How to create 360 degree videos for Youtube
How to create 360-degree videos for YouTube is one of the questions we get asked the most since the video platform announced support for this type of format. In this post we are going to give you a series of indications and tips to get your first 360 videos for your company or event.
Currently there are cameras that are compatible with Youtube such as the IC Real Tech Allie, Ricoh Theta and the Kodak SP360. These models are not bad at all and it is just the beginning, as many technology manufacturers are expected to join the bandwagon of the development of this type of 360º cameras during this 2016. We also sense that all of them will also be compatible with the Kolor Autopano software for video editing.
How to upload a 360 degree video on Youtube
To get the maximum quality of your 360 videos on Youtube it is necessary to encode your videos following Youtube’s guidelines. The 360 videos are loaded using the same frame rate at which they were recorded. The most common ones include: 24, 25, 30, 30, 48, 50, 60 frames per second, although Youtube also accepts other frequencies.
The format
The Youtube player format uses a 16:9 aspect ratio. In the case that our format is not this one, it is processed and displayed correctly, presenting black bands at the top and bottom, provided by the Youtube player. This should be avoided as it would not be the best finish for our 36o degree video.
Resolution
In order for our 360 videos to adapt perfectly, it is best to encode them using these resolutions:
- 2160p: 3840 x 2160
- 1440p: 2560 x 1440
- 1080p: 1920 x 1080
- 720p: 1280 x 720
- 480p: 854 x 480
- 360p: 640 x 360
- 240p: 426 x 240
How to publish a 360 degree video on Youtube
Before publishing a 360 degree video on Youtube it is always best to check that 360 degree playback is enabled in the file using your computer directly.
The 360-degree videos have a button at the top left for 360 panoramic viewing and you can interact with the video using the keyboard buttons W, A, S, D or the arrows, therefore, verify the presence of these features in order to be sure that it is a 360-degree video.
Things to keep in mind when making a 360 degree video on Youtube:
- Enabling 360-degree video playback can take up to an hour, so don’t leave it all to the last minute.
- Make sure you do not make changes to the video using the YouTube Video Editor as these tools do not currently support 360 degree videos.
How to view a 360-degree video on Youtube?
First of all, to view your 360 videos on Youtube you need to have installed on your computer one of the latest versions of Chrome, Opera, Firefox or Internet Explorer.
On mobile devices you can use the latest version of the YouTube app for Android or iOS and, for a fully immersive first-person experience, you can also watch 360-degree videos using the cardboard glasses by connecting to the Youtube 360 or by entering the word #360Video in the search engine.
Once the video has been chosen and selected, activate the “cardboard” icon in the interface to have the video duplicated in 2 (one for each eye).
Now we can insert our cell phone directly into the cardboard and view the video at 360 degrees.
Here you can find the list of cell phones compatible with carboard.
If you are interested in professional 360 degree Youtube videos for your company or product do not hesitate to contact us.
