YouTube This is a straightforward question, and the answer is also very straightforward. But still, I always get this question in my YouTube comment sections, emails, and Instagram messages.
So in today’s quick Guide, let’s find out the best time to upload a video on YouTube.
Contents
Does the Upload Time Affect the Video?
First, whenever there’s confusion about something related to YouTube, go and see what YouTube itself says.
If you go to YouTube Studio > Analytics > Audience tab, there you will find a chart. From this chart, we can know when our viewers are most active. Based on this, we can decide the upload timing.
The brighter the lines, the more viewers are active at that time.
Now, if you look below the chart, it clearly says that publish time does not directly affect the long-term performance of a video.
How many views your video gets in a week, a month, or a year from now depends on the content, not on the upload time.
So, Does Timing Matter at All?
If performance was purely based on upload timing, it would be unfair. So first of all, understand that the quality of the video matters more than timing.
However, if you upload at a time when maximum viewers are active, you’ll get instant views, which feels good.
But let’s say you upload the same video at 3:00 AM. At that time, most people are sleeping, so views won’t come instantly. YouTube also won’t push impressions, so CTR and AD won’t be affected immediately either.
Once morning comes and your viewers open YouTube, views will start coming in. So don’t worry too much.
What Is the Use of the YouTube Studio Chart?
This chart is useful mainly for scheduling Premieres and Live Streams, because both features come with a live chat component.
You’ll want to go live when the maximum number of viewers are active. That’s where the chart becomes useful.
So yes, upload timing doesn’t affect video performance as much—but it can still have some minor impact.
Why Timing Can Still Matter
Here’s an example: the subscription feed. This is a traffic source where videos are ranked by time—newer uploads appear first.
If you upload a video at 3:00 AM, then by morning, many other creators would have uploaded as well, and your video might get buried lower in the list.
Especially if you’re competing with news channels, then uploading at the right time becomes even more important.
So yes, these small factors can still influence your video’s initial visibility.
Final Answer: What’s the Best Time?
So now back to the original question:
Check the chart in YouTube Studio Audience Tab to find when your viewers are most active.
Upload at that time for better initial response.
Also, think logically—if your audience is mostly kids, upload when they’re free (e.g., evenings after school or tuition).
If this graph is not available for your channel, observe your audience behavior and try different timings.
My Personal Upload Time
I personally upload my videos at 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM. Why?
Well, those numbers are lucky for me—who knows! I randomly picked them, and now they’ve become my fixed upload timings.
My viewers now know that videos will come at 4 or 8, so it’s become a habit and a consistent pattern.
If you’ve built a good audience, I recommend you choose a fixed time and stay consistent.
Final Words
If you’ve read up to this point, I think you really enjoyed this article.