YouTube is a powerful platform for sharing your content with a global audience. However, there are times when you might not want your videos to be accessible to the public. For example, you might be creating videos for your company’s internal training or sharing personal family videos with a limited audience. Fortunately, YouTube offers several ways to make your videos private, ensuring that only those you choose can view them.
Why Make YouTube Videos Private?
There are several reasons why you might want to make your YouTube videos private. Here are a few examples:
- Private Family Videos: You might want to share family videos with only close family and friends, not the entire world.
- Internal Company Videos: If you are creating training or instructional videos for your company, you might want to ensure that only employees have access to them.
- Confidential Information: If your videos contain confidential information that you don’t want to share with the public, making them private is the best option.
Steps to Make YouTube Videos Private
Now that you understand why you might want to make your YouTube videos private, let’s walk through the steps on how to do it.
1. Uploading a Video
The first step in making a YouTube video private is to upload the video to your YouTube channel. To upload a video, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- Click on the camera icon at the top right-hand corner of the screen.
- Select “Upload Video.”
- Choose the video you want to upload from your computer.
- Add a title and description for your video.
2. Setting Video Privacy Settings
Once you’ve uploaded your video, you can set the privacy settings. Here’s how:
- Click on “Visibility” in the “Upload” screen.
- Choose “Private” from the drop-down menu.
- Select “Save” to save your changes.
Now, only those who you share the video link with will be able to view your video.
3. Managing Access to Your Private Videos
To manage who can access your private videos, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- Click on the profile icon at the top right-hand corner of the screen.
- Click on “YouTube Studio.”
- Select “Videos” from the left-hand menu.
- Click on the video you want to manage access to.
- Click on “More Options” under “Visibility.”
- Choose “Share privately” from the drop-down menu.
- Enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the video with.
- Click “Save” to save your changes.
You can also choose to add specific YouTube channels or Google groups that have access to your private video.
Conclusion
Making your YouTube videos private is an excellent way to ensure that only those you want to see your content have access to it. With these simple steps, you can easily upload, set privacy settings and manage access to your private videos on YouTube. Whether you’re sharing personal family videos or creating internal company training videos, making them private ensures that only those you want to see them can access them.
FAQs
Can I make all of my YouTube videos private at once?
Yes, you can make all of your YouTube videos private at once by changing the default upload settings in your account.
Can I share private videos with people who don't have a YouTube account?
Yes, you can share private videos with anyone by sending them a link to the video. However, they will need to create a YouTube account to view it.
Will private videos still appear in search results?
No, private videos will not appear in search results or on your channel page unless you share the link with someone who has access to the video.
Can I set an expiration date for a private video?
Yes, you can set an expiration date for your private video by using the "Scheduled" option in the "Visibility" settings.