How to optimize video thumbnails with AI and APIs for better engagement

Ever noticed how the thumbnail for your favorite show on Netflix isn't the same as what your friend sees? Or how it seems to change on your account from day to day? This isn't random, it's a carefully crafted strategy. Netflix goes the extra mile with personalized thumbnails by analyzing your viewing habits and preferences, creating images that resonate with your interests to keep you hooked.
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This approach enhances customer personalization and boosts content discovery. And it's not just Netflix; YouTube also has some real cool thumbnail strategies. While YouTubers don't have the same access to detailed audience data, they still craft eye-catching thumbnails designed to grab the attention of every viewer.

Thumbnails are like a tiny glimpse of the content, that you couldn’t afford to mess up. In this blog, we're skipping the usual talk about why thumbnails matter and how to design the perfect one. Instead, we'll explore how integrating thumbnails into your video platform can improve user engagement and how AI and video data can enhance this process.

Popular short video platforms like Instagram offer built-in features for generating thumbnails directly on their platform.
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Instagram's success can be attributed to its diverse range of integrated features, which enhance user experience directly within the app. Likewise, video platforms can achieve similar functionality by leveraging a video API solution such as FastPix. By integrating our API into your platform, you can easily add advanced features like automated thumbnail generation.

As we discussed, you have two options for handling thumbnails: our API can generate them for you, or you can create them manually. If you opt for manual creation, consider these two key strategies for crafting better thumbnails: utilizing AI tools for and using video data to ensure personalization.

Thumbnails with AI

Using AI for creating thumbnail can make the process much more easier than editing and manually creating it. AI tools can analyze each video frame to identify key moments based on movement, facial expressions, colors, or objects. It not only selects visually appealing frames but also considers context by analyzing audio, subtitles, or metadata. AI can detect faces, objects, and text, ensuring thumbnails are engaging. It scores images based on composition, contrast, and other aesthetic factors to pick the best thumbnail. Additionally, AI customizes thumbnails for different platforms and generates them in real-time for live or quickly published content. Tools like simplified, VEED's AI and Thumbnail Maker can help you achieve that.

Thumbnail with video data

Using video data can give you valuable insights into how viewers interact with your content. You can see which parts they watch the most, where they skip, and which sections they return to. By focusing on these popular segments, you can create thumbnails that highlight the most engaging moments.

For an even more personalized approach, similar to how Netflix does it, you should understand viewers' preferences in detail. This means knowing what genres they like, the types of scenes that catch their interest, and their overall viewing habits. Netflix uses this information to customize thumbnails for different viewers, making them more appealing and relevant.

By applying these insights, you can design thumbnails that better capture your audience's attention and increase engagement with your videos. At FastPix, our video data provides end-to-end monitoring, QoE analytics, audience metrics and so many more features all in one product.

How to generate thumbnail from FastPix dashboard?

Step 1: Upload and Prepare your On-Demand Video

First, upload your video to FastPix. Once uploaded, FastPix will begin processing the video. You’ll know the video is ready for further actions when the asset status changes to "ready."

Step 2: Confirm asset status

Before proceeding, ensure that the video’s asset status is "ready." This status indicates that the video is fully prepared for playback and additional operations like thumbnail retrieval.
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Step 3: Retrieve the Thumbnail Image

To extract a thumbnail image, make an HTTP request using the playbackId of your video. The request URL should follow this structure:

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Replace {PLAYBACK_ID} with your video’s unique playback identifier and select your desired image format by replacing {jpg|png|webp} with either jpg, png, or webp.
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For example, to get a JPEG thumbnail:

Fastpix supports three image formats: JPEG, PNG, and WebP.
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Thumbnail Query parameters

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When generating thumbnails with FastPix, you can customize the image creation process using specific query string parameters in your request. If no parameters are provided, FastPix will automatically select a frame from the midpoint of your video.

Users can specify the following parameters to control thumbnail creation:
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Preserve (Default Behavior)

• Description: This option maintains the original aspect ratio of the video while adjusting the image to fit within the specified dimensions.
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• Example: For a thumbnail size of 200x200 from a video with a 16:9 aspect ratio, the resulting image will be 200x112, preserving the aspect ratio.
  
• Usage: Best for scenarios where you want to maintain the original video’s aspect ratio without distortion.‍‍
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Stretch

• Description: Forces the thumbnail to exactly match the specified width and height, even if it causes distortion.
  
• Requirements: Both width and height must be defined.
  
• Usage: Use this method when exact dimensions are critical, though it may result in a distorted image.

Crop

• Description: The image is resized to fill the specified dimensions, with any excess area cropped off. The cropping is centered on the image.
  
• Requirements: Both width and height must be defined.
  
• Usage: Ideal when you need a thumbnail that completely fills the specified dimensions, focusing on a specific area.

Intellicrop

• Description: An intelligent algorithm identifies the most important focal point in the image and centers it within the specified dimensions.
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• Requirements: Both width and height must be defined.
  
• Usage: Best for ensuring the most relevant part of the image is displayed, particularly when the focal point is critical.‍‍

Pad

• Description: Similar to the Preserve method, but FastPix adds black bars to the image to match the specified dimensions precisely.
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• Requirements: Both width and height must be defined.
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• Usage: Use this method when maintaining aspect ratio is crucial, and you want to avoid cropping, though it results in less efficient use of space.
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Conclusion

Integrating thumbnail generation into your platform isn’t just about aesthetics it’s about creating a seamless, personalized, and engaging user journey. Whether you’re automating the process or manually crafting each thumbnail, the aim is to make sure they capture the heart of your content and connect with your audience.

In a world where first impressions matter, don’t leave your thumbnails to chance. Use the technology and video data to design visuals that not only catch the eye but also build deeper engagement. At FastPix, we help you do just that making sure every thumbnail not just serves its purpose but also takes your content to the next level.

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