Setting Up a Channel Trailer on Twitch

How to Set a Channel Trailer on Twitch

To set a trailer, upload your finished video to the Creator Dashboard, wait for it to process, and assign the video through your channel settings. The main path looks like this: Creator Dashboard → Settings → Channel → Featured Content → Channel Trailer.

You can also assign the video from your video library: Creator Dashboard → Content → Video Producer. Open the menu for the file you want and select Set as Channel Trailer. Menu names depend on the language and interface updates, so look for the words Channel Trailer, Featured Content, and Video Producer.

The trailer plays on your public page when your channel is offline. During a live stream, viewers see the current broadcast page, so you need to check the result after the stream ends.

Twitch's Video Requirements for a Trailer

For uploads through Video Producer, use a common video format. Twitch accepts MP4, MOV, AVI, and FLV, among others, but for a trailer it's more practical to prepare an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. Such a file is usually easier to process, and the picture and sound open correctly on different devices.

The maximum size of a video uploaded to Video Producer is 10 GB. This is the overall limit for a file, not a recommendation to make your trailer large. A short video uploads and processes faster, so there's no point using a high-size source file if it doesn't improve image quality.

To be assigned as a trailer, Twitch usually requires a duration of 30 seconds to 3 minutes. If your Creator Dashboard shows a different hint, follow the limit shown directly in the interface: Twitch may change the rules and individual parameters of the feature.

The file must comply with Twitch's rules. Don't add music, clips from other people's streams, movies, images, or memes without the right to use them. The restrictions also apply to the trailer, even if it's only shown on the offline page. Material that infringes copyright or platform rules can lead to the video being removed and restrictions on your channel.

Don't confuse a trailer with a clip or a stream recording. A clip is usually too short and isn't always available for assignment, while a long VOD isn't suitable for a quick introduction. It's more reliable to upload a separate edited file of the right length.

What to Prepare Before Uploading

Show your channel name, nickname, or topic right at the start of the video. The viewer should quickly understand what's going on here: gaming streams, chatting, music, education, reviews, or another format. A long intro without explanation takes up the most valuable spot and doesn't help anyone decide to stay.

Gather a few clips that genuinely reflect your streams. For a gaming channel, that could be dynamic moments and the streamer's reactions. For a talk format, a short part of a conversation or commentary. For educational content, a segment of a breakdown with a clear result.

If you show a schedule, make sure it isn't outdated. If your stream times change, you'll have to replace the trailer. It's better to keep permanent information in your profile description, About panels, or schedule, and make the video more universal.

Check the video without sound. Some viewers browse the page on a mobile device with the volume off. Add short captions or subtitles if the meaning is lost without audio, but don't overload the frame with tiny text.

Watch the file all the way through before saving it. Check the beginning and end, the volume of the voice and music, the absence of accidental frames, the readability of on-screen text, and the correctness of links. If the video contains third-party material, replace it before uploading.

How to Upload a Video via Video Producer

Open Twitch and log in to your account. Click on your profile image, select Creator Dashboard, then go to the Content section and open Video Producer.

Click Upload, select the prepared file on your computer, and wait for the transfer to finish. Don't close the page while the indicator shows the file is still being sent. After uploading, Twitch will start processing the video, and a corresponding status will appear in the list.

Open the video's card after processing is complete. If needed, change the title and description. They don't determine whether the video is assigned as a trailer, but they help you avoid mixing up the right file with other videos if your library already has stream recordings.

Don't try to assign the video right after the upload starts. While Twitch is processing the file, it may appear in Video Producer but be missing from the list of available trailers. Wait for the status indicating the video is ready, and only then move on to the next step.

How to Assign an Uploaded Video as a Trailer

Once the video is processed, open its menu with additional actions in Video Producer. This is usually the three-dot button next to the video title. Select Set as Channel Trailer. Confirm the selection if Twitch shows a separate window.

If the command isn't in the video menu, use the second path. In the Creator Dashboard, open Settings, then Channel, and Featured Content. Find the Channel Trailer block. Click on the selection field, choose the prepared video, and click Save.

In some interface versions, you first need to open the featured content list and then click on the current trailer. Look for the labels Channel Trailer, Trailer, Featured Content, and Set as Channel Trailer. Don't select the recommended videos block if the task is specifically to set the trailer on the offline page.

A channel uses one trailer at a time. If you choose another file, the new video will replace the previous one. The old video usually stays in Video Producer and won't be deleted from the library automatically.

After selecting, be sure to save the settings, even if the video preview has already changed on the page. Close the Creator Dashboard only after a success message appears or after reloading the page with the selected video saved.

How to Check the Trailer on the Offline Page

Open the public channel address after the broadcast ends. A video player with the assigned video should appear on the page. Check the first frame, the content, the channel name, and the image quality. If a stream is currently live, the trailer may not be shown — that's normal behavior.

Use a separate browser window or incognito mode to check. That makes it easier to see whether the trailer is visible to regular viewers and not just to the channel owner. Refresh the page after saving and wait for processing to finish if the video was uploaded recently.

Check the page on a computer and a phone. The block's appearance may differ, and some Twitch interface elements depend on screen width. What matters is that the video plays, the text stays readable, and the first seconds aren't just a blank screen or silence.

If the trailer doesn't appear, check four conditions: the channel is actually offline, the right file is selected, video processing is complete, and the changes are saved. After that, open Featured Content again and make sure the Channel Trailer block shows the selected video.

Sometimes the update doesn't happen right away. Reload the page, log out of the Creator Dashboard, and log back in. Don't re-upload the same file until you've checked its status in Video Producer: duplicate copies only make selection harder.

How to Change or Remove the Trailer

To replace the video, upload a new version to Video Producer, wait for processing, and select Set as Channel Trailer again. When you assign a new video, the previous trailer stops being active but stays in the library unless you delete it separately.

You can change the assignment through Settings → Channel → Featured Content. Open the Channel Trailer block, click on the current video, and choose a new file. Then save the settings and check your public channel page in offline mode.

To remove the trailer, find the Remove, Unset, or Clear command in the same block. The name may vary. Confirm the action and click Save if the save button is displayed separately. After removing the assignment, the video disappears from the offline page, but the file itself usually stays in Video Producer.

If you also want to delete the file, open the video menu only after removing the assignment. If you delete an active video, Twitch may remove it from the offline page as well, but it's safer to first remove the assignment through Channel Trailer and then delete the file from the library.

Why You Can't Set the Trailer

If there's no Set as Channel Trailer option, first check that you've opened the Creator Dashboard and not the regular Twitch viewing page. The assignment command is in Video Producer or the channel settings, not in the stream player settings.

If the file is in Video Producer but not in the trailer list, the likely reason is incomplete processing. Check the video status and wait for Twitch to finish processing. Also make sure the file's duration falls within the allowed range and the size doesn't exceed the upload limit.

If you get an upload error, check the file format and the stability of your connection. For a retry, use an MP4 with standard encoding parameters, rename the file without extra special characters, and make sure there's enough free space on the disk for a temporary copy.

If an old video shows on the page after saving, refresh the Creator Dashboard and the public channel. Check that you changed the Channel Trailer and not another Featured Content block. Also make sure a new broadcast hasn't started while you were checking.

The Twitch interface may look different after an update. In that case, look for the Video Producer, Settings, Channel, and Featured Content sections and the words Channel Trailer. The logic stays the same: upload the finished video, wait for processing, assign it, and check the offline page.

How to Make the Trailer Useful for Your Channel

The video should quickly answer three questions: what you show, what your format is, and when you stream. You don't have to tell the whole history of your channel. A short greeting, a few characteristic shots, and a clear hint about where to find the schedule or recordings are enough.

Show your real communication style. If you talk with viewers a lot, include a live snippet of conversation. If the core of your channel is competition, playthroughs, or breakdowns, choose footage that makes that immediately clear. A random montage of effects may look nice but won't explain your topic.

Make the first seconds meaningful. Your nickname, channel topic, and main action should appear without a long logo or intro. Watch the audio: the voice shouldn't get lost behind the music, and sharp volume changes get in the way of watching.

Update the trailer after a noticeable change in topic, branding, schedule, or stream format. An outdated video creates the wrong expectations for new viewers, even if it technically still works.

Step-by-Step Checklist

1. Prepare a video between 30 seconds and 3 minutes long and save it in a suitable video format.
2. Check the file size, image quality, sound, and rights to the music, clips, and images.
3. Open Creator Dashboard → Content → Video Producer and upload the video.
4. Wait for the file to finish processing.
5. Open the video menu and select Set as Channel Trailer, or go to Settings → Channel → Featured Content.
6. In the Channel Trailer block, select the video you want and save the changes.
7. Open the public channel page when the stream has ended and check that the trailer is displayed.
8. To replace it, assign another processed file; to remove it, use Remove, Unset, or Clear in the trailer settings.