upload schedule leads to consistency, loyalty, and all-around YouTube success. Here’s how to build a content plan for your channel!

No More Scrambling: How to Craft a Foolproof YouTube Upload Schedule

One of the biggest traps we see small YouTubers fall into is making the same mistakes over and over again. These can be tiny missteps, like forgetting to write video descriptions, or bigger problems, like not 

. In either case, mistakes pile up until they snowball into one big problem.

The good news is that these mistakes are temporary. You can fix what’s broken within your content, but the first step is understanding what you’re doing wrong.

If you aren’t sure what that is, don’t stress about it. You can start here by learning the most common YouTube mistakes, plus how to correct them.

1. Asking YouTube Shorts Viewers to Watch Long-Form Videos

Promoting a long-form video within a YouTube Short doesn’t 

 like a bad idea, but it kind of is! Most people look for quick bursts of entertainment when they watch short videos — not lengthy, slow-burning plots.

In fact, viewers are in a different mode altogether when watching Shorts. They’re swiping from one video to the next, and pulling them away from this task is not easy.

Not respecting the audience you’re making content for

Instead of guiding them to a different content type, focus on the Short at hand. Here are some tips for creating a superb viewing experience:

Make a Short that’s 20-30 seconds long (or use a clip from one of your longer videos.)

Communicate one point or overall theme. Maybe you can share an interesting fact or make viewers laugh!

 alongside your shorter ones to a broader audience.

How to Get More YouTube Shorts Views on Your Channel

2. Making Your Thumbnail Text Hard to Read

Do you add text to your YouTube thumbnails? If so, go to your channel homepage and browse the video section. Row by row, look at each thumbnail, and ask yourself a crucial question: Can I read the words easily, or does it take a few seconds? 

Because uploading a thumbnail with confusing text is a major YouTube mistake!

Here’s an example of what you want to avoid. The thumbnail below (from gaming channel  

) is readable, but only after you stare at it for a while.

A youtube thumbnail with skinny, hard to read text

 for this same channel. Lil_P66 has switched to a thicker, simpler font. It’s much easier on the eyes!

An improved youtube thumbnail with bold readable text

Instead of using fancy fonts, keep these tips in mind:

Stick to sans-serif fonts, and make your text big and bold.

Choose colors that create a nice contrast between the thumbnail text and the photo's background.

Never use red text (it’s hard to read).

YouTube Thumbnail Guide - 9 Ways to Boost Click-Through Rate

Another common mistake YouTubers make is not paying attention to video lighting. After all, a well-light environment doesn’t just 

 cool. It’s essential for helping viewers see every detail and understand what’s happening visually.

 has a video with blue and purple lighting (it looks pretty cool, actually), but their face blends right into the colors. Plus, the room is pretty dim altogether.

To be fair, John has videos where you can clearly see the subject in the frame. But it’s something to watch out for if you want to keep viewers' attention every single time.

Video editing and production are complex skills, so correcting this mistake doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t hesitate to give it a shot, though. Plenty of courses will show you how to light videos properly, and you’ll feel relieved to have mastered that skill.

4. Making YouTube Videos that Anyone Could Copy

Posting unique videos is one is the best ways to stand out on YouTube. It gives you a fighting chance to catch people off guard and hook them with a concept they never saw coming.

. And this goes beyond taking inspiration from other creators. If you’re using a video idea that’s 10 years old with millions of people repeating it each day, what makes you different from them? What will viewers find in your video that they haven’t found in all the others?

Let’s play videos are a good example of severely overdone content in the gaming community. This is where someone does a walkthrough of a video game they’re playing while sprinkling in some commentary here and there. 

 is doing this (because it’s easy and repeatable), yet only large creators seem to find success with it. Small gaming channels, such as 

, have a hard time getting discovered with this strategy.

A small gaming creator has 88 subscribers

Here’s what you can do instead as a gaming creator:

Start researching other topics that interest viewers in your gaming niche.

Show them secrets in the game. Bring them along for challenges. Look for trends that will surprise and delight them.

 kind of content serves a specific viewer and stops you from competing with large, established creators.

11 Killer Tips for Starting a YouTube Gaming Channel

Everyone makes mistakes, especially video creators. There’s nothing easy about 

 in a visual format, attracting people through titles and thumbnails, and keeping it up until your channel grows. It’s hard work! You’re bound to make mistakes, but you’re also bound to get better if you learn from the blunders.

Are you making huge mistakes on YouTube without even knowing it? Here are 4 of the most common ones to watch out for.

YouTube Tips & Tricks

The Top 5 YouTube Collaboration Ideas to Try Right Now

Ask an AI Coach: 4 Ways to Spice Up Your YouTube Video Titles

5 Tools You Need to Improve Your YouTube Livestreams Today

No More Scrambling: How to Craft a Foolproof YouTube Upload Schedule

4 Common YouTube Mistakes (and How to Fix Them for Good)

6 Golden Rules for Responding to YouTube Comments

Promote Your YouTube Channel: 17 Tips for Small Creators

How to Grow Your Channel with YouTube Playlists

5 Tips to Make a Fascinating YouTube Channel Trailer

Elevate Your YouTube Titles with These Secret, Underrated Tips

How to Write Better YouTube Titles with AI Suggestions

9 Powerful Apps for Editing YouTube Videos [iPhone and Android]