YouTube channel memberships let viewers pay you monthly for perks such as badges, emoji, members-only posts, videos and live chats. YouTube’s help page says creators get 70% of membership revenue after applicable taxes and fees are deducted, and that YouTube currently covers transaction costs, including credit card fees. You can create up to 6 membership levels, each with 1 to 5 perks.
Memberships are part of fan funding in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which opens at 500 subscribers, 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days and either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. At Earn by Creating, we check every threshold against YouTube’s own help pages and date the guide.
Channel Membership Requirements
You can turn on memberships when your channel meets every line below. YouTube Studio shows your progress under the Earn tab.
| Requirement | What YouTube lists |
|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 |
| Recent uploads | 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days |
| Watch time or Shorts views | 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days |
| Program | Accepted into the YouTube Partner Program, with the terms that cover memberships accepted |
| Location | You live in one of the available locations, a list of over 100 countries and regions |
| Audience setting | Your channel is not set as made for kids and does not have a significant number of made-for-kids videos |
YouTube’s help page also says some videos cannot carry membership features, including videos set as made for kids and videos with music claims. Some music channels can be ineligible too. If you work with a multi-channel network (MCN), you and the network both need to accept the terms.
These are the same fan funding thresholds as Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks. Ad revenue opens later, at 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views. Our YouTube monetization requirements guide covers both tiers, and the YouTube monetization checker shows how close your channel is.
How Much You Keep From Memberships
YouTube’s help page says creators get 70% of membership revenue after applicable taxes and fees are deducted. It also says all transaction costs, including credit card fees, are currently covered by YouTube, so they do not come out of your 70%.
Two things can lower what reaches you:
- An MCN share. YouTube warns that some MCNs take an extra revenue share, so your membership revenue may be lower than 70%. Check your network contract.
- Refunds. If a member gets a refund, YouTube deducts your share from your AdSense for YouTube account.
Membership income arrives with your other YouTube earnings through AdSense for YouTube. Unlike ad revenue, it does not move with your view count each month. That can make memberships a steadier stream for channels with a loyal audience.
Membership Levels and Pricing
You can create up to 6 membership levels, and each level must have between 1 and 5 perks. The highest-priced levels automatically get the perks of the lower-priced levels, so a member who pays more always gets everything below them too. YouTube reviews new levels and perks against its membership policies before they go live, which the help page says takes about a day.
You choose each level’s price from the options YouTube offers in Studio. YouTube then sets what members in other countries pay, based on the price you choose, and publishes regional pricing pages for each area. Do not plan around a price range you read on a third-party site. Use what YouTube Studio shows for your channel.
A simple structure that works for many channels:
- One entry level with a badge, custom emoji and a monthly members-only post. Low effort for you, low price for fans.
- One middle level with something extra each month, such as an early-access video or a members-only live stream.
- A higher level only if members ask for more, such as a monthly members-only Q&A.
Starting with fewer levels is easier to keep up. Members cancel when a promised perk stops arriving.
Perks Members Pay For, and Perks YouTube Bans
YouTube’s help page lists perks such as loyalty badges, custom emoji, members-only posts, members-only videos and members-only live chats. Channels add their own on top, such as early access to videos, behind-the-scenes clips, polls on what to make next and shout-outs.
YouTube also lists perks you cannot offer:
- Content downloads
- In-person one-on-one meetings
- Random-selection prizes, such as contests, lotteries and sweepstakes
- Perks targeted at children
Pick perks you can deliver every month without burning out. A members-only post you write in 20 minutes keeps members longer than an ambitious perk you deliver twice and then drop.
How to Turn On Channel Memberships
- Check eligibility. Open YouTube Studio, go to Earn and confirm memberships are available for your channel.
- Turn on memberships. Follow the memberships setup in the Earn section. If you are in an MCN, the network may need to turn it on.
- Create your levels. Name each level, pick its price and add 1 to 5 perks.
- Wait for review. YouTube checks levels and perks against its policies, which takes about a day.
- Tell viewers. Mention memberships in videos and live streams, and explain exactly what members get.
If you ever pause memberships, keep an eye on the clock. YouTube’s help page says that if your channel stays in paused mode for more than 120 days, the program ends and members are refunded their last monthly payment.
Memberships vs Other YouTube Income
| Income stream | Opens at | Who pays | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel memberships | Fan funding tier (500 subscribers plus uploads and watch time or Shorts views) | Your members, monthly | Loyal audiences who want more from you |
| Super Chat and Super Stickers | Fan funding tier | Live viewers | Channels that stream with active chat |
| Super Thanks | Fan funding tier | Viewers on uploads | Helpful videos viewers want to thank you for |
| Ad revenue | 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views | Advertisers, through YouTube | Channels with large view counts |
| Sponsorships | No YouTube minimum | Brands | Channels with a clear niche |
Long-form creators keep 55% of ad revenue on their videos, and Shorts creators keep 45% of their allocation from the Shorts pool, but ad pay per view varies widely. Our guide on how much YouTube pays per view explains why, and how to make money on YouTube covers every stream.
Taxes on Membership Income
In the US, membership income is self-employment income. Self-employment tax is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare) on net earnings once those earnings reach $400, and you may need to make quarterly estimated payments using Form 1040-ES. The Modern Wallet covers YouTube taxes in more detail. This is general information, so talk to a tax professional about your own situation.
Who Should Not Turn On Memberships Yet
If your viewers mostly find you through one-off search videos and rarely come back, memberships will sell slowly, because people join channels they feel part of. Build a regular series or live streams first, then add memberships. If your comments are full of returning viewers who ask for more, turn memberships on as soon as you qualify.
What would change this advice: if YouTube changed the fan funding thresholds or the 70% share, the numbers above would need updating, so check YouTube Help before you plan.
Open YouTube Studio today, check the Earn tab, and write down one perk you could deliver every month for a year.