What YouTube membership means and who can offer it
YouTube membership is a paid subscription that viewers can buy directly from a channel they watch. When you become a member of a channel, you pay a monthly fee set by that channel's creator — usually between $0.99 and $99.99 per month — and in return you get perks that the creator decides on, like custom badges next to your name in comments, exclusive videos, or early access to uploads.
Not every creator offers membership. The creator has to meet YouTube's requirements first: they need at least 1,000 subscribers, their channel must be at least four months old, and they have to live in a country where YouTube allows memberships. If a creator meets those requirements and turns on the membership feature, a "Join" button appears on their channel page.
YouTube takes a cut of the membership fee — currently 30 percent — and the creator keeps the rest. The creator sets the price, the perks, and how many membership tiers they want to offer (some creators have three or four different price levels with different benefits).
Key Takeaways
- You become a member by clicking the "Join" button on a creator's channel page and selecting a membership tier and payment method.
- The membership fee renews automatically each month on the same date you joined, and you can cancel anytime through your YouTube account settings.
- Membership perks vary by creator — some offer exclusive videos, others offer custom badges or live chat access, and you should check what each tier includes before joining.
- YouTube memberships are separate from YouTube Premium, which is a different paid service that removes ads from all videos across the platform.
How to find the Join button and choose a membership tier
Open the channel page of any creator who offers memberships. On desktop, look for the "Join" button below the channel name and subscriber count — it appears to the right of the "Subscribe" button. On mobile, tap the channel name at the top of the screen to go to the channel page, then scroll down until you see the "Join" button.
Click or tap "Join" and a window will open showing all the membership tiers that creator offers. Each tier shows the monthly price and a list of perks included at that level. Read through the perks carefully — some creators include things like exclusive Discord access or monthly Zoom calls, while others offer only badges and emojis. Choose the tier that matches what you want to pay and what benefits matter to you.
After you select a tier, YouTube will ask you to confirm your payment method. If you have a payment method saved to your Google account, you can use that. If not, you can add a credit card, debit card, or use Google Play balance if you have one. YouTube will charge your payment method on the same day each month going forward.
What happens after you join and how to manage your membership
Once your payment goes through, you are immediately a member. Your name will appear with a special badge next to it in the comments section of that channel's videos — usually a colorful icon that says "Member" or shows the membership tier name. You will also see any other perks the creator promised, like access to members-only videos or a members-only chat during live streams.
Your membership renews automatically on the same date each month. For example, if you join on the 15th, you will be charged again on the 15th of the next month, and every month after that. You can see your active memberships and their renewal dates by going to YouTube.com, clicking your profile picture in the top right, selecting "Purchases and memberships," and then clicking "Manage memberships."
To cancel a membership, go to that same "Manage memberships" page, find the membership you want to cancel, and click "Manage." Then click "Cancel membership." Your membership will stay active until the end of the current billing period — you will not be charged again, but you will keep your member perks until the renewal date passes.
The difference between channel memberships and YouTube Premium
Channel memberships and YouTube Premium are two separate things, and it is easy to confuse them. A channel membership is a subscription to one specific creator's channel. You pay that creator (who shares the money with YouTube), and you get perks on that channel only. YouTube Premium is a subscription to YouTube itself — you pay YouTube directly, and you get ad-free viewing on every video across the entire platform, plus offline downloads and background play.
You can have both at the same time. You could be a member of three different channels and also have YouTube Premium. Or you could have YouTube Premium and no channel memberships. They do not overlap or replace each other — they are different products that do different things.
What to do if you do not see a Join button on a channel
If a channel does not have a "Join" button, it means the creator either has not turned on memberships or does not meet YouTube's requirements to offer them. There is no way for you to request that a creator turn on memberships — that is entirely their choice.
Some creators choose not to offer memberships even though they could. Others may have turned memberships off temporarily. If you want to support a creator who does not offer memberships, you can use the "Thanks" button (a heart icon) to send them a one-time payment, or you can look for other ways they support themselves, like links to their Patreon or other platforms in their channel description.
Troubleshooting membership problems
If you joined a membership but do not see the member badge or perks, wait a few minutes — sometimes it takes a moment for YouTube to update. If it has been more than an hour, try signing out of YouTube and signing back in. If the perks still do not appear, go to "Manage memberships" and check that the membership shows as active and that the renewal date has not already passed.
If your membership was cancelled unexpectedly, check your payment method. YouTube will cancel a membership if your card expires, gets declined, or if the payment fails for any reason. Go to your Google account settings, update your payment method if needed, and then you can rejoin the membership. The creator will not have access to your payment information — YouTube handles all billing.
If you were charged twice in one month or charged after you cancelled, contact YouTube Support through your account. Go to the "Help" section, select "Contact us," and describe the issue. YouTube Support can review your billing history and issue a refund if there was an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my membership tier without cancelling and rejoining?
Yes. Go to "Manage memberships," find the membership you want to change, click "Manage," and then select "Change membership tier." Choose the new tier and confirm. The price difference will be prorated — if you are upgrading mid-month, you will pay the difference for the remaining days, and if you are downgrading, the credit will apply to your next charge.
What happens to my membership if a creator deletes their channel?
Your membership will be cancelled automatically and you will not be charged again. If you were charged in the current billing period, you can request a refund from YouTube Support by going to your purchase history and reporting the transaction.
Can I gift a membership to someone else?
YouTube does not have a built-in gift membership feature. Each person has to join and pay for their own membership. Some creators may offer other ways to support them or give away memberships through contests, but that is up to the individual creator.
Do I need YouTube Premium to become a channel member?
No. Channel memberships and YouTube Premium are completely separate. You can be a channel member without YouTube Premium, or have YouTube Premium without any channel memberships.
Will the creator see my real name when I join?
The creator will see the name associated with your YouTube channel, which may or may not be your real name depending on what you chose when you set up your account. They will not see your payment information — YouTube keeps that private.