What Is a YouTube Brand Account
A Brand Account lets more than one person manage a YouTube channel without sharing one sign-in.
Is this your situation?
You keep seeing the term Brand Account and wonder if your channel already has one, or should. This page explains what a Brand Account is and how it differs from a personal channel.
What it is
A Brand Account is a Google account for a business or brand that's available for some Google services. If a YouTube channel is linked to a Brand Account, multiple people can manage it from their own Google Accounts. A Brand Account does not require a separate username or password from the managers' own Google Accounts. A Brand Account can have multiple owners and managers. An owner of a Brand Account can decide how much control each added manager has over the account.
How YouTube handles this
- Owners take the most actions and control who manages the account.
- A Brand Account must have one primary owner.
- Community managers can do what Managers do, but cannot use YouTube.
- YouTube is one of the Google services that supports Brand Accounts.
- A Brand Account can be created when creating a YouTube channel.
Side by side
| Aspect | Personal channel | Brand Account |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | Not stated by YouTube | Multiple people can manage a channel linked to a Brand Account from their own Google Account. |
| Sign-in | You sign in with your own account. | Does not require a separate username or password from managers. |
| Roles | Not stated by YouTube | Can have multiple owners and managers. |
| Deletion control | Not stated by YouTube | Only an owner of a Brand Account can delete the account. |
| Adding help | Not stated by YouTube | An owner can add people to help manage it. |
Common mistakes
- Assuming any manager can delete the account Only an owner can delete a Brand Account.Why it happens: You assume using the account's services means deletion control too.Already happened: See how ownership actually works.
- Expecting Community manager to reach YouTube Community managers of a Brand Account do the same things as Managers, but cannot use YouTube.Why it happens: You see the manager title and expect the same access everywhere.
- Deleting the primary owner's account without a plan If the primary owner account linked to a channel is deleted, the channel is too.Why it happens: You close the Google Account without checking what it is still linked to.
Quick reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a Brand Account? | A Google account for a business or brand available for some Google services. |
| Who can manage it? | Multiple people, each from their own Google Account. |
| Does it need its own password? | No separate username or password from the managers' own Google Accounts. |
| Who controls the most actions? | Owners take the most actions and control who manages the account. |
| How many primary owners? | A Brand Account must have one primary owner. |
| Can a Community manager use YouTube? | No, Community managers of a Brand Account do the same things as Managers but cannot use YouTube. |
| Who can delete it? | Only an owner of a Brand Account can delete the account. |
Frequently asked questions
Can a Brand Account exist without a YouTube channel?
YouTube is one of the Google services that supports Brand Accounts.
Can I create a Brand Account while setting up a channel?
A Brand Account can be created when creating a YouTube channel.
Do all managers have equal power?
Owners take the most actions and control who manages the account.
What happens if I want more than one owner?
A Brand Account can have multiple owners and managers.
Keeping track of who has access
Confusion about who holds which role on a Brand Account builds as more people join and leave over time. Delvia gives you a clear picture of who has access to your channel and through which role.
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