YouTube Premieres – the function that allows creators to generative hype around a video before it goes live – just got 4 new features. Now you can utilize new tools to captivate viewers and grow your subscriber base.
What does YouTube Premieres 2.0 have to offer?
1) Live Redirect
Now creators can connect a live stream to an upcoming video premier. This means you can generate excitement and engage your subscribers prior to unveiling your new content. Just like how we experience televised concerts, events or sporting matches, now you can host a pre-show, interviews, Q&A’s and more before redirecting traffic to the main video. I find this feature especially exciting, as the creative possibilities are truly endless.
One thing to note is that you can only set up Live Redirects between videos from the same channel.
2) Premiere Trailers
Now you can include a pre-recorded trailer for your premier! Trailers are a fantastic instrument for generating hype, especially if a follower clicks on your page before the video is scheduled to start – and you might want to consider making trailers regardless, as the alternative display is a static thumbnail.
Premier Trailers have to be between 15 seconds and 3 minutes long.
3) Expanded Countdown Themes
Were you hoping for more countdown display options for directly before a video premiere? You’re in luck! After countless users complained that the only countdown option that the streaming platform offered often didn’t aptly reflect their content, YouTube listened and worked their magic. Now, there are 10 new designs for countdown themes. Regardless of your content’s mood, tone and occasion, you’ll be able to find the perfect theme for your video.
4) Schedule Premieres on Mobile
Now you can schedule Premieres using the YouTube mobile app! Creators can upload a video from their mobile device and schedule it at the same time, making it perfect for streamlining phone-based content.
Though you need at least 1k subscribers to be eligible for the Live Redirect and Trailers features, YouTube hopes the features can soon be available to more creators.
Anaïs DerSimonian is a writer, filmmaker, and educator interested in media, culture and the arts. She is Clark University Alumni with a degree in Culture Studies and Screen Studies. She has produced various documentary and narrative projects, including a profile on an NGO in Yerevan, Armenia that provides micro-loans to cottage industries and entrepreneurs based in rural regions to help create jobs, self-sufficiency, and to stimulate the post-Soviet economy. She is currently based in Boston. Besides filmmaking, Anaïs enjoys reading good fiction and watching sketch and stand-up comedy.
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