10 YouTube Tips From An Edu Youtuber Duo

9/6/2019

LAST UPDATED: March 2025

YouTube. As edu creators, we are grateful for the platform where we can share our work, earn from our work, and continue to create! A while back, we wrote a post about tips for viewers using YouTube to watch edu videos. We wanted to update and expand on that based on what we've learned over the years. We try to keep this updated.

1- Captions/subtitles on edu videos are also available in different languages!

You already knew that after our video intro played, you could click/tap the "CC" button at the bottom right to see subtitles. BUT, did you know that thanks to our amazing subtitle contributors, many of our videos have subtitles in different languages?

After our video intro has played, click/tap the "settings" icon (looks like a gear), select "subtitles/CC," and select your language!

Want to help us translate captions/subtitles? Please visit here.

2- You can change the font color and background color on YouTube captions!

Are the background of the captions blocking you from being able to see illustrations in the video? Did you know you can change the font color, background color (or make it 100% transparent), and more?! Viewing the screenshot below, click the gear (labeled 1 below) - select subtitles - and then click "options" (labeled 2 below).

3- Audio dubs!

You knew we had a Spanish, Portuguese, and Hindi channel. Many of our videos have our audio dubbed on those channels.

But many edu channels offer audio in additional languages on their main channel, too, where you can change the spoken audio to a different language. We are finding this to be great because it's all in one place: on our main channel! YouTube videos default to match your preferred language setting on YouTube, but if a creator offers more audio dubs in different languages, a viewer can select a different language audio dub under "settings" (gear icon) and "audio track." Here is YouTube's page all about it. For example, you'll find Spanish and Portuguese audio dubs on our main channel's human body systems overview (2024 video)!

4- But also: transcripts!

Maybe you knew that most YouTube edu videos offer captions. But did you know that you can also access the video transcript? Expand the video description (by selecting "more" in our video description) and scroll down until you find the section "video transcript." It will be near the bottom of the description. You can also toggle the timestamps on and off!

5- Time stamped table of contents (now called "chapters")?

Many edu creators create a time stamped hyperlinked table of contents, which are called "chapters." They make it easy to navigate. If a video has a table of contents, it will show as chapters on the video progress bar! In addition, it will be in the video's description (if you click/tap "more" under the video description).

P.S. Just to add, if you make a YouTube comment that has a time in it (ex. 1:00), it turns it into a hyperlinked time stamp.

6- Ads on YouTube that you don't want to see?

While you'll find ads on many Google services, including edu YouTube videos, did you know that you (the viewer) can have more control over ads you see? Here is Google's page about how to customize that experience.

And what if you're part of an educational institution that wants to have YouTube edu videos completely ad-free? We can also be found on the YouTube Player for Education. YouTube Player for Education (a player by YouTube) is marketed to LMS and edtech platforms (example: the edtech platform Edpuzzle integrates the player). For LMS and edtech platforms that choose to integrate the YouTube Player for Education, it feeds from a different domain than YouTube. This means our videos (and other edu videos from YouTube) can play even if the entire YouTube platform is blocked on a district filter. The YouTube Player for Education also has NO ads, comments, or distractions. If your school district or educational institution uses a edtech platform or LMS that doesn't currently integrate the YouTube Player for Education (or if you're unsure whether they do or not), you can reach out to that platform or LMS asking them to consider it. You can also contact us for more information. Our contact page link is at the very bottom of our website.

7- Too fast? Slow it down!

Sometimes those edu videos may go a little too fast! Did you know you can slow it down? (Or speed it up?) The video speed is an option when you click the gear at the bottom right of a video.

8- Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to stop and skip!

As an educator, Pinky found those keyboard shortcuts so helpful when needing to pause the video to ask questions or skip back or forward. If you're a teacher, you can even consider having a wireless keyboard so that you can control the video in the back of the room and start discussions from anywhere. Edu videos with engaging graphics (in our case, cartoons!) can make great discussion starters.

9- So many ways to share...

It's important to know how to share YouTube videos by using the YouTube link (or using the YouTube embed code, which is enabled on many edu channels)! Most are familiar with YouTube links, but if you want a nice, streamlined look with a YouTube video on your class website or LMS, you may want to look at the YouTube embed feature, which will be available on videos if the channel enabled it. Just click "share" underneath the video, and click on "embed." You can also embed entire playlists so you could embed our entire learning playlist! YouTube embeds still feed from the YouTube channel itself. Need more detailed instructions on how to embed? Check this out from YouTube.

[NOTE: Embedding from YouTube using the YouTube embed code is very different from "ripping" and uploading a YouTube video, which is generally a terms of use violation. This means using software or a website to download a YouTube video and then posting it somewhere like on a school website, on social media, or on another YouTube channel typically violates the creators' rights as well as YouTube's terms of service. To avoid this, please make sure you are using either the YouTube link or the YouTube embed code, as those actually feed through the creator's channel.]

10- Expand those video details---and the pinned comment (if there is one)!

Many viewers may not realize the huge amount of information in a lot of edu video details (video descriptions). By clicking that "show more" underneath the video description, you can expand to see everything the edu creator has placed there. In our videos, we include references, further reading suggestions, our music credit, and additional links about our content.

A pinned comment is a comment that the edu creator has placed at the top of their comments. In many cases, it may be a comment from the edu creator themselves. The comment may have a clarification or important video note.

Thanks for reading our tips! For more info about our videos specifically, check out our videos page.

Also, if you're an educator, we made a video specifically on suggestions for using our videos in biology.

High school or college student? We made a video with study tips when using our videos.

What if my district/campus/institution blocks YouTube?
YouTube is one of the largest global video sharing platforms available, and it offers many educational videos exclusively on its platform. In cases where a school district or institution opts to block YouTube but would still like to utilize our videos, there are several options outlined below:

Option 1:

YouTube has a link to share how specific videos or entire channels can be approved on a school network while blocking all other content. YouTube even provides a support page on this topic that educators can send to their IT staff. YouTube additionally offers a restricted mode for devices which hides comments and blocks content that it labels as inappropriate.

Option 2:

We can also be found on the YouTube Player for Education. YouTube Player for Education (a player by YouTube) is marketed to LMS and edtech platforms (example: the edtech platform Edpuzzle integrates the player). For LMS and edtech platforms that choose to integrate the YouTube Player for Education, it feeds from a different domain than YouTube. This means our videos (and other edu videos from YouTube) can play even if the entire YouTube platform is blocked on a district filter. The YouTube Player for Education also has NO ads, comments, or distractions. If your school district uses a edtech platform or LMS that doesn't currently integrate the YouTube Player for Education (or if you're unsure whether they do or not), you can reach out to that platform or LMS asking them to consider it. You can also contact us for more information.

Option 3:

We are licensed on Boclips, which is completely separate from YouTube. Boclips can provide different ways a district can use our licensed content (as well as many other edu creators that license on Boclips) separate from YouTube. You can contact Boclips for assistance here.

Overall, this is a determination that needs to be discussed and evaluated within a district to make a decision that is best for them. If choosing to use our videos, a reminder that our actual video files (or recordings of our videos) cannot be uploaded into other platforms as outlined in our terms of use. They must be either linked to or embedded from our YouTube channel using the YouTube embed code.