Wondering if Are YouTube subscriptions free? You can watch millions of videos for free on YouTube, which is a great site. But not everything on the platform is free, and you might be wondering if it costs anything to subscribe to YouTube channels.
In this article, we’ll talk about these things (and more). But let’s start with the most important question.
So, Are YouTube subscriptions free?
Yes, subscribing to a YouTube channel is free, and you can subscribe to as many channels as you want. When you subscribe to a YouTube channel, there are no hidden costs or fees that keep coming up. You can also unsubscribe whenever you want for free as well.
Subscribing to a YouTube channel is free, but joining a channel and becoming a member costs a set amount each month. The amount is set by the channel owner and is based on tiers.
Usually, these membership fees start out low, between $2 and $5 per month, and then they go up based on what the channel offers in its higher tiers.
With channel memberships, only members can get these special perks, but most of the good stuff happens for free on the public side of the creator’s YouTube channel (so they can grow the channel, get more ads, affiliate commissions, etc.).
What happens when you subscribe to a YouTube channel?
When you subscribe to a YouTube channel, you add it to the list of channels you follow.
This makes it easy to follow YouTubers you like without getting distracted by other suggestions and older videos that may no longer be relevant to you.
The subscription feed is in order, so the most recent videos are at the top. The videos are then sorted by when they were uploaded.
The subscription feed will also show the most recent community posts from channels you follow.
When you subscribe to a YouTube channel, it’s easier to find videos from channels that interest you. If you interact with these videos, they’re also more likely to show up on your YouTube home page, though videos from channels you aren’t subscribed to but interact with often will also show up here.
From the channel owner’s point of view, the number of subscribers will go up, which can give them access to more YouTube features or even help them make more money so they can make more videos.
What is the benefit of subscribing to a YouTube channel?
By subscribing to a YouTube channel, you can easily find the most recent video from a channel you like without having to go to their channel directly.
You won’t have to remember all the channels you’re interested in, and you’ll be able to see when they post a new video or a message to the community without having to go to their channel all the time.
This can also help you keep track of how much time you spend on YouTube, since the home page will keep showing you videos that YouTube’s algorithm thinks you’ll like. If you keep watching videos, time can go by very quickly, and you may need to do other things.
On the other hand, the subscription feed is ordered by date, so only the most recent videos, live streams, and community posts from channels you subscribe to will show up here.
With more subscribers, YouTubers can use more of YouTube’s features, like making money from their channels or making videos for YouTube Stories. It can also help them make more money from their channel by letting them get brand deals and sponsorships that pay more.
Why do YouTubers want you to subscribe?
YouTubers want you to subscribe to their channel so you can find their videos more easily and don’t miss their newest ones.
But it’s not just for you; they also want you to subscribe during videos because that sends a signal to YouTube that you’re interested in the video and channel, which helps the video and channel get seen by more people.
And, as we’ve already said, they want you to subscribe so they can get more features and sponsorships that may only be available when the channel has a certain number of subscribers.
Why do YouTubers want you to hit the notification bell?
YouTubers want you to click the “bell” when you subscribe to their channel so that you get a notification when they post a new video.
This is very important for getting people to watch a video at first, and it can also help YouTube recommend and suggest a video.
YouTubers also want you to turn on notifications because it makes it more likely that you will interact with their video or live stream. If you subscribe to a lot of channels, their video or live stream could get lost in your subscription feed.
When you “hit the notification bell,” you’ll get all of the channel’s notifications.
But by default, you’ll get personalized notifications, which should be for the channels you use more often.
If you’d rather look at your subscription feed, you can also turn off all notifications for a certain channel.
If I subscribe to someone on YouTube will they know?
No and yes. If your subscriptions are set to “public,” they will be able to see that you have subscribed to their channel. But if your subscriptions are set to private, they won’t be able to see that you follow their channel.
Setting your subscriptions to “Public” is a good way to subtly reach out to other YouTubers of a similar size who you might want to work with. They may see your subscription in their feed, and if you send them a message, they may be more likely to respond.
How do YouTubers get paid?
By default, YouTubers don’t make any money on the site. YouTubers who want to make money must monetize their channel in one of the following ways:
- Ads on YouTube
- Brand deals and sponsorships
- Partner marketing
- Getting a good or service sold
- Selling products
- Getting people to visit their website or business (that is monetized in some shape or form)
- Donations
- Memberships in channels
Some of these ways to make money, like making money through YouTube ads, are only available after you reach a certain number of subscribers and/or watch time.
Then, how much money YouTubers make depends a lot on their niche, how well their audience fits with the product being sold, how many views their videos get, etc.
How to support your favorite YouTubers for free
If you want to help your favorite YouTuber but don’t have enough money to make a direct donation or buy something from them, there are a few things you can do that will make a huge difference and really help your favorite YouTubers (especially when they are still small channels).
Here’s a brief list of what you can do to help creators:
- Subscribe for their channel.
- Watch the whole video
- Don’t skip ads and turn off AdBlock.
- Like the video and say something about it.
- Even if you only show it to a few people, share the video.
- Use the links in their bios.
- Give feedback that will help
- Tell them what you want to see as a viewer.
- Sign up to get their emails
- Follow them on other social media sites if they have any.
Read this article to learn more about how you can help your favorite YouTubers without spending any money.
Final thoughts on Are YouTube subscriptions free?
Subscribing to a YouTube channel is free and can be a great way to support your favorite creators while having a nice sorted feed where only the channels you have chosen are shown, with the newest videos at the top.
YouTube channels can only see that you subscribed to them if you made your subscriptions public in your privacy settings. If you didn’t do that, YouTubers can’t see who has subscribed to their channel.
I hope this article has helped you figure out if subscribing on YouTube is free and how else you can support the creators you like.