YouTube Channel (Brand Account)

What you're building: a YouTube channel that belongs to the business, not to any employee. Two facts make this work:

1. Every channel hangs off a Google account. Creating an additional channel with a business name creates a Brand Account — a business identity that real people manage from their own Google logins. Nobody ever shares a password.
2. Teammates and agencies get access through YouTube Studio → Settings → Permissions (the modern, Google-recommended way) or Brand Account roles.

⛔ Before you start — you must have ALL of these

Part A — Create the channel (10 min)

Step 1 — Sign in

Sign in to youtube.com (desktop) with the client's business Google account.

Step 2 — Create the personal channel if none exists

Click the profile picture (top right) → Create a channel → accept the defaults → Create channel. (This base channel takes 30 seconds; the business channel comes next.)

Step 3 — Create the BUSINESS channel (Brand Account)

1. Profile picture → Settings.
2. Click Add or manage your channel(s).
3. Click Create a new channel.
4. Enter the business name, handle, and upload the profile picture → Create channel.

👀 You should see: a brand-new empty channel with the business name — and from now on, clicking the profile picture → Switch account shows both channels. Always double-check which channel you're in before doing anything.

🚩 On a phone? Stop — the mobile apps can't do this. Use a computer.

📸 images/05-step-3.png — the channel list with "Create a new channel," and the channel switcher showing both.

Part B — Give people access WITHOUT sharing passwords (10 min)

Step 4 — Invite via Studio Permissions (the modern way)

1. Go to studio.youtube.com — confirm the top-left shows the business channel.
2. Left menu → Settings → Permissions.
3. Click Invite, enter the person's Google email.
4. Pick a role → Done → Save. They accept by email.

Roles, in plain words:

Who gets what: client staff who run the channel → Manager. Agency → Editor (or Editor-limited). The client's account stays the owner.

📸 images/05-step-4.png — Settings → Permissions with the Invite dialog open.

🚩 If the channel offers "Move permissions" from Brand Account roles: that's Google's migration to Studio permissions. Fine to accept — but the moment you opt in, old Brand Account managers are dropped, so re-invite everyone in the same sitting.

Part C — Verify the phone to unlock features (5 min)

Step 5 — Verify

Go to youtube.com/verify (while in the business channel) → choose text or call → enter the 6-digit code.

👀 You should see: "Congratulations! Your YouTube account is now verified." This unlocks the intermediate features: uploads longer than 15 minutes, custom thumbnails, and live streaming (live has an extra 24-hour activation wait after enabling).

Advanced features (higher upload limits, clickable external links in descriptions, etc.) unlock later via Studio → Settings → Channel → Feature eligibility — through clean channel history over ~2 months, or an optional video/ID verification. Not needed on day 1.

Part D — Brand and configure the channel (20 min)

All in studio.youtube.com → Customization (two tabs: Profile and Home; older accounts may still show Layout/Branding/Basic info — same fields).

Step 6 — Profile tab

1. Banner: upload the 2560×1440 art → check the device preview (desktop/mobile/TV) → everything important inside the safe area → Publish.
2. Video watermark: upload the square logo → display setting Entire video.
3. Description: paste the approved copy. The first ~150 characters show in search — lead with what the business does, for whom, and where.
4. Links: add up to 14 (website first — the first link shows prominently next to the Subscribe button).
5. Contact info: the business email (viewers see it behind a CAPTCHA).

👀 You should see: the channel page with banner, circular logo, description, and the website link in the header.

📸 images/05-step-6.png — the finished channel header with banner safe-area preview.

Step 7 — Settings that prevent disasters

Studio → Settings → Channel:

1. Basic info: country + channel keywords (the services/topics the business covers).
2. Advanced settings → Audience: set "No, set this channel as not made for kids" (assuming a normal business channel). ⚠️ Getting this wrong either kills comments/end screens or creates COPPA legal risk — do not skip.

Step 8 — Upload defaults

Studio → Settings → Upload defaults: default description boilerplate (business blurb + website + phone + social links), default visibility, and category. Every future upload starts consistent instead of empty.

Step 9 — Home tab layout

1. Channel trailer: 30–90 second intro video shown to non-subscribers (who you are, what you do, why subscribe). Record one even if it's simple.
2. Featured video for returning subscribers.
3. Add sections (up to 12): uploads, a Shorts shelf, and one playlist per service line.

Part E — Publishing rules (hand to whoever runs the channel)

• Cadence: consistency beats volume — a sustainable default is 1 long-form/week + 2–3 Shorts. Batch-record monthly.
• Shorts: any vertical video up to 3 minutes counts as a Short (since late 2024). The 30–60 second range performs best. Shorts = discovery; long-form = trust and conversion; link them.
• Titles: ≤70 characters, main keyword in the first ~40.
• Descriptions: first two sentences carry the weight; include the site link and a CTA. Add chapters (3+ timestamps, first at 0:00, each ≥10 s) on anything long.
• Thumbnails: custom, 1280×720, ≤4 words, consistent brand style — the single biggest click-through lever.
• End screens (videos ≥25 s, last 5–20 s: up to 4 elements) and cards (up to 5): always point viewers at another video, playlist, or Subscribe.
• Playlists: one per service line; they're independently searchable and feed the Home sections.

✅ DO / ❌ DON'T

☑ Definition of Done

• Business channel exists as a Brand Account under the client's Google account; handle set
• Everyone invited via Studio Permissions with correct roles; zero shared passwords; client = owner
• Phone verified — >15-min uploads, custom thumbnails, live unlocked
• Banner (safe-area checked on all three previews), profile picture, watermark, description, links, contact email
• Country, channel keywords, and made-for-kids setting configured
• Upload defaults saved
• Channel trailer + featured video set; sections/playlists built
• Publishing rules + cadence handed to the channel runner
• All logins recorded in the client's password-manager entry
• 📸 screenshots captured at every marked step and saved to images/