How to get a YouTube Play Button: A Complete guide to YouTube Creator Awards

From gamers and vloggers to media organizations and YT celebs, YouTube Play Buttons have become the hallmarks of victory for all types of creators on YouTube. 

First presented in 2012, YouTube Play Buttons are now one of the most coveted awards for a YT creator. If you’re peeking to reach your first Play Button but don’t know how we’ve wrapped all the bases in this comprehensive guide.  

But, before we jump into the components, let’s first understand what a YouTube Play Button is.

What is a YouTube Play Button?

YouTube Creator Awards were presented to celebrate creators getting certain subscriber milestones. It’s YouTube’s form of rewarding its most reliable creators, beginning with channels with 100,000 subscribers, right up to the most prominent YouTubers with over 100 million!

Given how many subscribers you require, you may be wondering how many people have worked to receive a coveted Play Button. It’s more than you might think.

Over 300,000 YouTubers have sufficient subscribers for a Silver YouTube Play Button. While there are millions of YouTube channels out there, it goes to indicate that getting a Play Button is an achievable plan to set for your channel.

Kind of YouTube Play Button?

There are three major YouTube Creator Awards to reward you for getting certain subscriber counts. And if you’re super-ambitious, there are also presently two extra special Creator Awards that YouTube hands out when your channel gets enormous.

1. YouTube Silver Play Button

This is the foremost Creator Award you can apply for once you shot 100,000 subscribers. There are over 300,000 channels suitable for a Silver Play Button and some creators even collect numerous Silver Play Buttons. JackSucksAtLife’s different channels have gained him Creator Awards in the double digits!

2. YouTube Gold Play Button

The Gold Play Button is provided to creators with over 1 million subscribers. Introduced before the Silver Play Button in 2012, there are now around 30,000 channels that have achieved this milestone.

3. YouTube Diamond Play Button

YouTube revealed the YouTube Diamond Play Button at VidCon 2015 for channels with over 10 million subscribers. They’ve since granted special 20 million subscriber performances to Marvel and America’s Got Talent too.

4. Custom Creator Award

This was initially christened the Ruby Play Button by Pewdiepie and is delivered to channels that have passed 50 million subscribers, including 5-Minute Crafts and Justin Bieber.

5. YouTube Red Diamond Play Button

The highest prize for YouTubers! Only seven have been handed out to channels that have reached 100 million subscribers, including Pewdiepie, T-Series, and Mr Beast.

Who is qualified for the YouTube Play Button?

You may have got an entire idea about the YouTube awards or play buttons. Now, is the time to know the eligibility measures to order or acquire the awards.

Recognize that only covering the subscriber’s milestone is not sufficient. You have to meet specific other needs to be qualified. Check these conditions carefully to sidestep any disruption in receiving your honors:

• Your channel must not have active Community guideline offenses. Or, you must not accept any violation signs in the last 365 days.
• You must give a defined subscriber milestone.
• You have an energetic YouTube account or channel with uploads within the last six months.
• Your channel must not include spammy, restricted content, deceptive, or fraud.
• Your channel must have original content.
• Your channel must follow all the terms of service, offered by YouTube.
• Your channel must not be arrested from the YouTube Partner Program before.
• Your channel must not be removed or linked with an account that has been terminated.

Besides this, YouTube creators must belong to the countries that are qualified for this program. YouTube Creators Award is not qualified for the following countries:

• North Korea
• Russia
• Somalia
• Belarus
• Cuba
• Iran
• Ukraine
• Sudan
• Syria

Advice for getting your first YouTube Play Button?

As you can see, you’ll require a serious number of subscribers to get a YouTube Play Button. But it’s worth recalling that you’re following in the footsteps of thousands of creators who already have one.

Even the seven Red Diamond recipients had to begin from scratch and there are some versatile nuggets of understanding they each followed.

 Attract more subscribers

Whether you’re just beginning out or you’ve already got a Play Button in the bank, your number one purpose is winning over more subscribers when it reaches to YouTube Creator Awards. Check out our principle on how to get 1,000 subscribers for advice on how you can boost your channel.

 Post videos consistently

Upload regular videos and display viewers you’ve got an active channel worth coming back to. And if they’re appreciating your videos regularly, they’ll be more likely to hit the subscribe button so they don’t miss any!

 Utilize the YouTube algorithm to reach more viewers

The YouTube algorithm isn’t as much of a secret as most creators make out. The number one regulation you need to remember is that good content brings views. And the grade of your content is something you have 100% control over! Review our guide on the YouTube algorithm to understand how to use it to your benefit and grow your channel!

 Focus on your niche

Take a peek at the channels that already have YouTube Play Buttons and you’ll notice that the extensive majority have a precise niche. Focus on identical content to what your audience is appreciating and don’t be tempted to cover too many topics. Going too distant from your specialty could make the YouTube algorithm punish your channel!

 Enhance videos with channel analytics

Mastering YouTube’s analytics can deliver you the tools to unlock your channel’s possibilities. Take a deep dive into which videos are enabling your channel to develop by looking at key metrics like watch time and click-through rate.

It’s a smart method to identify ways to enhance your videos, keep people watching longer, and pull up more subscribers. You can get more pointers by reviewing our introduction to YouTube analytics.

 Reach more viewers with SEO

An easy method for your videos to be seen by more people is by getting to holds with YouTube SEO. It’s as easy as becoming familiar with keywords and understanding how they can help YouTube bring your videos in front of more people.

In just a few straightforward steps you can find a greater audience and rack up more views. Learn how to supercharge your channel with our eight mysteries to ranking videos employing YouTube SEO.

 Keep at it!

Victory doesn’t happen overnight, not even for Mr Beast! Keep enhancing your videos and obey these steps to extend your channel steadily. Eventually, you’ll see your subscribers climb and a YouTube Play Button will be well within your sights!

Steps for Ordering a Play Button

1. Check your email as soon as you pass a subscriber milestone.
2. Find the email from YouTube saying you’re qualified to declare an award.
3. Copy the saving code in the email.
4. Enter your redemption code on the Creator Awards website.
5. Type in your channel’s name.
6. Add your shipping info.
7. Click Order Now.

According to YouTube, play buttons reach within a month of ordering them.

How to Earn a Custom Play Button?

You can achieve a Custom Play Button only when you reach 50 million followers. Given the huge milestone, it’s natural that only 27 preferred creators have worked to accomplish this extraordinary feat.

But the award’s rarity doesn’t impact your possibility of getting the landmark if you are working hard on your channel. But it demands a lot of hard work, a fantastic team behind top-notch content production, a rock-solid marketing plan, and definitely, consistency and determination.

The Kids Diana Show is a wonderful instance of this—it’s the world’s 5th-most subscribed channel with over 85 million followers globally. The channel is about a young girl named Diana, who delivers her playtime activities with her brother. Since its beginning in 2015, the creator got the 1M mark in its first year and is going strong even today

These are some most useful practices that you can take motivation from creators like Kid Diana Show’s win for building such a huge subscriber base and obtaining the Custom Play Button:

• Secure approvals from big names and boost your channel as a major brand.
• Build relationships with media companies or industry superstars in your niche. Bag a component in shows,  television ads, or movies.
• Connect with your subscribers with products, event performances, and mobile apps. Present them a more immersive experience. 

Conclusion

Absolutely, receiving your creator award or first YouTube play button is difficult. But, creating and executing the right YouTube marketing techniques from the start will come with good results. The noted tips or strategies are proposed by professionals, helping YouTube creators set their marks and start working wisely on them to gain success.