For 15 years, YouTube has been one of the most popular sites online. It's a powerful tool for entertainment and for information, and of course for some YouTubers, a valuable source of income.
The site itself seems pretty simple, and it is easy to use. Beyond its basic streaming functions, though, there are actually some really cool hacks that people can use when they are watching a video, or even working on a video of their own.
Have Some Fun Doing Karaoke
YouTube can actually be used for karaoke, which only makes it that much more fun and interesting. There are lots of people who simply sing along to some of their favorite songs on the website (or the app), but this little hack can make that experience even cooler.
Those who use the Chrome web browser can download something called the Musixmatch Lyrics extension for YouTube to enhance their karaoke experience. This extension basically allows people to see the lyrics that are in their favorite songs on the screen. But users can also usually find lyric videos for most songs as well, and no extensions are needed for those.
There Are Easter Eggs
YouTube has some Easter eggs that its users will probably enjoy using from time to time. One trick people can use when they go to the website is typing “doge meme” into the search bar.
That will do a lot more than just bring up some relevant videos for the user to watch. When YouTube users do this, they will see YouTube's entire look change. There are also other Easter eggs that do the same thing, essentially reskinning the website, and each of them give YouTube a very unique display. One of them even causes the website to look like it's doing a popular dance.
Videos Can Be Played In Slow Motion
Sometimes YouTube users want to watch videos in slow motion, and there is a hack that allows them to do that. This hack is particularly useful when it comes to videos that show things that happen really quickly, such as sporting events.
Those who are using a Chrome browser can watch videos in slow motion by clicking something called the speed selector. This will allow the person to have the opportunity to view the video at a different speed than the one they would normally be viewing it at. But one important fact is that this might not be possible for those who do not use Chrome.
Users Can Link To A Specific Time In A Video
There are many times during which a person wants to access a certain part of a YouTube video without having to watch the entire video, so users can link directly to a moment in the middle of a video.
Linking to a specific playback point in a video is not as complicated as it sounds. There are just a few simple instructions for users to follow. There are a couple of ways to do this. One method that can be used is pausing the video at the particular moment the user wants to link to, right-clicking it, and selecting “copy video URL at current time.”
Gifs Can Be Made
One little hack that might be surprising to some of YouTube's users is the fact that they can actually use the website to create gifs. This may sound like a very difficult thing to do, but it is actually really easy, and completing all of the required steps does not take very long.
The first step a user needs to take if they have a video they want to use to make one is selecting the right video. After that, they need to type “gifyoutube.com” in the web browser bar. That should take them to a place where they can create a gif from the video.
Background Music Can Be Identified
While YouTube itself does not offer users the chance to find out what music is playing in the background of some of the videos on the website, there is one hack people can use for this purpose. Those who wish to find out what music is playing in some of the videos they like to watch can do so by using a service called Mooma.
Mooma has a great deal of information about a lot of songs. All users need to do is copy the link to the video, and then paste it into a search bar that can be found on Mooma's homepage.
Videos Can Be Edited After They Have Been Published
YouTubers can edit their videos on the website itself after they have already been published, which is a hack that some might not know about. Many people seem to be under the impression that in order to edit a video, it must be done by a different website, app, or program.
But since YouTube does offer users some basic editing options, that is not the case. They can do some simple things on the website, such as trimming videos to make them a bit shorter. For more advanced editing options, YouTube users might still want to edit their videos elsewhere.
Users Can Make Custom URLs
YouTubers who strive to have a channel that is very unique and memorable can create their own personally customized URLs. One might think that this would cost money, but it does not.
But there are some requirements that YouTubers must follow if they would eventually like to be able to have a custom URL. Before that can happen, they must gain at least 100 subscribers. The account also needs to be at least 30 days old as well, which means that accounts that are really new won’t be able to have a custom URL yet. YouTubers can change their custom URLs a few times each year if they want to.
There’s A Cool Way To Fast-Forward And Rewind
There are hacks for many aspects of YouTube, and one of them makes it a little bit easier for people to fast-forward or rewind through the videos they are watching. Some of the videos that are on YouTube can seem a bit longer than they need to be, but users can fast-forward 10 seconds ahead by tapping on the right side of the video two times. This only works if they are using a smartphone or a tablet.
The trick to rewinding videos is not much different. The only thing that changes is which side of the screen the user should tap on. In order to rewind a video, they must double-tap the left side.
Viewers Can Change The Quality Of The Video They Are Watching
Changing the quality of a video can really make the entire viewing experience much better for the person who is watching it. These viewing edits can be done on YouTube as well. This is not hard to do at all, and it can be done in any browser.
Users just need to select the video that they want to watch, and then they need to click the icon that resembles a small gear. This will give them the option to alter the quality of the video. But there are also other things that can affect it as well, such as the viewers’ Internet connection.