Are you a YouTube creator struggling to forge deeper connections with your audience? Wondering if YouTube channel memberships are the key to sustainable monetization without alienating your viewers?
While many content creators turn to this familiar platform feature, it’s not always the optimal choice for building a thriving community and maximizing your earnings potential.
In this handy guide, we’ll cover:
- How to qualify for YouTube channel memberships
- The pros and cons
- How much they cost and how much you can earn
- Who are they best for
We’ll also introduce you to a more powerful alternative that can take your content creation career to new heights.
Whether you’re just starting to monetize or looking to expand your existing community, this article will help you make an informed decision about the best path forward for your unique creator journey.
YouTube channel memberships: everything you need to know
How to qualify for YouTube Memberships
Before we dive into how YouTube channel memberships work, you need to know if you qualify.
The minimum fan funding requirements are:
- Your channel must be part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You must agree to YouTube’s terms and policies
- You must reside in one of the locations where channel memberships, Super Chat & Super Stickers, and Super Thanks are available
In addition to the above, you must also meet the following requirements to take advantage of the channel membership program:
- You must have over 1,000 subscribers
- You’ll need 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10M valid Shorts views in the last 90 days
- You must live in one of the available countries
- Your channel cannot be set as “made for kids”
- Your channel cannot have a significant number of videos set as “made for kids”
- Your videos cannot have claimed music
Keep in mind, you also have to meet certain qualifications once you turn on YouTube channel memberships to remain active. You can’t create just any content and perks you want for subscribers. You have to follow YouTube’s guidelines – some of which can be quite limiting.
For example, you can’t offer 1:1 meetings, contests for only some of your members, or content downloads from YouTube.
It’s worth noting that in September 2024, YouTube launched “communities,” a Discord-like space within a creator’s channel, which is separate from the memberships feature but can be used by fans to post and interact with others directly on the creator’s channel.
However, if you’re looking for more control in setting up a membership video site and want more freedom with the perks you offer, look into an alternative video membership platform.
Now, to help you get a better idea of how YouTube channel memberships look, let’s see some examples.
Examples of real YouTube Memberships
Rose and Rosie – 4 membership tiers
Rose and Rosie have almost 1M subscribers and a thriving membership community. On the right of their profile page, you’ll see a join button. When subscribers click this button, a pop-up appears with the option to join different membership tiers.
Rose and Rosie offer 4 different tiers, ranging from $.99/month for the “Tiny Taddies” to $14.99 for the “Frog Royale” members.
New members of each different tier get different membership perks. At the highest paid membership level, people get all the perks the lower tiers have, including loyalty badges, custom emojis, a members-only live stream, and an exclusive video at the end of the month. In addition, they get access to:
- Personalized video message raffle
- Members-only live streams
- Members-only podcast
- Dinner with Rose and Rosie once a month.
Hughwizzy – 3 tiers
Hughwizzy is another popular YouTuber with a membership account. But the difference in his membership is the possibility of customizing membership tiers to your community.
When you click on “join,” there are three tiers, ranging from $3.99 to $19.99 in price. You’ll also notice he offers loyalty badges and custom emojis, but they are significantly different in style from Rose and Rosie.
Hughwizzy also requires a higher subscription price for his top tier than Rose and Rosie, but the only additional offering is member-only exclusive posts.
Pros and Cons of YouTube channel memberships
YouTube memberships offer creators a way to monetize their content directly through their most dedicated fans. For subscribers, it’s an opportunity to support their favorite creators while gaining access to exclusive perks.
Let’s break down what’s included in the program and examine its advantages and disadvantages.
What’s included for subscribers
- Exclusive content (posts, videos, live streams)
- Custom emoji for use in comments and live chats
- Loyalty badges next to their username
- Members-only community posts
- Potential for direct interaction with creators
What’s included for creators
- Additional revenue stream
- Tools to offer tiered membership levels (up to 5 tiers)
- Ability to create member-exclusive content
- Enhanced engagement with core audience
- Integration with existing YouTube features
There’s no doubt about it – YouTube Channel Memberships is one of the more straightforward ways for creators to monetize their content and engage with their biggest fans, especially if they already have a large following on the platform.
However, they do come with limitations that may not suit every creator’s needs.
The recent introduction of the “communities” feature shows YouTube’s commitment to enhancing creator-fan interactions. This could potentially complement the memberships program, but it’s still not as feature-rich and flexible as dedicated community platforms.
Combined with the restrictions on customization, the high revenue share taken by YouTube, and the dependency on the platform’s policies and algorithm, you get a product that’s not very reliable or optimized for success.
This is why creators must carefully consider whether the benefits outweigh the limitations, especially if they want to build a sustainable, independent business around their content.
For viewers, the ease of supporting creators directly through a familiar platform is appealing, but the proliferation of membership options across multiple channels could lead to subscription fatigue. As the creator economy continues to evolve, both creators and viewers will need to navigate these trade-offs to find the most valuable and sustainable ways to support and engage with unique content.
Cost and monetization
Creating a membership is technically free, but YouTube will take 30% of your earnings – so in the long run, that could prove to be very expensive. How much you earn from YouTube channel memberships varies depending on how many subscribers you have, what tier level they pay for, and how much you charge.
Generally, it can be hard to put a higher price tag as the offerings are not that impressive, and fans might not find it that tempting. And the higher you charge, the more money YouTube will get as a commission.
Which leads us to the next important question…
Channel memberships on YouTube: who are they best for?
To understand if YouTube channel memberships are the best way to monetize your videos and connect with your community, it’s important to understand your current personal brand and business goals.
YouTube channel memberships are great for creators with:
- A large YouTube following
- An audience who prefers engaging on YouTube
- A strong and recognizable personal brand
- A desire to monetize but not to create a full-fledged business
Take YouTuber Don Townsend, for example.
He has over 178K subscribers and works within a niche that’s popular on YouTube. He creates reaction and review videos to anime and story gameplay.
His already loyal audience can support his content with one of his two membership offerings paid as a monthly fee. Subscribers can choose the $6.99 a month or $14.99 a month options.
So, are YouTube channel memberships worth it?
The answer is it depends.
While there are benefits of a channel membership for the right type of creator, there are also several drawbacks – especially for those who want to build a thriving online membership site.
Limitations include:
- High YouTube cut. YouTube takes 30% of all your earnings! (Yes, we used an exclamation point because that’s an alarmingly high cut.)
- Algorithm changes. When you build your audience on a platform you don’t own, you’re at the mercy of YouTube’s algorithm. In other words, if YouTube decides to stop prioritizing your content, you have no control as the channel owner.
👀Side note: Remember when the high-profile gaming YouTuber Markiplier had an incident in 2019 where his fans were banned from YouTube for spamming emotes during a live stream? This wasn’t a direct suspension, but it shows how much control YouTube has over your audience.
- Lack of control. YouTube has stringent terms and conditions. They also have a ton of rules on what memberships can and can’t include in their offerings. If your audience will respond to different incentives, seek out another option.
- Changing pricing structures. YouTube has a habit of changing its pricing structure. There is no guarantee that you will be able to keep charging what you’re charging, or that they won’t change their cut of your earnings.
We published a video with a little more detail and it’s worth the watch to help navigate the pros and cons 👇
Choosing the right video membership platform depends on your goals, audience, and the type of content you want to produce. If you have a big audience on YouTube and like YouTube’s guidelines, it may be a good option.
But if you want to own your audience and to build a bigger and more flexible membership community, you might want to look for an alternative solution.
Uscreen: a way to monetize your videos that YOU control
Uscreen is an independent video monetization platform that allows video creators to monetize their content directly through subscriber memberships and earn income from viewers who pay a recurring fee for access to exclusive, perks, and community interaction.
The main difference between this and YouTube is that creators have total control over what the website looks like, what’s included in the content library, what perks are on offer, and what the prices are.
Independent video memberships are built specifically for creative entrepreneurs who want to turn their content membership into a full-fledged, profitable, scalable business – without the limitations of YouTube.
Uscreen in action: SarahBethYoga
Sarah Beth is a yoga teacher of 14 years with over 1.74M subscribers on YouTube, but she still struggled to optimize her revenue streams and reach a sustainable model that allows her to teach and connect with her audience. When she partnered with Uscreen, she was able to create a modern website as well as branded TV and mobile apps, allowing her to reach her subscribers where they are most comfortable.
Having apps in addition to my membership site changed the game. The apps are the selling point. People now want to be able to access everything from their devices, whether it’s their phone or their TV, and my Roku app is gorgeous. My mobile apps are gorgeous and easy to use, and my users want that. They want to be able to download their content to take it with them.
YouTube is still extremely important, but not as a membership tool. Instead, she uses it as the top of her sales funnel – the place to build up her overall influence and easily reach her target audience by sending the right message. From then on, she gives the most loyal members and people who are looking for more content the option to join a membership – either by paying a monthly fee or an annual one (something that is not possible with YouTube).
And the results speak for themselves! After launching her membership site, Sarah Beth grew her business x10 times!
Engaging community features
Uscreen’s community features transform your membership into a vibrant, interactive space where content and conversation become one. Unlike fragmented experiences on platforms like YouTube, Uscreen integrates community directly into your subscription service. Members can watch content, ask questions, and connect with peers all in one place.
With customizable public and private channels, user-generated videos, social profiles, and community challenges, you have the tools to foster authentic interactions and deep connections. The community is fully integrated with mobile apps, allowing push notifications to keep members engaged 24/7.
As a matter of fact, creators report up to 50% higher member retention when including community features, often cited as the most valuable aspect of memberships. By providing a focused, valuable community experience, Uscreen helps you build a sustainable, engaged audience that sees your offering as more than just content – it’s a digital home for like-minded individuals.
Monetization opportunities
Uscreen comes with various monetization tools, allowing creators to diversify their revenue streams and maximize earnings. The platform supports pricing models, including subscriptions, pay-per-view, rentals, and one-time purchases.
Like YouTube memberships, you can create tiered membership plans, but you could also offer free trials and set up bundles to cater to different audience segments. The system integrates seamlessly with major payment processors like Stripe and PayPal, accepting over 130 international currencies.
Another difference is that you can create high-converting checkout pages and customizable branding options to help boost sales instead of relying on those small windows in YouTube. The platform also enables creators to build affiliate programs, track royalties, and manage payouts effortlessly.
With in-app purchases available on mobile and TV apps, you can capture revenue wherever your audience prefers to engage. Reliable analytics tools provide insights to optimize your monetization strategy, helping you increase lifetime value and reduce churn.
Uscreen’s flexible approach ensures you can monetize your content on your terms, creating a sustainable business model.
Embrace the full potential with an independent video membership community
YouTube Channel Memberships can be a good fit for creators with a large YouTube following who are comfortable with the platform’s restrictions and revenue share. However, for those looking to build a sustainable, independent business with more control and flexibility, an independent video membership platform like Uscreen offers compelling advantages.
Consider the success of Frances Long, who transformed her YouTube channel “Your Book of Memories” into a thriving independent membership site and even meeting people in person in 2024!
By switching to Uscreen, Frances increased her monthly earnings from $380 to $4,000 in just four months, all while maintaining her YouTube presence as a conversion tool.
Whether you’re just starting to monetize or looking to expand your existing community, it’s crucial to choose a platform that aligns with your long-term goals. If you’re ready to take full control of your content, community, and revenue, it’s time to explore the possibilities of an independent membership platform.
Ready to unlock your content’s full potential? Book a demo with Uscreen today.
Build, launch and manage your membership, all in one place.
YouTube Channel Memberships FAQ
How much you can earn with YouTube channel memberships varies widely depending on several factors:
1. Your number of subscribers
2. The percentage of subscribers who become members
3. The pricing tiers you set
4. The value of perks you offer
Some creators with large, engaged audiences can earn thousands of dollars monthly. However, YouTube takes a 30% cut of all membership revenue. Additionally, earnings can fluctuate based on member retention and YouTube’s ever-changing algorithms. For most creators, channel memberships are just one part of a diversified income strategy rather than a primary revenue source.
YouTube channel membership is a feature available to YouTube partners where viewers can pay a monthly fee for access to exclusive badges, emojis, and content.
The YouTube Partner Program is YouTube’s monetization system that allows content creators to earn money from ads, channel memberships, and YouTube Premium revenue.
As a channel owner, you can turn channel memberships on or off in your YouTube Studio. YouTube creators can go to the monetization tab, select memberships, and there you can enable or disable the feature.
Remember that turning off memberships will result in all active members losing their membership benefits and you’ll need to reapply if you want to enable it later.
YouTube takes a 30% cut of the revenue generated from channel memberships. This means if a viewer pays $5 for a membership, YouTube keeps $1.50 and the creator gets $3.50.
When a viewer becomes a member of your YouTube channel, they pay a recurring monthly fee in exchange for special perks you offer like exclusive badges, new emojis, Members-only videos, live chats, or other exclusive content.
The specific perks depend on the tier of membership and are set by the channel creator.
