How to Upload Videos to YouTube (for Beginners)

http://m.lifehacker.com/5804501/how-to-upload-videos-to-youtube-for-beginners

By Adam Dachis, May 23, 2011 6:00 AM

Your videos are a whole lot more fun when you can share them online, and YouTube is one of the best ways to do that. While it's mostly a simple operation, it's not something everyone knows how to do. This guide provides a walkthrough to help newcomers sign up for a YouTube account and upload their first video.

Uploading videos to YouTube might seem a little intimidating if you've never done it before, but once you've done it you'll find it's very quick and easy. You'll find a video walkthrough at the top of the page and it will take you through this entire process. If you'd prefer to read each step, or just want a text reference for the video, you'll find it below.

To get started, you'll need to have a YouTube account if you don't already. If you've already signed up for one, just skip this section. If not, here are the steps you'll need to take:

Go to youtube.com.
Click the large blue "Create Account" button, or the smaller link with the same name at the top right of the page.
Fill out the form with your personal information. If you have a Gmail address, entering it as your email address in this form will save you some time later. When you're done filling out the form, click the "I Accept" button.

If you used your Gmail account when creating your YouTube account, you'll be asked to link them together on the next page. If this is the case, link the accounts. If you did not use your Gmail account (because you don't have one) you'll be asked to create on on the next page. If this is the case, create a Gmail account and it will be linked to your new YouTube account.

Now you're signed up and should be automatically signed in. You'll know if you're signed in if you see your YouTube account name in the upper right corner of the screen. If you don't, you should see a "Sign In" link up there. Click that, then sign in with your new YouTube username and password.

Now that you have an account, uploading a video is very easy. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Make sure you're signed into your account by looking up at the top righthand part of the page. If you see your username, you're signed in.
To the left of your username, you'll find a link called "Upload." Click on that.

A new page will load and you'll be presented with two options. The first option is a yellow button labeled "Upload video" and a link titled "Record from webcam." You want to click the "Upload video" button.
Once you've clicked the "Upload video" button, you'll a new window pop up that will let you select a file from your hard drive. Select the video you want to upload and click the "Choose" button.

The video will start to upload and you'll see its progress as well as a bunch of other options. Make sure you do not close this page until the video has finished uploading or it will not finish. While the video is uploading you can change the name, add a description, set your privacy options, and fill out other relevant information.

Once the video has finished uploading it will need to spend some time processing on YouTube's servers before it is ready for viewing online. You'll be able to watch it process at the top of the page. Once it reaches 100%, you'll see a link at the top of the screen that you can click to view your video. Alternatively, you can always find your videos by click on your username at the top left of the page and then choosing "Videos" (which may be labeled as "My Videos" for some accounts). This will let you access all the videos you have uploaded.

When you're on your video's page, you'll be able to watch it and share it. You'll find a button labeled "Share" underneath the video that will provide you with a link to send to other people and a few other sharing options, such as email and Facebook.

Congratulations, you've just uploaded your first video to YouTube. Now that you know how it works, you should have no trouble doing it again and again.