Education & Courses for YouTube Creators - Creator Academy YouTube
Creative treatments for video content
Creating branded content for YouTube can be an extremely efficient investment: consider these principles, pioneered by independent creators, to produce sustainable content quickly, and at a reasonable cost. Can you make an unskippable ad? YouTube provides an array of tools to performance-test existing content.
Copyright on YouTube
Curious about copyright? Find out why it’s important to consider copyright when publishing content online. Recognize what tools are available for creators and content owners to handle copyright protection on YouTube.
Support your music career with YouTube
Build your presence and fanbase on YouTube, understand how monetization and copyright work, and ultimately, grow your music and career.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Activate your nonprofit on YouTube
At YouTube, our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. We want to help people share and build community through their stories. This includes your stories, which bring awareness to social issues and inspire action.
Did you know that 1.5 billion people are logged in and coming to YouTube every single month? That’s the equivalent of one in every five people around the world! On average, our viewers spend over an hour a day watching YouTube on mobile devices alone.
YouTube enables you to reach a large and passionate audience who can help amplify your cause through their social networks. Whether you’re new to the platform or trying to take your channel to the next level, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve designed this course in the Creator Academy specifically for nonprofits. You’ll learn ways to tell your stories on YouTube through video and capture viewers’ attention with emotion. We’ll also give you quick tips for fine-tuning your channel and getting the most out of YouTube.
YouTube’s built-in tools can help you connect with your viewers, improve your video performance, and even fundraise. We’re excited for nonprofits to captivate and activate supporters on YouTube by leveraging the power of storytelling to reach more than 88 countries around the world.
Ready? Check out these lessons—and join the Creator Community to start discussions with other nonprofits!
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Create great content
Ready to grow and sustain a loyal audience on YouTube? Start with a creative foundation and strong, workable ideas.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
The evolving marketing landscape
Does your organization have a compelling YouTube content marketing strategy? Today’s consumers are more in control of watching what branded messages appear on their screens than ever before. How—and if—you are positioned in the YouTube landscape can have enormous impact on your brand positioning and success.
Platform Overview
Today’s media landscape is changing, and channel managers can learn how to best support and grow the channels they manage in the YouTube ecosystem by assessing how a channel fits into different content categories.
Make money with YouTube
Get the scoop on how monetization works on YouTube and ways you can make money on your videos.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Asset optimization for revenue
Discover expert tips for using Content ID. Explore how various claiming scenarios impact monetization, and find out how you can customize policies for more precise control over your content on YouTube.
Work with creators
YouTube creators can have more influence over today’s teenagers as pop singers or movie stars. Many have built global brands by sharing compelling stories with deep sincerity. And they’re already talking to audiences that you want to reach. Knowing how to find—and collaborate with—these influential creatives can increase your credibility with any demographic.
Get started
Starting a channel on YouTube? Learn the fundamentals to creating your ultimate channel and keep it thriving on YouTube.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Brand deals
Working with brands can be an alternative revenue stream for YouTube creators and an opportunity to introduce new products and services to their audience. Learn strategies for how to find and reach out to brands that your audience will love and what to do once you’ve been hired.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Making videos for social change
Creators on YouTube are in a unique position to generate positive social impact by creating meaningful dialogue around current topics and issues. Get the tools to help communicate your message on YouTube.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Unlock your gaming channel
Set your gaming channel up for success with these tools and techniques.
Disclaimer: Different game publishers have different rules around how their games can be used and/or potentially monetized on YouTube. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions for any game footage that you plan on uploading.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Operations Manager
This course is targeted to business users who manage many channels and assets with access to YouTube's Content Management System (CMS) and Content ID. After taking this course, you will be prepared to:
- Use the Content Management System to set up your channels under an umbrella Content Owner and,
- Provide you with details on the different ways you can bulk upload your content and assets into YouTube, and
- Get you ready to use the right types of reports so you can diagnose how well your channels are performing.
- YouTube Analytics in Creator Studio
- YouTube Analytics for Content Owners
- Downloadable Reports
Staying well and avoiding burnout
Self-care is an important practice within any career, including being a YouTube Creator. Learn tips for staying healthy, balanced, safe, and efficient with your time and channel, so that you don’t burn out.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Production skills
Captivate your audience with lighting and camera choices. Stir emotions and set the scene with thoughtful visual design.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Case studies from successful creators
We’ve worked with many of YouTube’s most successful creators to identify what it takes to grow their channel on YouTube. Through this process, we’ve noted their goals, approach, and measured results. For a look into these insights, check out the case studies listed below.
To access the case studies, click Start lesson.
Channel Assessment
See how to apply a consistent framework to measure channel performance and uncover opportunities for channel growth. Recognize what questions you can ask and what data you can analyze to determine next steps.
Get your music channel started on YouTube
Learn to set up a channel, promote your music, encourage fans to tune in, and take your channel to the top of the charts.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Target your audience
Every audience is different. Learn how to reach the viewers you want and make your channel a daily destination for them.
Pre-production
Turn your ideas into great videos by borrowing strategies that filmmakers use like creating scripts, schedules, storyboards and more. Learn why these tools can benefit shoots big or small.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Rights enforcement with Content ID
Are you responsible for digital rights management? Discover how to manage digital rights at scale with Content ID to automate the process for monetizing, tracking, or blocking videos.
360-degree video and virtual reality on YouTube
360-degree video and virtual reality are changing how audiences can experience video. This course will get you acquainted with this new technology, help you decide whether producing videos in 360 is right for your channel and offer some tips to get started.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Develop a beauty channel
Beauty and fashion videos on YouTube range from helpful tutorials to personality-driven series. Many successful beauty and fashion channels adopt existing strategies and formats, but often the most successful take a unique approach to their subject that allows them to stand out from the crowd.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
YouTube for Music Partners
YouTube is the best place for fans around the world to discover and share music. We want to help labels, publishers, and other music partners make the most of YouTube’s large and diverse audience—to reach more fans and add revenue.
We’ve designed this course in the Creator Academy for music content owners who have access to Content ID. You’ll learn about scalable tools and expert strategies to deliver your music content and manage your digital rights on YouTube.
Build a business on YouTube
Want to turn your channel into a thriving business? We’ve taken the best of what we’ve learned from creators and the businesses, brands, and companies top creators have worked with to get you started with turning your successful YouTube channel into a business.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Live streaming on YouTube
YouTube Live is a fast, powerful way to connect with your audience in the moment, and grow your channel. You can use live streaming to share experiences and unscripted responses to events, news, and even unboxings. The YouTube Live dashboard gives you instant analytics and offers tools, like chat, that let your audience communicate with you (and each other) while live.
You’ll learn how YouTube Live can complement your day-to-day programming:
- There are many creative approaches when you live stream to draw your viewer in. You can easily share unfiltered moments, emotional reactions, and even behind-the-scenes events.
- There’s no post-production (unless you plan on trimming or making a new video) -- making it a great way to make videos when you don’t have a lot time.
- You can also stream on mobile when you’re on-the-go or with the latest technology; low latency, high definition up to 4K, and even 360-degree live video.
- All of your videos, live and videos-on-demand (VOD), have one unified home on YouTube. Live streamed videos are automatically added to your channel just like an upload.
- Your audience can participate and help guide the stream from live chat and use moderation tools to foster a friendly community.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Grow your community
Find long-term success by building a loyal fanbase. Socially engage with your audience on and off YouTube to see results.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Building a global channel
Share your stories with a global audience. Channels geared towards worldwide audiences often see an uplift in key metrics like watch time and subscribers. You can increase accessibility of new and existing videos with platform tools that translate and transcribe them. Additionally, certain types of videos tend to be more relevant to all audiences. Learn strategies to boost the visibility of your channel to audiences around the world.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Revenue analysis and reporting
Get an overview of asset monetization on YouTube. Recognize how to monitor data in YouTube Analytics and downloadable reports to troubleshoot revenue fluctuations and maximize revenue opportunities.
Get insights with YouTube Analytics
YouTube Analytics is your channel's pulse. Learn how to uncover trends to see what’s working and what's not. Find out who’s watching, what they like to watch, and which videos could make you the most money.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Get discovered
Enhance your channel’s search and discovery potential on YouTube using metadata, collaborations, captions and promotions.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Building an educational channel on YouTube
You can change lives by making educational videos on YouTube! YouTube is a powerful medium for learning because it’s accessible to worldwide audiences and hosts a diverse collection of learning videos. This course offers strategies for all creators interested in making educational videos on YouTube— whether you want to provide skill-building tips and help viewers advance their career, teach an online curriculum, make ‘how-to’ videos, or experiment with an entertaining learning series. Click into the lessons below to get started.
To complete this course: First, sign in, then finish the lessons at your own pace and pass the course exam with 75% to get your letter of completion.
Optimize video distribution
Over 400 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. So if you want your videos to be seen, a thoughtful distribution strategy is often as crucial as your content or creative strategies. How are videos promoted and discovered? How can you get your message in front of the right viewer at just the right moment?
Business operations with CMS
Find out how YouTube’s Content Manager CMS allows for effective channel management of large repositories of content. Identify data from YouTube that can help you manage your business across multiple channels.
Define a video content strategy
Brands that succeed on YouTube make content that provides value to viewers: videos that people want to watch. Billions come to YouTube every day to learn something, do something, feel something—and very frequently, because they want to buy something. Brands can integrate content frameworks to make the message more compelling and guide consumer decisions.
Channel Revenue
Dive into revenue on YouTube—what the benefits are, ways to maximize your revenue streams, how ads are served, and how you can measure revenue performance.