YouTube Channel Redesign 2013: One Channel Update Guide
Archived 2013 article. This post documents YouTube's March 2013 "One Channel" redesign as it worked at the time and is kept for reference (it is cited by other sources). The steps, menu names and image dimensions below are historical and have not been updated. For current channel banner requirements, see YouTube Help.
Originally published April 8, 2013 · Updated Oct 2026 · By Black Box Social Media
Summary (2013): In March 2013, YouTube introduced a redesigned "One Channel" layout built to look consistent on TVs, desktops, tablets and phones. The update replaced the old header and background skins with a single piece of channel art, added an autoplaying channel trailer for non-subscribers, and introduced channel sections for organizing videos. The new design became mandatory in mid-June 2013.
Why did YouTube update the channel design in 2013?
The new YouTube channel layout reflected Google's recognition that viewers watch YouTube on many devices, from mobile phones to TVs, and that channels needed to look consistent across all of them. YouTube changed the channel look and introduced new artwork dimensions. The new format was available to the public in March 2013, but did not become a requirement until mid-June.
How did you convert to the new channel design?
In many cases, converting was as simple as clicking the link advertising the update at the top of the page. If that link hadn't appeared yet, or you'd closed it without converting, you could make the change like this:
Go to "Video Manager"
Click "Dashboard" on the left side
At the bottom right, look for "What's New" and click the New Channel Design link
The most noticeable changes were:
Channel Art
Channel Trailer
Channel Sections
What were the 2013 channel art dimensions for YouTube?
Instead of separate header and side-skin graphics, YouTube moved to an all-in-one design meant to look good on TVs, desktop computers, phones and tablets. Designing for it was tricky, and success depended on knowing the dimensions for each display.
The 2013 YouTube channel art dimensions by device were:
TV: 2120 x 1192
Desktop: 2120 x 350
Tablet: 1536 x 350
Mobile: 1280 x 350
The 2120 x 350 area was the most important part of the layout, but logos and text needed to stay within the central 1280-pixel-wide area so they displayed consistently on every device. A popular Photoshop (.psd) template for this layout was published at the time by InlineVision (archived copy).
What was the YouTube channel trailer feature?
The new trailer at the top of your channel was your channel's "commercial" for why visitors should subscribe. This prime real estate sat right under the header and played automatically when non-subscribers visited the channel for the first time. The recommendation: keep trailers short (about a minute) and to the point, with a clear call to action inviting viewers to subscribe.
How did channel sections work?
Sections were arguably the most useful part of the update, because they let you curate your videos by keyword or topic. That made it much easier for visitors to find relevant videos, with clear SEO value.
When creating sections, you could segment by tags or keywords to create topic categories on your channel. A social media channel, for example, might be divided into how-to videos for Facebook, G+, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. This might have meant going back to older videos and re-applying tags, but the effort paid off.
FAQ
When did YouTube's 2013 channel redesign happen? YouTube introduced the "One Channel" design in March 2013, and it became required for all channels in mid-June 2013.
What were the 2013 YouTube channel art dimensions? 2120 x 1192 for the full TV display, with 2120 x 350 on desktop, 1536 x 350 on tablet and 1280 x 350 on mobile.
Are these YouTube channel art dimensions still current? No. This is an archived 2013 article. Check YouTube Help for current banner image requirements.
Related reading: YouTube secrets, how to engage your viewers on YouTube and our Video & YouTube hub.
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