What is the Best Time to Post on YouTube? (2023 Update)

You want to capture the attention of your target audience when they are most active and receptive to consuming content.

Here’s the problem: if you post on YouTube at the wrong time, you risk missing out on peak viewership periods and decrease your chances of reaching your intended viewers and appearing in their recommended feeds.

This article will help solve this problem by discussing the best time to post on YouTube and helping you find your channel’s best time to post — with TubeBuddy.

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Does YouTube Upload Date and Time Matter?

Yes… and knowing the best times to post on YouTube is key. 

When a newly published video receives a significant number of initial views, likes, comments, and watch time within the first hour, it sends a positive signal to YouTube that the video is engaging to viewers. As a result, YouTube is more likely to recognize the video’s potential and promote it to a broader audience, including users who are not subscribed to the channel that posted it. 

Uploading your videos when your target audience is most active is a logical strategy. Doing so increases the chances of immediate engagement and interaction from your existing subscribers and loyal viewers.

If your audience is active online and available to watch your content when published, you’re more likely to receive those initial views, likes, and comments that YouTube’s algorithm considers.

On the other hand, if you consistently publish video posts when your audience is less active, you might miss out on those initial engagement signals that could have boosted your video’s visibility. This can make it harder for your content to get traction and reach a wider audience.

What is the Best Time to Post a Video on Youtube?

The best time to post a video on YouTube is typically between 2 PM and 6 PM (EST) on weekdays, while on weekends, the ideal window is from 9 AM to 6 PM (EST).

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Best Time to Upload on YouTube Depending on the Day of the Week

Here is an overview of the optimal timing for publishing on YouTube for each day of the week:

Day of the week	Best time to upload on Youtube
Monday	3 to 6 PM
Tuesday	3 to 6 PM
Wednesday	3 to 6 PM
Thursday	3 to 6 PM
Friday	3 to 6 PM
Saturday	9 AM to 11 AM
Sunday	9 AM to 11 AM

Remember: the suggested optimal posting times above may not work perfectly for everyone.The most suitable posting time for you will depend on where your audience is and their behavior. So, we recommend running your own experiments and collecting data specific to your channel.

That said, if your channel is new and doesn’t get a lot of viewers yet, it’s a good idea to use the suggested posting times mentioned above as a starting point.

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Best Time and Day to Post on YouTube by Channel Type

BENlabs AI (TubeBuddy is a BENlabs company) ran the numbers to determine the best time to post on YouTube for specific categories and content verticals. If you’re in the gaming, recipe/food, or parenting/family niches, be sure to read that too.

What is the best day to post on YouTube in 2023?

The best days to post on YouTube are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. As you approach the weekend, the content is known to perform better.

Here’s an interesting fact: When you post a video on social media platforms like Facebook, X / Twitter, or Instagram, it immediately appears in your followers’ feeds. But YouTube works differently. When you post a video on YouTube, it takes time for the platform to get it ready (index) to appear on users’ search results.

What is the worst time to post on YouTube?

The worst time of day to post on YouTube is either early in the morning before 8-9 AM or late in the evening after 7 PM. Note that you’ll need to consider your primary audience’s time zone when uploading your content.

What is the worst day to post on YouTube?

The worst day for content creators to post on YouTube is typically during the early weekdays, specifically Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Because users are typically busy with work, school, or other commitments during the early weekdays, which results in less time available to consume YouTube content.

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How to Find Your Channel’s Best Time to Post on YouTube?

YouTube’s analytics section provides information about “When your viewers are on YouTube” (YouTube Studio > Analytics > Overview tab).

However, TubeBuddy AI goes a step further by analyzing your channel’s data in detail and generating a score for each hour of the week (which YouTube Analytics can’t).

Here’s how TubeBuddy users can access the Best Time to Publish feature: 

• Go to your YouTube Channel.
• Click on the TubeBuddy Menu in the top right corner of your channel screen.
• Scroll down to “Best Time To Publish” in the drop-down menu, and click.
• Scroll down until you see a multicolored table and your channel’s personalized information:

Our upload time recommendations consider time in six-hour blocks. The first hour is weighted the most, and the sixth hour is weighted the least. We figure most of your subscribers will view your high-quality content during this period, so you should publish and optimize around this timeframe. 

You should post your YouTube videos 1-2 hours before the peak of your audience engagement. As you can see from the above snapshot, according to TubeBuddy, this particular channel’s best time to publish is 4AM. We recommend the creators post a new video between 2AM and 4AM, as this is prime engagement time for their content.

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When is the Best Time to Live Stream on YouTube?

You can use the same TubeBuddy feature to find your audience’s optimal time for live streaming. TubeBuddy’s Livestream Time recommendations analyze two-hour intervals to identify when your audience is most engaged.

In the example below, 6AM is the clear winner for live streaming. So we can assume that this channel either deals in “rise and grind” content or its primary viewership is in a different time zone.

The Best Time to Publish tool is available to TubeBuddy users at all license levels. Just install our suite of tools and get a head start on your competitors when it comes to generating views.

What is the Best Time to Post YouTube Shorts?

For better results, we recommend sharing your YouTube Shorts during weekdays, particularly on Mondays and Tuesdays when your target audience is most active. This will help you make the most of peak time activity.

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Post YouTube Videos at the Right Time with TubeBuddy

Many content creators find it tedious to find the best time to post their videos on YouTube, with no guarantee of accuracy. That’s why we’ve built the Best Time to Publish feature to help identify when your audience is most active and find the best time to live stream.

Sign up for TubeBuddy and see how TubeBuddy takes the guesswork out of finding the right time to post by automating the entire process.

Special Creator Day live stream

📅 April 23, 2024
⏰ 6 – 7:30pm PST
What’s next in creator tech? Join BENlabs CEO Ricky Ray Butler, host Judah Lee, and creators King Bach, Hannah Stocking, and Kris London for a special Creator Day event, streaming live from LA.

Get ready!