How to upload 360 video to Youtube

Overview

Want to share immersive, interactive content with the world? Learn how to upload 360 video to YouTube with our step-by-step guide, including detailed instructions on preparing your video, injecting metadata, and optimizing it for maximum visibility. Discover the advantages of showcasing 360-degree videos on YouTube and how it can enhance engagement with your audience. Get started with YouTube 360 videos today!

You will see an example of a 360 video later on in this article.

Why Upload 360-Degree Videos to YouTube?

360-degree videos have taken the digital content world by storm, offering an immersive viewing experience that’s perfect for everything from real estate virtual tours to travel vlogs. YouTube, being the world’s largest video-sharing platform, is the ideal place to showcase your 360 videos to a global audience.

You will see an example of a 360 video later on below.

Here are some compelling reasons why you should consider uploading your 360-degree videos to YouTube:

Broader Audience Reach: YouTube has over 2 billion users, making it the best platform to reach a wide audience.
Interactive Experience: Viewers can explore your 360-degree content in any direction, creating a highly engaging and interactive experience.
Virtual Reality Support: YouTube is compatible with VR headsets, allowing users to dive deep into your content in a fully immersive virtual reality environment.
SEO and Discoverability: With YouTube’s powerful search algorithms, optimized 360 videos can rank higher and increase visibility for your brand or business.

By uploading 360 videos to YouTube, you’re leveraging a platform that is perfect for virtual tours, immersive storytelling, and interactive content that stands out from traditional flat videos.

Many of our customers are photographers that use 360 videos along with their virtual tours that our hosted on threesixty.tours to create more immersive virtual tours and increase their leads. This in turn leads to increase revenue.

Preparing Your 360 Video for YouTube

Before you dive into uploading, it’s important to ensure that your 360 video is ready for the YouTube platform. A few things to keep in mind:

Video Format: YouTube supports 360-degree videos in formats like MP4 or MOV. It’s essential to record your footage with a 360-degree camera or stitch the video properly if you’re using multiple cameras.
Resolution: The recommended resolution for 360-degree videos on YouTube is 4K (3840×2160) or higher for a clear and detailed immersive experience.
Frame Rate: The best frame rates for YouTube 360 videos are 24, 25, 30, or 60 frames per second.

Once your video is recorded and edited, you can begin the process of uploading it to YouTube. Follow these detailed steps below.

Virtual Tour Below Create on threesixty.tours👇 - Try it Out!

How to Upload 360 Video to YouTube: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Record and Edit Your 360 Video

The first step is to use a 360-degree camera to capture your footage. Some popular options include:

GoPro Max
Insta360 ONE X2
Ricoh Theta Z1

If you are confused about which 360 camera to buy then this article is great the Best 360 Cameras for Virtual Tours Once you’ve recorded the video, you’ll need to edit it using specialized software.

Popular options include Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, both of which support 360-degree video editing.

After editing, export the file in a supported format like MP4 with a resolution of 4K or higher.

Step 2: Inject 360 Metadata

To ensure that YouTube recognizes your file as a 360-degree video, you need to inject 360 metadata into the video file.

What is metadata? Metadata tells YouTube that your video is spherical, allowing viewers to interact with it as a 360-degree video.

Here’s how to add 360 metadata to your video:

Download the 360 Video Metadata Tool – This is a free tool by Google specifically designed to inject 360 metadata into your video file. You can download it here. This is an official github link from Google so its safe.
Open the metadata tool and select your edited video file.
Check the box that says “Spherical Video” and leave the other settings as they are.
Save the file by clicking “Inject and Save” which will create a new version of your video file with the necessary metadata.

Once you’ve added the metadata, your video is now ready for YouTube. Below is a detailed video on how to use the metadata tool and how to add the metadata.

Step 3: Upload Your Video to YouTube

With your 360 metadata injected video ready, it’s time to upload it to YouTube:

Sign in to YouTube with your account.
Click the Create icon (a camera with a plus symbol) at the top-right of your YouTube homepage.
Select Upload Video.
Drag and drop your 360 video file into the upload window.
Fill out the video details, including title, description, and tags. Use relevant keywords like “how to upload 360 video YouTube” and other related terms to optimize for search results.
In the Visibility settings, select whether you want your video to be public, private, or unlisted.
Finally, click Publish to upload your 360 video to YouTube.

YouTube will take some time to process the file before it’s fully available in 360. Once processing is complete, your viewers will be able to interact with the video, exploring it from every angle.

Below is a 360 video we have uploaded on Youtube to show you how the final result is. The video below was provided by Dan Smigrod of the WGAN Forum. The Wgan forum is a great community of Professional photographers & Matterport Digital Twin Creators focused on virtual tours and 360 images. https://www.wegetaroundnetwork.com/

Example of 360 Video Below

Try the video out by moving the screen around!

Optimizing Your 360-Degree Video for YouTube

Uploading your 360 video is just the first step. To ensure your content reaches the widest audience and performs well on YouTube, it’s important to optimize the video for both search engines and viewers. Here’s how you can boost engagement and discoverability:

Optimize Your Title and Description: Your video’s title and description play a key role in how well it ranks in YouTube’s search results. Include your main keyword, like “how to upload 360 video YouTube,” as well as other relevant keywords, such as “360-degree video” or “VR content.” Write a clear and engaging description that explains what your video is about, and include a call to action encouraging viewers to interact with the 360 experience.
Use Relevant Tags: Tags are another powerful SEO tool that help YouTube categorize your content. Add specific tags like “360 virtual tour,” “immersive video,” and “VR experience.” This increases the chances of your video appearing in related searches or as a recommended video.
Create a Compelling Custom Thumbnail: Even though your video is 360 degrees, the thumbnail is still static and serves as the first impression for viewers. Design a custom thumbnail that stands out and clearly communicates what your video offers. Avoid using generic thumbnails auto-generated by YouTube, as they often fail to capture viewers’ attention.

Leverage End Screens and Cards: YouTube allows you to add interactive elements to your videos, such as end screens and cards, which encourage viewers to continue exploring your content. Add links to related 360-degree videos or playlists to keep your audience engaged. This also boosts your watch time, which is a critical factor in YouTube’s algorithm.
Encourage Viewer Interaction: Ask viewers to engage with your video by leaving comments, liking the video, or sharing it with others. Since 360-degree videos are interactive by nature, you can prompt viewers to explore different parts of the video and share their favorite moments.

By following these optimization strategies, you’ll not only improve the visibility of your 360 video but also enhance viewer engagement, leading to better performance on YouTube.

FINALE

Uploading a 360-degree video to YouTube opens up a world of interactive possibilities. Whether you’re showcasing real estate properties, creating travel vlogs, or producing immersive storytelling experiences, YouTube is the perfect platform to share your content with a global audience. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to upload 360 video to YouTube to get started, and leverage YouTube’s powerful platform to reach and engage viewers like never before.

Ready to showcase your own immersive experiences? Start by recording your next 360-degree video and follow our guide to share it with the world. For photographers and businesses looking to create engaging 360-degree virtual tours, visit threesixty.tours to learn more about our solutions and tools for crafting stunning 360 experiences.