Watch this 1 minute video and learn how you can use annotations to get more business & engage with your audience – without spending a fortune.
Also, in this What’s up:
- Interactive Video examples
- Meet the REAL Google GURU – It is mystical no KIDDING
- More information on how to setup annotations (scroll down)
Reading on an Iphone/Ipad? click here / No Speakers? click here
ANNOTATIONS: The following information has been shared with you courtesy of YouTube
The Annotations Editor is a creator tool that lets you layer text, hotspots and links over your video, thus enriching experience with information, interactivity and engagement.
This is a basic overview of how to access and use the Annotations Editor. If you want more advanced information, you can check this guide to get the most out of the Annotations Editor
To access the Annotations Editor in the simplest way:
- Sign in to your YouTube account and click your username located in the top right corner of any page.
- From the drop down menu, select Video Manager.
- Next to the video you wish to edit, click the down arrow on the right of the Edit button and select Annotations
This will launch the Annotations Editor for the selected video.
Alternatively, you can launch the Annotations Editor from the video watching page by selecting annotations from the panel above the video player.
Tour of the Annotations Editor
The editor screen is divided into three main parts:
- The annotations timeline – On the bottom of the screen is where you can view and edit the timing of your annotations throughout the video, and also edit the timing as you like.
- The video player – On the left side of the screen is the video player where you can play your video while also seeing the live annotations take effect. You can also use this display to alter the location of your annotations on the video.
- The annotations properties panel – On the right side of the screen is where you can edit the details of your annotations, such as the font size, color, duration, and also add links to other videos, channels, and fundraising projects.
Creating an Annotation
For instructions on how to access your
annotations page, please see the article above.
To add an annotation, first move your cursor to the annotations properties panel on the right, and click
Add annotation. You may select five different types of annotations:
for creating pop-up speech bubbles with text.
for highlighting areas in a video; when the user moves the mouse over these areas the text you enter will appear.
for creating pop-up boxes containing text.
for pausing the video for a length of time which you specify.
for creating a text overlay to title your video.
for creating a label to call out and name a specific part of your video.
Once you have selected which type of annotation you want to insert, the following steps will allow you to fully customize the annotation:
- You can move the annotation that you have created around the video player, customizing its location, or even changing its size and dimensions. To control the position of the annotation with maximum precision, you may select it and adjust it one pixel at a time with your arrow keys, or ten pixels at a time if you hold down shift while pushing the arrow keys.
- In the Annotations properties panel on the right, you can change the following properties of the text and annotation:
Font size.
Font color.
Background color.Additionally, you can change the time period in which the annotation appears, and include links to other videos, playlists, Channels, and subscription requests.Note:links to specific times may not be precise. The encodings we use for video streaming typically have keyframes every two seconds and it is only possible to seek the player to keyframes.
- Once you finish customizing your annotation, be sure to save it and then publish whenever you like.
Editing an annotation
To edit an annotation, you can select it from the video player or the annotation timeline, and edit it in the panel on the right, or you can also click the
Edit Existing Annotation button on the right, and then selecting the annotation from the list.
Basic annotation editing functionality is available in the Annotations properties panel (right side). You can:
- Change the annotation text by simply clicking on it and entering the desired text on the properties panel.
- Drag the annotation to reposition it on the video.
- Resize an annotation by adjusting the resize handles (small white squares that appear in the corner of annotations).
- Change the speech bubble pointer location by dragging the resize handle that appears when you move the mouse over the annotation.
- Change the location of a spotlight text by dragging it to the desired location.
- Change the timing of the annotation in the annotations properties panel or dragging the edges of the annotation bar along the annotations timeline at the bottom of the editor:
Saving, Publishing, and Deleting Annotations
The system will automatically save your work in draft mode every 30 seconds. If you want to save your work more often, click on the
Save button at the top right of the annotations properties panel.
Other users won’t see your annotations until you publish them using the
Publish button found at the top right of the annotations properties panel. The system will not automatically publish your annotations.
To delete an annotation, simply click the trash can in the right hand corner of the annotations properties panel.
