How to Make a YouTube Channel (Personal or Brand Account)

Starting a YouTube channel feels like a big step, but the setup itself takes a few minutes. The bit that trips people up is choosing between a personal channel and a channel with a different name, such as your business. I'll walk you through both, following YouTube's own help centre, and I'll point out the decisions that are worth getting right on day one because they're fiddly to change later.

Before you make your YouTube channel

You'll need a Google Account to sign in. YouTube's help page explains that you can watch videos and subscribe to other channels without a channel of your own, but you need one to upload videos, leave comments or make playlists. If you're signed in with a supervised account, for example a child's account managed by a parent, you may not be able to create a channel at all.

Have three things ready before you start: a profile picture (a clear headshot or your logo), the name you want people to see, and a handle. The handle is the short @name that people can use to find you. If you're unsure how the two differ, my guide to the difference between a YouTube channel name and handle covers it in a few minutes.

Create a personal YouTube channel on a computer

This channel uses the name on your Google Account by default, although you can type a different name during setup. YouTube's help centre gives these steps for a desktop browser, and they also work on the mobile version of the website.

1. Sign in to YouTube in your browser.
2. Click your profile picture in the top right corner, then click Settings.
3. In the Account section, select Add or manage channel(s).
4. Click Create a channel.
5. Choose a profile picture and enter your name and handle.
6. Click Create channel.

That's it. Your channel exists and you can start uploading straight away.

Set up a YouTube channel with a business or brand name

If you'd like the channel to carry your business name rather than your own, YouTube creates it as a Brand Account. The big advantage is that you can later add other people as owners or managers without sharing your personal Google login, which is why I'd suggest this route for most small businesses.

1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or the mobile website.
2. Open your channel list (the same Add or manage channel(s) page in Settings).
3. Click Create a new channel. You can also pick an existing Brand Account from the list, but if that Brand Account already has a channel you can't make another one on it.
4. Choose a profile picture, a name and a handle.
5. Click Create channel. YouTube creates the new Brand Account at the same time.

Personal YouTube channel or Brand Account: which to pick

Question	Personal channel	Brand Account channel
Whose name does it use?	Your Google Account name by default	Any name you choose, such as your business
Can other people help manage it?	It's tied to your own login	Yes, you can add owners and managers
Good for	Hobby channels and personal creators	Businesses, teams and anyone planning to hand over tasks

If there's any chance you'll want a VA, a colleague or an agency to upload for you one day, start with a Brand Account. Moving things around afterwards is possible, but it's far less hassle to set it up the right way first. If you ever need to hand the whole thing to someone else, I've written about moving a YouTube channel to another email address.

Can you make a YouTube channel in the phone app?

YouTube's help article gives its steps for a desktop browser and for the mobile website, not for the app, and menus in the app vary by version. If you're on a phone, the simplest approach is to open youtube.com in your phone's browser, request the desktop site if you need to, and follow the steps above. Once the channel exists, you can manage it from the YouTube app and the YouTube Studio app.

What to do after creating your YouTube channel

A brand new channel looks a bit bare, so here's the short list I'd work through before your first video goes out:

• Add a short description that says who the channel is for and what they'll get from it.
• Upload a banner and check the profile picture looks sharp at small sizes.
• Add links to your website and other social profiles.
• Verify your account at youtube.com/verify. YouTube's help page says verification lets you upload videos longer than 15 minutes, add custom thumbnails and live stream.
• Plan your first three videos so the channel doesn't sit empty after the first one.

When you're ready for the first one, follow my step-by-step guide on uploading a video to YouTube from a computer or phone.

If the create channel button isn't there on YouTube

• Check you're signed in with the right Google Account. Click your profile picture and use Switch account if you've got more than one.
• If you're using a work or school Google account, your administrator may have turned YouTube off.
• Supervised accounts may not be able to create channels, according to YouTube's help centre.
• If you chose an existing Brand Account that already has a channel, you can't create a second one on it. Pick Create a new channel instead.
• Try a desktop browser if the mobile app doesn't show the option.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a YouTube channel to watch videos?

No. YouTube's help page says you can watch and subscribe without a channel. You only need one to upload, comment or make playlists.

Can you run more than one YouTube channel?

Yes. Each extra channel is created as a Brand Account from your channel list, and each Brand Account can hold one channel.

Can I change my YouTube channel name later?

Yes, you can change the name and handle after setup in YouTube Studio, so don't let the choice stop you starting.

Should a small business use a personal channel?

I'd use a Brand Account, because it lets you add managers later without sharing your personal login.

Why should I verify my YouTube account?

YouTube's help centre says verifying lets you upload videos longer than 15 minutes, add custom thumbnails and live stream.