There’s an old adage that goes, “To err is human”, meaning human beings make mistakes; that’s what makes them “human”. Considering this universal truth, even most professionals and experts make silly errors while working.

One big instance of such a situation is noticing a glaring mistake in an already uploaded video. Moreover, the worst thing is that the video has already attracted a fair number of views.

Curious to learn how to fix these issues without losing your viewer count? Stick with us until the end of this blog and learn how to change YouTube videos after publishing.

Can you replace a video on YouTube?

You cannot replace a video on YouTube after uploading and publishing it. A new URL will be created when you upload any new video to the YouTube platform. You have two options in this situation: either delete the old video and upload a new one, or edit the existing video if it is a minor correction.

How to reupload YouTube videos without losing views?

Although we all want to know the secret of replacing an already-uploaded YouTube video, in reality, YouTube doesn’t allow that since the platform doesn’t work in that model. 

All videos uploaded to the video streaming giant are assigned a unique URL whenever they are uploaded. 

Hence, although one may delete them if they want, it is practically impossible to replace or reupload a YouTube video that has already been published. 

This might sound like heartbreak to many video creators. But don’t panic. The closest possibility in such a case is to edit the details and trim the video on the platform itself. You might be a pro at your work or an expert video editor, but it’s natural for you to make mistakes in the edits or overlook an error in the video. 

So, let’s learn how to facilitate editing of pre-uploaded YouTube videos.

You may edit the videos using one of the following devices:

  • PC or laptop
  • Android device
  • iPhone

Editing uploaded YouTube video after publishing (PC or laptop)

With a desktop, you can:

  1. Trim the video: You can cut out the intro, middle portion, or outro (ending) of the video.
  2. Add description cards: You can add clickable description cards to your video to showcase specific details. Like website URLs, promoting a related video, directing viewers to a landing page, and so on.
  3. Edit the title and description: One can change or edit the video’s title, description, category, and privacy settings after uploading the video. 

YouTube allows content creators to make certain basic tweaks to their uploaded videos while retaining the original URL and the number of views. The changes can be made in the “Video Manager” option in YouTube Studio.

  • Step 1: Sign-in to your YouTube account
    Before you start the editing, log into your YouTube account with your Google credentials.
  • Step 2: Go to YouTube Studio
    Once you sign-in, search for the uploaded video you want to edit by clicking on “My Channel”. Choose the “YouTube Studio” option and click on “Go to Videos”. There you will find a list of the videos you have previously uploaded. Select the one you intend to edit.
  • Step 3: Edit the selected video
    • Once you select the soon-to-be-edited video, you shall get all the requisites like the video title, visibility, description, privacy policy, copyright, age restrictions, etc.
    • Choose the “Editor” option on the left; you can now trim the video file by simply dragging the timeline sliders.
    • Start trimming out the redundant parts by dragging the blue handles located in the film strip, just under the file.
    • Check the preview of the video to alter the beginning and end.
    • From the YouTube Audio Library, select a relevant music track for the existing video and click “Add Music”.
    • If filters like vintage, sepia, black and white, etc., or any special effects must be added, tap the enhancement icon in the “Video Manager”.
  • Step 4: Save and upload
    Once you are done and satisfied with the edits, click “Save” and upload the video by clicking on the arrow.

Editing uploaded YouTube video after publishing (Android devices)

Editing your pre-published YouTube videos through your smartphone or other Android devices like a tablet or notebook is an easy affair. One doesn’t require too much technical knowledge to make these changes without affecting the original link or views. Following are the available video settings that can be changed from the YouTube app on an Android device:

  1. Video title
  2. Description
  3. Location
  4. Privacy
  5. Tags
  6. Target audience
  7. Playlist
  • Step 1: Go to the YouTube app and click on the icon that shows your profile.
  • Step 2: Scroll through the previously uploaded videos on your channel and click on the three vertical dots beside the video you intend to edit.
  • Step 3: Now you can change the description and the title, add hashtags, update the geo-location and privacy policy, add effects, and more.
  • Step 4: If you want to replace the audio and music track with something more relevant, choose from YouTube’s Audio Library. (If you want to replace the existing music track with something original, you have to do that from your PC since the YouTube app no longer has the provision of changing the audio with your phone’s native file).
  • Step 5: Click on “Save” once you are done with the edits.

For editing existing YouTube videos with third-party software, you can use any of the popular YouTube video editing software.

Editing uploaded YouTube video after publishing (iPhone)

iPhone users can make some basic changes, such as adding a title, updating the meta description, adding keywords and tags, updating privacy, etc. Almost the same as that of Android users.

If you want to take more control and perform more specific changes, you need to download some external apps like Video Editor by Luni, Magisto, FilmoraGo, etc., for adding SFXs, special filters, transitions, music tracks, and so on.

There’s also the pre-installed free video editing app iMovie on most Apple devices. A flawlessly edited video will definitely help the users to convey their intended message across more engagingly and effectively.

Let’s find out how to do that on iPhones.

  • Step 1: On your iPhone, click on the YouTube app.
  • Step 2: Click on your icon/avatar in the top right and choose your YouTube channel.
  • Step 3: Scroll and click on the existing video file you wish to retouch.
  • Step 4: Click on the three vertical dots beside the video you selected and select “Edit” from the menu.
  • Step 5: Now you can edit the video’s title and descriptions, update video privacy, update location, alter the SEO tags and keywords, etc.

Over to you now!

Hope you have a fair idea of the hacks to replace YouTube videos with a new version, well not technically “replace,” but change and edit the pre-uploaded content.

One can surely follow the tips above and make the necessary edits to their existing videos, although they cannot replace the uploaded YouTube video without changing the URL link. However, making all the iterations before publishing a video on YouTube is always the best idea. That way, you can avoid all the troubles of editing later on.

Undoubtedly, the YouTube video editor is a lifesaver for all content creators and video editors. The in-built editing tools are highly potent and handy for any editing professional to enhance the look and feel of a video, even if it has already been published on the channel.

Simply put, in order to tap into millions of potential clients and subscribers, your content must stand out in the crowd, creating a mark for itself. Hence, if you ever find any errors in your previously uploaded channel content, feel free to edit it. You might not be able to replace your existing YouTube videos and YouTube shorts, but at least you can edit the files and keep your engagement, views, and likes intact.

Nonetheless, YouTube’s in-built tools do not offer full-fledged technical editing options, so one must either do the edits through the online tools or reach out to third-party professional YouTube video editing service companies.

However, before concluding this guide, a golden rule for all beginners. You won’t be able to make any edits to your videos unless you have more than 100,000 views or are a member of the YouTube Partner Program!