diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index c4092c5..67cd1c2 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -216,6 +216,17 @@ func main() {
 		enc.Encode(vodFiles)
 	}
 
+	// scan for thumbnail
+	thumbnailPath, thumbnailSizeBytes, err := scanner.ScanThumbnail(directory)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to fetch thumbnail: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	thumbnail := &yt.Thumbnail{
+		Filepath: thumbnailPath,
+		SizeBytes: thumbnailSizeBytes,
+	}
+
 	// build video template for upload
 	video, err := yt.BuildVideo(metadata)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -263,7 +274,7 @@ func main() {
 	// concatenate VOD segments into full VOD
 	fullVodExists := func () bool {
 		// check if full VOD already exists with expected duration
-		fullVodProbe, err := scanner.ProbeSegment(video.Filename)
+		fullVodProbe, err := scanner.ProbeSegment(video.Filepath)
 		if err != nil { return false }
 		video.SizeBytes = fullVodProbe.Format.Size
 		var totalLength float64 = 0
@@ -317,7 +328,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	// okay actually upload now!
-	ytVideo, err := yt.UploadVideo(ctx, tokenSource, video, templates)
+	ytVideo, err := yt.UploadVideo(ctx, tokenSource, video, thumbnail, templates)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to upload video: %v", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -341,7 +352,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// delete full VOD after upload, if requested
 	if deleteFullVod {
-		err = os.Remove(video.Filename)
+		err = os.Remove(video.Filepath)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("Failed to delete full VOD: %v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/scanner/scanner.go b/scanner/scanner.go
index eb5c420..606f269 100644
--- a/scanner/scanner.go
+++ b/scanner/scanner.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package scanner
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
@@ -60,6 +61,18 @@ func ScanSegments(directory string, extension string) ([]string, error) {
 	return files, nil
 }
 
+func ScanThumbnail(directory string) (string, int64, error) {
+	thumbnailPath := path.Join(directory, "thumbnail.png")
+	stat, err := os.Stat(thumbnailPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", 0, err
+	}
+	if stat.IsDir() {
+		return "", 0, fmt.Errorf("thumbnail.png is a directory")
+	}
+	return thumbnailPath, stat.Size(), nil
+}
+
 func ProbeSegment(filename string) (*FFprobeOutput, error) {
 	out, err := ffmpeg_go.Probe(filename)
 	if err != nil { return nil, err }
diff --git a/video/video.go b/video/video.go
index 4d13987..a9f54f1 100644
--- a/video/video.go
+++ b/video/video.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 
 	"arimelody.space/vodular/youtube"
 	ffmpeg "github.com/u2takey/ffmpeg-go"
@@ -23,15 +24,15 @@ type (
 
 func ConcatVideo(video *youtube.Video, vodFiles []string, verbose bool) (int64, error) {
 	fileListPath := path.Join(
-		path.Dir(video.Filename),
+		path.Dir(video.Filepath),
 		"files.txt",
 	)
 
 	totalDuration := float64(0.0)
-	fileListString := ""
+	fileListString := strings.Builder{}
 	for _, file := range vodFiles {
-		fileListString += fmt.Sprintf("file '%s'\n", file)
-		jsonProbe, err := ffmpeg.Probe(path.Join(path.Dir(video.Filename), file))
+		fmt.Fprintf(&fileListString, "file '%s'\n", file)
+		jsonProbe, err := ffmpeg.Probe(path.Join(path.Dir(video.Filepath), file))
 		if err != nil {
 			return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to probe file `%s`: %v", file, err)
 		}
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ func ConcatVideo(video *youtube.Video, vodFiles []string, verbose bool) (int64,
 	}
 	err := os.WriteFile(
 		fileListPath,
-		[]byte(fileListString),
+		[]byte(fileListString.String()),
 		0644,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func ConcatVideo(video *youtube.Video, vodFiles []string, verbose bool) (int64,
 	stream := ffmpeg.Input(fileListPath, ffmpeg.KwArgs{
 		"f": "concat",
 		"safe": "0",
-	}).Output(video.Filename, ffmpeg.KwArgs{
+	}).Output(video.Filepath, ffmpeg.KwArgs{
 		"c": "copy",
 	}).OverWriteOutput()
 	if verbose { stream = stream.ErrorToStdOut() }
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ func ConcatVideo(video *youtube.Video, vodFiles []string, verbose bool) (int64,
 		// not the end of the world; move along
 	}
 
-	fileInfo, err := os.Stat(video.Filename)
+	fileInfo, err := os.Stat(video.Filepath)
 	if err != nil { return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to read output file: %v", err) }
 
 	return fileInfo.Size(), nil
diff --git a/youtube/youtube.go b/youtube/youtube.go
index f3f1873..5f0dc0f 100644
--- a/youtube/youtube.go
+++ b/youtube/youtube.go
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ type (
 		Part		int
 		Date		time.Time
 		Tags		[]string
-		Filename	string
+		Filepath	string
+		SizeBytes	int64
+	}
+
+	Thumbnail struct {
+		Filepath	string
 		SizeBytes	int64
 	}
 )
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ func BuildVideo(metadata *scanner.Metadata) (*Video, error) {
 		Part: metadata.Part,
 		Date: metadata.Date.AsTime(time.UTC),
 		Tags: metadata.Tags,
-		Filename: path.Join(
+		Filepath: path.Join(
 			metadata.FootageDir,
 			fmt.Sprintf(
 				"%s-fullvod.mkv",
@@ -216,6 +221,7 @@ func UploadVideo(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	tokenSource oauth2.TokenSource,
 	video *Video,
+	thumbnail *Thumbnail,
 	templates *Template,
 ) (*youtube.Video, error) {
 	title, err := BuildTemplate(video, templates.Title)
@@ -233,6 +239,8 @@ func UploadVideo(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// upload video
+
 	videoService := youtube.NewVideosService(service)
 
 	categoryId := YT_CATEGORY_ENTERTAINMENT
@@ -242,7 +250,7 @@ func UploadVideo(
 		}
 	}
 
-	call := videoService.Insert([]string{
+	videoInsertCall := videoService.Insert([]string{
 		"snippet", "status",
 	}, &youtube.Video{
 		Snippet: &youtube.VideoSnippet{
@@ -256,26 +264,49 @@ func UploadVideo(
 		},
 	}).NotifySubscribers(false)
 
-	file, err := os.Open(video.Filename)
+	videoFile, err := os.Open(video.Filepath)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Failed to open file: %v\n", err)
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to open video: %v\n", err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	call.Media(file)
+	videoInsertCall.Media(videoFile)
 
 	log.Println("Uploading video...")
 
-	call.ProgressUpdater(func(current, total int64) {
+	videoInsertCall.ProgressUpdater(func(current, total int64) {
 		// for some reason, this only returns 0.
 		// instead, we pull the file size from the ffmpeg output directly.
 		if total == 0 { total = video.SizeBytes }
-		fmt.Printf("Uploading... (%.2f%%)\n", float64(current) / float64(total) * 100)
+		fmt.Printf("\t(%.2f%%)\n", float64(current) / float64(total) * 100)
 	})
-	ytVideo, err := call.Do()
+	ytVideo, err := videoInsertCall.Do()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to upload video: %v\n", err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// upload thumbnail
+
+	thumbnailService := youtube.NewThumbnailsService(service)
+	thumbnailSetCall := thumbnailService.Set(ytVideo.Id)
+	thumbnailFile, err := os.Open(thumbnail.Filepath)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to open thumbnail: %v\n", err)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	thumbnailSetCall.Media(thumbnailFile)
+
+	log.Println("Uploading thumbnail...")
+
+	thumbnailSetCall.ProgressUpdater(func(current, total int64) {
+		if total == 0 { total = thumbnail.SizeBytes }
+		fmt.Printf("\t(%.2f%%)\n", float64(current) / float64(total) * 100)
+	})
+	// kinda don't care about the response here- so long as it works!
+	_, err = thumbnailSetCall.Do()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Failed to upload thumbnail: %v\n", err)
+	}
+
 	return ytVideo, err
 }