Once your video is exported, you are ready to share it. Choose a sharing method that fits your audience and content objectives.
Sharing Files Directly
Sending a video file directly to viewers is straightforward but has limitations. Video files are typically large, and email attachments of this size are often blocked by mail hosts. Mobile and rural recipients may also face data constraints when downloading large files.
For small files, send however is most convenient. For larger files, use one of these options:
- Upload to Box or Google Drive and share the link — UC ANR and UC Davis account holders have had good success using Box for large video files
- Copy the file to a USB drive and send by mail or courier
Hosting a video file directly on a website is possible but slow for viewers and consumes the site's bandwidth. Use a dedicated file sharing or streaming service instead, and link to it from your website.
If sharing directly, you may need to re-encode the video at a lower quality to reduce file size.
Uploading to YouTube
YouTube is the most widely used video hosting platform and offers the most potential reach for your content. The upload process varies slightly depending on which channel you are posting to.
Posting to UC ANR YouTube Channels
Posting to the official UC ANR YouTube channel gives your video the most exposure and allows Strategic Communications staff to use it in promotions and other media.
Videos submitted to UC ANR's channel should:
- Be of regional or statewide interest — topics such as widespread pests, healthy living, forestry, or crop science are appropriate; highly local topics are not
- Be between 3 and 15 minutes in length (this is a guideline, not a strict requirement)
- Meet a basic level of production quality — completing this course is sufficient preparation
Before submitting, complete a self-review using the Quality Assurance page and the production checklist to confirm nothing has been missed.
Videos can be submitted to the English- or Spanish-language UC ANR channels. To post on established sub-channels such as UC IPM or UC Master Gardeners, contact their staff directly for their submission process. The submission process is also covered in the May 2020 webinar recording.
For both English and Spanish language UC ANR channel submissions, direct your video to Ricardo Vela.
Posting to Your Personal or Local Channel
A personal or local channel is appropriate when:
- The content is only of local interest
- You want to keep the video unlisted but share the link, such as in an e-learning module
- The video's final destination is a personal social media account and the format suits that better than UC ANR's channel
- The format or quality is unsuitable for the official channel — for example, recorded lectures, quick insect clips, Zoom recordings, or shaky footage
These videos are considered Tier 3 in UC ANR's review scheme.
Adobe Premiere Elements can automate the upload process to a personal YouTube channel you control.
Titles, Keywords, and Thumbnails
To improve how easily viewers can find your video, provide a descriptive title, keyword-rich description, and relevant tags before or immediately after uploading — new videos are prioritized in recommendations, so metadata added early has more impact.
YouTube automatically generates a thumbnail preview image after upload. You can select from alternative frames or upload a custom image. A custom 16:9 image in PNG or JPG format works best. If you submit to UC ANR's channel, they will handle the thumbnail. For personal or local channels, this is your responsibility.