YouTube Tips

Choir of the Earth currently uses YouTube to deliver lots of our content, from rehearsals to concerts. n the Live Chat and email, we often receive common questions about YouTube and its features. On this page we include some tips that we hope will help answer some of these FAQs.

An important note: YouTube is a service hosted by Google, and Choir of the Earth is a user like any other. We are subject to any changes they make to their platform - just like all other users - and these are often implemented without our prior knowledge. We will of course try to help our members if something changes, but if you cannot find an answer to your question below, please check Google’s YouTube Support Pages.

How do I change my YouTube username?

In November 2025, YouTube switched from its old form usernames (e.g. Jamie Smith) to new ‘handles’ (e.g. @jamiesmith3853). If you set up your YouTube account before this time, you may have been assigned a handle automatically - often your name and some random numbers. If you would like to change this in YouTube Studio, follow these steps:

How do I turn off the Leaderboard (crowns beside names)?

YouTube introduced the Leaderboard function to increase engagement in the Live Chat during livestreams. However Choir of the Earth does not use this feature, and many people find it distracting. You can opt out of the Leaderboard to remove the crown icons beside people’s names:

How do I tag other users in the Live Chat?

You can tag other users by typing their handle, including the @ sign.

On a computer, if you type @ followed by the first few letters of someone’s handle, a list will appear of matching usernames - click, or use the arrow keys and enter, to select the right user.

On a tablet or mobile device, this list does not appear - you will need to type the user’s full name to tag them.

What to do if you have problems with video or audio playback

If the video is buffering or a stream does not start on time, please refresh your browser. If you are using the app, exit the app and click the link again.

If you cannot hear any sound, please check the following:

  • Your device volume is turned up

  • The video volume on YouTube is turned up

  • Your device is not connected to headphones (if you are playing it out loud)

  • Your device is connected to headphones (if you are playing it via headphones)

If you have checked these issues and still have no sound, please refresh or rejoin the stream.

How can I include emojis in my live chat messages?

This very much depends on what device you’re using and your own preferences. Always make sure the cursor is at the point where you want to insert the emoji. Then:

On a Windows computer

  • Press the Windows key (⊞) and full stop/period (.) to open the emoji keyboard.

  • Search or browse, then click an emoji to add it.

  • Close the keyboard with the X in the corner.

  • Alternatively, in the live chat, you can type a colon (:) and then the first few letters of an emoji name, e.g. “:cof”, which will bring up any matching emojis, e.g. coffee (☕). If the right emoji doesn’t appear, try to think what else it might be called. To find out the name of an emoji, hover over it

On an Apple computer (Mac)

  • Press Control (ctrl) + Command (⌘) + Space (⎵) to open the emoji panel.

  • Scroll or search, then click an emoji to add it.

  • Close the panel with the red button.

On a mobile device or tablet (Android/Apple)

  • Most devices include an emoji key on the keyboard (usually a smiley face 🙂).

  • Tap it to open emojis, then search or browse and tap an emoji to add it to your message.

  • Tap ABC (iPhone/iPad) or the minimise/back-arrow key (Android) to return to the normal keyboard.

On YouTube - the emoji button

The emoji button in the live chat window on YouTube itself offers extra emoji options that are exclusive to the YouTube platform, but it can also be quite slow to load, especially during a livestream, so you may prefer to use the options above instead.