No, uploading your video to YouTube is not required. However, if you're using the QR code generator built into Creator Studio, the link you use must be a valid URL.
Creator Studio’s QR code feature supports any content that has a web address (URL), including:
YouTube videos
Vimeo or other video platforms
School websites or student project pages
Google Drive or Dropbox links (if shared publicly)
As long as the destination has a working URL, you can link to it.
✅ Note: If your content is stored on a private or restricted platform (like a school LMS or private cloud), make sure sharing permissions are set to “public” or “anyone with the link” so it works when scanned.
Yes—but not within Creator Studio. If you want to create a QR code that links to something other than a URL, such as:
A plain text message
A phone number
An email address
A contact card (vCard)
You'll need to use a third-party QR code generator.
There are many free tools online that let you generate QR codes for different purposes. One popular (but unaffiliated) option is:
These tools often let you download the QR code image, which you can then upload into your Creator Studio project just like a regular image.