Nobody\u2019s out here on YouTube straight up uploading and hitting publish all willy-nilly in 2024. Scheduling YouTube videos helps you keep a consistent content calendar and allows you to publish at the best times for your audience.<\/p>\n
Effective content planning is the backbone of every content marketing strategy<\/a> \u2014 and scheduling your videos in advance is a key part of that.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to schedule a YouTube video on desktop, mobile, and (spoiler alert) even more conveniently with Hootsuite.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Bonus:<\/b> Download the free 30-day plan to grow your YouTube following fast<\/span><\/strong>,<\/span> a daily workbook of challenges that will help you kickstart your Youtube channel growth and track your success. Get real results after one month.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Of course, you need an active YouTube account before you can schedule a video. Set up your YouTube channel<\/a> first, if needed.<\/p>\n Head over to YouTube Studio<\/a>. Find it by clicking on your profile photo at the top right of your screen, or go to www.studio.youtube.co<\/a>m.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can click the camera icon at the top right anywhere on YouTube to get to the same video upload screen. If you do it this way, skip to Step 4.<\/p>\n YouTube Studio also has a bunch of advanced tools<\/a>, so I recommend sticking to using it, though.<\/p>\n Click Create<\/strong> at the top right of your Studio dashboard, then select Upload video(s)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Whether you got to this screen from YouTube Studio or another page on YouTube, the rest of the process is the same. Drag and drop or click to select your video file and it\u2019ll start uploading.<\/p>\n Important: If you upload a video that\u2019s under 1 minute (and in 9:16 format), it\u2019ll be classified as a YouTube Short.<\/strong> This means it will live in the Shorts area instead of the main video browser. However, it will still publish to your channel as a video.<\/p>\n YouTube Shorts are a great way to grow your channel, but they work quite differently than regular YouTube videos. Check out our complete guide to YouTube Shorts<\/a> for the best results.<\/p>\n While it uploads, you can add a title, description, and more.<\/p>\n Your video is private until you choose to publish it so no need to rush to finish this page.<\/p>\n Make sure to fill out the following required information:<\/p>\n And consider completing these optional, but highly recommended, items:<\/p>\n Wondering how to get those awesome chapter breaks \u2014 also called \u201cYouTube timestamps\u201d \u2014 that let people easily skip around your video? (Thereby increasing overall watch time.)<\/p>\n In the description box, simply write the minute and second where you want a chapter to begin followed by a chapter title. Like this:<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Hootsuite Labs on YouTube<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Spend some time fully optimizing these fields for the best chance at getting more video views<\/a>, even for small channels.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re finished adding all your video info, click Next<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Here you can add subtitles, end screens, and info cards. These are all optional but have benefits.<\/p>\n First up: subtitles\/captions. Click Add<\/strong>.<\/p>\n On the next screen, you can choose to either upload a properly formatted captions file<\/a> (usually in .srt or .sub format), a basic text file with captions, or play the video and manually type out captions.<\/p>\n Not keen on spending hours typing out captions or paying for professional transcription? There is another option: YouTube automatically captions<\/a> videos in some languages, including English. Although these may not end up 100% accurate.<\/p>\n To ensure you\u2019re producing inclusive content<\/a>, I recommend investing money in professional captions, or your time to type them yourself.<\/p>\n In YouTube lingo, an \u201cend card\u201d is the final shot of your video and usually where you\u2019re directing people to either subscribe, click a link, or watch another video. End card graphics allow you to put in these call to actions.<\/p>\n Clicking Add<\/strong> from the video elements screen brings up a tool to add and position your end card content. You can add your own element, like a video or playlist, by clicking + Element<\/strong>. Or use one of the suggested templates.<\/p>\n You can have YouTube decide which of your videos to feature here depending on the viewer\u2019s preferences, or pick your own selection. You can also move the cards around so they don\u2019t block your face, or just fit into your video better.<\/p>\n During your video, you may mention a product, website, or another video of yours. In the Cards section, you can add these precisely where you want to within your video. The process for adding them is similar to adding end screen cards above.<\/p>\n Click the plus icon<\/strong> next to the type of card you want to add.<\/p>\n Note:<\/strong> To use the link card for external website URLs, you must be in the YouTube Partner Program<\/a> (A.K.A. monetized).<\/p>\n For a video, channel, or playlist card, pick the video, channel, or playlist you want to link to.<\/p>\n Customize your card text and you\u2019re done!<\/p>\n To add more cards, click + Card <\/strong>at the top, then add as many as you want. When you\u2019re done, click Save<\/strong> at the top right.<\/p>\n After clicking Next<\/strong> from the video elements page, YouTube tells you if it found any copyright claims or other things that need to be addressed before you can publish your video.<\/p>\n Take care of anything here, if applicable, then click Next<\/strong> for the final step.<\/p>\n This is it! First, choose Public<\/strong> as the visibility setting for your video (unless you want to keep it private). Then pick your date and time in the Schedule<\/strong> box.<\/p>\n Optionally, set your video as a Premiere. This makes it seem sort of like a webinar in that it\u2019s a countdown-timed event. For the duration of the video at launch time, there\u2019s a group live chat area for everyone who\u2019s currently tuning in.<\/p>\n Select Schedule<\/strong> at the bottom, and your video is good to go.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll show you how to schedule YouTube videos in the iOS version, but the same process applies for Android.<\/p>\n Tap the plus icon<\/strong> in the middle of the navigation bar at the bottom.<\/p>\n YouTube Short will be selected by default but if you want to schedule a regular, long-form video, tap Video<\/strong> instead.<\/p>\n Tap on the video to upload. YouTube brings up a barebones editor where you can either click Next<\/strong> to proceed with the upload, or edit the long-form video into a Short.<\/p>\n The mobile version has many of the same video options as the desktop process, including the most vital ones like adding a title, description, choosing a playlist, and setting a location.<\/p>\n Notably, adding tags isn\u2019t available when scheduling from mobile. They\u2019re not critical but you could edit your video on desktop later to add them in before the video goes live, if you wanted to.<\/p>\n Thumbnails are the main reason people click to watch a video. To add a custom one on mobile, tap the photo icon<\/strong> at the top left, then choose an image from your phone\u2019s photo library.<\/p>\n Tap on Visibility<\/strong> then Schedule<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Choose your date and time then tap the back arrow to return to the video details page.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re happy with the title, description, scheduled date, and other settings, tap Upload<\/strong> and you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t already, add your YouTube Channel to Hootsuite<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oh, yeah, and all your other social media accounts so you can plan, schedule, and publish content across all your platforms from one easy dashboard. But you knew that already, right?<\/p>\n Click on Composer<\/strong> on the left side menu, then select YouTube video<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Choose your video and it\u2019ll start uploading.<\/p>\n Similar to YouTube, you can edit your video\u2019s title, description, tags, and category while it uploads in the background.<\/p>\n Once your video is finished uploading, you can choose from several thumbnail options with the forward and back slider, or upload a custom thumbnail image by clicking the camera icon. (This appears once it\u2019s done uploading.)<\/p>\n Clicking Publish Now will do exactly what it says. To schedule your YouTube video instead, first change the privacy to Unlisted<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Then click the slider to on for Schedule to go Public<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Start free 30-day trial<\/a><\/p>\n Choose your date and time then click Schedule<\/strong> at the top.<\/p>\n After you schedule your YouTube video in Hootsuite, you get a link you can use to promote it right away. Simply copy it, or click Share via Hootsuite<\/strong>, to schedule social media posts directing people to your new video once it\u2019s live.<\/p>\n This saves a lot of time by letting you schedule a YouTube video and all its associated promotional content across all your channels from one place all at the same time, without having to wait for the video to launch first.<\/p>\n Do you need Hootsuite to schedule YouTube videos? Nope. YouTube\u2019s built-in scheduler provides more settings and options. But personally, I find the uninterrupted workflow of being able to schedule YouTube alongside my other platforms, plus scheduling promotional posts for the video I just uploaded, priceless.<\/p>\n Or, suit yourself: stick to YouTube\u2019s native video scheduling but use Hootsuite for all the rest of your social media planning and publishing.<\/p>\n Go to the Content<\/strong> section, then either Vid\u00e9os<\/strong> or Shorts<\/strong>, depending on the type of scheduled video you want to delete.<\/p>\n Hovering over a video reveals a menu. Click the three dots<\/strong>. Alternatively, if you just want to change the scheduled date or time, click the pencil icon<\/strong> to enter the edit screen instead.<\/p>\n YouTube will ask you to confirm, and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n Make sure to check the box, then click Delete Forever<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Consistency is important for all social platforms but is rewarded especially well on YouTube. There are a lot of factors that go into the way YouTube recommends videos to people but having an active channel with regularly posted videos only helps that.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a big deal since YouTube algorithm recommendations drive 70%<\/a> of all viewer watch choices.<\/p>\nHow to schedule videos on YouTube (Desktop)<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 1: Log in to YouTube<\/h3>\n
Step 2: Go to YouTube Studio<\/h3>\n
![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-1-620x369.jpg?resize=620%2C369&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/word-image-458254-2.png?resize=2048%2C233&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nStep 3: Click Create<\/h3>\n
![\"Create](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-2-620x211.jpg?resize=620%2C211&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 4: Upload your video<\/h3>\n
![\"Upload](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-6-620x686.jpg?resize=620%2C686&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 5: Add your video information<\/h3>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-5-620x689.jpg?resize=620%2C689&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n
\n
![\"timestamps](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-7-620x773.jpg?resize=620%2C773&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 6: Add captions<\/h3>\n
![\"Video](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-8-620x692.jpg?resize=620%2C692&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Select](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-9-620x498.jpg?resize=620%2C498&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 7: Add an end card<\/h3>\n
![\"End](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-10-620x500.jpg?resize=620%2C500&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"End](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-11-620x498.jpg?resize=620%2C498&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 8: Add other cards<\/h3>\n
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-12-620x497.jpg?resize=620%2C497&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-13-620x492.jpg?resize=620%2C492&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Video](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-14-620x498.jpg?resize=620%2C498&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 9: Fix any issues<\/h3>\n
![\"Check](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-15-620x695.jpg?resize=620%2C695&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 10: Schedule your YouTube video<\/h3>\n
![\"select](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-16-620x693.jpg?resize=620%2C693&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nHow to schedule videos on YouTube (Mobile)<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 1: Open the YouTube app<\/h3>\n
![\"plus](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-17-620x1344.jpg?resize=620%2C1344&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 2: Choose to post a video or Short<\/h3>\n
![\"tap](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-18-620x1344.jpg?resize=620%2C1344&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 3: Choose your video file<\/h3>\n
![\"tap](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-19-620x1344.jpg?resize=620%2C1344&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 4: Add your video details<\/h3>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-20-620x1344.jpg?resize=620%2C1344&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 5: Add a custom thumbnail<\/h3>\n
![\"Tap](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-21-620x607.jpg?resize=620%2C607&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 6: Schedule your video<\/h3>\n
![\"Set](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-22-620x835.jpg?resize=620%2C835&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"select](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-23-620x724.jpg?resize=620%2C724&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 7: Upload your video<\/h3>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-24-620x1344.jpg?resize=620%2C1344&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nHow to schedule YouTube videos using Hootsuite<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 1: Add your YouTube Channel to Hootsuite<\/h3>\n
Step 2: Upload your video<\/h3>\n
![\"Hootsuite](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-09-at-8.59.15-PM-620x268.png?resize=620%2C268&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-25-620x427.jpg?resize=620%2C427&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 3: Fill out your video info<\/h3>\n
![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-26-620x345.jpg?resize=620%2C345&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 4: Select your thumbnail<\/h3>\n
![\"Video](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-27-620x483.jpg?resize=620%2C483&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 5: Schedule your video<\/h3>\n
![\"Change](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-28-620x376.jpg?resize=620%2C376&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Schedule](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-29-620x371.jpg?resize=620%2C371&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nBonus: Create social media content before your video goes live!<\/h3>\n
![\"Your](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-30-620x548.jpg?resize=620%2C548&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nHow to delete a scheduled video on YouTube<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 1: Log in to YouTube Studio<\/h3>\n
![\"Channel](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-31-620x448.jpg?resize=620%2C448&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 2: Hover over the video you want to delete<\/h3>\n
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-32-620x289.jpg?resize=620%2C289&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nStep 3: Choose delete forever<\/h3>\n
![\"Channel](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-33-620x349.jpg?resize=620%2C349&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Permanently](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/schedule-youtube-video-34-620x320.jpg?resize=620%2C320&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nTips for scheduling YouTube videos<\/span><\/h2>\n
Work out a consistent schedule<\/h3>\n