* AVOID THE TRAP - VITAL tip to gaming channels!

[ProjectPFX]

This is something I've learned recently, so feel it's imperative to spread to help you all.

If your videos include video game footage in- then you need to do is disable monetization on your account. If need more reason as to why, keep reading.

The problem

On your gaming channel you may find you can monetize your videos that have footage of a video game in, (most people jump at this and enable them)- while this is all well and good in the short run - in the long run it could cause some serious problems.
You DO NOT own the video game footage - although youtube allowing monetization on the video may make you think you do - you do not, the video game company still do.

Why does this matter?

Should you ever start to gain rapid popularity, or frequent viewers, youtube will take more notice of your channel, and when it comes to them considering you for partnership, they will then see that all along you have been monetizing videos with content that you do not own; thus, they will not only NOT partner you, but are likely to punish you via removing the videos, - or even your channel.

Unfair?

No, making money off of monetizing videos with content you do not own IS illegal, so it will be taken seriously by youtube- and they will do either or both of the above as stated, to avoid any legal involvement from the game companies.

How do I get round it?

If you don't care about money at all, then simply unmonetize your videos and continue as you were.
If you do want to earn off of videos that include gaming content, the ONLY way is to partner with a GAMING network, - these networks have all the licences and legal rights for you to monetize ALL gameplay videos, thus allowing you to be partnered and earn money.

My Advice

Unmonetize your videos immediately if they have gaming footage in, besides there is not alot to be earned at non-partnership stages anyway (and anything you do own is technically illegal).

Hope I've helped some of you here

 

[Michael]

Great advice there for all the gamers here, thanks for sharing this

 

[Christopher]

It was kind of a d**k move by youtube to offer it to channels with gaming videos and then to tell you you can't monetize your videos afterwards. That being said, you should mention that gaming channels shouldn't bother with enabling the account for monetization anyways, as it just creates a big hindrance when you do join a network, seeing they have to disable adsense on your account before partnering you, and youtube take forever in doing so.

 

[ProjectPFX]

It was kind of a d**k move by youtube to offer it to channels with gaming videos and then to tell you you can't monetize your videos afterwards. That being said, you should mention that gaming channels shouldn't bother with enabling the account for monetization anyways, as it just creates a big hindrance when you do join a network, seeing they have to disable adsense on your account before partnering you, and youtube take forever in doing so.

yeah I have done, it's ridiculous that they say you can't monetize them yet they clearly have too much of a shallow system to properly detect the gameplay footage and allow monetization on them in the first place- I know it would take them ages but it's a problem out of their own accord, disabling monetization at an early stage should be fine, I just wanted to make sure no one loses their videos/channels over this really

 

[Christopher]

yeah I have done, it's ridiculous that they say you can't monetize them yet they clearly have too much of a shallow system to properly detect the gameplay footage and allow monetization on them in the first place- I know it would take them ages but it's a problem out of their own accord, disabling monetization at an early stage should be fine, I just wanted to make sure no one loses their videos/channels over this really

They said that if you abuse the adsense feature, it's just the adsense gets disabled, but yeah, it's best not to mess about with stuff like that just to be safe.

 

[Pearl]

Great advice! Thank you for the heads up!

 

[jamsterkid]

youtube should have there own partner program for gamers, that way they can do what the networks do, then we can do it without joining a network

 

[ProjectPFX]

youtube should have there own partner program for gamers, that way they can do what the networks do, then we can do it without joining a network

I think gaming networks are better though, because it allows us as the video maker to choose who we partner with, we have around 10 main choices as opposed to just 1, and some channels might be more specific to your content type

 

[f1pure]

good advice

 

[QcLegend]

Well , lucky for me, i read your post I had a couple moneterized video but i didn't even make more then 0,05$ so...Thx again