This tutorial will help you understand the meaning as well as the Difference Between YouTube Private vs Unlisted:
YouTube has become a platform for people to showcase their skills and post videos of the things they like.
I love to post videos of my cute dog every time. There are some videos that are uploaded as keepsakes, like memories, while others are shared with friends and family.
You can post videos privately or go unlisted. In this article, we will tell you what is YouTube Private and Unlisted and the differences between them. We will also tell you how to post your videos in these settings.
Let us begin!
What You Will Learn:
YouTube Private vs Unlisted: Differences
Understanding Public vs Private vs Unlisted YouTube
Public, private, and unlisted YouTube videos play different but essential roles. Understanding their purpose and leveraging these types can significantly benefit your business.
What Are Public YouTube Videos
When uploading videos on YouTube, it is uploaded to a public setting by default. That means anyone can watch, comment, and share videos. Your content will appear in Google results. If you are okay with it, you can leave the setting as it is.
There are certain advantages of having public videos, such as:
- It will help in growing the subscriber count that will be in favor of your brand and company.
- It will help you become famous.
What Are Private YouTube Videos
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Private YouTube videos are very different from public ones. You can share your video with a limited audience of 50. These videos will not pop up in YouTube video recommendations or Google search results. No one can share your video without your invitation.
What Does Unlisted Mean on YouTube
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Unlisted videos on YouTube are a combination of public and private videos. These don’t appear in Google search results or YouTube suggestions. However, unlike private videos, if someone has the link, they can view and share the content or embed them on a website.
Unlisted vs Private YouTube – Which One to Choose
Here’s how you can pick YouTube private vs unlisted setting by understanding which is best for your content:
- For intimate and confidential videos that you don’t want others to see, opt for private YouTube video settings.
- If you have a private video compilation or personal playlist that you don’t want to share with others, keep them private.
- Sensitive company data, presentations, webinars, and online classes that you only want to share with company employees or selected people, keep it private and invite the desired users.
- If you just want to store videos on YouTube and save space on your device, opt for private settings.
- If you want to share your content with a crowd without having to send everyone a link, select the unlisted YouTube video setting.
- If you don’t want your content to appear in search results or suggestions, unlisted videos will do the job.
- With unlisted video settings, you can organize your YouTube channel. For example, you can hide irrelevant content on your channel, yet let others keep them embedded or shared on other sites.
- If you just want to test or conduct a survey to check the response of a specific field on a small group of people, the unlisted setting will come in extremely handy.
You can choose the settings of your YouTube videos according to your needs.
How to Change YouTube Video Privacy Settings
Now that you have understood the difference between YouTube unlisted vs private videos, it’s time to know how to change the settings.
So here’s how you can tweak the settings of your video:
- Log in to your YouTube account.
- Click on your profile picture.
- Go to the YouTube Creator Studio option if you already have some videos uploaded. If not, upload your content first.
- Click on the Content option.
- Select the video you want to change the privacy settings of.
- Click on the visibility option.
- Select from private, public, or unlisted.
- Click Publish.
You can do the same for multiple videos simultaneously.
Upload Private or Unlisted YouTube Videos
If you want to upload a private or unlisted YouTube video, here’s how you can do it:
- Log in to your YouTube account.
- Click on your profile picture.
- Select YouTube Studio.
- Click on the Upload Video option or icon.
- Select the files to upload.
- Add all the details.
- Go to the Visibility Page.
- Select Private or Unlisted.
- Click Save.
Private Vs Unlisted Vs Public: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Private | Unlisted | Public |
|---|---|---|---|
| URL sharing | ? | ? | ? |
| Addition to a channel section | ? | ? | ? |
| Showing up in search, related videos, and recommendations | ? | ? | ? |
| Posting on your channel | ? | ? | ? |
| Appearing in Subscriber feed | ? | ? | ? |
| Commenting | ? | ? | ? |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) What is the point of an unlisted YouTube video?
Answer: You can make the video private if you want to share your content with a limited crowd and don’t want it to appear in suggestions or searches.
Also, if you want to hide content to clean up your channel but still want it embedded or shared on the sites they already are, making them unlisted is an excellent option. Then, if someone accesses your channel, they will not find that content unless they are specifically searching for it with its URL.
Q #2) Can anyone see my private videos on YouTube?
Answer: Only the viewers you have invited will be able to view your private content. Even if someone has the URL to your content, they can’t access it without your invite.
Q #3) Will subscribers see unlisted videos?
Answer: Your subscribers can see the unlisted videos only if they have a URL or a link to that video, otherwise, they don’t.
Q #4) Do unlisted videos get monetized?
Answer: No, unlisted and private videos don’t get monetized since they do not appear in any public domain and can’t be freely shared.
Q #5) How do I give someone access to a private YouTube video?
Answer: To share a private YouTube video, follow these steps:
- Log in to your YouTube Studio.
- Find the video you want to share.
- Under the visibility option, click on Share Privately.
- Enter the Gmail address of the viewer you want to share it with.
- Click on Done.
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Q #6) How to locate an unlisted video without a URL?
Answer: Use Google Search with the following terms- “site:youtube.com ‘This video is unlisted. Only those with the link can see it’ – inurl:all_comments.” Also, if the unlisted video is included in a playlist, you can use both API and the YouTube website to find it. Or, you can use the website “Unlisted videos” to watch a ton of unlisted videos.
Conclusion
Now that you have understood the difference between being private and unlisted on YouTube, you can use it for your benefit. We often want to store content on YouTube that we don’t like to share with everyone or anyone, private and unlisted settings are an excellent option for those.
You can use them to unclutter your phone’s storage or your YouTube channel. Alternatively, you can use them to share content with a limited number of people while keeping them secure and confidential from the rest of the world.
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