How to start a YouTube channel
Creating the channel takes about two minutes: Settings, “Add or manage channel(s)”, Create a channel. The work is in what you set up and publish after that. Both parts are below.
Steps checked against YouTube Help on October 8, 2026.
Create a personal YouTube channel
- 1
Sign in to YouTube on a computer or the mobile site
Use the Google Account you want the channel to belong to.
- 2
Click your profile picture, then Settings
- 3
In the Account section, select “Add or manage channel(s)”
- 4
Click Create a channel
- 5
Choose a profile picture, a name, and a handle
The name can have spaces. The handle is the @name in your channel URL.
- 6
Click Create channel
You now have a channel that only you can manage.
Source: Create a YouTube channel — YouTube Help. If a label here does not match what you see, follow the help page.
Create a channel with a business or other name
Use this route if the channel should have a different name from your Google Account, or if more than one person will manage it. It connects the channel to a Brand Account.
- 1
Sign in to YouTube on a computer or the mobile site
- 2
Go to your channel list
It is the same “Add or manage channel(s)” page in Settings.
- 3
Click Create a new channel
If you already manage a Brand Account without a channel, pick it from the list instead.
- 4
Choose a profile picture, a name, and a handle
- 5
Click Create channel
This creates a new Brand Account. You can add other owners and managers to it later.
Set up the channel before the first upload
These are common practices, not YouTube requirements.
- ●Pick a name that says what the channel is about and is easy to say out loud.
- ●Choose a handle that matches the name. Shorter is easier to type and remember.
- ●Upload a profile picture that is still readable as a small circle.
- ●Add a banner that says what you post and how often.
- ●Write a channel description that states the topic in the first sentence.
- ●Verify your phone number in YouTube Studio. It unlocks videos longer than 15 minutes and custom thumbnails.
Need a name? Try the YouTube channel name generator. For image dimensions, see YouTube banner size.
Common practices for a new YouTube channel
- ●Choose one topic and one viewer. A channel about “weeknight vegetarian dinners” is easier to grow than a channel about “food”.
- ●Plan the first ten videos before you film the first one. If you cannot list ten, the topic is too narrow.
- ●Write the title and sketch the thumbnail before you record. They decide whether anyone clicks.
- ●Put the searchable phrase near the start of the title and keep it short enough to read on a phone.
- ●Get to the point in the first 30 seconds. Skip long intros and logo animations.
- ●Fix the audio before the picture. Viewers leave over bad sound sooner than over a soft image.
- ●Pick a schedule you can keep for three months. One video a week you keep up beats three a week you drop.
- ●Check click-through rate and average view duration in YouTube Studio after each upload, and change one thing at a time.
- ●Read YouTube’s Community Guidelines before you publish. Strikes can remove videos and block monetization.
Stuck on what to film? Get a list from YouTube video ideas, then open each video with a hook from YouTube intro ideas.
How to start a YouTube channel and make money
A new channel earns nothing from ads until it joins the YouTube Partner Program. Your channel becomes eligible in one of two ways:
- ●1,000 subscribers and 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months.
- ●1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Watch hours from the Shorts feed do not count toward the 4,000 hours. You also need to:
- ●Follow the YouTube channel monetization policies.
- ●Live in a country or region where the program is available.
- ●Have no active Community Guidelines strikes.
- ●Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account.
- ●Have access to advanced features on YouTube.
- ●Link an AdSense for YouTube account, or set one up in YouTube Studio.
After you apply, YouTube reviews the channel, typically in about a month. YouTube has also announced updated Partner Program terms that take effect on February 1, 2027. Source: YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility — YouTube Help.
How to start a YouTube channel for kids
- ●The Google Account must meet the minimum age for your country. In the United States that is 13.
- ●YouTube says an account using a supervised experience may not be able to create a channel.
- ●For a younger child, the usual approach is a channel created and managed on a parent’s account.
- ●If the videos are made for children, mark them as “made for kids” when you upload. That turns off comments and personalized ads on those videos.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start a YouTube channel?
Sign in to YouTube, click your profile picture, open Settings, and select “Add or manage channel(s)” in the Account section. Click Create a channel, choose a profile picture, name, and handle, and click Create channel.
Is it free to start a YouTube channel?
Yes. Creating a channel and uploading videos is free. You need a Google Account.
Do I need a channel to use YouTube?
No. You can watch, like, and subscribe with a Google Account alone. You need a channel to upload videos, comment, or make playlists.
How do I start a YouTube channel and make money?
Create the channel, then build to the YouTube Partner Program thresholds: 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. You also need no active Community Guidelines strikes, 2-Step Verification, and an AdSense for YouTube account.
Can a kid start a YouTube channel?
The Google Account has to meet the minimum age for the country, which is 13 in the United States. YouTube also says that an account using a supervised experience may not be able to create a channel. A parent can create and run the channel on their own account instead.
What equipment do I need to start a YouTube channel?
A phone is enough. Clear audio matters more than a better camera, so a cheap clip-on microphone is usually the first upgrade worth buying.
How many videos should I have before I launch?
There is no rule. A common practice is to publish three to five videos close together, so a new visitor has more than one thing to watch.