Create or manage your YouTube channel’s memberships levels & perks

If you’ve turned on Memberships for your channel, you can have different members-only perks for your channel members. These perks can include custom emoji, badges, and members-only videos.

Your channel memberships program can include different price levels and give members perks for each level. But, if you have more than one level, each level’s perks build on each other. This means that the highest-priced levels automatically get the perks given at lower-priced levels. You can create up to 6 different membership levels and each level must have between 1 and 5 perks. As a reminder, all perks you make available to your members must follow our channel membership policies.

Once you’ve created your memberships levels and perks, you can:

Channel Memberships

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Channel membership levels

You can create up to 6 membership levels, at different prices. If you have more than one level, remember that the higher-priced levels will include all the perks from the lower-priced levels. View what members in other countries/regions will pay, depending on the price you charge for membership levels.

Add a membership level

You can add up to 6 levels at different prices. Each level must have between 1 and 5 perks.

Add membership levels

  1. On a computer, go to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, select Earn.
  3. Click the Memberships tab.
  4. In the box that says “Step 1: Add levels and perks,” click Edit.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions. Once complete, click Publish.

We review your levels and perks against our channel membership policies before they can go live. This process takes about a day.

Remove a membership level

If you remove a level, you’ll delete all members at that level. All members at a removed level will lose access to perks immediately, and will be refunded their last month’s payment.

Remove a level

  1. On a computer, go to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, select Earn.
  3. Click the Memberships tab.
  4. In the box that says “Step 1: Add levels and perks,” click Edit.
  5. Click the level that you want to remove and then click Delete .
  6. Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions. Once complete, click Publish.

Channel membership perks

Create and publish at least one perk (and up to five perks) that you will give your members. You must deliver these perks to your members, so consider whether you can deliver the perks to your members’ satisfaction.

Your perks must follow our policies and terms. YouTube does not take responsibility for your creator perks.

You can include these types of members-only perks to your channel members:

Custom or Default Channel Badges
Members can stand out in live chat, comments, and the Community tab with exclusive members-only badges. There are 8 different badges, and each one highlights how long a person has been an active paid member of your channel. So, if an active member joined your channel a year ago, but only paid for 9 months out of the past 12 months, their badge will show that they have been a member for 9 months.
Each badge is associated with a different amount of time:
  • New
  • 1 month
  • 2 months
  • 6 months
  • 1 year
  • 2 years
  • 3 years
  • 4 years
  • 5 years

You can use the default YouTube badges or upload custom badges for your channel. You can also have a mix, using custom badges for some durations and using default badges for others.

Note: All members get the same badge based on loyalty.

Upload custom channel badges

You can use the default YouTube badges or upload custom badges for your channel. You can also have a mix, using custom badges for some durations and using default badges for others.

When you upload custom badges you should fill each slot with a different badge, but if you don’t, empty slots are filled by:

  • The highest custom badge that you upload, or
  • The default YouTube badge for that duration

To upload and customize your channel badges:

  1. Use a computer to sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Go to Earn and then Memberships and then Loyalty Badges.

Specifications for channel badges

File format: JPEG, or PNG files.

File size: Less than 1 MB.

Image dimensions: Minimum 32px x 32px.

Badges render at 14px x 14px in comments and the Community tab. In live chat, badges render at 16px x 16px.

Members-only Community Posts
You can use the community tab to share content with your channel members only. If you have levels on your channel, you can also share Community posts with members at specific levels.
To make members-only Community posts:
  1. Click your profile picture .
  2. Click View your channel.
  3. Click the Community tab.
  4. In the “Visibility” menu, choose whether to make the post public, for members-only, or for members at certain levels. Public is the default setting.
  5. Enter the details for your post.
  6. Click Post.
Members-only Custom Emoji
Custom emoji lets your channel members use exclusive emoji in comments on your videos and in your live chats.
By default, there are no custom emoji, so you must upload your own. To upload custom emoji, go to the Memberships page and select Edit on “Your badges and emoji” card. Learn more about designing emoji.
Note: All members, regardless of level, get access to the emoji you upload.

Family Name

When you upload your first emoji, you create a prefix name for all of your emoji, called a 'family name'. Your channel members will use this name to autocomplete your emoji. You can also autocomplete your channel’s emojis with :_ .

Family names aren’t unique across YouTube and must be 3–10 characters. As a best practice, we recommend picking a family name that is easily recognizable as your brand.

Custom emoji can be sent in video comments or any live chats.

Emoji Name

Each emoji will have a name that members can use to autocomplete in live chat. To change the emoji name, you must delete and re-upload the emoji. Emoji names must be 3–10 alphanumeric characters and unique within their emoji family (but not across YouTube).

Amount of custom emoji you can upload

As you gain members, you can unlock more slots for new custom emoji. You will not be told when new slots are unlocked.
# of Members # of Emoji
0 4
2 5
5 6
10 7
15 8
20 9
30 10
40 11
50 12
75 13
100 14
125 15
150 16
175 17
200 18
225 19
250 20
300 21
350 22
400 23
450 24
500 25
600 26
700 27
800 28
900 29
1000 30
1200 31
1400 32
1600 33
1800 34
2000 35
2200 36
2400 37
2600 38
2800 39
3000 40
3200 41
3400 42
3600 43
3800 44
4000 45
4200 46
4400 47
4600 48
4800 49
5000+ 54

Custom emoji specifications

File format: JPEG, PNG, and GIF files are preferred.
  • Note: GIFs will be displayed as a static image, not an animation.
File size: Less than 1 MB.
Image dimensions: 48px x 48px (preferred) to 480px x 480px.

Device differences

Emoji will show up in different sizes on mobile devices and on computer monitors. Here’s how to make sure your emoji look good on both platforms:
On mobile devices: Emoji show at 24x24 points. The image is scaled to match the pixel density of the device.
On most monitors: Emoji show at 24x24 points. On Retina and HiDPI devices, the images show at 48x48 points or higher.
Members-first Videos
With the members-only to public feature, you can upload content that only your channel members can view for a certain period of time, before access opens up to others. Giving your channel members early access to your content lets them view and engage with your content, before it goes public.
When you upload content as “Members-only to public”we’ll let your members know that your content is only available for channel members first. Then, when the video changes to public, all of your subscribers will be notified.
We observed that, on average, when creators gave members access to videos first, those videos performed the same and were not negatively impacted when they became public.
  • On channels that published at least one early-access video and one public-only video between January and February 2023.

Set a new upload as members-only to public

  1. Upload a video.
  2. For Visibility, select Members-only to public.
  • If you have more than one level, select the levels that you want your video to be visible to.
  1. Select the date and time the video should change to public.

Promote your members-only video

Members-only videos can surface on members’ Home and subscriptions feeds. Members can also find videos on your channel page’s content and community tabs. To let all of your viewers know that a video is available, you can share the URL publicly on:

  • Cards
  • Public community
  • Playlists

Your members can immediately watch the members-only video, if they’re at the right level(s). Non-members will see a note that says that it’s only available to members, and will be shown ways to become a member.

Members-only Live Chat
During public live streams, you can make the chat members-only. Everyone can still view the live stream, but only members can post chats. To turn on members-only live chat:
  1. Use a computer to sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Click CREATE .
  3. Select Go live .
  4. From the left, click Stream.
  5. Create a stream:
    1. To copy a previous stream: Select a previous stream and click Reuse settings.
    2. To create a new stream: Enter your new stream's info and click Create stream.
  6. In the top right, click Settings .
  7. Under "Live chat," select Enable members-only chat.
  8. Click Save.
Members-only Live Streams

You can share live streams exclusively with your channel members.

From a computer:

  1. On a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Click CREATE .
  3. Click Go live .
  4. Follow the steps to create a live stream.
  5. In the Visibility settings, you can choose which channel members can watch the live stream:
    • To allow all members to watch the live stream, select “All paid members.”
    • To allow certain levels to watch the live stream, select the level (and up) that should be allowed to view.
  6. To create a members-only Community post linking to the live stream, follow the on-screen instructions. If your members have their notifications turned on, they're told when you create a new members-only live stream.

From a mobile device:

  1. On your mobile device, open the YouTube app.
  2. At the bottom, tap Create .
  3. Tap Go live.
  4. Tap More Options.
  5. Tap Show more.
  6. In the visibility settings, select Members-only and select which channel members can view your live stream:
    • To allow all members to watch the live stream, select “All paid members.”
    • To allow certain levels to watch the live stream, select the level (and up) that should be allowed to view.
  7.  Tap Next.
  8. Tap Go live.
Member Milestone Chats
To recognize and celebrate a member’s loyalty, channel members can send one special highlighted message per month in a live chat. Only members that are at least in their second consecutive month as a member get milestone chats. Members can only send milestone chats during live streams or Premieres. While only channel members can send milestone chats, the chats are visible to all viewers.
This feature is automatically turned on for your channel. If you don’t want your members to get milestone chats, you can turn off this feature. To turn off member milestone chats:
  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio and then Earn.
  2. Select Memberships and then Set ‘Membership Milestone Chat’ to ‘Off’.
Note: Since all eligible members can use milestone chats, you may notice high use the first few times you live stream after this feature is turned on. The rate should smooth out over time since each member can redeem a Member Milestone Chat once a month.
Member Recognition Shelf

To publicly recognize your channel members, you can feature their avatars in a shelf at the top of your channel page. This shelf is a way for you to publicly thank your channel members and show others how much you appreciate your members. Featured members are randomly selected and will change often to give more members the chance to shine. Members viewing your channel page will always find their own avatar on the shelf. If a member cancels their membership, they’re no longer featured on the shelf.

When your channel has 8 or more members, this feature is automatically turned on. If you don’t want the member recognition shelf to surface, you can turn off this feature. To turn off the member recognition shelf:

To turn off the member recognition shelf:

  1. Use a computer to sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Go to Earn and then Memberships.
  3. Switch the “Member Recognition Shelf” to off.
Members-only Shorts
Members-only Shorts can be a great way to provide regular, lightweight content for your channel members. You can share short behind-the-scenes content, clips of upcoming videos, short Q&As, and more. Since these Shorts can only be viewed by members, you can experiment with content that’s more casual, or natural/organic, compared to your public content.

Set a new upload as members-only

  1. Select a short video file:
  • Up to 60 seconds.
  • With a square or vertical aspect ratio.
  1. For visibility, select Members-only.
  2. Complete the rest of the upload process.

Set an existing Short as members-only

  1. Use a computer to go to YouTube Studio or open the YouTube Studio mobile app .
  2. Select Content.
  3. Find the Short that you want to set as members-only.
  4. Select Edit and then Visibility and then Select Members only and then Save.
Note: If you record and upload a Short in one flow, the option to set it as members-only may not surface. You can still upload your Short as unlisted and then change the visibility setting to members-only.

Members-only Shorts, like all members-only videos, must be fully original content, and may not include music owned by third parties, including music from the Shorts music library.

Your members can find members-only Shorts in their Shorts and Home feeds, as well as in Watch Next. Member-only Shorts do not trigger a notification for your channel members.

Members-only Videos
The Members-only videos feature lets you upload videos that only your channel members can watch. You can also change the visibility settings of existing videos so that they’re exclusive to your members. Anyone can find a members-only video, but only members at the right levels can watch it.
Members-only videos must be fully original content. Don’t include videos that have copyright claims, including videos with claims from music partners.

Set a new upload as members-only

  1. Upload a video.
  2. For Visibility, select Members only.
  • If you have more than one level, select the levels that can watch your video.
  1. Complete the rest of the upload process.

Set an existing video as members-only

  1. Use a computer to go to YouTube Studio or open the YouTube Studio mobile app .
  2. Select Content.
  3. Find the video that you want to set as members-only.
  4. Select Edit and then Visibility and then Select Members only and then Save.
  • If you have more than one level, select the levels that can watch your video.

Promote your members-only videos

Your members can find members-only videos on the Memberships, Content, and Community tabs. These videos may also surface on members’ Home and subscriptions feeds.

Viewers who are recommended your content, but aren’t members may also have members-only videos surface in their Home feed. Surfacing members-only videos to non-members can help them discover channel membership programs they may be interested in signing up for. Non-members can view the video’s thumbnail and title, but cannot watch the members-only video unless they sign up.

To let your viewers know that a video is available, you can share the URL publicly on:

  • Cards
  • Public community
  • Playlists

Channel members at the right levels can immediately watch the members-only video. Non-members will get a note that says the video is only available to members, and will be shown ways to become a member.

Members Only Content: Videos, Shorts, Live Streams, & Posts for Channel Memberships

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