What’s YouTube Live Stream Thumbnail
A YouTube Live thumbnail is a vital visual component for live streams on YouTube, serving as a preview image that represents the content of the live stream. You should pay attention that the best YouTube live thumbnail size is 1280×720 pixels, the same as the YouTube thumbnail.
The Importance of YouTube Live Thumbnail
A thumbnail is one of the most important parts of YouTube live streaming. If you don’t upload a custom thumbnail for YouTube Live, YouTube will choose a random one that may not be suitable as the cover.
Thumbnails can be used to promote the live stream on other social media platforms. A captivating thumbnail can attract more viewers to your livestream by giving them a preview of what to expect. You can share the thumbnail on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc., along with a link to the live stream, to generate more interest and drive traffic to your YouTube channel.
How to Add and Change YouTube Live Thumbnail
You have got the importance of YouTube live thumbnails from the previous part. Now, let’s dive into the tutorial on how to add and change YouTube live thumbnails.
#How to Add thumbnail to YouTube live stream:
1. Go to YouTube with your browser and log into your account.
2. Click on Create > Go live at the top right corner of the prime interface.
3. Choose one of the options for when you go live and pick one of the types of stream to begin.
4. Edit the metadata for the live video. Scroll down to the Thumbnail and click on Upload thumbnail.
5. The last step is to click on Save.
#How to change YouTube live thumbnail:
If the YouTube live thumbnail you have uploaded, the following are the steps to change the uploaded thumbnail:
1. Choose YouTube Studio from the YouTube homepage, go to Content from the left side, then click on Live.
2. Click on the live post you want to change the thumbnail, select the Upload thumbnail button, and select your image.
Bonus: How to Download YouTube Live Stream Videos Free
Downloading live-stream videos on YouTube requires you to get YouTube Premium. How to download them for free? I recommend a downloader I always use – MiniTool Video Converter.
MiniTool Video Converter is 100% safe and has no ads. You can save live-stream videos, music videos, playlists, podcasts, Shorts, and more content from YouTube to 1080p without limiting numbers. The downloadable formats include MP3, MP4, WAV, and WebM.
Here’s the tutorial on how to download live videos with it:
1. Download and install MiniTool Video Converter on your computer.
MiniTool Video ConverterClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
2. Open it and switch to Video Download.
3. Head to YouTube to copy the live video URL and paste it into the MiniTool Video Converter address bar. Then, click on Download.
4. In the pop-up window, choose an output format and click on DOWNLOAD.
5. Now the YouTube downloader begins to download the video. When it finishes the work, you can click the Play icon to watch the video.
Conclusion
YouTube live thumbnail gives viewers an idea of what to expect from the live stream. I strongly recommend every creator to add thumbnails to their livestreams. Adding a thumbnail to a YouTube livestream makes the channel more professional. If you also want to download live stream videos, I recommend using MiniTool Video Converter.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Libur is always willing to try new things and full of enthusiasm for life. At the same time, she is passionate about making fantastic movies. Now, she has become an English editor about multimedia in MiniTool. She is good at writing articles about video editing, video conversion, and screen recording. During her spare time, Libur loves climbing mountains and listening to music. By the way, her favorite singer is Taylor Swift.