How to Create a YouTube Channel: Brand Account and Handle

To create a YouTube channel, sign in to YouTube, open Settings, choose "Add or manage your channel", click "Create a channel", and set a name and handle. According to Google Help, you only need a Google Account to watch videos, like, and subscribe, but you need a channel to upload, comment, and create playlists. For a business or team channel, create it as a Brand Account from the start so you can add managers and run it together (as of October 9, 2026).

How to create a YouTube channel: 6 steps for a personal channel

The steps are the same on desktop and the mobile site. A personal channel runs under your own Google Account name and profile. It is the simplest option.

1. Sign in to YouTube.
2. Click your profile picture at the top right to open Settings.
3. In the Account section, choose Add or manage your channel.
4. Click Create a channel.
5. Pick a profile picture, then enter a channel name and a handle (the @address that points to your channel).
6. Click Create channel again.

After creating it, click your profile picture to check that your channel appears and that the youtube.com/@내핸들 address opens. Once you set a handle, a youtube.com/@handle address is created automatically. Accounts that use YouTube in a supervised experience may not be able to create a channel, so in that case create it with a different account.

Choose between a personal channel and a Brand Account channel

Google Help says a channel shared by several managers or owners should be connected to a Brand Account. The same method applies if you want to use a name different from your Google Account name.

Item	Personal channel	Brand Account channel
Best for	Channels you run alone	Company or brand channels, and channels managed by several people
Where to create it	Settings > Add or manage your channel > Create a channel	Channel list > Create a new channel
Adding managers	You run it directly with your Google Account	Add owners and managers to run it together

To create a brand channel, click Create a new channel in the channel list, set a profile picture, name, and handle, then click Create channel. A new Brand Account is created. Add owners and managers next if you need them. You cannot create a new channel in a Brand Account that already has one. Select that account in the list and you switch to its existing channel.

Set up your channel name, handle, profile, and banner

Right after creating the channel, go to Customization > Profile in YouTube Studio to set up your handle, profile picture, and banner. Changes only take effect after you click Publish. The photo and banner specs follow the channel branding help page.

Item	Spec
Profile picture	JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG (no animated GIFs), 15MB or less, displayed at 98×98 pixels, square or round image recommended
Minimum banner upload	2048×1152 pixels at a 16:9 ratio
Recommended banner	2560×1440 pixels, 6MB or less
Safe area for text and logos	Keep them within 1235×338 pixels to avoid cropping

Banners can be cropped depending on the device and view, so keep your channel name or logo in the center. You can change your handle 2 times within 14 days, so it is better to start with a short name that matches your brand.

Add channel managers and set permissions

For a Brand Account channel, send invitations from the Permissions menu in YouTube Studio settings. Go to Settings > Permissions > Invite, enter the email, choose a role, and click Done. An invitation expires 30 days after it is sent. For a Brand Account, you first need to switch it to channel permissions.

Role	Can do	Cannot do
Owner	Everything, including deleting the channel, managing permissions, and linking Google Ads	Transfer ownership
Manager	Manage permissions, edit channel details, publish and delete content	Delete the channel
Editor	Edit most things, upload and publish	Delete, manage permissions
Editor (limited)	Same as Editor	Access revenue data
Subtitles editor	Edit subtitles on eligible videos	Every other edit
Viewer	View channel info and revenue data	Edit
Viewer (limited)	Same as Viewer	Access revenue data

Give outsourced video editors the Editor role or lower so they can upload. Give ad agencies a limited role if they do not need revenue data. This helps prevent accidents like channel deletion or permission changes.

Upload your first video and verify your phone

In the YouTube Studio app, tap Create at the top, choose a file, enter a title and visibility, select whether the video is made for kids in the next step, and then tap Upload video. Vertical or square videos of 3 minutes or less are uploaded as Shorts. You must choose the made-for-kids option because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Videos over 15 minutes, custom thumbnails, and live streams require you to complete phone number verification. To confirm that the visibility you chose at upload is correct, check after uploading that the video shows on your channel page.

Common mistakes when creating a YouTube channel

Mistake	Problem	How to fix it
Creating a company channel as a personal channel	Google's guidance is to connect channels shared by several managers or owners to a Brand Account	Create a Brand Account channel with Create a new channel in the channel list (Help)
Trying to create a new channel in a Brand Account that already has one	Creation does not work	Select that Brand Account in the list and switch to the existing channel
Changing the handle often	You can change it only 2 times within 14 days	Set a handle that matches your brand name from the start (Help)
Placing text at the edge of the banner	The image is cropped depending on the device and view	Keep text and logos within 1235×338 pixels (Help)
Sending a permission invitation and leaving it	Invitations expire 30 days after they are sent	Ask the person to accept, and invite again if it expires

When can you apply for YouTube monetization

Creating a channel does not earn ad revenue right away. The YouTube Partner Program requires 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days. To apply, click Apply now in the Earn menu in Studio, agree to the terms, and link an AdSense account. Review usually takes about 1 month. Google announced that from February 1, 2027, the bar for new applicants will rise to 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views. If you plan to run ads, first look at the YouTube ad cost benchmarks.

Once you have created your channel and uploaded your first video, the next step is to polish your profile and banner, and invite permissions if you need managers.

FAQ: Creating a YouTube channel

Do I need a channel just to watch and subscribe?

No. Watching, liking, and subscribing work with a Google Account alone. Uploading, commenting, and playlists need a channel.

What happens to the old address when I change my handle?

The old handle is kept for 14 days so you can revert, and during that time both the old and new addresses open. After 14 days, another user can pick the old handle.

Can I add managers after creating the channel?

If the channel was created with a Brand Account, you can add them anytime by sending an invitation from the Permissions menu in Studio settings. The invitation must be accepted within 30 days of the day it was sent.