Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

Analytics

YouTube Analytics

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

Watch Time

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

Royalty-free music isn’t a perk reserved for large creators. YouTubers of all sizes need 

 to make better content and attract more viewers.

Think about it: Have you watched a video that seemed OK, but everything improved once the music kicked in? At that moment, you probably felt the “cinematic mood” as the music paced the story.

Well, viewers can feel that, too. They might not leave a comment saying so, but there’s a reason polished videos get significant views. And that reason alone is why you should 

find royalty-free music for YouTube content

If a song is royalty-free, you don't need to pay 

 it's used in a video.  At most, you'd pay a one-time fee to use the song if it's not free already.

By doing this, you'll skip the hassle of dealing with copyright holders and reduce copyright claims and strikes on your channel.

What's the Difference Between a Copyright Claim and a Copyright Strike?

If that sounds good to you, here’s your guide for finding high-quality stock music.

 This resource is from YouTube itself and pretty much guarantees you won’t use copyrighted music. Every sound in the collection is copyright-free and ready to download.

3. Here you can see Paid and Free options for the music you want. You can also choose to split your revenue with the original artist!

Ways to use music from YouTube Audio Library


4. Use the Browse tab to search for music by title, genre, mood, artist name, duration, and attribution requirements.


5. Hover over the icon for the music file and click the play button to hear what a track sounds like.

Ready to download from the YouTube audio library? Hover your mouse over any track and click 

As a creator, you’re allowed to use these tracks and continue 

There’s a good selection of music, too: jazz, rock, reggae, pop, folk, country music, and other genres. Just make sure you don't distribute the music yourself or use it in illegal content.

Best Royalty-Free Music Sites for YouTube

The music library on YouTube is helpful, but some people just need 

They might want royalty-free background music that sounds better, uses different instruments, or creates a specific vibe.

If that sounds like you, it’s time to find a music website and pay for original tracks. This isn’t the same as paying for 

Here are the best royalty-free music sites:

The sites above require a little cash, but that’s better than going to risky sites to find free music.

Technically, an artist offering royalty-free music (for free) could change their mind in the future. After that, what’s stopping them from slapping a copyright claim on your video?

It’s not a common situation, and people usually aren’t that sneaky. But there’s a slight chance it could happen. In that case, it's best to reach out to the individual artist and offer a mutual agreement that benefits both parties. In such a case, you need to make sure that you have a written contract that lays out the details to avoid conflict in the future.

Now that you have some royalty-free jams, learn how to 

Do you want to add royalty-free music to your YouTube videos? Here’s how to find the perfect tunes and take your channel to the next level.

How to Get Royalty Free Music for Your YouTube Videos

Does YouTube promote new channels, or does it only give credence to large, established ones?

Small creators always ask this question — and for a good reason. If you’re in those numbers, you’ll be happy to know that YouTube does, in fact, promote small channels! It may happen through titles and keywords instead of video recommendations at first, 

Regardless, don’t let YouTube do all the work. There are good ways to promote your YouTube channel, from optimizing your videos to collaborating with others to networking through YouTube comments.

The Best Ways to Promote a Small YouTube Channel

Are you ready to start promoting yourself on YouTube? At a minimum, you should have two things covered already:

Understanding your YouTube niche/audience

Knowing the YouTube keywords you want to target

If you’re good in both of these areas, here’s how to promote your YouTube channel for free!

1. Write a Good Description for Your Channel

One of the easiest ways to promote your channel is by simply describing it. Explain your YouTube niche, the type of videos you make, and most importantly, what viewers gain by subscribing. It also helps to sprinkle in some keywords so your channel ranks higher on YouTube search pages.

, for example. This theme park channel has keywords like “Universal Studios” and “Florida” in its channel description. Plus, they accurately describe the channel’s purpose.

YouTube keywords are highlighted within a channel description

When we type “Universal Studios Florida” into the search bar and filter by channel, Rix Flix is near the top! That’s YouTube promotion at its finest.

A channel shows up high in YouTube search for the keyword "universal studios Florida"

If you want people to pay attention to your channel, 

 they can’t ignore. Typically, the best titles appeal to our strongest emotions, like fear, desire, and curiosity.

Fear: “The Dark Side of the Stock Market (Protect Your Money Now)”

Desire: “What You’re Doing Wrong in the Dating Scene”

Curiosity: “How Getting Rejected by Harvard Changed my Life”

Emotional intrigue is the first thing to tackle when writing titles. After that, try adding relevant keywords near the front of your phrase. That helps 

 understand your content and promote it to the right audience!

Just like your channel needs a description, so does every YouTube video. The better you describe your content to viewers (and the algorithm), the more likely you are to get clicks, views, and watch time.

But writing a good description is an art form. You definitely want to use the right keywords and make your content sound intriguing. But beyond that, you want to get the length right — not too many words and not too few.

As a general rule, put your best keywords and descriptors in the first 100 characters, so viewers get the best information upfront.

Plus, here’s a complete guide for writing video descriptions

YouTube hashtags help people discover your videos, which leads to more people noticing your content over time. It’s an underrated way to get more views, and it definitely works when you target the right topics.

So, how does it all come together? When viewers click a hashtag, they go to the official 

 has dozens of nursery rhyme videos for young children.

A collection of videos on the #babysongs hashtag page

Getting featured on a hashtag page offers 

 exposure, especially if your content surfaces near the top. All you have to do is add relevant hashtags to your title and description!

The power of thumbnails can’t be overstated on YouTube. The more intriguing they are, the more people want to click on them out of sheer curiosity.

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

Here are some best practices for thumbnails:

Use images related to the video’s topic.

Create a design that’s simple and easy to understand.

Create harmony between the thumbnail and video title.

Use a thumbnail style that matches your niche.

That last piece of advice is critical. While 

 can have a colorful, action-packed thumbnail (because he makes challenge videos)...

A MrBeast thumbnail, showing him in any icy place reaching out for help

 uses calm, minimalistic thumbnails to attract tea drinkers.

A thumbnail showing royal milk tea and minimal text

Did you know you can use one video to promote 

 content? This is called cross-promotion, and the best way to get it done is with YouTube cards and 

can appear at any point during a video. They’re used to recommend other videos, and that content is usually related to the topic at hand. If the creator is talking about YouTube monetization, they might use a card to refer viewers to a video about that subject.

 are interactive outros that appear in the last 5-20 seconds of a video. You can add lots of things to an end screen (subscribe button, website link, etc.), but the best option is to recommend one more video to watch. That way, viewers click the next video without thinking too hard.

vidIQ YouTuber-in-residence Rob Wilson pointing to the next video to watch on an end screen

You might think playlists are only helpful when someone’s browsing your channel, but they play a much bigger role. Most of the value actually comes from YouTube search!

Take a look at the typical search page on YouTube. You’ll notice you can filter the results by four content types: videos, channels, movies, and playlists.

The option to filter search results by playlists

So if you want more people to discover your channel, 

Did you know that live streams are promoted highly on YouTube? There’s an entire section dedicated to live videos, and getting featured there might not be as complicated as you think. After all, a live stream with 5,000 viewers was recently featured in the gaming section.

A small channel featured in YouTube's live stream section

Your live streams don’t need to be perfect, either. You can build an audience by being friendly, engaging, and entertaining.

If you have a decent number of subscribers, 

it’s never too soon for a YouTube collab

. It’s the ultimate form of promotion, as you can partner with a creator who agrees to feature you in their videos.

But you won’t grow from any old collab. Here are some tips to make sure you get what you need:

Find creators on your level (in terms of subscribers).

Brainstorm video ideas before sending collab emails.

Pick a video collab style (in person, remote, etc.).

With the Community tab, you don’t have to leave YouTube to promote your channel. This social network allows you to engage with both viewers and non-viewers in exciting ways. You can create polls, share GIFs, and start conversations that truly matter to your audience.

4 Tips to Promote Your Channel on the YouTube Community Tab

We’re calling this a promotion tactic because polls can go viral with tens of thousands of votes. And like we mentioned before, YouTube shows Community posts to non-viewers too.

vidIQ poll asking people how many vidIQ videos they watch

In a recent poll, 29% of people said they don’t watch our videos, yet YouTube suggested our poll to them!

Leaving comments is a great way to promote yourself and make people curious enough to visit your channel. They’ll think, 

Who is this person commenting on every video from my favorite creator? Let me check them out.

The golden rule for this strategy is to comment within your niche. So if you’re a gardening channel, start networking with other creators in that community. Comment on their videos to say what you liked or agreed with, so like-minded viewers know you exist!

A phone screen showing a collection of social media apps

Some of the best places to promote your YouTube channel are outside the platform itself. A few of those apps and websites include:

These are the best apps to promote a YouTube channel, but it helps to know the flavor of each community. What type of discussions do they have there, and better yet, how do the conversations take shape? Once you know that, you can create content in the best style for those users.

Also, what’s the culture like? Do people crack jokes, discuss politics, share memes, or post life hacks? All of this determines whether a platform is suitable for promoting your videos.

Do you have a blog or company website? If so, try embedding some YouTube videos on the different pages of your site.

When deciding which videos to embed, pay attention to the page’s overall topic. Your video should add context in a way that helps readers understand what the page is all about.

For example, you can embed the following:

A tutorial explaining how something works

A documentary of your adventures (travel, nature, gardening, etc.)

A product testing video that supports a written product review

14. Draw Attention to Your Channel with YouTube Shorts

, YouTube Shorts can help you get views on long-form videos. But how does this work?

Let’s pretend someone watches your Short, which has 100,000 views so far. Because it’s so popular, YouTube suggests 

 from your channel to that same viewer. Whether they click or not depends on many factors, such as the video’s title and thumbnail. But overall, you have the opportunity to drive viewers from one place (YouTube Shorts player) to another place (long-form videos on your channel).

start growing your views with YouTube Shorts

15. Participate in YouTube Trends and Challenges

A smartphone showing the YouTube logo with the YouTube desktop site in the background

Promoting your YouTube channel is the fastest way to reach more viewers and gain thousands of subscribers. Here’s a complete guide for small creators!

Promote Your YouTube Channel: 17 Tips for Small Creators

Want to grow your YouTube channel using playlists? If so, you’re on the right track. Playlists can help your channel flourish in many ways, including:

Now that you know the benefits, keep reading to make a few playlists of your own!

The best YouTube playlists have a few things in common, such as a good title, theme, and thumbnail. In this section, we’ll share eight tips for building a collection of videos.

When creating playlists, make sure each video is in chronological order. You want to tell a story that keeps building as people go down the list, which means you can’t use random videos in random spots. Your playlist needs a 

. This lengthy playlist, “How to Mix Live Music,” goes from a brief introduction to discussing audio equipment to explaining how to do soundchecks. Each video builds upon the last to teach viewers a new skill.

Treat your playlist like the first season of a new TV show. How much content do you need to tell one story? Which episodes come first, second, third, and so on? With this train of thought, you’ll create the right number of videos.

Like regular videos, your playlist needs a captivating thumbnail to make viewers click. The 

 have bold text, colorful images, and a simple design that’s easy to understand.

, and the image reinforces that idea. You see a man running on a track and the words “proper sprinting form” in big white letters.

A playlist thumbnail showing a man about to run

Keep in mind that one of the video thumbnails in your list will become the entire playlist’s thumbnail. So always use high-quality images. Later on, you can choose one thumbnail to represent your playlist.

The drop-down menu for one playlist video shows the option to set its thumbnail as the official playlist thumbnail.

YouTube SEO is the practice of optimizing your content for search engines. Fortunately, optimizing a playlist isn’t too different from optimizing a regular video. All you need is a good playlist title, a video description, and relevant hashtags.

But keep in mind that all of this requires 

 — the process of finding what people are searching for on YouTube.

Once you know those searches, you can use the most popular phrases in your title, description, and other areas. That helps the 

 show your playlist in search results! It works even better when you optimize each playlist video.

4. Create One Playlist for Each Topic You Cover

You’ll need more than one playlist to grow your channel with extra views. To start boosting that number, look at your channel’s focus. Is it dog training? Car reviews? City guides? Whatever your niche is, break it down into sub-topics and create a playlist for each one.

On the vidIQ channel, we have a playlist for almost every topic we cover, including YouTube Shorts, thumbnails, titles, and monetization.

5. Create Playlists About Evergreen Topics

Want people to watch your playlists year-round? Choose evergreen topics that people are always interested in.

The more valuable the topic, the more views your playlist will get from January to December. So think about long-term clicks before you make a YouTube playlist!

There are three privacy settings on YouTube: private, public, and unlisted:

Private videos: Only those who've been invited can watch.
Unlisted videos: Only those with the link can watch.
Public videos: Anyone can watch.

Playlists is the on the far right side of all menu tabs

3. Click the pencil icon beside the playlist you want to edit.

Hover over the playlist to see the pencil icon

4. Below the playlist title, click set the visibility as 

Below the title, click the downward arrow to change playlist visibility

While you’re there, use this same screen to allow playlist embedding. Click the three dots and choose 

Playlist settings is below collaborate option

 to let people share your playlists on their website.

Allow embedding is the first option on the list

One way to make a playlist popular is by adding it to your channel page. And don’t stop at just one! YouTube allows for 

, which can be a mix of recent uploads, playlists, live streams, Shorts, and more.

Here’s how to add a playlist to your channel homepage:

The customization option is below monetization

The layout tab is the first tab on the left

Add Section is in the top-right corner of the featured section

The three types of featured playlists you can create: single, created, or multiple

YouTube is always recommending content to viewers, but there are other ways to get views on a playlist. For one, you can share it on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. You can also share playlists in the 

Another option is embedding a few playlists on your website. If you have a blog or landing page, adding a playlist can boost your views from outside of YouTube.

Also, don’t forget about community forums. If you know an online community that needs help doing something — and your playlist has the answer — share it! You can post within Reddit groups, Discord servers, and Facebook groups.

A person pressing play to watch a playlist

Need more advice? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.

Can you add YouTube Shorts to a playlist?

Yes! You can make a new playlist filled with Shorts or add Shorts to an existing playlist. Both are possible.

How many videos can you have in a YouTube playlist?

How many playlists can you have on YouTube?

The general consensus is that you can create an unlimited number.

The create button is near the top-right corner

3. Follow the directions on the upcoming screens. Enter a title, set your playlist’s visibility, and click 

Creating playlists on YouTube is a great way to grow your channel, but it's not the only way.

If you want more tips, here are 22 valuable strategies.

YouTube playlists may be underrated, but they're one of the best ways to increase your channel's views.

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