How to comment on a video
To comment on a video, scroll below it on YouTube and type in the 'Add a comment' field. For a shared Vimeo or Google Drive link, click the comment panel on the side. For a professional client review — where you need notes pinned to a specific moment — use a dedicated video review tool like Frame.io or Vimeo Review and share a timestamped review link instead of a file.
On YouTube (desktop and mobile)
On a desktop browser, open the video and scroll below the player to the comment section. Click the 'Add a comment…' field, type your message, and press Comment. You need to be signed into a Google account — unsigned viewers can read comments but can't post them. On mobile, tap the video, then tap the comment icon (speech bubble) or scroll down past the title. Tap 'Add a comment,' type, and tap the send arrow. If the comment section doesn't appear, the creator has turned comments off for that video — there's no workaround. Private and 'made for kids' videos also disable comments by default.
On a shared Vimeo or Google Drive video
For a Vimeo link: open the video and look for a speech-bubble icon in the bottom-right of the player or a Comments panel on the right side (Vimeo Review links). Click it, type your note, and submit — Vimeo may ask you to log in depending on the sharing settings. For a Google Drive video: open it in Drive, click the three-dot menu → 'Open in new window,' then use the comment icon in the toolbar. If the owner shared it as 'Viewer,' you may not have comment access — ask them to reshare as 'Commenter.' For Dropbox links, the comment box sits below the video player directly in the browser.
On a downloaded video file (VLC or QuickTime)
Neither VLC nor QuickTime has a shareable comment layer. VLC's Bookmarks (Playback → Bookmarks) save timestamps locally for your own reference — the other person never sees them. QuickTime has no annotation tools at all. If you need to leave notes on a downloaded file that someone else will read, upload it to a review tool or write timecodes in a separate document: 'at 0:52 the cut feels too fast.' That second option is the workflow most editors hate — 'around 0:52' covers a lot of ground — but it's still better than no timecode at all.
For professional video review with a client
The email-the-file approach breaks down fast. A client downloads the MP4, watches it in QuickTime, writes notes in a Google Doc ('the part in the middle feels slow'), and emails it back — with no timecodes, no file version tag, and no shared reference to which 'middle' they mean. A dedicated video review link fixes this: Frame.io, Vimeo Review, Filestage, and VideoReview all let a client open the video in their browser, scrub to the exact moment, click, and leave a note anchored to that timecode. No download. No separate document. The note reads '0:47 — the voiceover cuts too abruptly here' and every other reviewer sees it too. Frame.io's free plan lets reviewers comment without an account. Vimeo Review is included in paid Vimeo plans. Both beat emailing a file for any project with more than one revision round.
The account requirement on every platform
YouTube needs a Google account. Vimeo requires a Vimeo login unless the owner uses a Review link (which allows guest commenting). Frame.io lets guest reviewers comment on review links without signing up. If you're trying to comment on a video someone emailed you and they haven't set up a review link, write back with timecodes: 'at 1:14 the voiceover cuts too abruptly.' More friction than a pinned comment, but an exact timecode is something an editor can actually act on.
If the video is part of a larger deliverable — a brief doc, a shot list, caption copy, or a revision note — drop that document into Drafty and share the link. Your client clicks the exact line they're reacting to and pins a comment right there, no account needed. For the video file itself, Frame.io or Vimeo Review is still the right tool for timestamped comments. Drafty handles the surrounding written context so those notes don't pile up in your inbox.
Open a live demoQuestions
- Do I need an account to comment on a YouTube video?
- Yes. YouTube requires a Google account to post comments. Anyone can read comments without signing in, but the 'Add a comment' field is disabled for unsigned visitors. If you don't have a Google account, you'll need to create one — there's no guest commenting on YouTube.
- Why can't I comment on a video on YouTube?
- The creator turned off comments, the video is marked 'Made for Kids' (disables comments automatically), or your account was previously restricted. Private videos also have comments disabled. If the field isn't visible, it's a creator setting you can't change.
- How do I comment on a video without an account?
- YouTube requires a Google account — no guest commenting exists. Vimeo depends on how the link was shared: a standard Vimeo link requires login, but a Vimeo Review link allows guest comments. Frame.io review links also allow guest commenting. Ask the sender to share a review link rather than a direct file or platform URL.
- How do I leave a timestamped comment on a video?
- On YouTube, type a timestamp (0:47) in your comment text and YouTube makes it a clickable link — that's a text reference, not a pinned note. For actual frame-pinned comments, use Frame.io, Vimeo Review, or Filestage: pause the video at the moment you mean, click, and the comment attaches to that exact timecode automatically.
- How do I get a client to comment on a video without asking them to install anything?
- Use a Frame.io review link (free tier) or Vimeo Review. Both open in the browser — no extension, no app. The client scrubs to the moment they mean, clicks, and pins a note to that timecode. No account needed on Frame.io review links. Either beats the MP4-attachment-and-timecode-email loop.
- Can I comment on a video in Google Drive?
- Yes, if the owner gave you comment access. Open the video in Drive, click the menu → 'Open in new window,' and use the comment button in the toolbar. Drive video comments are text-only and not timestamped — they aren't pinned to a specific moment. For frame-accurate notes, a dedicated video review tool is more precise.
Keep exploring
Stop emailing files back and forth.
Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.