YouTube is a platform where you can make money from videos. But in order to earn, your videos should get lots of views. The thing is that YouTube is a competitive space. So many others are trying to do the same. Thus, you'll be competing for viewers' time and attention. How can you win that battle? One way is to add eye-catching YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.
The video thumbnail will leave an impression on viewers looking for something to watch. So ensuring it is high-quality is crucial. In this article, you'll learn where to find amazing thumbnail backgrounds and how to add them to your thumbnails.
Why Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?
When people are searching for something to watch on YouTube, they'll look at two (2) things:
- They'll check the title to see how relevant it is to what they're looking for.
- Two, they'll check the video thumbnail.
Thumbnail helps them determine off the bat if the video is high quality or not. A poor thumbnail will push them away, while a good one will encourage them to click.
That said, YouTubers should ensure their thumbnails are on point. Your thumbnails should be visually striking. One way to achieve that is by changing the thumbnail background. It allows you to remove unnecessary objects from the image. Additionally, it lets you improve the aesthetic of the thumbnail.
Now the question is: how do you change a YouTube thumbnail background?
Where To Find a New YouTube Thumbnail Background?
Thanks to the resource sites on the Internet, you can always find kickass backgrounds to create an attractive YouTube Thumbnail. Here, we recommend five (5) powerful apps/websites to help you easily find ideal thumbnail backgrounds.
1. Search for Numerous YouTube Thumbnail Backgrounds in Filmora
Wondershare Filmora is one of the leading video editors in the world. And it does not stop at enabling you to make amazing videos. Filmora also helps you make that video succeed. It provides you with over 4 million stock media! That includes gorgeous photos that you can use as YouTube thumbnail backgrounds.
The best thing is that you can access those images within the video editor. Meaning there's a streamlined workflow that makes things more convenient.
Where Do the Photos Come From? Wondershare Filmora takes images from the websites Pexels, GIPHY, Pixabay, and Unsplash. Besides those, Filmora also has its own stock media library - Filmstock.
Filmstock was previously known as Filmora Store. It is the effect store for Filmora version 9.1.0 and above. From there, you can find stock media, including videos, images that you can use for your thumbnails, and royalty-free music and sound effects. You can download these resources to turn your videos into art.
2. Use Freepik To Find YouTube Thumbnail Background Images
Freepik is one of the largest image bank websites. It has over 22 million stock media that you can choose from to be your YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. And that collection grows further every day. Therefore, it's highly likely to have the image you are looking for.
Not just that. Freepik has a special section containing only YouTube thumbnail backgrounds. That expedites your search. Then, you can use the filters to show only the thumbnail background designs that match your vision.
3. Find YouTube Thumbnail Background on Shutterstock for Free
Shutterstock is probably the biggest website that offers stock images. It's so popular Shutterstock is what many people first think of when they need to find stock images.
Shutterstock has been around since 2003. As such, its collection consists of over 200 million stock photos. From that many resources, you'll surely be able to find something to use for your YouTube thumbnail background. Even after the free trial expires, you can find some free photos from the website.
4. Download Thumbnail Background Images for YouTube in Vecteezy
Vecteezy allows you to download stock images for free. However, if you are serious about your YouTubing career, you must upgrade to Pro for full commercial rights. The good thing is that Vecteezy is very affordable. It costs only $7 per month! And that already gives you unlimited downloads.
Now the question is, does it have YouTube thumbnail backgrounds? Yes, it does! Whether you prefer vectors or images, Vecteezy has you covered.
5. Attractive Backgrounds for YouTube Thumbnail – NegativeSpace
NegativeSpace is the perfect place to get your YouTube thumbnail background if you are on a tight budget. It allows you not only to download the photos but also to use them commercially! And the photos are high-quality too, and they're meant to be used as backgrounds.
Please note, however, that if you're looking for vector illustrations, you'd better be on another site. NegativeSpace is built by a community of photographers. So, most of the resources you can download from this website are photos captured by a camera.
How To Change YouTube Thumbnail Background?
Suppose you have downloaded a high-quality image that will work great as a thumbnail background for your YouTube video. What shall you do next? Of course, the next step is to make the actual thumbnail.
Choosing the background image from Filmora is great because it saves you lots of time and resources. The program allows you to select from millions of high-quality options. After selecting, you can use Filmora's native features to edit the thumbnail. You can even resize the thumbnail background to 1280x720 - YouTube's suggested thumbnail size.
It is more convenient than you may initially think. Yes, it saves you time and effort because you don't have to switch to another program to edit the thumbnail. But it also makes the workload easier for your computer. Opening another program will eat more RAM and will slow down the computer.
Filmora's tools for editing the video thumbnail aren't too shabby, either. Suppose you have a great image with the main subject where exactly you want it to be. However, you want to change the background to make the subject stand out more. You can use Wondershare Filmora's AI Portrait feature to easily change it.
What is Filmora's AI Portrait Feature?
Wondershare Filmora's AI Portrait feature allows you to quickly remove and change the background of an image.
Normally, you would need a green screen or chroma key to do that. Another method is to manually erase the background using an eraser. The AI Portrait feature has an effect called "human segmentation." It separates the humans in an image from the background. Then, you can delete or change the background with the thumbnail background that you have downloaded. It's really convenient!
Here is a guide on changing a YouTube thumbnail background using Wondershare Filmora.
1. Put the Thumbnail image in the timeline.
2. Select the thumbnail image. Click "Tools" > "Video" > "AI Portrait."
3. The AI Portrait tool will remove the background automatically. Click "OK."
4. Click "Stock Media" > "Photos." Search for a background image that you like. Download the photo.
5. Drag the new background to the track below your thumbnail image.
6. Select your thumbnail image to adjust its size and position.
7. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot of the still frame you want to use as the YouTube video thumbnail.
8. Select the format and storage path.
9. Find the icon of the snapshot in the Media tab. Right-click and select "Reveal In Explorer" to open your local folder to find the new thumbnail.
The Bottom Line
Your YouTube video thumbnail is almost as important as the video content itself. So you must not neglect it. Ensuring it is high-quality is important. One big step in doing that is selecting a great thumbnail background image. You can find these in many places.
The video editor Wondershare Filmora even allows you to browse for some within the program! Furthermore, Filmora provides you with tools to edit the thumbnail. In turn, it streamlines the whole process. Give it a try to start creating video thumbnails that will make YouTube users click on your video easily.
