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 programme can include different price levels and give members perks for each level. However, 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 six different membership levels and each level must have between one and five perks. As a reminder, all perks that you make available to your members must follow our channel membership policies.
Once you've created your membership levels and perks, you can:
Channel membership levels
You can create up to six 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 that you charge for membership levels.
Add a membership level
Add membership levels
- On a computer, go to YouTube Studio.
- In the left menu, select Earn.
- Click the Memberships tab.
- In the box that says 'Step 1: Add levels and perks', click Edit.
- 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
Remove a level
- On a computer, go to YouTube Studio.
- In the left menu, select Earn.
- Click the Memberships tab.
- In the box that says 'Step 1: Add levels and perks', click Edit.
- Click the level that you want to remove
click Delete
.
- Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions. Once complete, click Publish.
click Delete 
.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 for your channel members:
- Custom or default channel badges
- Posts
- Custom emoji
- Members-first videos
- Live chat
- Live streams
- Member Milestone Chats
- Member Recognition Shelf
- Shorts
- Videos
- 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 customise your channel badges:
- Use a computer to sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Go to Earn
Specifications for channel badges
File format: JPEG or PNG files.
File size: Less than 1 MB.
Image dimensions: Minimum 32 px x 32 px.
Badges render at 14 px x 14 px in comments and the Posts tab. In live chat, badges render at 16 px x 16 px.
- Click your profile picture
.
- Click View your channel.
- Click the Posts tab.
- 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.
- Enter the details for your post.
- Click Post.
.Surname
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 emoji 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 recognisable as your brand.
Emoji name
Each emoji will have a name that members can use to auto-complete 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 that you can upload
| # 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 |
| 1,000 | 30 |
| 1,200 | 31 |
| 1,400 | 32 |
| 1,600 | 33 |
| 1,800 | 34 |
| 2,000 | 35 |
| 2,200 | 36 |
| 2,400 | 37 |
| 2,600 | 38 |
| 2,800 | 39 |
| 3,000 | 40 |
| 3,200 | 41 |
| 3,400 | 42 |
| 3,600 | 43 |
| 3,800 | 44 |
| 4,000 | 45 |
| 4,200 | 46 |
| 4,400 | 47 |
| 4,600 | 48 |
| 4,800 | 49 |
| 5000+ | 54 |
Custom emoji specifications
- Note: GIFs will be displayed as a static image not an animation.
Device differences
- 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
- Upload a video.
- 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.
- Select the date and time that 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 Posts tabs. To let all of your viewers know that a video is available, you can share the URL publicly on:
- Cards
- Posts
- 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 they will be shown ways to become a member.
- Use a computer to sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Click CREATE
.
- Select Go live
.
- From the left-hand menu, click Stream.
- Create a stream:
- To copy a previous stream: Select a previous stream and click Reuse settings.
- To create a new stream: Enter your new stream's info and click Create stream.
- In the top right, click Settings
.
- Under 'Live chat', select Enable members-only chat.
- Click Save.
.
.
.You can share live streams exclusively with your channel members.
From a computer:
- On a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Click CREATE
.
- Click Go live
- Follow the steps to create a live stream.
- 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.
- To create a members-only 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:
- On your mobile device, open the YouTube app.
- At the bottom, tap Create
.
- Tap Go live.
- Tap More options.
- Tap Show more.
- 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.
- Tap Next.
- Tap Go live.
- Sign in to YouTube Studio
- Select Memberships
To publicly recognise 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 eight 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:
- Use a computer to sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Go to Earn
- Switch the Member Recognition Shelf to Off.
Set a new upload as members-only
- Select a short video file:
- Up to 60 seconds.
- With a square or vertical aspect ratio.
- For visibility, select Members-only.
- Complete the rest of the upload process.
Set an existing Short as members-only
- Use a computer to go to YouTube Studio or open the YouTube Studio mobile app
.
- Select Content.
- Find the Short that you want to set as members-only.
- Select Edit
.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. Members-only Shorts do not trigger a notification for your channel members.
Set a new upload as members-only
- Upload a video.
- For Visibility, select Members-only.
- If you have more than one level, select the levels that can watch your video.
- Complete the rest of the upload process.
Set an existing video as members-only
- Use a computer to go to YouTube Studio or open the YouTube Studio mobile app
- Select Content.
- Find the video that you want to set as members-only.
- Select Edit
- 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 Posts 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 programmes that 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
- Posts
- Playlists
Channel members at the right levels can immediately watch the members-only video. Non-members will get a note that says that the video is only available to members and they will be shown ways to become a member.