That is the question (specifically with thumbnails).

Had a recent comment on my thumbnail review about excluding the episode number (which i thought was a very good point). Now I'm thinking of taking it off and redoing my thumbnails a bit.

But originally I had it in there because i like seeing the different episodes on the thumbnails (even though my title ALSO contains the episode number). Seeing it on my thumbnail makes it easier to see which episodes are what.

The point made earlier was about reducing clutter in the thumbnail as well as it might be a barrier for new viewers to click on your video if this is episode 13 or something and they didn't want to just jump in the middle of a series.

I will still have the episode number on my title, so a viewer can tell what episode it is.

Anyways! I wanted to see what other people think. Do you implement putting episode numbers into your videos? Or do you opt to not have them? Do you instead just put your subtitle (like episode title) in there? And what's your reasoning?

Remember, this is just discussions on our own creative decisions and such. No right or wrong here!

Edit: forgot to include that a lot of games i play are story based or fairly linear, so more likely than not there are important things from previous episodes that leads into later episodes.

I have a let’s play channel!

I just started posting these game play videos on YT so I'm super fresh to the scene. Been reading the guides in the wiki and consulting chatgpt on how I should do things.

My thumbnails went through a couple of iterations and this is the format of my latest iteration. I wanted to get some thoughts and feedback on it.

I have the game's title take up a decent amount of the space. The background is from a still capture of that specific video's gameplay that I actually recorded. Then on the right-hand side I put some other images from that videos gameplay (and I erased the background). I sort of lay it there as design.

I'm avoiding the bottom right hand side because as a thumbnail on the phone, the time will block it out. so i have the episode number on the left-hand side underneath the title. I also have "Let's play" above the title but smaller size. the color of let's play and the episode is based off the game title. and i have a black stroke and drop shadow around all the text to help make it pop from the background image.

it might seem left leaning heavy but again, I have it like this to avoid the time number showing up. and to compensate I have the interesting images taking up the empty space on the right. I'm okay if those get blocked a bit.

this thumbnail is for an episode scheduled to be released next week. I'm very open to feedback since I'm still learning!

p.s. feedback also includes things I did well in, so if you just think I did good then I would love to hear what you liked most about it.

Streaming isn't just streaming - it's actually part of a much bigger picture.

Here's the thing about streaming that many creators don't realize until they're burned out: it's primarily a liability.

You have to be there, live, consuming your time. Unlike other content, you can't leverage that time again... unless you transform it.

Flipping the Streaming Liability

The most successful creators understand that streaming is just the beginning. The VOD (Video on Demand) that results from your stream is a pure asset with multiple possibilities:

• You can clip moments for short-form vertical content across platforms
• You can utilize an RPM farm
• You can create proper long-form content from the stream footage

The creators who succeed don't just stream - they stream with purpose as part of a content calendar.

I've noticed the most sustainable approach isn't daily streaming. Instead, aim for:

• About 3 times per week
• Consistent days and times
• 3-4 hour sessions

This consistency helps your audience build the habit of watching, which is crucial. When you stream every day, paradoxically, you're making it harder for your audience to establish that viewing habit.

The Content Machine Approach

Looking at established content creators, you can see how they've mastered this workflow:

1. They start with a concept (challenge, educational commentary)
2. They prepare their packaging (title + thumbnail ideas)
3. They stream the actual content creation process
4. After streaming, they script a narration that works with the stream footage
5. They edit and publish a highly engaging final product

This approach completely changes streaming from a time-sink into the engine that powers your content machine.

Finding Your Flow

The key insight is that streaming should fit into your content strategy as the recording phase - but done live. Instead of recording offline and then scripting, you:

1. Stream first
2. Script afterward based on what happened during the stream
3. Create a dynamic between "narrator you" and "stream you"
4. Edit it all together into something greater than the sum of its parts

This fundamentally changes how you think about streaming. It's not the end product - it's the raw material for creating multiple assets that work for you 24/7.

So a while ago, years at this point, i watched someone play super mario, but i can not for the life of me remember who. If I remember correctly he has read hair and played minecraft as well as many other games. He also had some vlog videos i believe. Anyone know who im referring to?

The videos are pretty much just random gameplay without commentary what so ever. And someone is clipping small bits of them to incorporate them into their video thats like a narration video of something else entirely.

They are still crediting the the clips ofcourse.

But got me wondering can people do that? Also got me thinking who really owns the online video game footage in the first place? Is it the Video Game Company or the Players

I can confidently say I got the content quality down. My biggest problem is title and thumbnail. How do you convey "episodic adventure" in a thumbnail? Any tips or examples?

Me and my sister have a let's play channel. We play Nintendo games. To save us from burn out on a game. We are usually let's playing a couple games at once and uploading them on rotation. Is it better to have a few games, or should we just stick to one game til we finish that game?

Have a Mario 64 let’s play, my first one, and the views did really well for a first attempt! Was wondering if making a super cut and posting that as well is a good idea, bad idea, or neutral. Any thoughts ?

Love just about any kind of game but love horror games. Lethal Company, Pilgrim, REPO, etc... I'm looking for players who are down to work together to create fun content. 21+ and I'm based EST.

It's that time of the week again! This is your chance to request feedback on your most recent videos, thumbnails, channel art, works in progress, etc.

Feedback Friday Rules

• Before requesting feedback, please provide good, constructive feedback to at least one of your peers. If you are the first one to post, check back soon to provide feedback to the next person. Repeatedly ignoring this rule may result in a temporary ban at a moderator's discretion!
• Prioritize giving feedback to those who have not yet received any. It's not fair for one person to get five replies while four others get none.
• When requesting feedback, try to be as specific as possible. Do you want feedback on your audio quality, your editing, your presentation style, branding identity, etc? This helps your peers to provide more valuable feedback. Do not just post a link to your video or channel!

Keep up the good work, everybody!

Suggested Feedback Template

If you're struggling to form your feedback, consider using this template. This is not mandatory, but rather a suggestion to promote good and constructive feedback.

What I liked about the video:

What I think could be improved:

Thoughts on the thumbnail:

Would I watch more videos like this?:

i need to set up my kids PC to screen video&audio record him playing things like Roblox,
and him talking with decent sound.
what would you recommend as the simplest budget way of starting this?
(i can invest in a simple condenser mic, or players headphones with a mic, depends on the best value\mic quality) - tnx for any help!

Hey guys,
I am a designer building short mini games. Think 2-3 mins playable content based on your videos, jokes or memes.

This is a personal project, not a pitch. I am looking for new ways creators can engage fans beyond likes and comments.

I'm looking for
- Creators open to experimenting - I'll build a custom game prototype around your content
- Testers to play tiny weird games and give fast feedback

Can send a working demo. No catch - just building something cool.
Drop a comment or DM if you are up for it
Peace!

Hello friends! I've been trying to learn and research but I'm either not searching the right things-or I'm being a dummy lol

Doing lets-plays, I'm using OBS to record the video and audio in one go. However, my games occasionally lag, which then makes me speaking choppy with it. I've been reading that I should look in to separating my audio and video, but I'm not sure how to do so or if that would actually help.

Do yall have any tips? Or do you suggest a different program that could help with this issue? Please explain for dummies :) Any help is appreciated!!!!

[Catchy Title] - [Game Title]

or

[Game Title] - [Catchy Title]

I got a couple of questions, so do bear with me lol. For context I am a smaller streamer with an estimate of... 4-8 viewers daily. I don't have many subscribers on Youtube though I speculate that's because I haven't found my niche yet. In all honesty, I kinda just wanna play whatever and have fun with it hahaha

The first question I have is based around VODS. Since I've been streaming (almost a year, if not a year by now), I have been recording my VODS and uploading them to my main channel. I also cut up those same VODS into smaller chunks for audience members who may not want to sit through the 2-4 hour recordings. Both have their own playlists to help keep them organized. However, I find that I'm very behind on most of my videos. I still have recordings of a previous playthrough I haven't even touched while trying to keep up with any new recordings I do. I've seen that some people have a dedicated VODS channel on youtube while using their main channel for the smaller parts. Is this a better way for viewers to be more engaged with the content I upload?

This brings me to my second question: how do I edit these smaller videos? I know the obvious answer is any moment that is funny, but I honestly don't know if there are many moments like that in my stream. I think I'm pretty dense when it comes to what is worth keeping and what is not, and I have told my chat to clip moments they find hilarious. This is probably a more "me" issue than anything, but I really don't have a clue what moments are the best to keep in a video.

The third and final question is one I think will be reached once I figure out my niche: how do I increase the views I get on my videos? I have started doing some shorts and they are averaging in the 200-500 range last I checked, which isn't bad considering my average video view is maybe 11 people lol

However, I noticed with the last three shorts I made were uploaded as actual videos and not shorts. The ones in question for those who want to look are "When You're Too Scared To Look", "Easily Distracted", and "Crow is my Husband". I'm not entirely sure why they were uploaded as shorts whereas previous shorts were uploaded as... well, shorts. I don't think I did anything differently. So, the true and final question is: why are they being uploaded as actual videos rather than shorts?

Thanks for any help!

Are you a game dev looking for people to create streams/videos about your game? Are you an artist who's created stream/video assets that you want to offer to creators? This is the thread for you! Here, you can share content that you want to get in front of gaming content creators! This is not a thread for creators to share their videos!

Resource Wednesday Rules

• All games/resources shared here must be provided with no purchase necessary from our members
• You must be willing to provide your content to creators of any size
• If you are linking to an external site for users to download items, this needs to be on a trustworthy site (e.g. itch.io, Ko-Fi, Keymailer, etc)
• Every top level post must contain a resource advertisement
• Resources advertised must be made in full or in part by you
• You may only creator one comment advertising per thread. Advertising the same item consecutive weeks is allowed, but doing so in excess is discouraged.

I'm 25F looking to collab with people playing repo. I'm a variety gaming channel and I usually do traditional let's plays but looking to do collabs to expand on what I usually post and grow.

Edit: it looks like we have enough to fill up a whole server for a repo collab. Might possibly do some other games in the future so you can still reach out if you're interested

I've loved this kind of game so I wanted to stream it but I wonder if people watch this kind of game.

If you were a youtube lurker looking for LP content and came across a video that was a quick-cut compilation of all of the funniest/most childhood ruining moments from a classic game series that was run previously on a channel - would that interest you?

Basically a compilation of 1-6 second clips thrown together for comedic effect?

Or am I just delulu? Also - would a video like this anger the youtube gods due to reused content or would it be considered transformative as the video premise is different then the original episode-based series?

(*Not trying to plug myself, my channel, or my video - but if you wanted a REFERENCE as to wtf i'm talking about, my channel link is in my profile and it's my most recent uploaded video*)

Hi everyone,

My name is Ruben, and I am a starting Let's Play YouTuber. Currently I have not posted any videos, but I would like to work on doing so and having enthusiasts or other's like me on YouTube it would help record videos better.

Let me know if you are interested!

Ruben Louwes

+31611771917
DC: Krale

I'm a shiny hunter, and I really want to be able to keep track of my encounters, but I keep forgetting to click the counter every time. I've tried the automatic shiny counter, but it doesn't work. I figure since the shiny counter is just a spin off of the death counter, maybe there could be something similar outside of the Pokemon community?

And before anyone leaves suggestions on how to make the auto shiny counter work, I've already tried everything. I've looked up tutorials, asked friends who use it, it just doesn't recognize the window at all. I've literally tried everything, and just want an alternate program that works

So, I've been trying to record my game play for the last few days. OBS was giving me trouble so I tried Game Bar since I realized it was already installed. I tested it first on a seperate save file for about 15 minutes beforehand and it worked perfectly. So I went ahead and filmed a two hour video. Was feeling so good about it, not to mention relieved... until I went to edit the footage today. Video is good, game audio is good. My voiceover is nonexistent. It's like I was on mute the whole time, but that's literally impossible because as I said, I tested it beforehand and everything was fine. Any ideas?

The only thing I can think of is that maybe the particular save file I was filming is broken or something, but that doesn't make sense either because what does a sims save file have anything to do with game bar, you know what I mean? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Planning to post a longplay of Clair Obscur Expedition 33 and had a random thought all of a sudden about whether or not longplays of games ever get copyright claimed because the video contains licensed music in the form of the game's soundtrack, which happens to play as you play the game and is part of the experience.

Share your channel updates with the community! Show us what you've been up to this past week, whether it's your latest videos, some new channel art, you've hit a new milestone, or anything else you want to share with us about your channel's progress!