How to Add Subscribe Button on YouTube Videos (Subscribe Button PNGs)

Getting more subscribers to your YouTube channel can be tough, whether you run a photography blog with a video channel or any other type of content. Luckily one little hack can help increase the subscribe rate of people watching your videos. This simple trick is to use a “subscribe” button for your branding image like below.

Quick Answer

To add a subscribe button to your YouTube videos, upload a square PNG (at least 150 x 150 pixels, under 1 MB) as your channel’s video watermark in YouTube Studio under Customization, then Profile. It appears in the bottom right corner of every video and is clickable on desktop. Free subscribe button PNGs are further down this page.

YouTube allows you to upload an image that displays on the bottom right of your videos. Ideally, you’ll want to use this 150 x 150 pixel image as a subscribe call to action.

Here’s how to add your own images plus some subscribe PNG images you can use for your YouTube branding watermark.

Jump to free subscribe button PNG images

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How to Add a Branding Watermark to YouTube Videos

1. Login to YouTube and Head Over to YouTube Studio

After logging into YouTube click your photo on the top right and click “YouTube Studio”. This will take you to your channel management page.

2. Go to Channel Settings

On the left side of the studio page you’ll see a “customization” button.

3. Open the Profile Tab and Find Video Watermark

On the Customization page, open the Profile tab and scroll down to Video watermark. YouTube has moved this setting around over the years (it used to live under a separate Branding tab), so if your Studio looks a little different from the screenshots, that is why. Click Change, upload your square 150 x 150 image, adjust the size, and click Done.

4. Choose Branding Watermark View Settings

After uploading your image you’ll have the ability to select when it displays: at the end of the video (the last 15 seconds), at a custom start time, or over the entire video. Click Publish to save it.

I recommend showing it as early as possible to convert as many people to subscribers as possible.

Where the Watermark Shows (and Where It Does Not)

A few limits are worth knowing before you count on the watermark to grow your channel. These come straight from YouTube’s channel branding help page:

• It is only clickable on a computer. The watermark displays in landscape view on both desktop and mobile, but tapping it on a phone does nothing. Since most YouTube watch time is on mobile, treat it as a desktop conversion tool and keep using end screens and verbal reminders for everyone else.
• It does not appear on videos set as made for kids.
• It does not show on chromeless embedded players, so some third-party embeds will hide it.

None of that makes it not worth doing. It takes about a minute to set up once and then runs on every video you have ever uploaded, which is why I still recommend it.

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Now let’s hop into my free list of subscribe button PNGs to use as your YouTube watermark.

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Free YouTube Subscribe Button PNGs for YouTube’s Branding Watermark

Here are a few 150×150 images to use as your branding watermark on YouTube to increase your subscription rate. You’ll need to save these to your computer to add them as your video watermark on YouTube as mentioned above.

Just right click and save one of these transparent subscribe PNGs and you can upload it to your channel.

Solid Background Subscribe Buttons

These sixteen are a newer set with solid backgrounds instead of transparency, in a wider range of colors and styles. Since the watermark is a square either way, they work exactly the same once uploaded, and the solid background can actually read more clearly over busy footage. Right click and save any of them.

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YouTube Branding Watermark FAQ

What size should a YouTube watermark be?

YouTube requires a square image of at least 150 x 150 pixels and under 1 MB, per YouTube’s channel branding help page. YouTube does not publish a format list for the watermark, but PNG is the safe choice and is what every button on this page is. Most of them are transparent, which lets the button sit on your video without a visible background box, and the solid background set near the end of the list works just as well.

Does the subscribe watermark actually help get subscribers?

It helps, but don’t expect a huge jump. Most viewers ignore watermarks entirely. That said, Backlinko reported that subscriptions coming from their watermark rose by nearly 70% after they switched from a transparent logo to a subscribe button design. The biggest advantage is that it takes 60 seconds to set up and appears on every video automatically, so there’s no reason not to use one.

Should I use a logo or a subscribe button as my watermark?

A subscribe button converts better because it tells viewers exactly what happens when they click. A logo builds brand recognition but many viewers don’t realize it’s clickable. If your main goal is subscriber growth, go with a subscribe button. If you already have a large audience and want brand consistency, a logo works fine.

When should the watermark appear on my videos?

YouTube gives you three options: end of video, custom start time, or entire video. I recommend showing it for the entire video or starting it after the first 10 seconds (so it doesn’t distract during your intro). The longer it’s visible, the more chances a viewer has to click it.

Can I change my YouTube watermark later?

Yes. Go back to YouTube Studio, then Customization, then Profile, and you can remove or replace your watermark at any time. The change applies to all your videos immediately.

I hope these transparent PNG subscribe buttons with transparent background for YouTube were helpful! If you have any suggestions for new images just let me know in the comments below.

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