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YouTube Studio: what it is and what each section is for

· 8 min read · Estudio de Canales

Cover graphic for Estudio de Canales: a network of connected nodes on a black background, with the article's headline in Spanish

YouTube Studio is the dashboard from which you manage your channel: there you upload videos, change their title and description, add subtitles, check the analytics, reply to comments and, if you are in the Partner Program, manage monetisation. On a computer it opens at studio.youtube.com; on your phone you have the YouTube Studio app, with a shorter menu.

What YouTube Studio is and how to open it

It is YouTube's tool for creators. YouTube's own help says that YouTube Studio has everything creators need and that you can use it to manage your presence on the platform, grow your channel, interact with your audience and make money.

There are two ways to use it:

  • On a computer, which is what people usually search for as “YouTube Studio web”, “desktop” or “for PC”: you go to studio.youtube.com, sign in and use the menu on the left to manage your videos and your channel.
  • On your phone or tablet: you open the YouTube Studio app and use the bottom menu.

Many pages of the official help have a version for computers, another for Android phones and tablets and another for iPhone and iPad. When an instruction does not match what you see on screen, first check that you are reading the version for your device.

The menu sections, one by one

On a computer, the menu on the left brings together everything for the channel. This is what each section does, according to YouTube's help:

SectionWhat it is for
DashboardA general summary of all the new activity on your channel and of YouTube news that may interest you.
ContentAn overview of your videos, live streams, posts and playlists.
AnalyticsMonitoring the performance of your channel and videos with YouTube Analytics metrics and reports.
CommunityReading the comments on your videos and posting replies, and seeing mentions of your channel by other creators.
SubtitlesAdding subtitles to your videos.
Content detectionSubmitting copyright takedown requests.
EarnIf you are part of the YouTube Partner Program, managing monetisation settings.
CustomizationCustomising the layout, branding and basic information of your channel.
Audio LibraryGetting music and sound effects for your videos.

The two sections you will open most are Content, which is the list of everything you have uploaded, and Analytics: what to look at there and how to read it is in YouTube metrics.

The Audio Library deserves a separate note. It offers royalty-free sound effects and production music that you can use in your videos, and it is found exclusively in YouTube Studio: you enter from the menu on the left or directly at youtube.com/audiolibrary. You can filter the music by title, genre, mood, artist name, attribution or duration, and download each track as an MP3 file. Watch out for one detail: if you use a track with a Creative Commons licence, you must credit the artist in the video description. We go into this in more detail in copyright-free music for YouTube.

What you can do with each video

To manage a specific video, go to Content and click its thumbnail, or look for it in the search bar at the top. Inside the video you have another menu:

  • Details: you change the title, the description and the video settings.
  • Analytics: the metrics available at video level.
  • Editor: you trim or blur the video and add audio tracks or end screens.
  • Comments: you read and reply to them.
  • Subtitles: as well as subtitles, you add audio in several languages and translations of the title and description.
  • Copyright: you view and manage copyright claims.
  • Clips: you create and manage clips.

A practical tip: if you notice a typo in the title or the description, fix it from Details, on the video that is already uploaded.

How to upload a video from YouTube Studio

From a computer, the upload follows these steps:

  1. Create. Sign in to YouTube Studio and, in the top-right corner, click CREATE and Upload videos. You can upload up to 15 videos at a time.
  2. Details. Title, description, thumbnail, playlist and audience, where you have to say whether the video is made for kids. Titles have a limit of 100 characters and descriptions of 5000. Under “Show more” are, among others, the altered or synthetic content notice, tags and language.
  3. Video elements. Subtitles, cards and end screen; to include an end screen, the video must be at least 25 seconds long.
  4. Checks. YouTube checks whether the video includes copyright-protected content. Its results are not definitive: the video could later receive a manual claim.
  5. Visibility. You choose between publishing now, as Private, Unlisted or Public, or Schedule a date; until then, the video will be private.

If you close the upload window before you finish choosing the visibility, the video will be saved as private in Content. Before you get here it helps to have the file properly exported (covered in the format for uploading videos to YouTube) and to go through the checklist for publishing a video.

Computer or app: what changes

The app is good for day-to-day work, but it does not do everything. In the Android version, the bottom menu has five sections:

  • Dashboard: a summary of your channel's analytics, content and comments.
  • Content: your videos, Shorts, live streams and playlists; you can edit video information and check their restrictions.
  • Analytics, Community and Earn, with the same function as on a computer.

There are tasks that, according to YouTube's help, can for now only be done from a computer. Two examples:

  • Mid-roll ad slots: on mobile devices you can only turn them on or off; to manage and edit them, you have to sign in to YouTube Studio from a computer.
  • Custom thumbnails for Shorts, which for now can only be added in YouTube Studio from a computer.

Two settings worth checking when you start

Feature eligibility. Under Settings, Channel and Feature eligibility you will see the message “Enabled” next to the features you have access to. If you have not verified the channel with your phone, you will not be able to upload videos longer than 15 minutes or custom thumbnails: we explain this step by step in how to verify a YouTube channel.

Default upload settings. Under Settings you can also set the options that will apply to all the videos you upload with the web browser: privacy settings, categories, titles, tags, comments and language, among other things. Bear in mind that they only affect what you upload from a browser: if you upload from a mobile device, they do not apply.

Where the Estudio de Canales fits in

The Estudio de Canales does not replace YouTube Studio and does not publish to your channel by itself. What it does is get you to YouTube Studio with the work done: it prepares everything needed to upload the video by hand.

  • The package. It contains the video, three thumbnails, the subtitles file, the title, the description, the chapters, a metadata file and a licences file.
  • The metadata. It records the visibility you have chosen (private, unlisted or public), whether the video is for kids and whether it contains synthetic content, with a reminder: tick the altered or synthetic content disclosure when uploading, where it applies.
  • The division of work. You upload the video in YouTube Studio, paste the title and description, upload one of the thumbnails and the subtitles file, tick what applies and choose the visibility or the date.
  • Afterwards. You paste the link into the studio. If the channel is linked, the studio checks with YouTube that the video belongs to that channel and, with your Google account connected, the studio reads its daily progress in YouTube Analytics.

What it does not do: it does not upload or schedule anything, and the edit carries only each scene's voice, so music from the Audio Library, if you want it, you add yourself. Comments, income and channel customisation stay in YouTube Studio.

Sources consulted

Checked on 11 October 2026. We link to the original source so that you can consult the current text.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a YouTube Studio for PC or desktop?

On a computer, YouTube Studio opens at studio.youtube.com: you sign in and manage the channel from the menu on the left. On a phone or tablet you use the YouTube Studio app, which has a bottom menu with fewer sections.

Where is the YouTube Studio Audio Library?

In the menu on the left of YouTube Studio, under Audio Library; you can also go straight to youtube.com/audiolibrary. It offers royalty-free music and sound effects, and if a track has a Creative Commons licence you must credit the artist in the video description.

How do I upload a video from YouTube Studio?

Click CREATE and Upload videos, choose the file and complete the details, video elements, checks and visibility. You can upload up to 15 videos at a time, and if you close the window before choosing the visibility, the video is saved as private.

What is the difference between uploading and publishing a video?

When you upload a video, the file is imported into YouTube; when you publish it, it is made available to users so they can watch it. That is why you can upload it as private and publish it later, or schedule the date.

Does the Estudio de Canales upload videos to YouTube Studio?

No. It prepares the package with the video, thumbnails, subtitles, title, description and chapters, and you upload it yourself in YouTube Studio. Afterwards you paste the video link into the studio to track its numbers.

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