Need to change your YouTube channel name but not sure how? We’re here to help, because getting this right is important for you, your brand, and your chances of YouTube success.
We’ll start with the simplest, but not the best, method for how to change your YouTube channel name.
1 On YouTube itself, make sure you are signed in and then select ‘Settings’ from your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen. Your YouTube channel, along with your profile picture and name, will appear on this screen.
2 A pop-up should appear when you click ‘Edit on Google.’ Now, as strange as it may seem, your YouTube channel name is made up of your first and last names, so you can change it here. Your YouTube channel name is not the same as your nickname.
3 After you’ve saved the changes, your YouTube channel name should be updated.
4 If you’re serious about YouTube, now is a good time to set up a brand account. We’ll explain what that means later, but you must return to the same settings screen as before and select ‘See all my Channels’ or create a new channel.
5 Something new and wonderful is about to happen on this screen. You’ll be taken to a new screen if you click on “Create new Channel.”
6 Here you can create a brand account, which will use the account’s name as your channel name rather than your Google account’s first and last name. However, because you now have two channels, your personal YouTube channel and this brand account channel, this may not solve your problem. The idea is that you combine the two.
7 To do so, return to the Account Settings page and select ‘Advanced Settings’ this time.
8 Make sure you’re signed in to your current channel’s account, and you should see an option to transfer that channel to your brand account. You’ll be asked to confirm your password if you click that.
9 You may have created a YouTube channel in the same brand account as you created a brand account. When you click the brand account box, a warning may appear, informing you that the YouTube channel that is currently associated with the brand account will be removed.
10 You should be able to confirm this because there will be no subscribers and no videos. After clicking delete, the next screen will confirm that you are moving your personal YouTube channel account to the brand account. Click ‘Move Channel’ in the bottom right hand corner to move your personal YouTube channel account to the brand account.
11 To be clear, there are some channel implications here. Not all of your information will be transferred. While your videos, views, subscribers, and channel URL will all remain the same, comments, the verification badge on your channel, community filter settings, and your custom URL, if you have one, will not. Yes, if you’ve already established your channel, this could be a major decision.
Why has YouTube gone about it in this manner? We believe the answer is related to how Google+ was previously integrated into YouTube. Click the final ‘Move Channel’ button to move your personal YouTube channel to your brand account, as long as you’ve read everything and completely understand what you’re about to do. Of course, you do so at your own risk.
12 Now, instead of changing the first and last names of your personal Google account, go to ‘Settings’ from your YouTube profile picture, click the ‘Edit on Google’ link, and you should be able to change only the name of your channel, your brand account.
The Benefits of Having a YouTube Brand Account
And you might be wondering if all of this potential heartache is really worth it. However, there are additional advantages to using a brand account as your YouTube channel. A brand account allows you to add other people to your YouTube channel, such as community managers and people who upload videos on your behalf, in addition to changing your channel name and not your personal name on Google.
Basically, if you’re a part of a larger company or channel, you’ll need other people to assist you along the way. If you’re serious about YouTube, you’ll almost certainly need a brand account.
What If I Want To Change My YouTube Channel’s Name Again?
Once you have a branded account, and have begun to add videos, get views, add subscribers and get likes, changing your YouTube channel name would usually be pretty counterproductive to serious brand building.
It’s not just businesses either. Many a creator has made the mistake of starting to upload videos to what they thought would remain a low-key, personal channel, only to find themselves trapped in a channel named after their cat as it grows in popularity. (Okay, just to be clear, this isn’t an issue if the channel is dedicated to your cat.) However, if you really need to do it, it can be done.
You can change the name of your YouTube channel three times in 90 days and then only once every 90 days after that. You can’t change it too often due to strict rules about name changes, as it would confuse other users and viewers.
This policy allows users to change their minds and come up with the perfect name for their channel. While some A/B testing on a YouTube channel may be necessary from time to time, it’s usually not the best idea. Before you begin, take the time to come up with the perfect name.
How to Choose a YouTube Channel Name for Your Brand
To avoid ever having to worry about how to change your YouTube channel name more than once, start off with the right one.
You can, of course, just use your company name (if it’s available) but if you are hoping to have your brand join the ranks of big YouTube creators you might want to incorporate it into a larger phrase that explains what you do, or that matches the particular content you intend to (try) to have go viral on YouTube (because that’s what you really want.)
When choosing the perfect for your brand YouTube channel name – so you won’t have to worry about how to change your YouTube channel name – keep the following in mind:
Don’t make hasty decisions.
You should give this decision a lot of thought. Though it may appear to be a minor consideration, it can have a significant impact on the long-term success of your channel if you choose a bad name.
Make an effort to connect the name to the content.
Are you planning to start a shopping channel? Make an attempt to incorporate a shopping term into your title. If you’re going to make fitness content, try incorporating workout or sports terms.
Keep profanity, vulgarity, and inside jokes to a minimum.
Even if you think naming your channel something mildly vulgar is hilarious, it will inevitably limit your audience. It’s difficult to predict what path your videos will take on their way out into the world, and a snarky (or even obscene) title may deter viewers from sharing your video. It’s important to remember that you want people to share your videos!
Make the name memorable.
The name of your channel should be memorable. People enjoy puns, rhyming, and alliteration, but they rarely combine the three. That might be a bit excessive.
Make it as simple to spell as possible.
People need to be able to find your channel, and using a difficult-to-spell word can make it difficult for them to do so. Do not take this as an opportunity to create an esoteric channel name brimming with idiosyncratic vocabulary that will perplex and befuddle your potential viewers.
Make it simple for people to discuss.
When you think you’ve found the perfect name, read it out loud a few times to make sure you can pronounce it correctly. You’ll want a name for your channel that people can talk about and understand.
The best way to test this is to call a friend and tell her to tune in to your channel. You’ve got a usable name on your hands if you can tell your friend the channel name and she can get there without you having to spell it out.
Make sure the name you want is available and won’t be confused with another company on YouTube or elsewhere.
You should check the internet in general and YouTube in particular to ensure that your brilliant channel name isn’t already taken. It’s also a good idea to double-check that the URL you want is available. YouTube does not assign URLs automatically, and you must choose your custom URL later.
As a result, even if your channel name is available, your custom URL might not. Check this ahead of time, or it could become a serious issue.
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