How to Make a YouTube Account
If you have a Google ID through Gmail or another Google product, you can sign in to YouTube.com with that username and password. Signing in with a Google ID on the YouTube homepage automatically registers you for a YouTube account and links your YouTube sign-in to your Google account. You don’t need to create a new YouTube account if you don’t mind linking your existing Google username. If you don’t have a Google ID or are a business and don’t want to link your personal Google profile to YouTube, register for a new Google user ID. You can fill out one registration form, and it creates a YouTube account and a Google account at the same time and cross-links them.
YouTube Accounts: The Basics
Follow these steps to create a basic YouTube account.
Profile Information for Google Accounts
When you create a new Google profile, you see a page titled Create Your Profile. This page refers to your Google profile, not your YouTube profile, though the two are linked when you create a Google profile. Google profiles are only for individuals, not businesses. You can’t create a Google profile for a business without running the risk of having your profile suspended. Google scans usernames on profiles to make sure the names reflect people and not companies or products. When you create a Google account for a business, you create what Google calls a Brand account, which is an account aimed at business use. If you use Google and YouTube as an individual, go ahead and create a profile. Upload a photo from your computer if you want an image to show when you use Google services. If you add a picture of yourself to your Google profile and then like the material you see on the web, your thumbnail profile pic may show to other people who view the same material.
Customize Your YouTube Channel
The first step you may want to take after registering is to find YouTube video channels that appeal to you and subscribe to those channels. Subscribing makes it easier to find and watch channels later by showing links to those channels on your YouTube homepage. A YouTube channel is a collection of videos tied to a registered user of YouTube, either an individual or an organization. The Channel guide lists popular channel categories when you first sign in. Select the Subscribe button for any channel you want to subscribe to. Channels shown include broad genres like pop music and specific ones like those created by individual artists. Browse the topical categories to find more material of interest, or click your username to go to your homepage. The left sidebar contains links to popular channels, which are ones that are getting a lot of views, and the trending channels, too.
Watch YouTube Videos
Figuring out how to watch YouTube videos is easy.
