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Heroes of Might and Magic 3Channel Memberships
YouTube channel memberships let viewers pay a creator monthly through the Join button for perks like badges, emoji and members-only videos. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program (500 subscribers), can offer up to 6 levels priced from $0.99 to $499.99 in the US, and keep 70% of net revenue.
YouTube channel memberships are monthly payments a viewer makes to one channel through its Join button, in return for perks such as badges, custom emoji, members-only videos, posts and live chats. A creator can offer them once the channel reaches the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program, 500 subscribers plus 3,000 watch hours in 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days, turning them on in YouTube Studio > Earn > Memberships. A channel can offer up to 6 levels, priced in the US from $0.99 to $499.99 a month, and keeps 70% of net revenue. Memberships are bought per channel and are separate from YouTube Premium.
Quick facts
| Creator needs | Fan funding tier of YPP, an available country, the Commerce Product Module |
| Levels | Up to 6, each with 1 to 5 perks |
| US prices | $0.99 to $499.99 a month |
| Creator's share | 70% of net revenue |
| Activation review | Up to 2 days |
| Level and perk review | About a day |
| Paused for 120 days | Program ends; members refunded their last payment |
| Not allowed on | Made for kids channels |
Sources: eligibility, levels and perks, US pricing, turn on and partner earnings, YouTube Help, as of Nov 6, 2026.
What are the requirements for YouTube channel memberships?
A channel needs (YouTube Help):
- The minimum for fan funding features in the YouTube Partner Program.
- To be in an available country or region (about 100).
- To accept YouTube's terms, including the Commerce Product Module.
- Not to be set as made for kids, and not to have a significant number of ineligible videos: made for kids videos and videos with music claims both count (Made for Kids).
Some music channels, such as those under an SRAV contract, are not eligible.
How do I turn on channel memberships?
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer.
- Click Earn, then the Memberships tab (it shows only for eligible channels).
- Click Get started and follow the steps; sign the Commerce Product Module if this is your first time.
Help says activation can take up to 2 days while the channel is checked against the criteria. A channel in a network waits until the network accepts the module under Settings > Agreements.
Once memberships are on, viewers see a Join button on the channel. YouTube Creators advises announcing them in a video of their own, mentioning them in uploads, descriptions and posts, and thanking current members; adding /join to the end of the channel's address makes a link that opens the membership offer.
Membership levels and perks
Levels are set in Earn > Memberships > Step 1: Add levels and perks > Edit, then Publish. Each level needs between 1 and 5 perks, and each higher level includes the perks of the cheaper ones. YouTube reviews new levels and perks, which takes about a day. The perks YouTube provides include:
- Loyalty badges beside the member's name, default or custom
- Custom emoji for comments and live chat
- Members-only posts, Shorts and videos, and members-first videos that members see early
- Members-only live chat and members-only live streams
- Member milestone chats and a member recognition shelf
Removing a level removes everyone at that level at once, and they are refunded their last month's payment (YouTube Help). YouTube Creators' older video, made when a channel could offer five levels, also says an approved level's price cannot be changed: a new level has to be made instead.
What perks are not allowed?
Help forbids (YouTube Help):
- Downloads of content, music included, that is available on YouTube
- In-person 1:1 meetings
- Perks given to some members at random: contests, lotteries, sweepstakes
- Perks aimed at children or unsuitable for them, or that encourage children to ask parents to join
How much do memberships cost and pay?
In the US a level can be priced at one of 25 steps from $0.99 to $499.99 a month, from $0.99 to $9.99 in dollar steps and up through $14.99, $49.99, $99.99 and $499.99. Viewers in other countries pay a local price YouTube sets from the creator's choice, and Help notes pricing updates rolling out gradually since May 2025, so two members of one level can pay different amounts. The creator gets 70% of net revenue, paid through AdSense for YouTube; refunds are taken from the creator's share.
YouTube's own advice is to offer at least three levels, low, middle and high, and to set the lowest price with care: if $2.99 would not bring twice as many members as $5.99, the higher price earns more.
Pauses and turning memberships off
Memberships pause if the channel is terminated, breaks monetization policies, loses monetization when it leaves or switches content owners, or is set as made for kids. The Join button disappears and payments stop. If the pause lasts 120 days, the program ends, every member loses access and is refunded their last monthly payment.
A creator can turn memberships off any time in Earn > Memberships > More > Disable channel memberships. Levels, members and perks are not kept, every recurring payment is canceled, and viewers must join again if memberships come back (YouTube Help).
How memberships started
YouTube renamed its Sponsorships test to channel memberships on Jun 21, 2018 and opened it to channels with more than 100,000 subscribers, at a single price of $4.99 a month. George Vanous, who runs the Freedom! network, covered the launch for his creators that year in "100% revenue share to you - Channel Memberships!": then, YouTube alone picked the channels that got the Join button as early access, and it was turned on from the features page of the old Creator Studio. The bar later fell with the Partner Program's fan funding tier, to 500 subscribers on Jun 13, 2023, and the single price became today's levels.
What creators say
In his 2018 launch video, George Vanous of Freedom! showed that the $4.99 membership cost about $2.41 (129 pesos) in the Philippines, and told viewers that a member is there to support a creator, so paying less should not be the goal.
He also asked his creators whether memberships were a great feature but "late to the party", since Twitch had long offered a $4.99 subscribe button to support streamers, and noted that most channels did not have it yet.
Frequently asked questions
How many subscribers do you need for channel memberships on YouTube? YouTube channel memberships open with the fan funding tier of the Partner Program: 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 watch hours in 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days.
How much does YouTube take from channel memberships? YouTube pays creators 70% of net channel membership revenue, so it keeps 30%.
How many membership levels can a YouTube channel have? Up to 6 levels, each with between 1 and 5 perks; higher levels include the perks of cheaper ones.
How much can a YouTube membership cost? In the US, a YouTube channel membership level can cost from $0.99 to $499.99 a month, in fixed price steps.
Can made for kids channels have memberships? No. YouTube does not allow channel memberships on channels set as made for kids, or on channels with many made for kids videos.
Is a channel membership the same as YouTube Premium? No. A YouTube channel membership supports one channel and gives its perks; YouTube Premium is a separate subscription that removes ads across YouTube and does not include memberships.
Sources
- Channel memberships eligibility, policies, and guidelines, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Create and manage channel membership levels and perks, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Channel membership pricing in North America, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Turn channel memberships on or off, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- YouTube partner earnings overview, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Overview of the expanded YouTube Partner Program, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Channel Memberships, YouTube Creators, Dec 16, 2021 (video)
- VidCon 2018: Helping creators earn more money and build stronger communities, YouTube Official Blog, Jun 21, 2018
- From Fan Funding to Shopping: More ways for creators to earn on YouTube, YouTube Official Blog, Jun 13, 2023
- 100% revenue share to you - Channel Memberships!, Freedom!, Aug 24, 2018 (video)
Moments
Channel Memberships
YouTube Creators
- YouTube channel memberships are monthly payments a viewer makes to one channel through its Join button, in return for…
- Once memberships are on, viewers see a Join button on the channel. YouTube Creators advises announcing them in a video…
- Levels are set in Earn > Memberships > Step 1: Add levels and perks > Edit, then Publish. Each level needs between 1…
- Removing a level removes everyone at that level at once, and they are refunded their last month's payment (YouTube…
- YouTube's own advice is to offer at least three levels, low, middle and high, and to set the lowest price with care…
★ 100% revenue share to you - Channel Memberships!
Freedom!
- YouTube renamed its Sponsorships test to channel memberships on Jun 21, 2018 and opened it to channels with more than…
- In his 2018 launch video, George Vanous of Freedom! showed that the $4.99 membership cost about $2.41 (129 pesos) in…
- He also asked his creators whether memberships were a great feature but "late to the party", since Twitch had long…
Related
- Gifts and JewelsOn YouTube live streams, viewers buy Jewels and spend them on animated gifts; the creator earns Rubies, worth one cent each at launch. Gifts started on vertical live streams in the US in November 2024 and now work on vertical and horizontal streams in many countries, for channels in the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program.
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Inauthentic and Reused ContentYouTube does not pay for mass-produced, templated or repetitive videos (inauthentic content, called repetitious content before Jul 15, 2025) or for other people's material reposted without meaningful changes (reused content). Both are judged across the whole channel, even with the owner's permission.
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Partner Program Changes in 2027From Feb 1, 2027, new YouTube Partner Program applicants need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in a year or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days, Shorts revenue needs 10 million Shorts views every 90 days, and every partner must accept new terms in YouTube Studio by Jan 31, 2027.
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Reaction Videos and CompilationsYouTube monetizes reaction videos when you comment on the original, and compilations when you add a storyline and commentary. Mostly silent reactions, unnarrated clip compilations, social media clip roundups and mixes of different artists' songs are not eligible, even with permission.
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Super Chat and Super StickersSuper Chat lets YouTube viewers pay to highlight a message in a live stream or Premiere chat, and Super Stickers to post an animated sticker there. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program (500 subscribers) and get 70% of net revenue.
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Super ThanksSuper Thanks lets YouTube viewers tip a creator on an ordinary video or Short; the buyer sees a one-time animation and posts a highlighted comment. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program and keep 70% of net revenue.
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US Tax WithholdingEvery YouTube Partner Program creator must give Google US tax info in AdSense for YouTube. Creators outside the US who do are taxed 0 to 30% on earnings from US viewers only, depending on their country's tax treaty; individuals who do not can lose 24% of all their YouTube earnings worldwide.
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YouTube ShoppingYouTube Shopping lets creators show products in their videos, Shorts, live streams and channel store. Partners can sell their own merch, and in 18 countries join the Shopping affiliate program (500 subscribers since Mar 25, 2026) to tag other brands' products and earn a commission set by the brand.
See also
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YouTube Partner ProgramThe YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is how creators earn from YouTube. Ads need 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days; fan funding and Shopping open earlier, at 500 subscribers. New applicants need 8,000 hours or 20 million Shorts views from Feb 1, 2027.
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YouTube PremiumYouTube Premium is YouTube's paid plan: videos without ads, background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium, an enhanced-bitrate 1080p, Jump ahead and more. In the US it costs $15.99 a month for one person and $26.99 for a family as of Nov 6, 2026; Premium Lite is a cheaper, mostly ad-free plan without music.
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Made for KidsEvery YouTube creator must say whether each video is made for kids, children under 13 in the US, in YouTube Studio under Settings > Channel > Advanced settings or per video. Made for kids videos lose comments, personalized ads, the notification bell, end screens and more, a rule that came from YouTube's $170 million COPPA settlement with the FTC in 2019.
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AdSense for YouTubeAdSense for YouTube is the Google account that pays YouTube creators. Earnings are credited between the 7th and 12th of each month and paid between the 21st and 26th once the balance reaches the $100 payment threshold, after the address is verified with a mailed PIN at $10.
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Advertiser-Friendly GuidelinesYouTube's advertiser-friendly guidelines decide whether a monetized video can earn full ads (green dollar icon), limited ads (yellow) or none. They cover 14 topics, from language and violence to controversial issues, and partners rate their own videos through self-certification and can ask for a human review.
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Creator PartnershipsYouTube Creator Partnerships, called BrandConnect until March 2026, is YouTube's marketplace where brands find creators for paid deals. Creators 18 or older in the YouTube Partner Program set a suggested price in YouTube Studio; the brand pays the creator directly, and the video must be marked as a paid promotion.