YouTube Tweaks Video Embeds To Include A Channel Subscribe Button: Minor But Significant

The popular video streaming giant YouTube is changing various aspects of its design, and this time, it's making a small move with significant potential.

Usually, users of the web that saw a YouTube video they liked embedded on a website, subscribing to the uploader's channel involved users in clicking through the video to open the YouTube's page, to then click the subscribe button. With an update, that is no longer necessary.

YouTube is updating the design by allowing users to subscribe to channels, directly from video embeds.

Versus the previous design, the biggest change users find here is a new channel shortcut in the top left corner of the embedded videos. As long as viewers are logged into their YouTube account, hovering on the uploader's avatar will display shortcut to the uploader's full channel name, total number of subscribers, and also an option to subscribe and turn on upload notifications.

On the right side of the embed, there are the standard sharing options including the 'Watch Later' option.

Hovering on the avatar of an embedded YouTube video, will show a 'Subscribe' button shortcut
Hovering on the avatar of an embedded YouTube video, will show a 'Subscribe' button shortcut

On the backend and the player itself, YouTube and Google didn't change anything.

While it's certainly a small update, but it terms of looks, refresh update and usefulness, the redesign should translate in better channel growth for video creators.

Previously, YouTube has been updating its service to provide better experience for users. This include: an update to its FAQ page to show more information about its beta program for Android, and testing a picture-in-picture feature for desktop users

The additional features and shortcuts to its YouTube Video Embeds is a huge change that came along with the redesigned YouTube.

The updated video embed appearance, besides helping video creators attracting more subscribers, can also help YouTube in competing better with Facebook. It’s a small change, but it effectively seems geared toward benefiting creators' overall channels instead of just their views.

And by making video creators happy, YouTube should stay relevant, as a preferred platform for those who seek to venture in film creation, to sports, lifestyle and many more.

This in turn should also make advertisers happy.

However, at least initially, the embed function isn't without its own problems. Creators have pointed out that the design which includes a subtle minimalist take on the earlier version, seems to impact the thumbnail design in some cases.

The new overlay at the top can cover details of a thumbnail, for example.

Published: 
22/10/2018