YouTube Channels For Dummies

Chapter 9

Preparing for Upload Day

In This Chapter

• Making sure your YouTube channel is ready for your video uploads
• Knowing why Video SEO drives discoverability and how to optimize it during upload
• Recognizing what's required to keep your channel in good standing
• Understanding YouTube's uploading options and setting appropriate defaults

It's hard to believe that, not that long ago, the whole concept of video production and distribution was the domain of specialized professionals. In those bad old days, the entire process was not only difficult but often also extremely expensive. Securing broader distribution rights required lawyers, which added another level of complexity and expense, all in the name of keeping great video work out of the domain of creative people and many business.

Fortunately, all that has changed. As computers, cameras, and applications became more powerful — and affordable and a lot less complex — creating a fabulous video could be accomplished relatively easily. So much for the miles of film and expensive production facilities that used to be standard operating procedure — now you could shoot an outstanding video on your mobile phone and then edit it on your laptop in the local coffee shop. The digital video revolution had begun.

Then along came YouTube, and suddenly you could get your video immediately distributed to, and in front of, millions of viewers without the aggravation of contracts, lawyers, and distribution partners. Overnight, you could become ...