How to Add a Channel Trailer on YouTube (Studio Steps)

When a stranger lands on your channel, they decide within seconds whether you're worth following. A channel trailer is your chance to speak to that person directly. It's a short video that greets people who haven't subscribed yet, tells them what the channel is about and gives them a reason to hit the button.

It matters most for small business owners and creators who send people to their channel from a website, a podcast mention or a social profile. Those visitors have no idea who's behind the channel yet, and a trailer does the introduction for you. Everything below follows YouTube's own help page.

Adding a channel trailer on YouTube in Studio

YouTube's steps, on a computer, are:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Select Customization in the left menu, then open the Home tab.
3. Under Layout, click Add section, then choose Channel trailer.
4. Select the video you want to use as the trailer.
5. Click Publish.

That's the whole job. The video you choose must already be uploaded to your channel, so get it published before you start. If you haven't made one yet, my guide to uploading a video to YouTube walks through the upload.

Who sees your YouTube channel trailer

This part surprises people. According to YouTube's help page, the trailer is shown to people who haven't subscribed. Once a viewer has watched it, YouTube doesn't show it to them again. So you won't see your trailer on your own channel page the way a stranger does, and your existing fans won't be nagged with it.

That also means you shouldn't judge the trailer by how your own page looks. If you want to check what a visitor sees, use a private browsing window where you're not signed in, or ask a friend who isn't subscribed.

What to put in a YouTube channel trailer

YouTube's help page covers the mechanics rather than the content, so this section is my own advice. A good trailer answers three questions for a stranger:

• Who is this for? Say it in the first sentence, such as "if you run a small shop and want more people finding you online".
• What will they get? Name the kind of videos you post and how often.
• What should they do next? Ask them to subscribe, and say why.

Keep it short and talk straight to the camera. A trailer isn't a highlight reel of your best work; it's a hello. If you don't want to appear on camera, a voiceover over screen clips or product footage works too.

Choosing which video to use as your YouTube channel trailer

You've two choices. You can make a dedicated trailer, or you can pick an existing video that introduces your work well. Either goes through the same Select a video step in Studio.

If you pick an existing video, choose one that makes sense to someone with no background. An episode that refers to "last week's announcement" will confuse a newcomer. If you'd like viewers to move on to more of your content afterwards, my guide to making a playlist on YouTube shows how to group your best videos so there's an obvious next watch.

Do ads show on a YouTube channel trailer

YouTube's help page says ads don't show on the channel trailer by default. The exception is when the video contains third-party claimed content. So if you use a trailer made of someone else's music or footage, ads may appear on it. Using your own material avoids that.

Changing the YouTube channel trailer later

The help page doesn't give a dedicated set of steps for swapping a trailer, but it does describe how to edit a section on the Home tab. In YouTube's words, you hover over the section, click Options, change the content and click Publish.

In practice, that means: go back to Customization, then the Home tab, find the trailer section, open its options, pick a different video and publish again. Since menu wording can change, look for the same section name if your screen differs.

Managing the other YouTube channel Home tab sections

The trailer is just one block on your Home tab. YouTube says you can add up to 12 custom sections, and four appear by default: short videos, uploads, created playlists and the channels you've chosen to show publicly. Other section types include videos, playlists, memberships, channels and posts.

To reorder things, click and hold the vertical bar on a section, drag it to its new position and click Publish. If you want the trailer to be the first thing a stranger sees, move it to the top.

A simple checklist for a YouTube channel trailer

1. Upload the trailer video to your channel first.
2. Open YouTube Studio, then Customization, then the Home tab.
3. Add a Channel trailer section under Layout and choose the video.
4. Click Publish.
5. Move the section near the top so newcomers meet it first.
6. Check it in a signed-out window to see what a stranger sees.

If you can't add a YouTube channel trailer

• Check you're signed in to the account that owns the channel, or one with permission to edit it.
• Make sure you're in YouTube Studio under Customization, not on the public channel page.
• Check the video you want is uploaded and finished processing, so it appears in the list.
• Remember you won't see the trailer yourself once you've watched it, so it may be there even if it looks missing.
• If the section options look different, the layout may have been updated; look for the same section names.

If none of that helps, use the help and feedback option inside YouTube Studio to contact YouTube.

For the rest of the series, see the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a channel trailer on YouTube?

In YouTube Studio, select Customization, open the Home tab, click Add section under Layout, choose Channel trailer, select a video and click Publish.

Who sees a YouTube channel trailer?

YouTube says people who haven't subscribed see it. Once a viewer has watched it, it isn't shown to them again.

Do ads play on a channel trailer?

YouTube says ads don't show on the channel trailer by default, except when the video contains third-party claimed content.

How do I change my channel trailer?

YouTube's help page says to hover over a Home tab section, click Options, change the content and click Publish.

How many sections can my YouTube Home tab have?

YouTube says you can add up to 12 custom sections, and four appear by default.