Your search for “What is the best time to post on YouTube” ends here!
Long story short, it is from 2 pm to 4 pm (EST) on weekdays, and 9 am to 11 am (EST) on weekends.
You see, over 4.95 billion individuals across the globe are actively engaged on YouTube, with 2.49 billion monthly active users!
This shows the amount of engagement you could gather on your channel if you crack the algorithm.
Furthermore, YouTube ranks second in terms of search engine traffic, just behind Google.
If you know what you’re doing, YouTube has the potential to bring in MILLIONS of customers, just like Jake Paul has been doing!
Moreover, you could even monetize your channel by selling digital products on it. (imagine if it skyrockets and you just end up building a solid side hustle!)
Nevertheless, all of this calls for knowing the best time to post on YouTube first. After all, timing is crucial!
With that, let’s begin our guide today and discuss what’s the best time to post on YouTube in DETAIL.
What is the Best Time to Post on YouTube 2024?
The best times to post on YouTube stated below are listed by conducting a survey throughout the week based on hundreds of accounts.
These are excellent starting points to consider if you want more engagement in your videos.
| Day | Best Time to Post Videos on YouTube |
| Monday | 5 pm |
| Tuesday | 2 pm |
| Wednesday | 9 am |
| Thursday | 6 pm |
| Friday | 3 pm |
| Saturday | 4 pm |
| Sunday | 11 am |
NOTE: You may find that the best hours and days mentioned below are not working for you. Under such circumstances, you must know that every case is different. And this is true for every single social networking site as well. You will have to keep experimenting with other timings to discover your ideal slot. However, the ones listed below work exceptionally for hundreds of accounts.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube on Monday
Based on our data, the best times to post on YouTube on Monday are 5 pm, 11 pm, and 3 pm.
The prime time to get the MOST views on YouTube on Mondays is at 5 pm.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube on Tuesday
On Tuesday, you have another chance to take advantage of a prime viewing time at 2 pm, where the number of views is nearly as high as it is on Fridays.
In addition, 11 am is a peak time to gather massive views.
The prime time to maximize YouTube views on Tuesday is at 2 pm.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube on Wednesday
Based on our data, the best times to post on YouTube on Wednesday are 9 am, 2 pm, and 4 pm.
The prime time to get the MOST views on YouTube on Wednesday is at 9 am.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube on Thursday
The best times to upload new videos to YouTube on Thursday are at 6 pm (which is another excellent time to include in your publishing schedule), 3 pm, and 9 am.
The peak time for maximum views on Thursday is at 6 pm.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube on Friday
Your YouTube publishing schedule HAS to include Friday.
As per our research, videos posted between 3 pm and 4 pm on Fridays receive the most views compared to any other day of the week.
The optimal time to maximize YouTube views on Fridays is at 3 pm.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube on Saturday
Saturday tends to be a bit slower on the platform.
However, if you want to maximize your reach, aim to publish it in the late afternoon, preferably between 3 pm and 5 pm.
The best time to maximize YouTube views on Saturdays is at 4 pm.
The Best Time to Post on YouTube on Sunday
Sunday is the least busy day of the week.
Although this is one of the worst days to post your videos, you CAN upload your content at 11 am, 2 pm, or 3 pm.
Posting at these times holds a better chance of getting more views.
The best time to maximize YouTube views on Sundays is at 11 am.
Tip: Be sure to test the metrics by posting multiple times in the day and weeks to find the optimal one. Use YouTube analytics to keep tabs on your channel’s performance and peak engagement hours.
What is the Best Time to Post Shorts on YouTube?
Finding the best time to post a short on YouTube helps you analyze your performance metrics, thereby increasing your video engagement and visibility, as they continue to gain popularity.
Overall, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are excellent for posting YouTube shorts. An ideal time to post on these days is between 4 pm and 10 pm.
Posting videos on weekends is generally NOT ideal as they tend to have lower engagement compared to the other days of the week.
Here is the overview of the best time to post shorts on YouTube (day-wise):
| Day | Best Time to Post on YouTube Shorts |
| Monday | 6 pm and 9 pm |
| Tuesday | 6 pm and 10 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 pm and 10 pm |
| Thursday | 6 pm and 9 pm |
| Friday | 4 pm and 8 pm |
| Saturday | 3 pm and 6 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm and 3 pm |
The Best Time to Post Youtube Shorts on Monday
This is one of the best days in the week to post shorts. It’s before bedtime and right after work. Posting between 6 pm and 9 pm can bring in great engagement.
The Best Time to Post Youtube Shorts on Tuesday
This is yet another day that can gather great views. Try posting a short between 6 pm and 10 pm.
The Best Time to Post Youtube Shorts on Wednesday
Following Tuesday, Wednesdays perform pretty well with shorts. You can get a good deal of engagement if you post a short between 6 pm and 10 pm.
The Best Time to Post Youtube Shorts on Thursday
Thursdays are the last day of the week that can drive you a good amount of views and traffic. Try posting between 6 pm and 9 pm.
The Best Time to Post Youtube Shorts on Friday
Fridays tend to be a bit slower again. Try to post between 4 pm and 8 pm to maximize your YouTube views.
The Best Time to Post Youtube Shorts on Saturday
Weekends do not perform quite well. However, if you have to, try posting between 3 pm and 6 pm.
The Best Time to Post Youtube Shorts on Sunday
Sundays are typically not considered ideal for posting a short on YouTube. Yet again, if you would like to post, you can upload it anytime between 12 pm and 3 pm.
Bonus: If you’re planning to start a YouTube or already working on one, you must check out this mind-blowing blog on how much money do YouTubers actually make. You will be surprisesd to know the NUMBERS!
Best and Worst Days to Post on YouTube
Posting videos on weekends or weekdays between 1 am and 6 am is usually a BAD idea because that’s when most of your audiences are asleep.
Bonus Tip: However, it’s worth noting a few other times when the videos tend to receive fewer views. For instance, we discovered that videos posted between 4 am and 5 am on Mondays, 8 am on Saturdays, and 9 pm on Sundays generally receive the least amount of views.
Why are the Best Times to Post on YouTube Different?
Similar to Google, YouTube requires some time to index your video.
If we put this another way, it takes some time to evaluate and break down your video after you post it, to understand its content.
NOTE that this happens before it appears in the search results or your audience’s home screens.
Hence, it is usually recommended to publish your content 2 to 3 hours right BEFORE your “best” time.
In other words, if you think your best time to post on YouTube is 5 pm, post the video at 2 pm.
The math here is that the video will already be visible and well-placed in your target audience’s search results when they get online. It will cut down the time that the video requires to pass the technical details.
Moreover, your views also depend on the demographics, location of your audience, their choice, etc.
What Do the Statistics Say?
As per a 2023 Pew Research study, YouTube’s reach is increasing massively.
In fact, why wouldn’t it? Around 82% of adults prefer using YouTube in the US.
Take a look at some major statistics from credible sources that state the best time to post videos on YouTube.
1. Hubspot Survey
BEST DAY: Hubspot suggests that Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the most effective days to publish on YouTube to gather a larger engagement.
2. Social Pilot
BEST DAY: According to Social Pilot, the best time to publish videos to YouTube is between 2 and 4 pm CST or EST on weekdays, and 9 am to 11 am on weekends. This data is collected as per the internet-active time zones and the densely populated regions.
3. Buffer
BEST DAY: According to Buffer, the best time to post on YouTube is between 3 pm and 4 pm on Fridays.
4. The Content Creator Survey
It is important to know that the best day and time to post on the platform entirely varies according to YouTube experts, notwithstanding what publications and surveys say.
As Jensen Tung states, “There is no one-size-fits-all best time to post. It depends on your audience’s demographic and the time zone most of your viewers are in…YouTube Studio can show the exact hours your audience watches your content. Let that data inform your posting time.”
Tung is an entrepreneur and content creator who has over 482 K subscribers. He says that the ideal time to post anything on social media, let alone YouTube, entirely depends upon your audience’s time zone and demographics.
How to Find When is Your Best Time to Post on YouTube?
Cutting through the story, the PERFECT way to find out the best time to post on YouTube is by taking a glance at the “When your viewers are on YouTube” report.
In order to maximize the impact of your YouTube videos, follow the process listed below to discover the best time frames that specifically suit you and your channel.
Step 1: Head over to the channel’s ‘Analytics’ page. Next, go to the YouTube Studio.
You will see your channel dashboard. Herein, go to the ‘Analytics’ section which is right at the left-hand side menu.
Step 2: Tap on it. Immediately, you will come across TONS of data on how your page is performing.
Next up, you need to find out a specific graph. Hence, go to the ‘Analytics’ section and find the ‘Audience’ tab.
Upon tapping on it, you will come across a beautiful purplish bar graph. This is exactly where you need to crack the code.
Step 3: Access it.
(In case you cannot see any such graphical representation, you must know that your channel did not gather sufficient viewer data in the past 28 days.)
Step 4: Determine the best time and date to post. You can view data for the past 28 days based on your time zone in the ‘When your viewers are on YouTube’ graph.
The graph’s dark purple bars show the times on a particular day when the majority of your audience is active/present on YouTube.
In a similar vein, the times with lighter bars denote the lowest audience presence.
All in all, keeping tabs on these statistics will give you an idea about when the majority of your audience is online and ready to shower views and engagement on your videos.
Bonus: Learn how to download any Youtube video for free using 5 super easy ways (with/without YouTube premium).
Other Factors Affecting the Best Time to Post on YouTube
It is not enough to just know when is the best day and time to post on YouTube. There are several factors that affect your views, besides any metrics.
Take a look!
- Location and Behavior of the Audience: With billions of active users from all around the world, a YouTube video may gather different reactions from each viewer. The reach of your YouTube video in a particular region is significantly influenced by the audience’s location.
- Your Niche: The most important element that will determine the best time to post video on YouTube is precisely the niche you are in. Note that the posting schedule and views for an educational channel with a student audience would be different from that of an entertainment channel.
- The Season: The time of year is another crucial consideration. There are festivals all year long, and this is a significant issue if your channel and content are quite related to that time of the year. Holidays are just another set of perfect days when users are free and can help with your engagement numbers.
Wrapping It Up
No matter what your experience; everyone, right from newbies to seasoned pros MUST pay close attention to and CANNOT afford to miss the aforementioned timings.
The reason is simple; they have been thoroughly researched and reviewed by several YouTube users.
It is understandable that you might be struggling to get your hands on the magic hour of the day to get more YouTube views, but it’s all about A/B testing and consistency.
Above all, what works for others may not work for you.
Hence, try to keep your content quality good, take a look at your analytics regularly, post your videos on time, and wait for the magic to happen.
Until then, continue experimenting!
Happy Posting!
FAQs | Best Time to Post Videos on YouTube
1. What is the best time of day to post on YouTube?
The best time of day to post on YouTube is between 2 pm and 4 pm (EST) on weekdays and between 9 am and 11 am (EST) on weekends. These times are based on extensive surveys and are excellent starting points to increase engagement on your videos.
2. What is the best time to post on YouTube in India?
In India (GMT+5:30), weekdays between 6-9 pm tend to be best for reaching a broad audience. Weekends offer more flexibility, with 5 pm to 8 pm being a good timeframe.
3. Is it better to post every day on YouTube?
Posting every day on YouTube can boost channel visibility and audience engagement, but it’s crucial to maintain high content quality. Consistent posting is beneficial, but daily uploads should only be pursued if they don’t compromise the video’s value and your audience’s interest.
4. How does the Niche of content impact the best time to post on YouTube?
The niche of your content significantly impacts the best time to post on YouTube. Different audiences have varying habits and peak activity times.
– Educational content: Best posted during early mornings or late afternoons when students are most active.
– Entertainment content: Evenings and weekends are ideal, as viewers are typically free.
5. Are there specific times that work best for different demographics on YouTube?
Yes, specific times that work best on YouTube vary depending on demographics:
– Teenagers: Evenings and weekends.
– Professionals: Early mornings before work or during lunch breaks.
– Parents: Late evenings after putting children to bed.
6. How do major holidays and events affect the best times to post on YouTube?
Major holidays and events can impact the best times to post on YouTube by shifting viewer behavior. For instance, during festive seasons like Christmas or New Year’s Eve, posting earlier in the day may capture viewers before celebrations begin, maximizing engagement and views.
7. What are some common mistakes to avoid when scheduling YouTube posts?
Common mistakes to avoid when scheduling YouTube posts include:
– Ignoring time zone differences
– Posting irregularly
– Overlooking analytics
8. How can collaborations with other YouTubers impact the timing of your posts?
Collaborating with other YouTubers can impact post timing positively by coordinating simultaneous uploads. This strategy can amplify reach and engagement as both audiences are likely online simultaneously, increasing visibility and potential viewer interaction.
