YouTube allows creators to utilise several thumbnails for their videos. How it works?

Google's video streaming platform YouTube is rolling out a new feature that allows creators to post videos on the platform with multiple thumbnails. A feature called Thumbnail Test and Compare provides access to advanced features where creators can test different thumbnails and compare video performance within a couple of weeks of publication. YouTube's thumbnail test and comparison feature, announced last June, is now widely available to all creators on the video streaming platform.

How to access

If a user has access to premium features, the YouTube Studio for desktop app will display a 'Test & Compare' option in the thumbnail when publishing or updating a video.If the user cannot access the premium features, they should open the Eligibility option in the Studio channel settings to check if the account is eligible for the premium features. If you see "Enabled" next to the advanced features icon, you can start using the new feature.

How it works

This feature allows creators to upload up to three video thumbnails to gauge which will be the most popular with their audience. YouTube displays all three thumbnails evenly to viewers and then tells the creator which one has generated the most timeshares. It can take up to two weeks to receive final results, and time is affected by factors such as the variety of film screenings and thumbnails. It will show as a "run" during testing, and sometimes even after two weeks the results may not show a clear winner. 

With data-driven results, users will see the thumbnail with the most watch time marked as the winner, and YouTube will automatically update the video's thumbnail. YouTube will also show a preferred tab with the description "Thumbnails may be better than other thumbnails based on watch time share, but we're not sure if there are more viewers than the "Winner" thumbnail. Like this thumbnail. This feature is only available on the desktop version of YouTube Studio, and YouTube is investigating the possibility of making this feature available on mobile devices.