Level up with
YouTube Gaming
Level up with YouTube Gaming
Step into the world of YouTube Gaming! Ace all 5 levels of tips and tricks to up your game, or zoom in on where you want to hone your skills. However you like to play, create and share, here’s how you can elevate your channel.
LEVEL 1:
Access the key video formats for gaming
On YouTube, you can create content in three formats: video-on-demand (VOD), live streams, and Shorts, all in one place. Become a specialist and level up in one, or build up your XP across all and you’ve got a killer combo!
Video-on-demand (VOD)
Display your skills in defeating an opponent with a walkthrough, keep viewers coming back for more with a “Let’s Play” series, or react to a new game trailer, all on VOD. Whatever you like to create, long-form videos help establish your channel and grow your audience.
Live streams
Deepen your connection with fellow gamers and community by going live. ‘Geek out’ with fans and fuel conversations in real time while bringing your viewers along for the ride.
Shorts
Reach a wider audience by sharing bite-sized, behind-the-scenes moments with Shorts. Tease an epic live stream, game review, or highlights in under 60 seconds! All you need is your phone and the YouTube app to create, edit, and share short videos — anywhere, anytime!
"My top 3 tips? Be yourself, never give up trying new things, and use your channel to spread positivity."
LEVEL 2:
Supercharge your content
You’ve got your vision and mission, now it’s time to help audiences find your content. Add these tricks and tools to your inventory.
Choose a memorable channel name that represents who you are. Keep your branding consistent across your profile picture and banner image, and make a channel trailer to give viewers a sneak peek into your content.
Playlists help gamers watch and discover more of what they like from you. Try creating a playlist of a specific game, or grouping your live streams to see the impact on your watch time.
Gain more views without making new content. Create a 5–60 sec highlight from an existing video with Clips, and share it on social media to drive new viewers directly to those key moments — like that epic instant you smashed the perfect score!
Watch a new video together with your viewers in real time. Create excitement by sharing the watch page URL, invite viewers to set reminders, and interact with them through comments in real time. A triple win! You can even automatically send viewers to one of your Premieres when a live stream ends with Live Redirect.
LEVEL 3:
Analyze to optimize
LEVEL 3:
Analyze to optimize
Personalized analytics lets you look beyond the view count and see how your viewers are interacting with your videos. What are they searching for? Which videos do they prefer? Where are they dropping off? Your analytics equips you with the insight to plan and supercharge your future content.
"Feedback from viewers encourages me to think about my content in new ways, and motivates me to create content that better resonates with them!"
LEVEL 4:
Build your community
Every great gaming creator has a strong community championing them. Here’s how to build yours.
Create a distinct culture that viewers want to be a part of by building traditions into your content. Share a secret language, phrase, gesture, or hashtags with your audience to create a sense of belonging. Create short, catchy intros to your videos that others will remember you by!
Turn your viewers into a community by keeping conversations going in the comments section — heart, pin or reply to comments. Or take it to the next level by taking real-time mission requests in a live stream, and get direct feedback from your viewers.
When you unlock the Community tab (500 subs), you open up a whole new level of interaction with fans. Keep viewers engaged between uploads through polls, images, animated GIFs and more. Stuck for video ideas? Create a poll to find out what game viewers want to see you play next!
Collaborations can be a powerful way to reach new viewers and even turn them into subscribers. You don’t have to make the same kind of content — in fact, it can be more rewarding to join forces with someone who brings a different perspective. Try co-creating a video or series that appeals to both your audiences or invite a like-minded creator to make a guest appearance on one of your videos! If you’re into live streaming, you can even use Live Redirect to drive viewers to each other’s live streams to help the gaming community thrive. Teamwork!
Know your community protections. With the channel guidelines tool, you can set the right tone, from the start — enable viewers to have the types of conversations you want to see on your channel. Most people use YouTube to share, learn, and connect in a positive way. But we know that not everyone does, so for when that happens, YouTube has tools, policies, and features to keep you feeling safe while on the platform. Think of it like keeping your shield at 100% in case you encounter an unexpected obstacle or attack.
Create a distinct culture that viewers want to be a part of by building traditions into your content. Share a secret language, phrase, gesture, or hashtags with your audience to create a sense of belonging. Create short, catchy intros to your videos that others will remember you by!
Turn your viewers into a community by keeping conversations going in the comments section — heart, pin or reply to comments. Or take it to the next level by taking real-time mission requests in a live stream, and get direct feedback from your viewers.
When you unlock the Community tab (500 subs), you open up a whole new level of interaction with fans. Keep viewers engaged between uploads through polls, images, animated GIFs and more. Stuck for video ideas? Create a poll to find out what game viewers want to see you play next!
Collaborations can be a powerful way to reach new viewers and even turn them into subscribers. You don’t have to make the same kind of content — in fact, it can be more rewarding to join forces with someone who brings a different perspective. Try co-creating a video or series that appeals to both your audiences or invite a like-minded creator to make a guest appearance on one of your videos! If you’re into live streaming, you can even use Live Redirect to drive viewers to each other’s live streams to help the gaming community thrive. Teamwork!
Know your community protections. With the channel guidelines tool, you can set the right tone, from the start — enable viewers to have the types of conversations you want to see on your channel. Most people use YouTube to share, learn, and connect in a positive way. But we know that not everyone does, so for when that happens, YouTube has tools, policies, and features to keep you feeling safe while on the platform. Think of it like keeping your shield at 100% in case you encounter an unexpected obstacle or attack.
LEVEL 5:
Earn while having fun
Tap into various revenue streams when you qualify for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Learn more about YPP and how to qualify.
*Subject to terms and conditions, which may be different based on region. Eligibility requirements and territory restrictions apply.
Advertising Revenue
Earn advertising revenue from display, overlay, and video ads that run on your channel. Manage the ad formats that appear on your videos by selecting the available options on YouTube Studio.
Super Chat & Super Stickers
Energize your live chats on live streams and Premieres with Super Chat and Super Stickers. Fans can purchase highlighted chats and animated images to stand out as they show their support.
Super Thanks
Fans can show more love for your VOD content with Super Thanks — a fun, one-time clapping animation viewers can buy to show their appreciation. They also get to write you a colorful, personalized message in the comments section!
Channel Memberships
For a monthly membership fee, fans can access different tiers of member-exclusive perks you offer, like badges, emoji, members-only videos and more. You and your channel members can even purchase 'gift memberships' for other viewers who aren't yet members.
YouTube Shorts Fund
You don’t have to be monetizing on YouTube to start earning from the YouTube Shorts Fund! Start by creating original, engaging short-form content to be considered for this bonus.
You've made it this far,
so
keep leveling up
and play on!