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YouTube is the world’s most popular platform for hosting and sharing videos. Embedding YouTube videos in your website, blog, or application is one of the easiest ways to add rich media content. However, by default, YouTube embeds come with several branding elements—most notably the YouTube logo, which can appear during playback, on the player controls, and at the end of the video.
Many designers, developers, and site owners prefer a cleaner, more professional appearance. In this post, we’ll explore various ways—both official and unofficial—to embed YouTube videos without the YouTube logo, or at least minimize its presence.
Why Remove the YouTube Logo?
YouTube Embed Parameters: What's Possible
Deprecated Options and the Reality Today
YouTube Branding: What You Can Control
Embed YouTube with Minimal Branding
YouTube API Workarounds (for Developers)
Using Third-Party Services for Clean Embeds
Terms of Use and Ethical Considerations
Final Thoughts
While the YouTube logo serves as a visual cue for video authenticity and source, there are valid reasons to want a logo-free embed:
Maintain visual consistency with your website’s branding
Provide a distraction-free viewing experience
Use videos in presentations, products, or kiosks
Avoid redirecting users to YouTube accidentally
Create a white-labeled experience for clients or educational portals
YouTube allows certain URL parameters when embedding a video using the <iframe> method. Some of these parameters influence how the player looks and behaves.
Here’s the standard embed format:
<iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
To customize the behavior, you append parameters like so:
<iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?modestbranding=1&rel=0&controls=1"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In the past, YouTube offered parameters such as showinfo=0, iv_load_policy=3, and modestbranding=1 that gave you greater control. However, as of 2018, YouTube made changes to standardize its branding experience.
showinfo=0 – No longer supported
modestbranding=1 – Limited effect (removes logo from control bar but not entirely)
rel=0 – No longer stops related videos from being shown entirely (it now limits them to same channel)
In short, there is currently no official way to completely remove the YouTube logo from an embed. You can reduce its appearance, but not eliminate it completely using the YouTube API alone.
Here are the currently valid parameters that can minimize YouTube branding:
modestbranding=1Reduces the prominence of the YouTube logo:
It removes the logo from the control bar.
However, YouTube may still display the logo when the video is paused or ends.
controls=0Removes the player controls:
If set to 0, the video plays without the default play/pause bar.
Only useful for autoplay or kiosk environments.
rel=0Prevents unrelated videos from showing at the end:
Limits recommended videos to those from the same channel.
fs=0Disables fullscreen button.
Example embed with these parameters:
<iframe width="560" height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?modestbranding=1&controls=1&rel=0"
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
While this doesn’t fully remove the YouTube logo, it reduces its impact considerably.
Here’s a practical example:
<iframe width="640" height="360"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ScMzIvxBSi4?modestbranding=1&rel=0&controls=1"
title="YouTube video player"
frameborder="0"
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"
allowfullscreen>
</iframe>
In this setup:
The logo won't appear in the control bar
Related videos are restricted to the same channel
Player has a cleaner look than default
However, YouTube’s branding may still appear when a user pauses the video or at the end screen.
If you're comfortable using JavaScript and the YouTube IFrame Player API, you can build a custom player shell around the video. This gives you more control over the playback experience.
<div id="player"></div>
<script>
var tag = document.createElement('script');
tag.src = "https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api";
var firstScriptTag = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
firstScriptTag.parentNode.insertBefore(tag, firstScriptTag);
var player;
function onYouTubeIframeAPIReady() {
player = new YT.Player('player', {
height: '360',
width: '640',
videoId: 'ScMzIvxBSi4',
playerVars: {
'modestbranding': 1,
'controls': 0,
'rel': 0,
'showinfo': 0,
'fs': 0
},
events: {
'onReady': onPlayerReady
}
});
}
function onPlayerReady(event) {
event.target.playVideo();
}
</script>
In this approach:
You can create your own custom controls using JavaScript
Hide YouTube’s UI elements
Embed it inside a branded wrapper or background
Note: Even here, the YouTube watermark may appear briefly depending on playback and browser.
If hiding the YouTube logo is absolutely critical, some developers turn to third-party video platforms that strip down or re-host the YouTube video.
These platforms generate customizable iframes and may offer logo-free viewing through paid plans.
These are third-party tools that remove UI/branding, often by re-wrapping the video in a custom player.
Warning: Many such services violate YouTube's terms and may stop working or result in blocked content.
YouTube's Terms of Service and API Terms clearly require:
The YouTube logo must remain visible and unaltered
Videos must link back to YouTube or use official APIs
You may not obscure or cover branding without permission
Violating these terms can result in videos being blocked or API keys being revoked.
YouTube doesn’t currently offer a 100% logo-free embedding solution unless you're using a YouTube Premium for Business or Education service, which is extremely limited and not generally available.
For most users, the best you can do is:
Use modestbranding=1
Keep player controls minimal
Avoid showing related videos
Use custom wrappers and styling
If your project absolutely requires white-labeled, logo-free video playback, consider using a dedicated video hosting platform like Vimeo Pro, Wistia, or JWPlayer, which are designed with full player customization in mind.
Still, for most use cases, YouTube remains the easiest and most reliable video platform, even with its branding limitations.