How to Make a Youtube Video: The Complete Guide

Why should you make YouTube videos?

It's free

One of YouTube's biggest competitors, Vimeo, will actually charge you to upload. Additionally, they place data caps on different plans. If your masterpiece video is too large, then you'll have to pay more to get it online. This is not a problem with YouTube. You can upload as many videos as you want, regardless of length or size.

You can make money

The video site has what's called the "YouTube Partner Program.” Once you get into this program, you can start earning a share of the ad revenue from commercials shown on your video. Getting into the YouTube Partner Program takes time and dedication; you need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours within the last 12 months. How much you'll make varies a great deal. Factors such as your audience's age and location are key drivers of advertising revenue. The amount advertisers are willing to bid per view will also fluctuate day to day. Your video's topic will also have a big impact on your ad revenue.

It's the biggest video hosting site

For better or worse, YouTube is the biggest video hosting site, and by a large margin. YouTube's biggest competitor is the aforementioned Vimeo, but they are in really different leagues. According to TechRadar, YouTube has about 2 billion unique visitors per month, whereas Vimeo doesn't even have 1 million. If you want to reach a larger audience, YouTube is the superior option.

How to make a YouTube video

Posting and uploading a video to YouTube is incredibly easy and simple. Chances are, you have already completed some of the steps.

1. Create a Google account.  If you don't already have one, you'll need to create a Google account. This is a simple process that shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. 
2. Create a YouTube Channel. By creating a Google account, a YouTube account has already been created.  Go to YouTube's homepage, and click "Sign In" located in the top right corner. Enter your Google login credentials and sign in. After signing in, you should see your profile icon in the top right corner. Click on it, and from the drop-down list, select "Create a Channel."
3. Customize your channel. You can choose to name your channel, or keep the name from your Google account. If you choose to give your channel a new name, we recommend something that is memorable and recognizable. In a way, you're creating the brand for what your channel will be. After naming, you'll have more customization options. You can upload your channel's image, create a banner, write a description about your channel, and include external links like Instagram or Patreon.
4. Uploading a Video. After creating your channel, you'll have access to what's called "YouTube Studio." This can be reached by going to YouTube's home page, clicking on your profile in the top right corner, and selecting "YouTube Studio" from the drop-down list. Once in the studio, click on the "Create" icon in the top right corner. From here, you can drag and drop your already edited and finalized video file. YouTube will lead you through a series of prompts, most of which are skippable, like a description for your video, what category it fits into, if it's for kids, etc. Your video will be uploading in the background while you complete the prompts. The upload time can be lengthy, but it all depends on your internet speed and video size.

It's really that simple. In just a few clicks, you can be a part of the largest video hosting site for free.