How to optimize your YouTube Icon and Channel Art

Do you dream of having your YouTube channel? Or do you already have it but want to improve its appearance? 

Besides being the second most important platform on the Internet, after Facebook, with more than a billion users, YouTube is also the second most important search engine after Google.

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“We have seen the evolution, of how the audience stopped being a massive viewer to becoming the protagonist of the content they want to see. YouTube is the people’s television, made by the very people and available throughout the world”, said Alberto Ciurana, during his presentation “The Future of Television” at the “Imaginativa Conference – La Semana de la Televisión” celebrated last November, in the Dominican Republic.

This is the first of many tips I will be sharing, on how to improve your content and optimize your social networks, including your YouTube channel. In this first article, let’s start optimizing the branding aspects of your YouTube channel.

First of all…What’s the difference between the icon and the channel art? Let’s use one of my favorite YouTube channels as an example, FLAMA.

Learn how to edit your icon and channel art with this YouTube tutorial!

What aspects do you need to consider when choosing the icon of your channel?

• The picture format must be JPG, GIF or PNG.
• It is recommended to use a picture of 800 x 800 pixels.
• Pay attention to details, taking into account that it should be seen clearly from the distance.

Remember that the picture in your icon is visible in both your channel’s homepage and in all of your videos. Also, it is linked to the profile picture you have on your Google+ account.

Consider these other aspects for the channel art!

Remember that the channel art will be used on all platforms and will look different according to the device (desktop, mobile devices and TV screens).

To obtain the best results on all your devices, it is recommendable to upload just one 2560 x 1440 picture.

• Minimum width: 2048 x 1152 pixels. This is the “safe area,” where text and logos are guaranteed not to be cut off when displayed on different devices.
• Maximum width: 2560 x 423 pixels. This means that the “safe area” is always visible; the areas to each side of the channel art are visible depending on the viewer’s browser size.
• 4MB or smaller recommended.

Can I recommend a tool?

When designing, not only for YouTube but all social media outlets, I love to use the Canva application. This tool is available f0r use in your computer and in the recently released mobile version. Check out this link, where you’ll be able to find countless templates for your YouTube channel, that you can download and customize to your taste.

Finally, I want to share some examples with you for reference. These brands and YouTubers have done an excellent job with their YouTube channel’s branding. Look at their icons and channel art!

Do you have a question about YouTube? Do you have a channel you would like to share with us? Leave it in the comments!