What is the YouTube Partner Program?
The YouTube Partner Program allows creators to monetize content on YouTube through a variety of ways includingadvertisements, paid subscriptions, and merchandise. In addition to joining the Partner Program, Creators can take advantage of the variety of resources, features, and programs that YouTube provides to help you build your channel(s) and your audience.
Benefits of the YouTube Partner Program
As a YouTube Partner, your eligible videos may earn money from relevant ads and/or fees. Other benefits of the Partner Program include:
- Expand your earning potential – YouTube is the largest online video community in the world, allowing you to reach a global audience with your monetized content.
- Gain flexibility through a non-exclusive agreement – YouTube doesn’t restrict where partners can upload and distribute their content, allowing you to monetize your content on YouTube and elsewhere.
- Track and manage your performance – YouTube Analytics provides a variety of reports to help you track your YouTube performance and earnings, and gain insights that may help you improve.
How to join the YouTube Partner Program
You can now sign up for the YouTube Partner Program in more than 60 countries. Please ensure that you meet the criteria for YouTube partnership and then follow the steps to become a partner.
YouTube Partners: Guide to setting up your account A guide for new YouTube partners to help you learn about setting up your account
Criteria for YouTube partnership
Your YouTube channel may be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program if it meets the following criteria:
- The program has launched in your country.* (If the program is not available in your country, you will see a notification in your monetization settings.)
- Your account is in good standing and hasn’t previously been disabled for monetization.
- You upload original, quality content that is advertiser-friendly.
- Your video content complies with our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.
- You have reviewed our copyright education materials.
- Your multi-channel network does not prohibit YouTube Partner Program membership. (Multichannel networks under the most current contracts with YouTube will not.)
If you meet these criteria, learn how to become a partner here.
Please note: you may not be able to monetize videos which use any of the following without the explicit permission of the person who created or produced all material:
- Songs or pieces of music that aren’t eligible for revenue sharing
- Music (including cover songs, lyrics, and background music)
- Graphics and pictures (including photographs and artwork)
- Movie or TV visuals
- Video game or software visuals. Click here for details.
- Live performances (including concerts, sporting events, and shows)
*Users in some countries may still need to apply through an application form.
Set up your channel and videos for monetization
Being a YouTube partner lets you to monetize videos on your channel and earn money from the revenue. Before you get started, check to see if your channel is eligible and learn how to opt in. Then, learn how to enable elibigle videos to earn money.
Enable your channel for monetization
To check your channel’s eligibility and opt in for monetization:
- In your account’s settings, go to the monetization tab.
- Click Enable My Account. You’ll only see this option if your account is in good standing and hasn’t been disabled for monetization.
- Follow the on-screen steps to accept the YouTube monetization agreement.
If your account isn’t eligible for monetization, you’ll see a different message. You can learn more about why monetization might have been disabled and what you can do.
Monetize your videos
After you’ve opted your channel in for monetization, you can enable eligible videos to earn money from relevant ads.
- Make sure your video meets the video monetization criteria.
- Follow these steps to enable ads on the video you want to monetize. If you have more than one video you want to monetize, follow these steps to monetize multiple videos at once.
- In order to begin receiving the revenue, follow these steps to associate your YouTube and AdSense accounts.
Meet the YouTube Partner Support Team
A few of our experts
Our global Partner Support Team is here to help our partners get the most out of YouTube. Here are a few of our experts who work with partners every day:
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How we can help
Whether you’re facing a specific problem or you want to learn how to get the most out of YouTube as a partner, we’re here to help you:
- Optimize how you use YouTube.
- Get tips on technical or service aspects of YouTube.
- Learn to navigate policy and copyright guidelines.
- Get answers on accounts, channel management, and Google+ questions.
- Resolve content ID and rights management issues.
- Troubleshoot and fix bugs or issues with your account.
Ways to get in touch
- YouTube Help Center: You’re already here. To contact the team, click on the Contact Us btn at the top of the page. Make sure you’re logged in to your channel.
- YouTube.com: Go to your channel’s Creator Studio. Click on the Help btn at the bottom of the page, then selectEmail in the window that pops up.
- CMS: While logged in to your channel, click on the Help btn at the bottom of the page, then select Email in the window that pops up.
Need more help?
Multi-channel networks (MCNs)
Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs, or “networks”) are entities that affiliate with multiple YouTube channels, often to offer content creators assistance in areas including product, programming, funding, cross-promotion, partner management, digital rights management, monetization/sales, and/or audience development. MCNs are not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube or Google.
Whether or not to join an MCN is an important decision. You should do your homework and make the decision that works for you. Thoroughly investigate the MCN’s track record and evaluate the benefits being promised against your obligations to the network.
Considerations when joining a Multi-Channel Network
If you’re not currently a YouTube partner, you may want to learn about the benefits of becoming a individual YouTube partner, including monetization and international support. If you’re already a YouTube partner, think about whether joining an MCN is likely to improve your performance. Check out the Ad Performance reports in your YouTube Analyticsto understand your current performance as it relates to what an MCN offers.
Here are a few questions to consider when evaluating whether to join an MCN:
- MCN value proposition: How is the MCN different from other YouTube MCNs in terms of services they’re offering, creators in the MCN, vertical focus, location, contract, and payments to you? Are their services consistent with your goals?
- Contract: What are the terms around leaving the MCN or termination from the MCN? What is the contract length? Note that we discourage contracts that include perpetuity clauses.
- Partner support: What type of partner support will you be receiving? Will they help you optimize your channel? Whom can you contact if you have an issue and what is the support turnaround time?
- Promotion: How will they promote your channel? Will there be collaboration opportunities with other creators in the MCN, and how likely are you to participate in those?
- Transparency: Will you get visibility into your earnings once you join the MCN?
- Location/Language: Is the MCN based in your time zone and will this impact support turnaround time? Will they be able to assist you with local opportunities? Are there any language barriers?
- Ad sales: Do they have an ad sales team for your region or vertical, and how will that benefit you?
Considerations when leaving a Multi-Channel Network
Most MCNs may ask you to enter into a binding agreement when you join. YouTube has no involvement in your agreement, and will not be able to terminate your relationship with that MCN.
If you wish to leave an MCN, you’ll need to ask the MCN to release your YouTube channel from their account. YouTube is unable to provide advice regarding disputes between channel owners and MCNs.
Regaining partner status
If you leave an MCN, your channel will revert back to its partnership status from before joining the MCN.
If you weren’t a partner before joining the MCN, you may become one, and you can learn more here. If you were a partner before joining the MCN, your account will revert to its original partnership status. It’s your responsibility to work with the MCN to ensure all relevant assets are released or transferred to your new account. Assuming you meet all the other criteria for YouTube partnership, you’ll need to submit your videos for monetization review.
You can find additional information about YouTube MCNs on the Creator Hub.
Opt in to YouTube partner updates
- Sign in to YouTube.
- Visit the Emails section of your Account Settings.
- Under the YouTube Newsletters heading, check the box next to General updates (including YouTube Broadcast).
- Click Save.
Once you’ve opted in to receiving these occasional updates, we’ll include you in our next partner newsletter and other updates.
Opt out of the YouTube Partner Program
To opt out of the YouTube Partner Program, you may disable ads on your monetized videos. You can do this either from your Video Manager or from your Channel Settings page, by selecting the radio btn next to “Do not allow advertisements to be displayed alongside my videos.”
