Options with YouTube

Video Review and Hosting Information

Once I begin editing your video, I’ll send you review and approval copies via YouTube. After the final version is complete, you can decide if you'd like to keep your video hosted on YouTube—something I recommend for its ease of access.

If you prefer, I can also send you a copy of your video for you to upload and manage on the platform of your choice.

If you choose to keep it on YouTube, you'll need to select a visibility setting: Public or Unlisted.

Public vs. Unlisted - (choose one)*

Public videos:

  • Are searchable. Can appear in search engine results (e.g., searching your position, recruiting class, and/or name).

  • Are easier for coaches, friends, and family to find.

  • May help reach a broader audience but not always the most targeted.

Unlisted videos:

  • Do not appear in search engine results.

  • Can only be viewed by those with the direct link or via a recruiting platform where it's posted.

  • Offer more privacy and control over who sees the video.

* Both options allow the video to be shared via a direct YouTube link (email/text/social media) and embedded on recruiting sites.

Privacy & Video Description

To comply with YouTube’s policy, all recruiting videos and their descriptions will exclude any Personally Identifiable Information (PII)—such as your high school, phone number, or email. This information is best shared directly by you with coaches. Here is more information about my PII policy.

I’ll include general information in the video’s description, such as your name, position/s played, graduating class year, athletic honors and achievements, academic achievements, and information about the collection of footage being presented. I will add keywords behind the scenes to help categorize your “public” video for search engines.

If you’d like to include anything else in the description (excluding PII), please email it to me at mercprods@gmail.com and I’ll add it in.

Future Changes

You can update the video’s visibility (Public/Unlisted) or description at any time for free—just let me know.

However, editing the video itself requires a re-edit (small fee), and a re-upload to YouTube, which generates a new link. Anyone with the old link won't be able to view the updated version unless it's replaced on any platforms you've shared it.

Let me know if you have any questions—I’m here to help!

Here are some best practices for using your recruiting video.