How to make a QR code for a YouTube video or channel
A video can show what a poster cannot: how to set something up, how the work is done, a performance. A code that opens the video makes it one scan from the printed page.
You can link to a video, a playlist or your whole channel.
How do I make a QR code for a YouTube video?
Copy the video's share link, and make a dynamic code that opens it. For a channel, use the channel's address. You can add a time to start the video at a particular point if the link supports it.
Video, playlist or channel?
Use one video if the code sits next to a specific thing, like a product or a recipe. Use a playlist for a series, and the channel if you want subscribers. If the video might be replaced, a dynamic code lets you point at the new one.
Where do people put YouTube QR codes?
Product manuals, packaging, posters, business cards, classroom handouts and conference slides. If the viewer will be on a phone, remember that a code cannot be scanned from the same phone's screen.
Questions
Can the code start at a specific time?
Yes, if your video link includes a start time. Test it.
What if I delete the video?
Point the code at a replacement.
Does it work on a TV screen?
Yes. Make it large and leave it up for 20 seconds or more.
Cost?
$3 once per code.
Can the code open a live stream?
Yes. Use the stream's address, and update it each time.
What if my channel name changes?
Update the destination.
Get a dynamic QR code for $3
Pay once. Pick the page your code opens, print it wherever you need it, and change the page whenever you like.