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Former Google Contributor

How to post great videos on Google Maps

Hello Local Guides!

 

We’re hoping you are as excited as we are about the ability to post your videos on Google Maps.  To help you create amazing videos that stand out and get lots of views, we thought we’d highlight a few key tips for using this new feature.

 

The first thing to know is that you can use the camera in Google Maps to shoot videos up to 10 seconds long, and you can upload videos from your gallery that are up to30 seconds long. Either way, you’ll want to shoot vertically—the tall way.

 

Next, you can think about what you want to shoot. When you’re at a place, you can create video of the interior or exterior, or specific details like an item in a shop or a dish in a restaurant. You can even put yourself on camera do a video review.

 

Make sure that if you’re adding a video review, you’re following Google’s review policy.  We also have a new policy for audio, so it might be good to take a quick look at that too before you start shooting.

 

To get inspired, check out some examples of every style below. Then, show us what you can do by linking to your videos in the comments.

 

Interior

A video showing the interior of the establishment. Ideally, the space is well lit. We want to give others a real feel for what it’s like to be at a place, so the video should capture a sense of its design and atmosphere. If you’re shooting a restaurant with a garden or outdoor space, include a clip from there.

 

 

 

Exterior

A video of the exterior of the establishment. This can be a video of the front of the building and the parking lot. Try to shoot when the weather is nice, which will make your video look inviting.


 

Detail

A video showcasing the services or products a store has to offer. Try a close-up of a particular item or someone reaching to pick it up. It’s better not to show people’s faces  in detail videos. Since these are quick clips, stick to one product per video and keep the frame tight on the subject.

 

Food and drinks

When shooting at a restaurant, it’s fun to show the dishes you’re trying. Try showcasing the restaurant’s most visually interesting signature dishes – items the place is known for. It’s great to get an action shot of someone digging into the food, but keep the frame tight on the dish (to avoid people’s faces). Since these clips are short, stick to one dish per video or a view of the entire table with multiple dishes from above.

 

If a food is especially gooey or interesting when you cut it, show it being cut or opened. Runny yolks are always good to see!

 

 

Personal review

You can also put yourself on camera to give a quick review. (Again, make sure that if you’re uploading a review, you’re following Google’s review policy and Audio policy).  A personal review showcasing a particular dish or interesting tips for visitors is a nice way to highlight a place. Feel free to add details and information, and your opinion is fine too, but keep in mind that similar rules apply to video reviews as to written reviews.

 

[video]

227 comments
Connect Moderator

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

Thanks @AnnaDickson for the helpful post.

It clarify a lot what to do and what to avoid in making videos for Maps.

Tomorrow I will try, this is very exciting

 

Ermes

Level 7

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

thanks for sharing @AnnaDickson 

 

@redwanR @Md-Monir @JohnnyE @MahabubMunna @NareshDarji @OSAMA @RonneBD You should check this out

Level 10

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

Thanks for the tips @AnnaDickson. These will definitely help venture into the videography space, and maybe even spark up a few YouTubers/content creators on the side too. I do have a few questions though:

  • Videos look pretty nice, such as in this listing. Lots of pan, panoramas and such are gonna come through, as well as restaurant experiences! Wait this isn't a question...
  • How will videos be managed storage/drive-wise? I know that photos that are condensed in Google Photos/Drive (especially in a Pixel) do not count as the space quota, but will videos have the same effect? And will the video be hosted natively onto the Google Maps servers or will we have a similar issue about having the video backed up to the cloud, and then being hosted from a user's cloud?
  • Why vertical videos though? Over the past few years there's always been such an emphasis that they're kind of like... undesirable. I know in terms of tablets the entire video would easily fit when held vertically, but I'm just a little mystified. Listings on Google Maps tend to have a horizontal cover photo, so I'd like to know some further insights please.
  • Videos will increasingly start to showcase watermarks and/or logos, as well as links to YouTube or their video platforms. E.G. A video still at the end that might read "See the rest of the video on youtube.com/[example]" How will this be addressed? Or will this be nurtured/encouraged for interactivity?
  • I don't think the videos will be including subtitles, or other playback options that YouTube offers, so I'd presume it's just pure video. This puts into question video quality such as 720p, 1080p, 2k, 4k and even dazzling effects such as mirror, slowmo or time-lapses. Would that be most expected?

I'm gonna start doing some videos, especially during this weekend's GeoWalk!

Level 9

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

Thanks @AnnaDickson. This is amazing feature. Since I am iOS user and this feature is not yet available on iOS devices I purchased new Android device to be able to test all features that are not yet available on iOS. With both devices now (iOS and Android) I will be able to test everything. 😊

 

Thanks for tagging me @tashantamim. Guys check this out: @Jnjoe, @SalmaanN, @VictorOmebije, @AkmalB, @HelloSamsonR, @MedRidaZ, @DanielaBP, @SarahKa

Level 10

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

Thanks @AnnaDickson for instructions and details to upload a video in Google Maps. It will help a lot. 

Thanks @JohnnyE for mention me in this informative post

 

Level 9

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps


@AkmalB wrote:

Thanks @AnnaDickson for instructions and details to upload a video in Google Maps. It will help a lot. 

Thanks @JohnnyE for mention me in this informative post


My pleasure @AkmalB. 😉

Connect Moderator

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

Good tips @AnnaDickson will there be face blurring options introduced at some point like we have in the 360 SV App?

 

Regards Paul

Level 8

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

@AnnaDickson Wow! It sounds great! I absolutely have to try

Level 8

Re: How to post great videos on Google Maps

@LucioV we have to do something great!!!