Everyone wants to be recognized and appreciated, from creators to gamers, celebrities to business entrepreneurs. YouTube values the hard work and effort it puts into its content and introduced the YouTube Creator Awards.
Getting a YouTube Play Button is one of the most sought-after accomplishments for YouTubers. It is a reward that YouTube gives you when your channel reaches a particular number of subscribers by adhering to the YouTube Creator Awards guidelines.
The YouTube play button is a sign of success, proudly displayed on your wall with a shiny finish that shows your hard work. Sounds good? Let’s see how you can get your first YouTube play button!
What Is YouTube Play Button?
A YouTube play button or a YouTube plaque is a series of awards by YouTube Creators Awards to recognize the creators' efforts that reach specific subscriber milestones. It’s a physical trophy featuring the iconic YouTube play button symbol.
YouTube play buttons are more than just trophies, they symbolize a creator’s hard work and dedication. These coveted awards bring significant prestige and recognition, enhancing your channel’s status. YouTube play buttons are more than just trophies; they represent a creator’s hard work and dedication. These awards bring respect and recognition, boosting your channel's reputation. They are proof of your success, helping to attract new viewers, gain more subscribers, and attract potential brand partnerships.
What are the Types of YouTube Play Button?
Play buttons are awarded according to the number of subscribers your channel has:
- YouTube Silver Play Button on 100,000 subscribers
- YouTube Gold Play Button on 1 million subscribers
- YouTube Diamond Play Button on 10 million subscribers
- YouTube Red Diamond Play Button on 100 million subscribers
To be eligible for an award, you do not need to be a part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). The decision to award Creator Awards depends on YouTube. To ensure that the requirements are satisfied, each channel is thoroughly examined.
What is The Eligibility Criteria For Earning Your YouTube Award?
To qualify for a creator award, you must meet the following criteria:
- Adhere to YouTube's terms of service and advertising policies.
- Should have an active Google account means it should have uploads within the last 6 months.
- Did not violate community guidelines or haven’t received any copyright issues or violations in the last 365 days.
- Haven’t been suspended from the YouTube Partner Program.
- Content should not be spammy, deceptive, scammy, or plagiarized.
- No termination of your channel or connection to a terminated account.
Once you reach this threshold, YouTube will evaluate your channel carefully to ensure the criteria are met successfully.
Steps To Claim Your YouTube Play Button
To order your first YouTube Play Button, apply through the YouTube Creator website. Upon meeting our award criteria, you'll receive a redemption code. You will find this unique code in your email or in your creator studio:
- Open the Creator Award website and enter your redemption code for activation.
- Write the name of your channel.
- Enter your complete shipping address.
- Choose how you want your channel to be displayed on the award.
- Click on Order Now to place your order.
As per YouTube, your order will be delivered within approx. 2-3 weeks maximum. You can also check the status of your order here.
Does YouTube Have Custom Play Buttons?
Yes, in the past YouTube awarded custom play buttons to specific creators who have surpassed 50 million subscribers. They were typically relevant and matched the channel themes with different shapes and sizes.
Many YouTubers have received this custom award, for example, PewDiePie has received a Ruby Award, T-Series received a Crystal Glass Award, Canal KondZilla received a Multi-colored Award and among them, there are many other channels as well.
Recently, YouTube has made changes to the availability of custom play buttons. Now, to be eligible for another award, you will need to reach 100 million subscribers instead of 50 million after achieving 10 million subscribers.
However, it is always possible that YouTube might introduce special awards or recognition programs in the future. The platform is constantly evolving, so we can never rule out surprises.
Techniques To Earn Your YouTube Play Button
Being a creator is not easy to manage everything, but once you follow your strategies, things become less difficult. Let's explore some valuable techniques that will help you boost your channel and get the YouTube play button:
1. Be Consistent and Relevant
Consistency is the cornerstone of building a successful YouTube channel. Regular uploads keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. Develop a consistent posting schedule that suits your workflow and audience expectations.
Additionally, ensure your content should align with your channel’s niche. This helps you build a dedicated following and improves your chances of appearing in relevant search results. Try to prioritize creating valuable content that resonates with your viewers over quantity, while consistency is important.
2. Create High-Quality Engaging Content
Content is the key to any successful YouTube channel. You must invest time and effort in producing videos that captivate your audience. High-quality visuals, clear audio, and compelling storytelling are essential.
If you want to make an account according to your target audience, you must understand their preferences. Keep your videos informative, entertaining, or both, it is totally up to you but use captivating YouTube Thumbnails. Remember, the more engaging your content, the higher your chances of attracting and retaining subscribers.
3. Turn loyal Viewers into Subscribers with Interaction
Engage with your audience by responding to comments, asking questions, and creating opportunities for interaction. When you show genuine interest in their feedback and opinions, they become your loyal followers.
Encourage viewers to hit the subscribe button by offering exclusive perks or early access, as this may help you gain more reach and visibility in order to monetize your channel. Consider hosting live streams to make them stick with you and recommend your channel to others helping you reach your Play Button goals.
4. Utilize SEO and Video Optimization
To increase your videos’s visibility, master the techniques of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You must conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant terms your target audience is searching for. Add these keywords naturally into your video titles, descriptions, and tags to best utilize YouTube SEO.
Optimize your video thumbnails to create eye-catching visuals that accurately represent your content. One of the best practices is to use your primary keyword in your videos as well to further improve its discoverability. Additionally, pay attention to the video length, structure, and pacing to improve viewer retention and watch time.
5. Promoting Your Channel on Social Media
Social media can help you to expand your reach as you can share your YouTube videos across your other platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter. Create engaging content that encourages clicks and shares to relevantly attract new audiences to give it the initial boost it deserves.
Utilize relevant and trendy hashtags to increase discoverability and maintain an active presence on your chosen platforms. Gain 1000 YouTube subscribers in less time with this strategy and get closer to achieving the milestone of the YouTube Play Button.
6. Collaborating With Other Creators
Teaming up with other YouTubers can be a game-changer. Collaborations expose your channel to a new audience, potentially leading to significant subscriber growth. Find creators whose content complements yours and reach out to propose a collaboration idea.
It can be a joint video, a guest appearance, or a challenge. A unique collaboration can help you build relationships, expand your network, and increase your visibility. People love to see a change in whom they follow, so it is considered as the fresh air for all the users, which can make you more popular.
7. Follow Community Guidelines
A channel’s success depends on adhering to YouTube’s Community Guidelines. Creating content that respects others and upholds the platform’s values is crucial. Avoid posting harmful, misleading, or offensive content. Understanding the rules about copyright, fair use, and intellectual property.
Building a positive reputation within the YouTube community is essential for long-term growth. You must follow the guidelines to protect your channel from strikes, demonetization, and other penalties that could hinder your progress toward earning a play button.
Wrapping Up
It’s never too late to start something new, and when huge opportunities are knocking at your door, why not let them enter? YouTube appreciates your effort at all the steps you need to make your identity credible in order to get your award, an honor of appreciation is waiting for you. Get creative now!
Writer’s Bio
Hafsa Shahzad
SEO Content Writer-Blogger
Hafsa has been working as a writer and blogger for over 3 years now. She's got a knack for writing engaging content that hits the sweet spot, especially in Digital Marketing, Big Tech Industry, and AI. When she's not glued to her writing desk, you might find her sketching beautiful portraits or preparing her favorite coffee in the kitchen.