[NBS Radio] Software Tutorials for Staffers

---

---

---

There are a number of essential skills and tools that members of staff of the Ministry of Radio will need to become proficient in in order to succeed within the Ministry. These are:

1. Software Installation
2. Recording videos
3. File sharing
4. Sound editing
5. Video editing
6. Script writing
7. Show hosting
8. Thumbnails
9. YouTube Management
10. Admin Access
11. Posting video summaries

This thread will contain tutorials for these subjects. These tutorials are recommended reading for all Ministry staff members.

---

---

---

---

---

There are a few key programs all active Ministry staff members will need in order to complete assignments: OBS Studio and Audacity. Both programs are completely free of charge, are compatible with multiple operating systems, and are easy to use. Both require a computer to use effectively. This tutorial walks you through how to download programs. It is a prerequisite for the tutorials on video recording and sound editing. The tutorial assumes that once downloaded, Ministry staff members will be able to follow the steps provided in each program's installation wizard to complete the installation process. Ministry staff members will also require a gmail account specific to their nation. Additionally, ministry staff members should find a video editing software that works for them.

---

Installing OBS Studio
OBS Studio is a free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. You can find more information about the program here. As of September 16, 2019, the latest release supports Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10, as well as macOS 10.1 and newer, and Ubuntu Linux 14.04 and newer.

Download OBS Studio

---

Installing Audacity
Audacity is a free and open source software for audio editing and recording. You can find more information about the program here. As of September 16, 2019, the latest release supports Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10, as well as macOS 10.7 and newer, and some Linux distributions. You can find more information about operating system compatibility here.

Download Audacity

It is very important to check that you can export audio clips to the mp3 format. Older versions of Audacity required users to manually install the LAME encoding library. If you find that Audacity gives you an error when you try to export an audio clip to an mp3, you will need to install the LAME mp3 encoder. You can find more information on how to install LAME here.

---

---

---

---

---

The video tutorial below was recorded back in the area when NBS was part of the Ministry of Communications. So while much of the intro is now entirely out-of-date and irrelevant, skip to 4:23 to find a walk-through of the basics of OBS Studio. If you'd prefer a faster approach, I have laid out many of the same steps as discussed in the video in the space below the video. Each link directs to a screenshot that may assist you as you follow the tutorial. More advanced video tutorials are available online.

---

---

Planning
Every show published through the Ministry of Radio must receive approval from the Minister or Delegate prior to recording. In order to receive approval, a show proposal/planning thread must be filed in The Studio. The proposal should include the show title and a topic list or script. Show topics must be NS-related. The proposal thread will also serve as a planning thread for speaker sign-ups and scheduling.

Venues
There are three main venues for NBS shows: The Agora VC in the general TNP discord server (TNPgen), The Lounge/Eras/RMB VCs on the TNP RP discord server, and the private Radio Shows VC under the Ministry of Radio tab in the TNP Executive discord server. Prior to recording, all speakers must be given the appropriate roles in order to participate. In TNPgen, the NBS role is required, and must be requested from the discord admin. This should be done well before the show time. The TNP RP discord server does not require special roles, but permission from the Minister of Culture/RP mods is encouraged. On the Exec server, the RA-NBS Staff role is required to view the #show-staging channel and speak in the Radio Shows VC. This role must be granted by the Minister of Radio, Deputy Ministers of Radio, or Delegate.

Scheduling
Coordinate with all speakers in the show to find an acceptable time that works for everyone. Be aware that nations are located all around the world, and be understanding of the needs of different time zones.

OBS Studio Setup and Controls
Prior to the planned start of a show, open OBS Studio.

Set the video display
Right click or click the + under Sources to add video. This will provide you with a number of options for to set the video display as. There are two main options typically used in NBS: Image and Display Capture. To set a fixed image as the video display, select 'Image,' give it a name (optional), make sure 'Make source visible' is checked, and hit ok. OBS will allow you to select an image to import. Set the background image to the big TNP flag or another relevant image. Make sure the image resolution is sufficient for the screen size. You may need to expand the image slightly to cover the entire preview screen. Drag the lower-right corner of the flag towards the lower right corner of the preview screen. Doing so will make the flag somewhat blurry, but this is unnoticeable to most people. You will have to make the flag slightly larger than the screen and center the Coat of Arms in the center of the screen. Alternatively, set the source to a display capture, such that the video will record what is on your screen during the show. Note that if the audio is edited from a show that uses display capture, it is likely the audio will not line up with the video during final publishing.

Set audio input settings
There are two main settings that are important: making sure OBS Studio records your desktop audio and making sure your microphone is recognized by both OBS Studio and Discord. In OBS Studio, go to Settings. This will pull up a large box with many tabs. Click the Audio tab. Under devices, make sure your desktop audio and microphone are set. It is highly encouraged that you also set a push-to-talk button, as doing so will result in far better sound quality in the final recording, and make the audio editing step easier. Check the box to enable push-to-talk. Click Apply. To set a push-to-talk key, return to Settings, but this time go to the Hotkeys tab. Scroll down to push-to-talk, click in the box, press the key you'd like, and it will be recorded. Make sure you select the same push-to-talk key in OBS Studio as you choose in Discord. To set your microphone and push-to-talk key in Discord, go to your User Settings, and go to the Voice and Video tab. Make sure you have the same speakers and microphone enabled as in OBS Studio. Check the box to enable push to talk and record the same key you did in OBS Studio. It is important that you test these settings prior to every show. Hit record, conduct a mic check with each of your speakers, end the recording, and check that you can hear everyone in the video, including yourself.

Recording a video
Once all of the audio settings have been set in both OBS Studio and in Discord and you've conducted a successful sound check, you can dive into recording the show itself. In OBS Studio, click 'Start Recording' in the lower right. If you have display capture enabled, make sure you're looking at what you want OBS to record. Conduct the show, whether that be by leading a discussion, giving an interview, reading a script, etc. When you're finished with the show, click 'Stop Recording.' To access the video file of the show, go to File > Show Recordings. All OBS video recordings are sorted by date. Since this can get quite confusing, rename the file to something that makes sense. Be sure to share the video file with the Minister of Radio using the file sharing techniques detailed in the next tutorial.

And lastly, here's an older NBS setup thread I made a while back that may also be of help.

---

---

---

---

---

The Ministry of Radio google drive does still exist, and can still be used to send recorded files to video editors to channel uploaders and so on. You can find further information about this google drive in the spoiler below. However, the Ministry no longer splits audio files and stitches them back together. This was done just once, and can be considered long outdated. The system described in the spoiler below will be kept for historical record, but should not be taken seriously in the context of the modern ministry.

---

---

---

---

---

---

One of the disadvantages of thoroughly sound editing a podcast as is described below is that it can desynchronize the audio recording with the screen recording. This can create the irritating effect of seeing someone's avatar light up in Discord but someone else is speaking. As such, if you intend to publish the screen recording along with the video, it is often best to skip this step. Further, the Ministry no longer requires picking over the audio with such a fine tooth. If you want to see the historical method through which shows were edited, keep reading. Otherwise, skip this tutorial and read about Video Editing.

---

It can be important that all Ministry of Radio staff members edit audio segments to the same standard. This tutorial describes the process. Audacity has a lot of features, but this tutorial will only cover the most basic manual audio editing tools.
Importing an audio file
Once you have claimed a show section and downloaded the pertinent mp3 file, open Audacity. Go to File > Import > Audio, and select the mp3 file you need to edit. It should take less than a minute for Audacity to import the file. Once imported, you should see the full segment track displayed. Go to View > Zoom > Zoom Normal. This will zoom in on the track and makes everything much simpler to manage.

Saving the project
It's wise to save your progress every so often. To do so, go to File > Save Project > Save Project As... and click OK if you receive a popup warning. The warning is just saying that you're not exporting the file, just saving it as an audacity project. Since this is what we're intending to do, everything's fine. Once you click OK, you'll be allowed to save the project to your computer. Saving the file the first time may take a minute or two. Each successive time you save, just go to File > Save Project, and it shouldn't take more than a few seconds.

What to edit out
There are a few things you need to edit out: long pauses between speakers, chat recorded before the show begins or after it ends, excess noise between speakers (including breathing and audio clipping), and the word "Ummmm" within reason. Never adjust the volume of a speaker. The Minister of Radio will apply any volume adjustment needed when the tracks are recombined. This is important, because otherwise, speakers will sound different during each segment.

What to look/listen for
You will have to listen to the entire segment in order to edit the audio correctly. It's impossible to recognize what each issue is just from the track - you have to hear it, edit out the issue, and re-listen to that bit to make sure it sounds good, and to make sure each speaker is understood. I've provided a few screenshots that might help show what you're listening for, but these issues will look different depending on who is speaking.
Audio clipping and long pauses
Sounds of breathing/excess noise
Sounds of breathing in the middle of a sentence
"Ummm"

How and when to add silence
In each case, you want to replace the problematic segment of track with a period of silence of approximately the same length. To delete a part of the track, highlight the problematic bit with your cursor, and hit either delete or backspace on your keyboard. To generate silence, go to Generate > Silence.., enter in a period of time, and click OK. If this results in a long pause, highlight much of the pause to delete it. As you get acquainted with editing, you can sometimes skip the intermediate step of adding silence. If the speaker naturally pauses in between thoughts, that's fine, just so long as it isn't very long. A general rule of thumb is that the time between thoughts of the same speaker should be about 0.5 to 0.75 seconds. The time between one speaker and another should be about 1.5 to 1.75 seconds. If, after removing audio clipping or an "umm," there is so little time between someone saying something that the audio seems to jump, add a bit of silence about 0.2 seconds long, and this should rectify the problem. Much of this is subjective, but use your best judgement of what sounds good, and that should be fine.

Exporting the file
When you're done editing the track and have listened to it the whole way through to make sure it sounds good, you're ready to export the file. To do so, go to File > Export > Export as MP3. Give it a filename that includes the word "edited" and check that the formatting options match the spoiler below.
Save the file, leave the metadata tags empty, and click OK. Audacity will export the file as an mp3, and this process might take a few minutes. Once the file has been exported, find the mp3 and upload it to the Completed Segments folder on google drive.

---

---

---

---

---

Once a show has been recorded, you can skip external audio editing in programs like Audacity and cut straight to video editing. In video editing, the main goal we're trying to achieve is to format each NBS video to make it suitable for viewing on the channel.
There are a few main steps involved in this process:

• Add the intro animation
• Make minor audio edits inside the video editing program
• Add an end screen
• Add transitions
• Add any background music
• Add any banners or text
• Export the video file

One brief note on software before we dive in: Any video editing software should be able to perform all of the simple steps described in this tutorial. There's no need for anything fancy or expensive, so I'm sure you'll be able to find free software that can do the trick. Find something that works for you and learn how to use it.

So, in order:

NBS Animated Intro
At the start of every NBS show, there is an animated intro that displays the NBS logo. This short video can be found here. To use the intro, follow the link, go to the upper right and find the Download icon, click it, and save the file to a safe location. Drag or otherwise load the file into your video editing software. Add it to the start of the timeline.

Audio Edits
Drag or otherwise load the main recording file into the video editor, and add it to the timeline after the animated intro. To prevent desynchronization between the screen and audio recording, any audio editing should also trim the screen recording. While this will create a minor artifact of an obvious jump within the screen recording, it's not that bad. Edit the start and end of the show to make sure the recording doesn't capture any extraneous, irrelevant parts of the VC. The show should start with the host's introduction, and end with the host's close out (or some variation of that, but I hope you get what I mean.) Edit out any long silences or audio glitches in the show. That's all you need to do to complete the audio editing section.

End Screen
Drag or otherwise load the still image contained in the spoiler below into the video editor. Add it to the timeline after the main show. Extend the length of this segment to be 10 seconds. This will be the end-screen of the show, and will provide a convenient place for NBS end-cards to be added once the video is uploaded to YouTube. More on that in another tutorial.

Adding transitions
You should add a simple visual transition between the animated intro and the main podcast, and between the main podcast and the end-screen. In most NBS videos, this transition is a rotating block that turns from the right side of the screen to the left. It's simple, and is meant to kind of symbolize the turning of a page into the next section of the video. These transitions should be kept short, simple, and sweet.

Advanced Video Editing
What is described above is all you need to put together a standard NBS Show. However, once you've learned the most basic skills, there's more that can be done if you want to get more creative. This includes adding music, adding additional transitions or banners, and creating show-specific introductions.

Adding Music
Any music that is added to any part of the video, whether that be the intro, outro, or background must be used with permission. The NBS YouTube channel can face consequences for violating copyright law, and this should be avoided. However, tons of free music and sound effects have been pre-cleared and sourced by YouTube at the YouTube Audio Library. You must follow any limitations and sourcing guidelines provided, such as crediting the creators in the video description, but if properly used, these works will not result in copyright violations by NBS. I recommend using this music if you're interested in background music or jingles for NBS. To use an audio file, download it from the YouTube Audio Library, save the file somewhere save, and drag or otherwise load it into your video editing software. Add the music to the timeline as a separate track, so that it plays on top of the existing recording. Feel free to get creative while incorporating it into the video.

Adding banners or text
Most video editors will have a feature that allows you to display text on screen during a video. This can be useful to denote sections within a video, such as subject headers, quotes or points of emphasis, and intermissions. Try to limit the use of text. As they say, less is more.

Exporting
Once the video editing process is complete, export the video as an MP4 file to your computer. This file will later be uploaded to YouTube by the Minister of Radio or one of their deputies. You may need to use the Ministry of Radio google drive described in the File Sharing tutorial above to send them the completed MP4 file.

---

---

---

---

---

Not all shows need scripts. However, all shows require some level of preparation, in most cases from all speakers. This tutorial will cover how to prepare for each main type of show the Ministry of Radio plans to conduct. These being: tutorial videos, interviews, town hall debates, and panel discussions.

Tutorial Videos
Tutorial videos seek to be entirely informational, with the express intent of helping prepare newcomers for success in The North Pacific. These videos provide a unique opportunity for visual learning, and when possible, tutorial text should be paired with relevant on-screen examples. To do this effectively, the Ministry of Radio hardly edits the audio of tutorial videos, as doing so means that the audio will no longer be paired with the video. As such, it's important to have a script for this type of video and a plan for what to show in each part. During the planning phase of a tutorial video, the script should be posted and edited prior to recording. This will help ensure that the text conveys information clearly and effectively, and is complete in both content and approach. By approach, I mean that each tutorial should assume no prior knowledge, unless that knowledge is contained within a previous tutorial video.

Interviews
Before recording an interview, you should have an extensive list of questions you intend to ask. You can choose whether or not to share this list with the person you will interview before recording the video. In either case, however, you shouldn't follow this question list precisely; instead, focus on having a natural conversation and ask follow-up questions where you feel you should dig deeper in a given subject. Before writing this question list, you should do some research into the background of the person you will interview in order to get a better feel for what to ask about. Just remember though that just because you've done the research doesn't mean the audience has, so be sure to ask interesting questions even if you already know the answer based on your research.

Town Hall Debates
Debates work much the same way as interviews, but given their context in relation to election cycles (supposing the debate is between candidates), debate questions should be prepared in relation to candidates' platforms and histories. In order for a debate to be approved, the questions must be reviewed in advance to make sure they are unbiased and will provide informative responses for voters.

Panel Discussions
Before recording a panel discussion, a topic list should be created and provided to each speaker. You should create a number of questions relevant to each topic. Speakers should be chosen based on their knowledge of the topics, and be given time prior to the recording to think about these questions. This will help mitigate the chance that false information is distributed in these discussions. If/when this occurs, the Ministry of Radio shall note that in the show summary, and thank commenters who point out these errors. Discussions should follow the flow of the questions, but follow-up questions may still be asked. It's alright if the discussion deviates somewhat from the plan.

---

In summary, make sure you do your research prior to a show, and think about what topics and questions who want to cover before you start recording. It may also be worth your time to think about how you want to introduce the show topic and each speaker, as well as how to conclude the show. You may find it best to prepare a short script for the beginning and end.

---

---

---

---

---

Show hosting is one of the most difficult tasks in the Ministry of Radio. It is your responsibility to effectively plan for the show, prepare interesting questions, organize speakers, manage scheduling, find someone to record the show, and build the confidence to host it. Once you're recording, you'll need to make sure the conversation remains on topic, continues to be relevant and interesting, and gives everyone a chance to speak. These skills aren't really something that can be taught in a tutorial; you have to experience them first-hand and get practice.

Show Planning Thread (Outdated)
Each video that is proposed must create a show planning thread. This thread should include the show title and a topic list or script as described in the Script Writing tutorial. This thread will serve as a location for script editing, scheduling, posting segment claim requests, and everything else required to manage a given show, including show approval.

Show approval (Outdated)
Every show published through the Ministry of Radio must receive approval from the Minister or Delegate prior to recording. In order to be potentially approved, a show proposal/planning thread must be filed in The Studio.

Script preparation
See the Script Writing tutorial above.

Pre-show management
Not all speakers will be members of the Ministry of Radio, nor must they be. In the case that speakers do not have access to the show planning thread, a Discord group can be created by the host to conduct organization and scheduling. It's important for the show host to recognize that speakers may be present at different time zones, and be accommodating of them to the best of their ability. Additionally, it's important that a host find someone to record the show. Ideally, at least two recordings will be created in case something goes terribly wrong in one. The host can be one of the show recorders, but this makes their task even more difficult. Once a show time is selected, all speakers and recorders should be masked accordingly, depending on the show venue.

Building confidence
Hosting shows is difficult for a number of reasons, and it's essential that you are confident in your ability to host them. To build confidence, you should practice speaking in VCs when you can, and there are often VCs held in The Agora on TNPgen or in Eras/RMB over on the TNP RP server. Furthermore, conducting extensive research prior to a show, and writing a solid introductory script, interesting questions, and a strong conclusion can build the confidence you need to launch into the show. If it helps, try to speak slowly, and focus on speaking clearly. Another tip is that the first show that you host should be among friends so that you feel supported and comfortable. It's perfectly normal to be nervous before hosting a show, but don't let that stop you.

Running a show
If you have solid questions and have done your research, keeping the show interesting should not be a problem. Before a show starts, instruct speakers not to speak over or interrupt each other. If you feel the conversation is going off on a tangent, wait for the speaker to finish their train of thought, but then bring it back to a question that relates to the topic you want to be discussing. If someone hasn't spoken in a while, ask them what they think of the question at hand. Try to give everyone a chance to speak. Don't worry about long pauses between speakers during the show - these will be edited out later.

---

---

---

---

---

Every good video deserves a good thumbnail. The thumbnail is like the cover of the video, and will help attract listeners to the show both on YouTube itself and when it is linked here on the forums or discord. The thumbnail should aim to present the content of the show in a clear visual way. Any text on the thumbnail should be very large to keep it legible. Any symbolism on the thumbnail should be relevant to the topics discussed in the video.

Software
Nearly any image editing or design software will work well in thumbnail creation. I've used Paint3D, Visio, Pixlr Editor, and LucidPress in the past.
Sizing
The size of the thumbnail should be set to 1920 pixels wide x 1076 pixels tall (or some ratio thereof).
Fonts
Fonts chosen should be legible when read at a distance. I typically use Lato Bold, League Gothic, or Crimson.
Contrast
The contrast between the text and the background should make the text stand out, or pop. Light text on a dark background or dark text on a light background both work.
Coloring
Get creative, but keep contrast in mind, ensuring all text is legible.
Borders
Adding a borders to the thumbnail can help to make it pop.
An admission: I have a lot of trouble making good thumbnails. I often try to put too many words on them, or I make those words too small, or the lettering too thin. I've listed three example thumbnails below that I like, and discuss what I like about them, and what could have been improved.

• Example 1. This thumbnail has great contrast. The title: Post Modern Tech, is legible from a distance, though could conceivably be bigger. The subtext is in Lato, which is frankly too thin to be made out. If it was a poster, this would be a very elegant design, but as a thumbnail, it's just too small. The borders help with the spacing. The plane is a schematic of a Japanese Zero, which was brought up by Mokastana during the show when they discussed why details matter. Their point was that in Studio Ghibli's The Wind Rises, there's a scene in which a Zero is being pulled along in an oxcart. The plane on the thumbnail is a direct reference to that part of the show, which listeners may later appreciate.
• Example 2. This thumbnail has great contrast. The title is of a good size, but the subtext, again, is too thin and small. However, this is redeemed by the symbolism in the thumbnail. Including the subtext is important for listeners to make the connection with the coin toss gesture. The background is a simple off-white, which is fine if used occasionally, but could become boring if used too frequently. This thumbnail could be improved with crimson borders on the top and bottom the same size as those in Example 1. That would help contain the extra white space on the top and bottom of the thumbnail, better framing the design.
• Example 3. This is a simple, but effective thumbnail. The text is large, has good contrast, and is centered nicely. The ministry seal certifies the video to be official, is meaningful in the context of TNP, and fills the space nicely. The fact that the Ministry seal is a bit blurry isn't much of a problem, since it will be difficult to notice at smaller sizes. The background color matches the color of the ministry's badges, which is a nice touch.

---

---

---

---

---

This tutorial is intended for use by future Ministers of Radio who need to obtain access to the NBS YouTube account. The tutorial will explain all elements of YouTube Management, from becoming a Content Manager, uploading videos, adding subtitles, managing comments, creating playlists, and viewing channel statistics. I have bolded certain sections below of particular importance.

Getting Access
As a Minister, you will not get access to the full admin account. Rather, the admin account credentials have been shared with the TNP forum admin. Instead, YouTube has a system whereby the main account can allow others various levels of access. Request to be added as an Editor via Admin Requests and provide your NS-specific email address (I think it has to be a gmail account to work?). If you are a new Minister, make sure you request the old Minister's access also be revoked. TNP Forum Administration can use their account access to provide your account access to the channel. Editors have permission to add videos, edit the appearance of any video, and access statistics, but cannot delete videos or the channel, enter into contracts, or give others special permissions. This system is intended to serve as a safeguard against rogue Ministers, and will help ensure the survival and sustainability of NBS in the future.

Uploading Videos
Once you have been added as an Editor, you will have access to the NBS account. Login. From the channel page, dashboard, or pretty much anywhere on youtube, there will be an icon that looks like a camera with a plus (+) icon on it that will allow you to upload new videos to the channel. Click Create, then Upload video. Select the mp4 video file by either dragging and dropping the video into box, or by selecting it via the folder browser. This will begin the upload process. While the video is uploading, set the title, description, thumbnail, and playlist (if applicable). Under Audience, select 'No, it's not made for kids.' If you select 'Show more,' you add tags, set the recording date, set the video category to Gaming and specify the game title as NationStates. Do not change the other settings. Hit next. Here, you can add subtitles and an end screen, but you can also add these later. If, in the video editing process, you added an end card, then for the last 10-15 seconds of the show, you can add an end screen. The end screen design used in many NBS videos contains a link back to the main channel on the left and two suggested channel videos on the right. I recommend setting one of the recommended videos to be another video in the same playlist (if applicable). Click next. YouTube will check the video for any issues, including if it contains copyrighted content. If you don't think this will be a concern, feel free to just click next and move on. Finally, set the video visibility. Nearly all NBS videos should be Public upon release, but there may be circumstances when you want to first upload it privately to later change settings before release or to schedule a specific time at which to release the video. Click save. Keep the browser tab open until the uploading process completes. If you find you have uploaded a video by mistake, set the video visibility to private. You can request an admin delete the video for you so long as you provide reasonable justification.

Livestreaming
The NBS YouTube channel is configured to allow livestreams to occur, though this feature has rarely - if ever - been utilized in the past. To start a livestream, click the same icon as you would to upload a video (the camera with the plus sign). Select 'Go Live.' You can decide to start it immediately or schedule the stream for a later date. Both options will allow you to play with the settings before finalizing the stream. If you select 'Right Now,' select 'Streaming software' to set up OBS to stream content directly to the channel. This will send you to the livestream monitoring page. Here, you can edit the title, category, visibility, and latency of the stream. Open OBS Studio, and under Controls, go to Settings > Stream. For Service, select YouTube/YouTube Gaming. For Server, select Primary YouTube Ingest Server. Copy the Stream Key from YouTube into the stream key box in OBS. Whatever is showing in OBS will be the content you stream. Make sure your video (screen-sharing) and audio settings are set accordingly. When you are ready to go Live, click 'Start Streaming' in OBS. This will automatically start the stream in YouTube. During the livestream, you can use the livestream monitoring page to view stream settings, live analytics, stream health, and the livechat. When you want to end the livestream, click 'Stop Streaming' in OBS and click the red 'End Stream' button in YouTube. After the show, you will see a quick summary of the video statistics. If you wish to make any changes to the show settings or visibility once the livestream is over, you can find the stream playback in the YouTube Studio under Content > Live.

YouTube Studio
The YouTube Studio is where you can access everything you need to effectively manage the channel. To access the studio, click the TNP coat of arms (which is used as the symbol of NBS on YouTube) in the upper right corner of YouTube. This will give you a drop down menu with various options. Click YouTube Studio. Doing so leads you to the Channel Dashboard. The Channel Dashboard gives you a quick overview of the health of the channel. Included is the performance of the latest video upload, the channel's current subscriber count, a quick summary of the top videos in the last few days, a list of latest comments, and various internal YouTube publications including Creator Insider. The menu on the left side of the screen provides access to the channel content, playlists, analytics, comments, subtitles, and more.

Content Tab
There are two subtabs: Uploads (which shows the full list of all uploaded videos in NBS history), and Live (which shows all livestream playbacks in NBS history). Hovering your mouse over a video will allow you to edit the details, view video analytics, view comments, and watch the video. I typically find details to be the most useful option. The Video details page will give you access to each of the other options as well. The Video Details page is the main hub for all information regarding that video. Here, you can edit the settings you created when you uploaded the video. You can see video-specific analytics, including an overview of views, watch time, subscribers gained, and audience retention over the course of the video. YouTube also provides more detailed statistics about the traffic sources, number of impressions, click through rate, and number of unique viewers on the Reach tab. You can find average view duration, likes vs dislikes, and how effective your end screens are under Engagement. The Audience tab will show the average views per viewer, what percentage of viewers are subscribed, and, depending on the age of the video, some demographic information. On the left sidebar, the Editor tab will allow you to blur and trim segments of your video. The comments sidebar will show you all comments made on the video, giving you a chance to respond on behalf of NBS, or to moderate inappropriate comments. The subtitles sidebar will show you which subtitles are available for the video. For NBS, English has been set to be automatically generated by YouTube.

Playlists Tab
This tab lets you manage all of NBS' channel playlists. You'll see existing playlists for NBS News Shows, Town Halls, Roleplay Shows, Tutorial Videos, and festival-specific shows. You can create a new playlist by clicking the 'New Playlist' button in the upper right. By clicking Edit on an existing playlist, you can change the title and description of the playlist, the order that videos are listed, and set the visibility of the playlist.

Analytics Tab
This tab lets you view the analytics of the channel as a whole, as well as specific videos. The Overview tab shows you the total views the channel has accumulated, the total watch time, and the net gain or loss of subscribers over the last 28 day period. You can change the time frame in the upper right, for instance to include the entire channel history. The Analytics tab provides tons of information, from the top videos, traffic sources, audience retention, vieweship over time, and so forth. It's pretty self-explanatory, so I won't go into too much depth. In the upper right, you can click 'Advanced Mode' to provide a gigantic, interactive chart of all videos, over a set time period, and show different variables plotted against each other, traffic data, demographics, subscription status, playlist analytics, device type, and so forth. You can find additional metrics if you go to the graph variable drop down, and select 'More Metrics.' You can generate some pretty cool graphs. I've provided an example in the spoiler below. This example shows the obvious, strong correlation between video releases and channels views.

Comments tab
This tab lets you see all comments on all videos across the entire channel. Very convenient. As Minister, you should occasionally monitor this tab, liking comments as you see fit, and removing comments that try to spread propaganda for other channels. You shouldn't remove any comments from people engaging with the video, even if that feedback is negative. Rather, I have noticed a few times that an outsider may come in and post a link to a neonazi-affiliated website. You should remove those posts. The comments section is otherwise a nice place where you can engage with the audience, and answer or redirect anyone with follow-up questions about videos.

Subtitles tab
This tab shows all of the videos that have subtitles. Current settings will mean that YouTube will automatically generate subtitles for each video that gets uploaded, in English. You can edit the subtitles here by uploading your own or downloading the transcript that YouTube has. I often find that creating precise subtitles is far more effort than it is worth.

There may be other tabs as well, depending on your level of access, including a Copyright tab, Monetization tab, Customization tab, and Audio Library. Ministers should ignore these tabs, with the exception of the Audio Library. The Audio Library provides a variety of free music and sound effects that you can use, for free, without facing copyright violations. The selection is limited, and you must abide by any usage policy of the audio content you take.

---

---

---

---

---

This tutorial is intended to be used by TNP Forum Administrators who have been asked to provide new Ministers of Radio with Editor access to the NBS YouTube account.

Providing Access
Go to YouTube. In the upper right, click 'Sign In.' The username and password for the account was shared with all admins in a Forum PM entitled 'NBS YouTube Channel Account.' (PMs sent in Feb 2019 and May 2021). Once logged in, select The North Pacific: NBS Radio as the channel to login to. Click on the TNP Coat of Arms symbol in the upper right corner, and select YouTube Studio from the drop down menu that appears. In the lower left corner of the screen, click 'Settings.' Go to the 'Permissions' tab. This will show all accounts that have access to the channel. You can change or revoke the level of access each user has with the drop down menu under access beside each account. The owner is listed as the Ministry of Communications because NBS was originally incorporated into that Ministry before being spun off as the Ministry of Radio. To invite additional users, click 'Invite' in the upper right. Enter the new Minister's provided email account, and select the level of access to be Editor. Click 'Done.' Additional account verification may be needed to make changes to the permissions. 2-Step Verification has been turned off, but it may nevertheless be possible that a security code is needed from the phone number associated with the comms.thenorthpacific@gmail.com email address. I will provide instructions below as to how to change that phone number. If this contact information belongs to an Admin, please ensure that it is passed off to another Admin if you ever choose to retire. If this contact information does not belong to an admin (as is currently the case), you will have to reach out to El Fiji Grande, and hope I haven't changed my number. I have provided private contact information via Forum PM.

Changing Contact Information
Go to google.com. In the upper right, click 'Sign In.' Login to the comms.thenorthpacific@gmail.com address with the password provided in the PM described above. Once logged in, click the 'M' icon (M for Ministry of Communications) in the upper right. Select 'Manage Your Account.' Go to Personal Info. Under Contact Info, click on the arrow to the right of Phone. This will lead to a second page, confirming the existing phone number. Click the arrow to the right again. Here, you can edit the phone number. Additional account verification may be needed to make changes to the contact information. Be sure to have the prior account holder available when making these changes. You can also add additional forms of account recovery if the password is lost or if the prior account holder becomes permanently unavailable.

---

---

---

---

---

Posting Show Summaries was once one of the ways the Ministry of Radio increased the accessibility, visibility, public feedback for show releases. As the Ministry has matured, however, posting video summaries has fallen by the wayside as impractical, time consuming, and of little value. Since this viewpoint may shift with time, the old Video Summary tutorial is included in the spoilers below for the historical record.

---

---