YouTube has over two billion monthly active users, and hundreds of millions of videos exist on the platform. Anyone with a camera can start a channel, and you might find that doing so is an excellent way to both showcase your interests and enhance your creative skills.

If you decide to start a YouTube channel, you must learn how to upload a video to YouTube. The good news is that you can do so from multiple devices. And today, you’ll learn how to upload a YouTube video from each of them.

How to Upload a Video to YouTube on Your Computer

Uploading a video to YouTube from your computer is straightforward. Here are the steps you should follow:

  1. Go to studio.youtube.com.
  2. Select Create > Upload Videos in the top right-hand corner. Alternatively, click on Upload Videos in the Channel Dashboard section.
    Upload a YouTube Video From the YouTube Studio App
  3. Click on Select Files and choose the file you want to upload. Then, wait for YouTube to upload your content.
    The option to upload a file to YouTube
  4. Customize your YouTube video (we'll speak about the most important settings in the next section).
    Some of the options for customizing a YouTube video
  5. Click on Next as you work your way through the other sections. After choosing the video’s visibility and whether you will schedule it or not, tap Save. Note that 4K content will take longer to process.
    Save and Upload a YouTube Video

Now that you are uploading your video, you might want to check out some of the best ways you can help viewers find your YouTube videos.

Customizing Your YouTube Video

As you saw during the walkthrough above, you can customize your YouTube video in numerous ways. Getting the most out of your settings is crucial if you want to maximize your chances of growing your channel. Below is a quick overview of the most important customization options and terms you should consider, both when making your first-ever YouTube video and for other posts thereafter.

  • Thumbnail: The picture people will see when they click on your content. While you can pick a screengrab from the video, we recommend making something that will captivate your audience’s attention. You can design YouTube thumbnails in Canva, Adobe InDesign, and many other platforms.
  • Description: Here, you’ll tell your audience what your video is about. You can also add timestamps to make it easier for others to navigate.
  • Title: Your title can be up to 100 characters long, and it should make it clear what the user should expect when they click on your video. Keep search engine optimization (SEO) in mind, as this will partially determine how many people see your content.
  • Visibility: You can either make your video public, private, or unlisted. Scheduling your content for a later date is also possible if you don’t want to upload your video to YouTube straight away.

Depending on the tool you use, you might be able to upload a video to YouTube from your editing software. Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro all offer this option. If you use DaVinci Resolve, we’ve got a tutorial on how to upload your video from DaVinci Resolve to YouTube.

How to Upload a Video to YouTube on Your Smartphone or Tablet

Vlogging on your smartphone is easier than ever, and the quality of cameras on these devices means that you can create longer-form talking head videos as well. Considering that you’ve also got access to powerful editing tools (such as DaVinci Resolve on your iPad), you might want to also upload a video to YouTube from your tablet or mobile device.

The steps to upload a YouTube video from your smartphone or tablet are different from your computer. However, the process is still quite straightforward:

  1. Open the YouTube app on your device.
  2. Click on the + button at the bottom of your screen.
    The Plus Button on YouTube
  3. Choose the video from your camera roll that you want to upload. Alternatively, you can press Record or Go Live if those are your preferred options. To upload videos from your camera roll, you’ll need to grant access if this is the first time you’re doing so.
    Choose a YouTube File to Upload From Your Mobile Device
  4. Trim your video by tapping on the scissors icon and moving the parts of your clip. The wand icon on the right is helpful if you want to add a filter, but it isn’t necessary.
    The scissor and wand icons on YouTube for uploading a video

Finishing Your YouTube Video Upload From a Mobile Device

After completing the above steps, you can then complete the uploading process with a few more customizations. Below, you can discover all the remaining information you need to upload your video to YouTube from a smartphone or tablet.

  1. Tap Next. On the next screen, you’ll need to create a YouTube channel if you haven’t already. This will appear in a pop-up window.
  2. Click on the picture icon in the top left to add a thumbnail.
    The Image Icon on YouTube
  3. Scroll down to customize your other video settings—such as the description. Then, select Next.
    The options for editing a video on YouTube
  4. In the Select audience section, choose whether your video is made for kids or not. If you need to age-restrict your video, expand that dropdown menu and choose your preferred option.
    The options to customize your audience in YouTube
  5. At the bottom of your screen, you’ll see a button called Upload video. Click on this to finalize the process.

How to Upload a YouTube Video From Your Gaming Console

In addition to uploading YouTube videos from your smartphone or tablet, you can share footage from your gaming console. This is especially useful if you are an aspiring video game YouTuber or streamer.

If you want to upload to YouTube from a PlayStation 5, you can follow the instructions in the video below:

For Xbox Series X/S, you should follow these steps instead:

Your gaming console will record footage, and as long as you’re connected to the internet, you can upload it to YouTube.

How to Upload YouTube Shorts

If you’re serious about growing your YouTube channel, you might also want to consider uploading YouTube Shorts. These short-form videos can be up to 60 seconds long, and the process for uploading is simple.

You’ll need to use the same initial upload settings mentioned for your device of choice earlier. If your video is 60 seconds or less, it’ll automatically be uploaded as a Short—as long as it’s either square or vertical. You can also type #shorts next to your title, but this isn’t necessary.

Before posting YouTube Shorts, consider the pros and cons of uploading YouTube Shorts to your channel.

Plenty of Ways to Upload Videos to YouTube

Whether you use your smartphone, computer, or tablet, it’s easy to upload a video to YouTube. You can also use your gaming console if you need to record game-specific content.

Uploading Shorts is also simple, and you can refer back to this guide as many times as you feel is necessary. You will quickly get an idea of how everything works after a few uploads.