YouTube is a massive video platform where over 500 hours of content get uploaded every minute. Amid the thousands of beauty tutorials and gaming streams, there are videos that only a select few people can see.
Unlisted YouTube videos are a useful feature on the platform that every YouTube video creator should know about. Take a look at this comprehensive guide related to unlisted YouTube videos and how to use them.
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What Is an Unlisted YouTube Video
An unlisted YouTube video will not show up in YouTube’s search results or the browse page. This means the video is entirely private unless you invite specific viewers. To share an unlisted video, you must share the URL of the video with whoever you’d like.
There’s one caveat: unlisted videos may show up in YouTube’s search results if it’s added into a public playlist. If you choose to unlist a YouTube video, make sure you share it with people you trust. Making the video private avoids this issue.
Unlisted vs. Private vs. Public: What’s the Difference?
If you’re still debating whether the unlisted video feature is right for you, take some time to weigh your other options.
One of your options involves listing your video as public, which is the default option. Uploading a video to YouTube automatically makes it available to watch by the general public. Anyone who views the video may comment on it, share it, and add it to their public playlists.
Private videos are the exact opposite, as they’re completely hidden from public view and YouTube’s search results. No one except for you may watch the video and people you choose.
Unlisted videos differ from private videos in terms of YouTube video visibility. Unlisted videos allow comments, while private videos don’t. Private videos don’t offer a shareable URL, so don’t choose this option if you want to share your video.
How To Unlist YouTube Videos
Ready to unlist one of your YouTube videos? Take a look at this step-by-step guide to help you get started.
- Log into your YouTube account and go to “My Videos.”
- Choose which video you’d like to unlist and click the “Edit” button.
- Scroll to the “Privacy” section of the page and choose the option “Unlisted.”
- Save your changes.
By following these directions, your video is now unlisted! Feel free to share the URL with trusted friends.
How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos
If you’re a YouTube viewer who is aware of the existence of an unlisted YouTube video, the only way you can watch it is if the creator sends you a URL. This URL will lead you to the video, where you can view it and comment on it.
If you can’t obtain the URL, you can try to enter some keywords into YouTube’s search bar to see if the unlisted video ended up on a public playlist. Otherwise, you’re out of luck.
Reasons Why Unlisted YouTube Videos Are Necessary
Unlisted YouTube videos add an extra sense of privacy and exclusivity to certain videos. While some people may unlist their YouTube videos for added privacy, others may use this feature to cultivate a certain audience. Here are the top reasons why it’s necessary to unlist YouTube videos:
1. Videos for Students
High schools, colleges, and universities often use videos to help teach classes. Video classes are especially important for remote courses. Since the video is for academic purposes, unlisting it prevents the general public from accessing it.
By preventing the general public from accessing academic videos, you prevent unsavory and disruptive comments from appearing on the video. It also ensures the privacy of the teachers.
Unlisted videos are also helpful for student projects. For projects that involve a video, unlisted videos ensure only classmates and teachers can see the video. This also ensures privacy and prevents distracting comments from people who aren’t participating in the class.
2. Videos for Friends and Family
For situations where you want to share personal family photos and videos with family members, unlisted YouTube videos help. This feature makes it easy to share videos with family members, especially those who live far apart. Unlisted videos prevent anyone but family members from seeing the video, so the approach is more sentimental and private.
Like sharing videos with family members, friend sharing is a popular reason why videos are unlisted. This feature is great for sharing entertaining and personal videos with friends you don’t necessarily want to share with the world.
3. Videos for Important Events
Like a band unveiling a new music video, you’ll want to upload the video in advance for big video events. This is vital for videos scheduled for a specific time release and prevents uploading mishaps. By uploading the video as unlisted, then making the video public at the scheduled drop time, you ensure the event goes smoothly.
4. Videos for Employees
Another popular reason why people use the unlisted video feature is for employee training videos. While some employee training videos are available to the general public, they often attract distracting comments. Unlisted training videos ensure only employees view the training video.
Making training videos unlisted also allows you to update the training regularly without old videos haunting you. Public videos sometimes get re-uploaded by a third-party, so the added privacy is essential for employers that often update their training videos.
5. Videos for Websites and Blogs
Some website and blog owners use YouTube as a video host but embed the video exclusively on their website. This ensures that website visitors stay on their website instead of heading to YouTube to watch their video. This also encourages viewers to interact with the website instead, including their comment section.
Run Your YouTube Channel the Right Way
Unlisted YouTube videos are a perfect solution for people who want to control who views certain videos. From family videos to employee training, unlisted videos provide a safe and reliable way to make sure the videos you make are seen by the people you want.
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