The provided documentation details features available with a YouTube Premium subscription, including enhanced video quality, playback controls, and background play. Additionally, the documentation outlines settings available to video creators during the upload process, covering aspects such as video details, visibility, and copyright considerations.
YouTube Premium Enhancements
YouTube Premium offers several features designed to enhance the viewing experience. One such feature is 1080p Premium, an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p video. This increased bitrate provides more information per pixel, resulting in a higher quality viewing experience. However, 1080p Premium is only available for videos uploaded in 1080p resolution and is not applicable to live streams, Shorts, or videos uploaded in resolutions other than 1080p. The system may automatically set the resolution to 1080p Premium for Premium members, and users can adjust quality settings within the YouTube App.
Premium controls provide multi-tasking capabilities and allow users to adjust video playback to their preferences. These controls, accessible through the YouTube mobile app, allow users to play, pause, or skip videos, skip forward or backward within videos by +/- 10 seconds, like videos, save videos for later viewing, change playback speed, and toggle stable volume on or off. Playback speed can be adjusted up to 4x, with increments of 0.05. These controls are currently available on Android, iPhone, and tablets, but not on desktop computers.
YouTube Premium also enables background play, allowing videos to continue playing even when the YouTube app is minimized or the device screen is locked. Users can configure background play to be always on, off, or only active when headphones or external speakers are connected.
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) functionality is another Premium feature, allowing users to watch videos in a small, floating window while using other apps on their mobile device. PiP is available for all videos and Shorts with a YouTube Premium membership. Users without Premium in the U.S. can use PiP for most content, excluding certain videos such as music videos.
The Premium membership also saves a user’s place in a video, allowing them to resume watching across multiple devices.
Jump Ahead Feature
The Jump Ahead feature is designed to help users quickly navigate to points in a video that other viewers frequently fast forward to. This feature is available on computers by double-clicking to fast forward, hovering the mouse over the progress bar, or using specific keyboard shortcuts: Select Option key + right arrow (macOS) and Ctrl key + right arrow (Windows). On smart TVs, streaming devices, and game consoles, users can press the right arrow on their remote to reveal a dot on the progress bar indicating a common fast-forward point, and pressing the right arrow again will jump to that point. Confirmation can be made by selecting "Enter" or "OK".
Video Upload Settings for Creators
The documentation details several settings available to creators during the video upload process. These settings are categorized into sections including basic info, video elements, checks, and visibility.
Basic Info
The basic info section includes fields for the video title, description, thumbnail, playlist selection, audience designation, and age restriction settings. Video titles are limited to 100 characters and cannot contain invalid characters. Descriptions have a 5,000-character limit and also cannot include invalid characters. Creators can use formatted text options like bold, italic, and strikethrough within the description. For corrections to video content, creators should use the format “Correction:” or “Corrections:” followed by the timestamp and explanation.
The audience setting requires creators to indicate whether their video is made for kids, in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Age restrictions can be applied to videos that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Video Elements
Creators can add cards and end screens to their videos. End screens require videos to be at least 25 seconds long.
Checks
YouTube performs automated checks on uploaded videos to identify potential issues related to copyright and ad suitability. The Copyright check searches for copyrighted content, allowing creators to remove claimed content or dispute claims. The Ad suitability check verifies compliance with YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines, and creators can request a human review if they disagree with the system’s assessment. These checks run in the background and do not prevent immediate publishing, allowing creators to address issues after the video is live.
Visibility
Creators can control the visibility of their videos by selecting from options such as Private, Unlisted, or Public. Scheduling options allow videos to be published at a future date. For creators aged 13-17, the visibility setting can be saved for future uploads. The documentation clarifies the distinction between “upload” and “publish,” noting that videos can be published once SD processing is complete.
The documentation notes that audio files cannot be directly uploaded to create a YouTube video, and lists supported file formats for content uploads.
Featured Places, Tags, and Language Settings
Creators can utilize featured places, which highlight destinations mentioned in the video description, transcript, or frames. Automatic Featured places can be disabled. Tags can be added to help correct search mistakes, though their impact on video discovery is minimal. Creators must also choose the original video language and caption certification.
Conclusion
YouTube Premium provides a range of features designed to enhance the viewing experience, including improved video quality, advanced playback controls, and background play. Simultaneously, YouTube offers creators a comprehensive suite of tools and settings to manage their video uploads, ensuring compliance with platform policies and maximizing discoverability. The platform’s checks for copyright and ad suitability aim to maintain a safe and advertiser-friendly environment.