Everyone uses Youtube, but not everyone uses it well to reap every advantage and make it a personalized entertainment center for videos, films and music. Youtube has grown a lot over time becoming from a video sharing site to a real set of TV and radio channels to watch or listen to on PC, smartphone and tablet.
A guide to Youtube as a spectator user therefore becomes less trivial than you think, given how much you can find and in how many ways it is possible to organize the material, music, videos and films, according to personal preferences.
So let's see how to unlock the best functions of Youtube and use the portal not only to see videos of cats or satire, but also to organize streaming music and watch movies, both on PC and on smartphones and tablets.
NOTE: To hear music, the Youtube Music website and app is available in Italy, separate from Youtube, free or by subscription to remove advertising and hear only the music, even in the background, without the videos.
1) Use an account
First of all, to use Youtube effectively it is advisable to log in with a registered account.
To access Youtube, simply use a Google, Gmail or Android smartphone account.
From the homepage, click on the access button at the top right and log in with the Gmail address.
If you do not have a Google Account, you will need to do so with your name, password and personal information for recognition and security.
2) The Playlists
Once logged in with a personal account, the basis for Youtube's power lies in the organized playlists.
Whenever you see an interesting video or, better yet, a music video of a song we like, you can add it to a playlist using the button below the Add to video.
You can then put the cross on one of the already created playlists or create a new one.
With playlists, you can save all your favorite videos and create music collections to listen to without interruption (when you hear a playlist, the advertising is only before the first song).
To manage the playlists, organize them and watch the videos you have to click on any page of the Youtube site just press the button at the top left with four lines.
In the column that opens you can then open a playlist to see what's inside.
The videos in the playlist can be sorted by moving them by dragging the mouse by placing the cursor on the left edge, next to the number.
You can then create funny video lists, pop music playlists, movie playlists or whatever you prefer.
Note that one of the playlists is that of "liked videos" to which are added the videos on which the thumb up button is pressed.
Another playlist already configured is the " watch later " to which you can add a video with the Add button.
Videos to playlists can also be included from the Youtube app for Android and iPhone, by touching the + button above the video.
3) Improve searches
Being owned by Google, the power of the search engine on Youtube to search videos accurately is almost obvious.
I had already explained, in another article, the filters to search for videos on Youtube, especially useful for finding the most recent, last-minute or original videos.
4) Movies, TV programs and live events
YouTube has recently become a movie rental site, where you can pay between 3 and 4 Euros to watch first-run films or come out to the cinema a few months earlier.
The official movie page on Youtube also has a section of free movies, which we hope will be enriched.
The movies bought on Youtube are also visible using the Google Play Movies app on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets (so from there you can download them in the cache to view them even offline, without internet connection).
In addition to the films, it is possible to watch or review programs broadcast on TV and live events.
5) Chromecast and Smart TV
Like any video, Youtube movies can also be viewed on TV with the Chromecast.
In this regard, a lesser-known function is that which allows you to remote control the videos transmitted on a Smart TV from your smartphone, by pairing the TV or PC with your mobile phone.
5) Youtube Red
The Youtube Music paid service (as mentioned above) allows you to download videos on your mobile phone, listen to music without necessarily seeing the video and skip advertisements.
READ ALSO: 25 YouTube tricks and different ways of watching videos
