How To Get YouTube Play Button For Your Channel

Key Takeaways:

1. Balance is Crucial: Mix YouTube Shorts for discovery with long-form content for loyalty
2. Community Matters: Use features like live streaming and community posts to engage directly
3. AI Tools Can Help: Various AI tools can assist with content creation
4. Consistency Wins: Regular uploads and engagement are still the foundation of success
5. Quality Over Quantity: Focus on creating valuable content that solves problems or entertains

From gamers and vloggers to media companies and YT celebrities, YouTube Play Buttons have become the hallmarks of success for all kinds of creators on YouTube. Many creators start their path searching for how to get a YouTube Play Button as their first significant milestone.

Introduced in 2012, the YouTube Play Button has now become one of the most desired awards by a YT creator. In case you want to earn your first Play Button but do not know how, we’ve covered all the bases in this extensive guide.

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

What is YouTube Play Button?

Considering the fact that the number of creators has been growing extremely fast since the early 2010s, YouTube has added a reward system to acknowledge the efforts of its creators—the YouTube Play Button, a series of awards you get upon achieving a specific milestone of subscribers, and a comprehensive evaluation of your channel.

Receiving this award is a sign of recognition and acknowledgment of the creator’s hard work. Many creators pursue these awards as they learn how to get subscribers on YouTube and grow their audience.

Furthermore, it significantly boosts their brand, bringing them more subscribers and enhancing their visibility beyond just YouTube.

Basic Requirements for Getting YouTube Play Button

Now, you are familiar with what a YouTube play button is. 

But what is the process of receiving a Creator Award? 

Here are the basic criteria in a nutshell. Remember that, regardless of meeting all these requirements, YouTube will still have to check your channel and make its decision.

The basis for receiving a Play Button begins with the number of subscribers your channel has—something creators often ask, such as how many subscribers to get a Play Button.

Besides the number of subscribers, you also need to have the following:

• Follow YouTube’s Community Guidelines
• Have no active Community Guidelines strikes
• Have no active copyright strikes
• Live in a country/region where Creator Awards are available
• Have your channel verified
• Be in good standing with YouTube

NEW  Update: You don’t need to be a member of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) to be eligible for a Creator Award, making these prestigious awards more accessible than ever.

Once you reach the given milestone of subscribers, YouTube will carefully review your channel to determine your eligibility for the Creator Award. This includes awards like the Silver Play Button, all the way up to the Diamond Play Button and Red Diamond Play Button.

Understanding YouTube Creator Awards

YouTube Creator Awards is a way of acknowledging the fact that there are millions of creators of content on the platform. For this, you must build your following and remain within the standards of the platform while creating spectacular content.

What started with just one award in 2012 is now divided into multiple tiers—silver, gold, diamond, and red diamond. These levels help creators understand when do you get your first Play Button and what subscriber milestones they must reach.

Size Update: Starting in August 2024, YouTube introduced lighter-sized Creator Awards. While the quality and design remain the same, the awards are now approximately 30% smaller than their original versions. The current Gold Play Button is now the same size as the old Silver Play Button.

Let’s look at the criteria to earn a YouTube Play Button, so you can pave your way towards it.

Key Criteria for YouTube Play Button Eligibility

The most crucial parameter to earn a Creator Award is the number of your subscribers. Until you reach the defined milestone of subscribers, you’re not eligible to apply for these awards. 

Many creators initially wonder how many subscribers do you need to get a Play Button, and the simple answer is that it depends on the tier. Now, we’ll break down some main criteria other than your subscriber count you should look out for to get your hands on a Creator Award.

Community Guidelines Compliance

YouTube has extensive community guidelines that detail and regulate the code of conduct and content on the platform. These guidelines bar creators from producing content that:

• Promotes violence or hate speech
• Contains nudity or sexually explicit content
• Harasses or bullies individuals
• Spreads misinformation
• Violates copyright laws

Before you start your YouTube channel, or even if you’re a regular YouTube creator, it’s a good practice to stay updated with the latest YouTube content guidelines so you don’t fall into the grey area. If you violate any part of the guidelines, you might end up with a strike and jeopardize your chances of getting a Creator Award, so it’s best to stay safe from it.

Copyright Strike Avoidance

YouTube also punishes creators who violate its content and YouTube copyright guidelines in the form of strikes. You will receive a copyright strike when you publish videos using somebody else’s copyrighted content. The platform will take down your video immediately after it receives such a request.

With every copyright strike, you get a ban from accessing some features of your creator account. A copyright strike primarily affects your ability to monetize on YouTube. It also restricts your live streaming feature. But if you reach three copyright strikes, then the platform will terminate your account.

AI Content Note: With the rise of AI-generated content, be extra cautious about copyright issues. Use tools that work with licensed content sources to ensure all AI-generated videos are copyright-compliant.

How to Get YouTube Play Button: Best Practices 

It’s easy to set up a YouTube creator account. But the challenge begins when you start creating content and have to constantly gauge your audience’s needs and pain points to create super-targeted and high-value content that drives more eyes to your channel.

If you’re searching for some best practices on how to get a Play Button for all your hard work, then we have done the work for you. Here is the detailed framework to boost your YT channel and receive your first Creator Award by following these tips:

1. Maintain Consistency in Content Creation

Nothing beats consistency when you’re creating content for social media. Maintain a level of continuity in your content publishing process to improve your discoverability, especially when you’re starting. 

This will help you get in the good books of YouTube, provide consistent high-value content to your audience, and give you more opportunities to get discovered on the platform.

But consistency doesn’t come easy.

You’ll have your low creativity days, streaks of busy times and holidays, and other events when you’re busy. While you should always give yourself a break, it doesn’t mean your YouTube channel should take a break, too. Here, a great way to maintain consistency is to batch-create your content and schedule it for publishing.

Besides, here’s a sustainable framework you can use for consistent content creation and publishing on YouTube:

• Plan Your Content Calendar: Map out your videos for the month
• Batch Create: Shoot multiple videos in one session
• Use Scheduling Tools: Pre-schedule your uploads
• Create Evergreen Content: Content that remains relevant over time

Strategy: Balance YouTube Shorts and long-form content. Shorts are excellent for discovery and attracting new viewers, while long-form videos help establish credibility and retain loyal audiences.

Consistently pushing content on your YT channel will simplify your journey to getting a YouTube Play Button.

2. Optimize Videos for Better Viewership

Once you’ve published a decent number of videos, focus on improving your viewership. There’s no straight road to secure more subscribers and ultimately win one of the YouTube Creator Awards—even though many beginners wish there were such a thing as free subscribers or free YouTube subscribers.

Your active viewership ratio will determine your success in the long run. Now, how exactly can you increase this percentage? By optimizing your videos for the YouTube algorithm.

Here are some tips to optimize your videos for improving your viewership:

SEO Optimization:

• Use trending keywords in your titles and descriptions
• Create compelling thumbnails with vibrant imagery and text
• Write detailed video descriptions
• Use relevant tags and hashtags

Engagement Strategies:

• Create attention-grabbing hooks in the first 15 seconds
• Ask questions to encourage comments
• Use cards and end screens to promote other videos
• Create playlists to increase binge-watching

 Trending Topics: Incorporate phrases like “best [your niche] ” to align with current search trends.

Optimizing your content through these strategies can significantly boost your watch time and increase your viewership count.

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3. Create High-Value Content That Resonates

If there’s one lesson to remember while aiming for a YouTube Play Button, it’s that people will subscribe to your channel only when you add value to their lives. Whether you make them laugh or educate them, it all boils down to the impact you’re creating for your audience.

So, find what’s working best for your audience—what they enjoy, love, and don’t like. Write these points in a word cloud to determine the preferences or pain points of your subscribers.

With this data, you can then ideate relevant video concepts to publish more relatable content. You must essentially frame your content as a solution to their problems, whether it’s a broken pipe or a broken heart. Jump on popular trends to make engaging content and make your channel go viral.

Creating relatable content is not the only method through which you can expand your channel. Different creators may have varying definitions of quality content. However, consider some of the tested and confirmed recommendations on how to make your content more likable:

Quality Content Checklist:

• Audio Quality: Clear, crisp sound without background noise
• Visual Appeal: Good lighting and stable camera work
• Storytelling: Engage viewers with compelling narratives
• Educational Value: Teach something new or solve problems
• Entertainment Factor: Keep viewers engaged throughout

Trend: The interactive elements, such as polls, live streams, and community posts, are essential for creating stronger connections with your customers.

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4. Avoid Copyright Infringement

A copyright strike may seriously impair your chances of getting the creator awards. It not only limits the abilities of your account, but it also makes you less likely to win a plaque.

Therefore, it is always important to ensure you check for copyright infringement before you press the publish button of any of your videos. Even a 5-second clip of the copyright-protected content in your video can result in a strike one and spoil your opportunity to receive YouTube Creator Awards.

 Copyright Safety: With AI content becoming more prevalent, ensure you’re using copyright-safe tools and licensed content to avoid any issues with your Creator Award eligibility.

5. Grow Your Subscriber Base Strategically

While building a YouTube empire is no cakewalk, your creativity and consistency can take you a long way forward. There are no magic beans to skyrocket your YT channel. But here are some best practices to help you scale your subscriber count and increase your total YouTube subscriber growth:

Growth Strategies :

• Cross-platform Promotion: Be active on TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), and other platforms
• Collaboration: Partner with creators in your niche to expand your audience
• Community Engagement: Respond to comments and create community posts
• Live Streaming: Use real-time interaction to build stronger connections
• Utilize YouTube’s Features: Take advantage of Communities and other platform tools

Feature – Cross-Platform Growth: Expanding your presence across TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), and other platforms is now essential for accelerating YouTube growth, helping you reach milestones like the Silver Play Button, Gold Play Button, and beyond.

Ultimately, the secret to boosting your subscriber count lies in creating content that your audience likes, experimenting with it, and staying consistent with content creation. So, find your audience’s pulse, and create content they’ll discover, love, and share—to boost your subscriber count.

6. Leverage AI and New Technologies

Strategic use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can act as a significant benefit in the pursuit of a YouTube Play Button. AI does not just transform the creator economy, but it also offers creators the tools to improve their content and engagement.

AI Opportunities:

• Content Creation: Use AI tools to enhance video quality and editing
• Optimization: AI can help optimize titles, descriptions, and tags
• Analytics: Use AI-powered insights to understand audience preferences
• Copyright-safe Generation: Use tools that work with licensed content libraries

Important Note: When using AI-generated content, ensure you comply with YouTube’s disclosure requirements for synthetic content that depicts realistic scenarios.

With the adoption of AI, creators can focus on ideation and creativity, while AI processes the complexity of data analysis and pattern identification, and directs your channel to the milestones needed for each Play Button tier.

Types of YouTube Play Buttons and Requirements

All YouTube Play Buttons are awarded at different subscriber levels. Reaching such a milestone might seem daunting to a new creator, but the motivation to put a Creator Award on your wall and the recognition and opportunities that come with it will keep you going.

Silver Play Button (100,000 Subscribers)

If you’re a new creator and don’t know what the YouTube Silver Play Button is, then here’s your chance to learn everything about it.

The Silver Play Button is the first tier of the Creator Awards and one of the first award milestones for any serious YouTube creator. You can get a silver plaque once you reach the 100,000 mark and pass YouTube’s review of your channel. Creators often wonder when do you get your first YouTube Play Button, and this milestone answers that question clearly.

Material: Made of metal alloy (specific composition not publicly disclosed)
Size: Smaller than before the 2024 versions, since YouTube has just resized it. 

It is not easy to have 100,000 subscribers. You have to be consistent to create content actively and more attractive to a wider audience. That is why it is better to do all the basics first and scale your way up.

Tips to reach 100K subscribers:

• Niche Focus: Select a good category of content and stick with it
• SEO Mastery: Optimize every video for search discovery 
• Thumbnail Design: Design catchy thumbnails that are more likely to be clicked 
• Community Building: Engage with all comments and build community posts
• Cross-promotion: Cross-publish your content in a variety of places

Gold Play Button (1 Million Subscribers)

While every rookie creator dreams of their first Creator Award, every Silver Creator aims for the gold. The YouTube Gold Play Button is the second tier of the YouTube awards for channels with 1 million subscribers.

Made of gold-plated brass, this Gold Creator Award is given to an elite group of creators who have worked hard on the platform for years, creating content day after day, which has helped them create a loyal fan base.

• Material: Gold-plated brass 
• Size: Now the same size as the old Silver Play Button (resized in 2024) 
• Winners: Approximately 29,000 channels throughout the world

The Speedy Diver received a Gold Play Button for its unique content around everything he found, diving deep into the water. Since 2016, the YouTuber has been creating content around his dumpster diving adventures and reached a million subscribers in 2019 to get the Gold Play Button. 

There’s no shortcut to a Gold award. If you’re chalking out a roadmap on how to get the YouTube Gold Play Button, then focus on strategizing for audience engagement, consistent content production, and marketing for your channel.

Reaching the 1M mark will require more resources and planning.

Strategies to reach 1 million subscribers:

• Professional Production: Invest in better equipment and editing
• Brand Partnerships: Collaborate with brands for sponsored content
• Viral Content: Create shareable content that can go viral
• Multiple Revenue Streams: Monetize through various channels (ads, memberships, merchandise)
• Data-driven Decisions: Use YouTube Analytics to guide your strategy
• Live Streaming: Regular live content to build stronger community connections

Diamond Play Button (10 Million Subscribers)

The Diamond Play Button is the penultimate step while climbing the ladder of Creator Awards. As majestic as it is rare, the Diamond Award goes to creators with over 10 million subscribers.

If you don’t know what a Diamond Play Button is, it’s made of a silver-plated metal inset in a crystal resembling the YT logo.

Material: Silver-plated metal with colorless crystal (not real diamonds)
Recipients: Only a few hundred channels worldwide

Marques Brownlee earned a Diamond Play Button in 2020 after crossing the 10M subscriber milestone. The 27-year-old content creator creates content around technology under the pet name, MKBHD.

Earning this prestigious award will take as much hard work as time commitment. Building a vast YT empire with over 10 million subscribers is a long-term commitment filled with challenges.

Path to 10 million subscribers:

• Team Building: You’ll need a professional team for content creation
• Global Appeal: Create content that resonates internationally
• Multiple Platforms: Expand presence across all major social platforms
• Innovation: Constantly innovate and stay ahead of trends
• Community Investment: Build a loyal, engaged community that shares your content
• Professional Partnerships: Work with major brands and media companies

Red Diamond Play Button (100 Million Subscribers)

NEW Update: The Red Diamond Play Button, awarded at 100 million subscribers, has become the highest tier of YouTube Creator Awards. This milestone has been reached by 14 channels.

• Material: Metallic silver plate with a large dark red crystal 
• Winners: 14 channels around the world 
• Notable Winners: T-Series, PewDiePie, Cocomelon, SET India, MrBeast, WWE

This is by far the most exclusive award among the YouTube world, and it requires years of stability and content quality as well as a global fan base.

Custom Play Button (50+ Million Subscribers – Discontinued)

Custom Play Button had been given before to channels that had reached 50 million subscribers on YouTube. This award is no longer a standard tier, but certain channels have been given bespoke Play Buttons on unique milestones (e.g., MrBeast with 200 million subscribers). 

Context: This exclusive award was fully tailored to each channel, and only a small number of channels became recipients of one until the standard program was dropped.

The initial reward system that was available to creators on YouTube only had three tiers: silver, gold, and diamond. Nevertheless, only one of the creators was able to establish all the records and achieve the highest possible number of subscribers of 50 million. This was the time when the biggest video-sharing platform in the world launched the Custom Play Button.

PewDiePie is a Swedish YouTuber who became the first recipient of the Custom Play Button. In December 2016, he hit the mark of 50 million subscribers and was given a unique award in the shape of his YT logo. 

The Kids Diana Show is an ideal case study of such success, as it is the 5th most subscribed channel in the world with over 85 million subscribers worldwide. The channel is centered on a young girl, Diana, who demonstrates her playing time with her brother. The creator has already attained the 1M milestone in the first year of its inception in 2015, and it is still on the rise. 

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Frequently Asked Questions About YouTube Play Buttons

1. Do YouTube Play Buttons have monetary value?

There’s no monetary value attached to YouTube Play Buttons. But since the creators reach the defined milestone of followers, they can monetize their YT channel.

2. When can I get my first YouTube Play Button?

You can get your hands on your first YouTube Play Button after reaching 100,000 subscribers for your channel.

3. What is the YouTube Gold Play Button made of?

The YouTube Gold Play Button is made of gold-plated brass.

4. Is the Diamond Play Button made of real diamonds?

The Diamond Play Button, awarded at 10 million subscribers, is not made out of real diamonds.

5. How long does it take to receive a Play Button?

You can get your first YouTube Play Button within 2-3 weeks of reaching the subscriber milestone and receiving your redemption code.

NEW : Orders can now be tracked, and YouTube requires full legal names for shipping to ensure proper delivery.

Your Path to YouTube Success 

The path to earning a YouTube Play Button is very attainable with hard work and the right approach, with enhanced platform functionality and superior tools that can assist in making content and ensure compliance with copyright laws.

Remember, over 300,000 YouTubers already have Silver Play Buttons, proving that this milestone is absolutely achievable with the right strategy, consistency, and dedication.

Whether you want your first Silver Play Button or like to feel like the owner of the most exclusive Red Diamond, the rules are always the same: create valuable content, connect with your audience, be consistent, and keep up with the constantly changing features of the platform.

The YouTube Play Button is more than just an award; it is also a reminder of your skill to establish a community, make content that counts, and make a remarkable impact in the digital world. Start using these strategies today, and take the first step toward joining YouTube’s elite creators.