Guide to YouTube video specs

Learn the latest in YouTube video ad specs, how to make flawless YouTube intros & outros, & learn the best times to upload video on YouTube.

Whether you're creating YouTube ads for your small business or learning how to post on YouTube as a novice vlogger, there's no denying the power of YouTube.

Now owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company, YouTube continues to captivate audiences — boasting over 2.3 billion monthly active users. That's nearly a third of everyone in the world who uses the internet. (Whoa.)

Bookmark this guide as your go-to source for YouTube's video ad specs, best times to post a video, and helpful tips to make your intro and outro videos stand out from the competition.

And if you'd like to go beyond video specs to focus on creating better videos, you can compare Vimeo to YouTube for tasks like trimming video, merging video, compressing video, cropping video, making GIFs, and more.

What is a YouTube intro video?

Your YouTube intro is a short clip that opens each video from the same channel. Think of it as a TV show opening – it gives the viewer orientation, contributes to the channel’s branding, and sets the tone for the video.

Try this template

So...what's the best time to post on YouTube?

You can’t go wrong by posting every weekday at around 3 pm EST. This way, your video will have time to reach your audience, and it will have time to become searchable. On the weekend, try posting earlier. Because Saturdays and Sundays (especially Sundays) usually provide more views, YouTubers tend to post more on the weekend. It might be smart to post earlier (like 9 am EST) so that your video doesn’t get lost in a sea of content.

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Caitland Conley

Caitland was a content strategist at Vimeo. She's passionate about writing, helping small businesses grow their marketing, very foamy cappuccinos, and her elaborate WFH skincare routine.