What type of content do you primarily create?
You’re about to post your latest YouTube video, and you’re hungry for views. You’ve chosen a trending topic, you’ve got an eye-catching channel banner and video thumbnail, and your video title and description is SEO optimized. But there’s one more piece of the puzzle that could nudge your content over the line: timing.
Knowing when to post your YouTube videos can be the difference maker you’ve been searching for. After all, it isn’t just about creating great content—it’s about making sure that content gets seen.
And with more than 2.56 billion active users on the platform, you bet there are plenty of people ready to check out your channel.
In this guide, we look at the best times to post on YouTube, whether you’re a beginner or a total YouTube veteran. We’re giving you specific data-driven insights to help increase the chances that your video goes viral.
Does posting time matter on YouTube?
Timing is crucial when posting new content on your YouTube channel. If you’re not optimizing your video uploads to the best time to post, you’re essentially leaving views—and potential subscribers—on the table. Here’s a list of a few other reasons why you should be meticulous about your posting schedule.
Boost your engagement metrics
Posting at the best times is a way to make sure your YouTube videos will reach your target audience when they’re most active. This leads to more likes, comments, and shares, which are key metrics that signal to the YouTube algorithm that your content is worth suggesting to more users with similar interests.
YouTube Creators explains:
“We track what viewers watch, how long they watch, what they skip over, and more. This helps us figure out what kind of videos they like best and what we can recommend to them next.”
Viewership metrics aren’t just vanity numbers. With YouTube, they’re your ticket to growing your audience.
Check out a video by YouTube explaining how its suggested video function works to learn more:
Maximize audience availability
Consider your audience demographics and their daily routine. Are they browsing social media platforms during their lunch break, or are they more likely to dive into YouTube content in the evenings?
Use your YouTube analytics to understand peak times and which days of the week your target audience is online. The more people are available to watch your new video, naturally, the higher your number of views per video.
Take advantage of the YouTube algorithm
While YouTube doesn’t outright explain the intricacies of how its algorithm works, we do get a few clues from their official Creator site. According to YouTube Creators, here’s how the platform’s video recommendation engine works at a high level:
“Our algorithm doesn’t pay attention to videos, it pays attention to viewers. So, rather than trying to make videos that’ll make an algorithm happy, focus on making videos that make your viewers happy.”
For more, YouTube’s Support page explains:
“On YouTube, viewers are matched to the videos they are most likely to watch and enjoy. YouTube’s search and discovery system caters to each viewer and their varying interests. The goal is to get people to watch more videos they enjoy so that they come back to YouTube regularly.”
What makes YouTube stand apart from other social media platforms with similar features? One huge difference is that YouTube is a search engine at its core, rather than a scroll-based feed.
While posting at the ideal time can boost your video content in the short term, the type of content and its quality also play a role in its longevity. Thankfully, features like YouTube Studio offer an overview of your audience tab and other metrics to help you optimize for the long run.
Best time to post YouTube videos and shorts
The golden window for posting on YouTube is between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (ET), with Sunday standing out as the best day.
Why is this time slot so effective? Because, according to the latest YouTube statistics by SocialPilot, it aligns with peak viewing times for a broad range of demographics.
At these times, people are often winding down their work or school day and are looking for content to engage with. Posting during these hours maximizes your video’s visibility, giving it the initial push it needs for the YouTube algorithm to take notice.
It’s important to note that the best time to post on your YouTube channel is different for lots of content creators. Think of these times as general guidelines you can use to start experimenting with as you gather data on who your audience is and when they like to watch your content the most over time.
Remember that your audience’s behavior and location, and even the type of content you produce, all influence the ideal upload time. This is where you want to use YouTube’s built-in analytics to your advantage. Dive into your audience demographics and behaviors as a way to help you tailor your video posting schedule to your audience’s peak times.
Take it a bit further and don’t just rely on general peak times. Make it a point to understand your audience and adjust your posting schedule accordingly. Posting on YouTube at peak times is about optimizing for your unique viewership.
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Source: YouTube
The worst time to post on YouTube
HubSpot found the worst time to post on YouTube is between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET.
These hours are problematic for several reasons. First, they fall outside the general peak hours when most viewers are active, which means your new video is less likely to get immediate traction. This lack of initial engagement can negatively impact how the YouTube algorithm perceives and promotes your content.
Plus, posting at these hours can throw off your posting schedule and consistency, which are key factors in building a loyal audience. Keep in mind that if you’re aiming for a global audience, these times are also less likely to coincide with peak viewing times in other time zones.
Posting during these hours is a strategy that’s unlikely to maximize your viewership and can even harm your channel’s performance in the long run.
How to find the best time to post on YouTube
Finding the best time to post YouTube videos is not as simple as a quick Google search—despite this blog’s best attempts at giving you the one true answer. Instead, it’s a calculated strategy that’s unique to your channel.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you nail down the optimal time for your content. Follow these steps to maximize your viewership and engagement.
1. Know your audience
Before diving into content posting mode, understand who your target audience is. Are they professionals who might be browsing LinkedIn during their lunch break, or are they younger users more active on TikTok?
Knowing your audience demographics will help you make educated guesses about their habits on social media platforms, including YouTube.
Inside your YouTube analytics, under your Audience Analytics tab, you’ll find a few charts that’ll help you answer questions about your audience like:
- How old are they?
- What’s their gender?
- Which country or region do they live in?
- What language do they speak?
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Source: Google Support
Using the answers to those questions to make educated guesses can go a long way in helping you figure out when best to post.
For example, if your channel focuses on professional development, your target audience is largely working adults. These users are likely browsing LinkedIn during lunch breaks and may switch to YouTube for educational content in the evening.
2. Use YouTube analytics
In the same Audience Analytics tab mentioned above, you’ll find a treasure trove of data, including peak times when your audience is most active. YouTube analytics will show you the days of the week and specific times when your viewers are online. Use this real-time data to optimize your posting schedule.
“Audience analytics can tell you things like what time of day your viewers are on YouTube and if they are new or returning fans, all so that you can get strategic about when and how you post future content.”
To learn the ins and outs of YouTube’s built-in analytics, check out this explainer video by YouTube:
Say you open the Audience Analytics tab and find that your audience is most active between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays. This is a strong indicator that posting new content around this time could maximize your views.
3. Experiment and A/B test
Don’t just stick to one time slot! Experiment by posting videos at different times and days of the week.
You can even do A/B testing with similar types of content to see which time yields the best results. Keep an eye on the number of views, engagement metrics, and how your video performs in search engine rankings.
Let’s say you post two similar cooking videos—one on a Tuesday at 3 p.m. and another on a Saturday at 10 a.m. The Tuesday video gains significantly more views, signaling that weekdays might be more effective for your niche.
This is already one indicator that publishing content on Tuesdays around 3 p.m. can be a promising schedule for your channel.
4. Consider time zones
If your audience is global, time zones become a crucial factor. While ET might be the best time for audiences in the Eastern United States, it may not be ideal for viewers in other parts of the world.
Factor in the time zones where the bulk of your audience resides and adjust your video posting schedule accordingly.
If your analytics show a strong viewership in both the United States and the United Kingdom, you can decide to post at 5 p.m. ET, which also captures night owl viewers in the UK.
5. Pay attention to video types
The optimal time for posting YouTube Shorts may differ from longer-form content. For example, shorter videos might perform better during weekdays when people are looking for something quick, while longer videos might be more suitable for weekends.
Plus, switching things up with your content, including peppering in some Lives with your fans every now and again, ensures you’re reaching audiences you may not have been able to otherwise.
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You may notice that your YouTube Shorts about quick tech tips get more views when posted around lunchtime, while your in-depth tutorials perform better on weekend mornings.
6. Conduct a competitor analysis
Look at successful YouTube channels in your niche. When are they posting new content? While you shouldn’t copy their strategy, understanding their posting schedule can offer valuable insights.
Let’s say you find that a successful channel in your niche posts consistently on Wednesday evenings. This gives you a clue that Wednesdays might be a good day to test for your own channel.
7. Use templates for consistency
Consistency is key in social media marketing—and YouTube is no different.
YouTube explains that “A consistent, sustainable release schedule is critical when building and fulfilling audience expectations and maintaining your well-being. When building an upload schedule, it’s important to review and consider:
- Frequency: How often do you upload per week/month? Is this frequency sustainable over the long term? Do you have a structure for what comes when?
- Consistency: Are you consistent about both your upload and content schedules? Will you link content to specific days of the week? Have you taken any breaks or made changes in the last 6 months?”
To help stay consistent with content production, use content production templates to plan your posting schedule. This ensures that you’re not only posting at the best times but also maintaining a consistent brand image.
For example, use a template to plan out a month’s worth of posts, ensuring you have a mix of YouTube Shorts and longer videos, all scheduled to your identified peak times.
8. Review and adjust
Your first posting schedule is just that—a first draft. As you gather more data, be prepared to make adjustments. Experimenting and being strategic about when you post content will eventually enable you to monetize your content, if that’s your goal.
Keep an eye on your YouTube analytics to point out any shifts in peak viewing times or audience behavior. For example: After a month, you see that your Friday posts are not performing as well as those on other days. You decide to shift your Friday content to Thursday to see if it makes a difference.
By approaching your posting schedule with a strategic mindset, you’re not just throwing content into the void and hoping for the best. You’re making data-driven decisions to ensure your YouTube channel reaches its full potential.
Take your YouTube videos to the next level with Descript
It’s a lot of work to publish videos regularly on YouTube, especially with complicated video editing software. Descript eliminates that friction, making editing a video as easy as editing a doc.
Not only does Descript automatically convert your videos into transcripts, it lets you edit your video by editing that transcript. Just drag the video file into Descript, wait a few seconds, and you’re ready to edit. Add transitions, music, sound effects, keyframe animations, and subtitles until you’re happy with the results.
Start editing your next YouTube video with a free Descript account today.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 p.m. a good time to post on YouTube?
While 10 p.m. may not align with the general peak viewing times, it could be effective if your target audience is active at that hour. Always refer to your YouTube analytics for tailored insights.
Is Sunday the best time to post on YouTube?
Sunday is often cited as one of the best days to post new content, especially between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (EST), but the ideal time can vary based on your specific audience demographics and time zone.
Is it better to post every day on YouTube?
Posting every day can boost your channel’s visibility and engagement, but it’s crucial to maintain quality content. A well-thought-out posting schedule is more effective than daily uploads lacking in substance.
