Create a YouTube series

30/11/2019

If you have serial or episodic content that you've created, you can optimize it for discovery on YouTube using the Series Editor. This tool organizes serial content using YouTube guidelines so that viewers can find and watch your content. Currently, the tool is in beta, but we will update here when it's more widely available.

Are you looking to have this series in YouTube TV? Use our Series guidelines for YouTube TV to give new audiences the opportunity to discover your channel.

When to use the Series Editor

  • Establish series: Help identify videos that are part of a series by setting up a series name, series description, episode numbers, and seasons. You can also easily create series by using existing playlists.
  • Improve discovery: Use unique series and episode badges, customized season artwork, and optimized descriptions. 
  • Increase watch time: Let fans binge on your series by suggesting next episodes to autoplay, including playback across seasons. Viewers can easily play, pause, and resume your series at their convenience.

Create a new YouTube Series 

Use the steps below to use the Series Editor to organize your episodic content. Once you've created a season, you can preview it by clicking View this season to see how it will display in your channel Playlists tab.

By default, new seasons are Private. If you create the series from a playlist, it will use the existing privacy setting. You can change it to public at any time, which makes it discoverable across YouTube.

Make sure to add a series description and upload a thumbnail for your season. These details will help your content be more discoverable. 

Create a new series

  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series.
  3. Click Create new series.
  4. Add a series title and description.
  5. Add a season and content to your series. You can choose from existing playlists or individual videos options.

Convert an existing playlist

You can use an existing playlist to create a new series using the Series Editor.
  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series.
  3. Click the series you want to edit.
  4. Click Add season​ > Convert playlist.
  5. Select a playlist from the drop-down menu.
  6. Click Continue. 
  7. Create a season thumbnail by clicking Add series art and adding the title and description.
    • Image ratio: 16:9
    • File format: JPG or PNG under 2 MB limit
    • Recommended dimensions: 1920x1080 px
  8. If you want to add another season to the series, click Add season > Create new.
  9. If you want the content to be discoverable across YouTube, change the season privacy setting to public using the drop-down menu for each season. Public seasons will have episode badging (i.e., S1:E1). Learn more about privacy settings. You can preview a season by clicking View this season.

Use individual videos

You can add individual videos to seasons using the Series Editor.

  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series.
  3. Select the series and season you want to edit. 
  4. To create a new season, click Add season > Create new.
  5. Click Add episode and select a video. Add videos until your series or season is complete. ​
    • If you want to add a new video, just upload the video using Video Manager, then return to the your series to add the new video.
    • If you want to change the order of the videos, drag and drop the videos. 
    • If you want to add another season to the series, click Add season > Create new.
  6. If you want the content to be discoverable across YouTube, change the season privacy setting to public using the drop-down menu for each season. Public seasons will have episode badging (i.e., S1:E1). Learn more about privacy settings. You can preview a season by clicking View this season.

Promote your series

Make seasons public

You can make sure your content is discoverable across YouTube by changing the season privacy setting to Public. Learn more about video privacy settings.
  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series.
  3. Select the series and season want to edit. 
  4. Use the drop-down menu to set the privacy setting for each season. Public seasons will have episode badging (i.e., S1:E1).

Add series to your channel

You can add series to your channel page so that viewers will see your series right when they go to your channel. You can choose to add all series or a single series from the series. Learn how to add sections to your channel.

Edit your series

Delete a series

You can delete a series from the Series Editor at any time. If you delete a series, all of its seasons are reverted into playlists, which can still be viewed on YouTube. Deleting a series is a permanent action that can't be undone.

  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series.
  3. Select the series you want to remove.
  4. Next to series title, click menu More Menu > Delete series.

Remove a season

You can remove one or more seasons from the Series Editor at any time, starting with the last season.
  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series.
  3. Select the series you want to edit.
  4. Next to the season title, click menu More Menu > Remove from series.
  5. This action will revert this season to a playlist, which can still be viewed on YouTube.

You can also delete the playlist from YouTube as part of removing a season. This removes this season from your playlist and deletes the playlist from YouTube. Deleting a playlist is a permanent action and can't be undone.

  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series. 
  3. Select the series you want to edit.
  4. Next to the season title, click menu More Menu > Delete playlist.

Remove a video from a season

You can remove a video from a season at any time.
  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to Video Manager > Series.
  3. Select the series and season you want to edit.
  4. Click on the x for the video you want to remove from the season.

* Nguồn: Youtube