Speaker A
What is the best time to upload videos on YouTube? This is a very simple question, and its answer is quite straightforward, but still, I always come across this question in my comments section, emails, and Instagram messages.
Discover the real secret to the best time for uploading YouTube videos and why timing matters for instant views and audience engagement.
Key Takeaways
- Upload timing does not influence long-term video performance.
- Use YouTube Analytics to find when your audience is most active.
- Upload timing affects instant views and video placement in subscription feeds.
- Consistency in upload timing builds audience trust and expectation.
- Scheduling premieres/live streams based on viewer activity is beneficial.
What the video covers
- Upload timing does not affect the long-term performance of a YouTube video.
- YouTube Studio's Audience tab shows when viewers are most active, helping decide upload timing.
- Uploading when viewers are active can generate instant views but doesn't impact overall video success.
- Videos uploaded during low activity times will gain views later when viewers are online.
- YouTube's activity graph is useful for scheduling premieres and live streams.
- Upload timing matters for the Subscription Feed, where newer videos appear at the top.
- Uploading at consistent times helps build audience expectations and engagement.
- Creators should consider their audience’s lifestyle (e.g., kids' schedules) when choosing upload times.
- Fixed upload times like 4 PM or 8 PM can create a reliable schedule for viewers.
- Consistency in upload timing is recommended once a good audience is established.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to the best time to upload videos
- 00:20Does upload timing matter?
- 00:32Using YouTube Studio Analytics for upload timing
- 00:53Long-term impact of upload timing
- 01:52Instant views and viewer activity
- 02:27Why not to worry too much about timing
- 03:23Purpose of YouTube’s activity graph
- 03:47Why upload timing can still matter
- 05:11Best time to upload videos – summary
- 05:25Considering your audience’s schedule
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
So today, in this quick video, let's find out what the best time to upload videos on YouTube is.
Speaker A
Does upload timing even matter, or why do I always post my videos at 4 and 8 o'clock?
Speaker A
Well, let's find out! So whenever there's confusion about something related to YouTube, first go and see what YouTube itself says about it.
Speaker A
If you go to YouTube Studio > Analytics > Audience Tab, you'll find this chart that tells us when our viewers are most active, and based on that, we can decide the upload timing.
Speaker A
The brighter the lines, the more viewers are active at that time. Now, if you look below, it clearly says that the publish time is not known to directly affect the long-term performance of a video.
Speaker A
Which clearly makes sense, right? If a video's performance and views a week, a month, or a year from now were affected by its upload timing, it would be quite unfair.
Speaker A
Isn't it? So first, firmly conclude that the upload timing has no bearing on how a video will perform in the long run.
Speaker A
If the video is good, the views will come. If you upload a video when the maximum number of viewers are active, you'll get instant views, and you'll be happy.
Speaker A
But let's say you upload the same video at 3 in the morning, what will happen?
Speaker A
When you upload, everyone will be asleep, so at that time, views won't come because there's no one to send impressions to, and this also means that your Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Average View Duration (AVD) won't be affected because, of course, there's no
Speaker A
one to watch the video. Then when morning comes, and your viewers wake up and open YouTube, views will start coming in like usual, and it's that simple!
Speaker A
That's why you shouldn't worry so much about timing. So now the question is, why did YouTube give us this graph in the first place?
Speaker A
Is it useless? No, it's not. If you click on "Learn More," you can see that YouTube says you should schedule premieres or live streams on your channel based on this chart.
Speaker A
You can see when the maximum viewers will be active, and you can use this chart for that.
Speaker A
So far, we've seen that upload timing doesn't significantly affect a video's performance, but does that mean upload timing is completely useless, and we can upload videos anytime?
Speaker A
Maybe not! There are some small reasons why upload timing can still matter. For example, take the Subscription Feed.
Speaker A
This is a traffic source where videos are arranged based on upload timing. The video of the creator who uploaded most recently is at the top.
Speaker A
So, let's say a viewer watches videos from their subscription feed, ideally, you'd want your video to be at the top of their list.
Speaker A
If you upload a video at 3 in the morning, many other creators may have uploaded videos after that, so your video will get buried lower.
Speaker A
This becomes crucial when competing with news channels. That's why uploading on time could still be beneficial for you.
Speaker A
And this is just one reason; there are other small reasons for uploading videos at the right time.
Speaker A
So now, I think we're back to the same question: What is the best time to upload videos on YouTube?
Speaker A
So, first, use this chart; it's the most straightforward way. Upload your video at the start of the time when viewers are most active, and you'll get instant views.
Speaker A
Apart from that, you can also think for yourself when your viewers are most active, and you can upload accordingly.
Speaker A
For example, if your maximum audience consists of kids, it's better to upload in the morning or afternoon when they're not in school or tuition.
Speaker A
So, logically, you can decide your upload timing like this if this graph isn't available in your studio.
Speaker A
Personally, I always upload my videos at 4 in the evening or 8 at night.
Speaker A
Are these numbers lucky for me? Who knows? I just randomly decided that I'll upload every video at 4 or 8, and it became my fixed upload timing.
Speaker A
My viewers also know that the video will be exactly at 4 or 8. So, it's like a fixed schedule for me.
Speaker A
And if you've built a good audience on your channel, I recommend picking a time when you'll upload videos and being consistent with it.
Speaker A
And, of course, select a normal timing. Alright, so you've come this far, so I think you really enjoyed this video.
Speaker A
So why not check out another video from my channel? You have two options on the screen, so click on one of them quickly, and I'll see you there. Bye!
Topics:YouTube upload timebest time to upload YouTube videosYouTube video timingYouTube AnalyticsYouTube audience activityvideo upload scheduleYouTube growth tipssubscription feed timingvideo performanceupload consistency
