How can you upload a video to YouTube Kids? Let's start with the changes in kids' content that made this the main question for kids creators a couple of years ago.
In 2019, kids’ content on YouTube was booming: creators earned well, and the niche was considered stable. But everything changed when the COPPA law took effect, followed closely by the pandemic. YouTube tightened ad policies for kids’ content, which hit creators’ earnings hard.
Today, the safest and fastest way for kids’ channels to grow again is by getting on YouTube Kids. Let’s see how to make that happen.
What Is YouTube Kids?
YouTube Kids is an app designed for children aged 4-12, featuring only safe, age-appropriate videos. It gathers kid-targeted content into one place (think Hasbro, LEGO, or McDonald’s channels) with simple navigation and bright visuals that kids can easily explore. Parents can also enable premium features like ad-free and offline viewing.
Parental Controls and Safety
While YouTube Kids doesn’t filter all content automatically, it offers strong parental controls through Google accounts.
Parents can:
- Set profiles to “Approved content only.”
- Whitelist channels or videos that their child can watch.
- Manage passwords or override them if needed.
This ensures a safe, customized experience for young viewers.
Why It Matters for Creators
YouTube Kids is safer for families, and it’s profitable for creators. It connects them with trusted advertisers and provides long-term stability. However, getting into the app requires meeting strict safety and content guidelines.
Even if your content isn’t there yet, all is not lost. AIR Media-Tech has helped many creators rework and improve their content to meet YouTube Kids standards, including channels that started with lower-quality videos. We can help you get there, just contact us today.
How to Get Videos on YouTube Kids?
YouTube Kids focuses on safe and educational content. Its algorithms automatically include qualifying videos that follow YouTube’s policies. If your channel appears there, it means YouTube has recognized it as trustworthy and appropriate for children.
Step 1. Be Aware of YouTube Guidelines
To get started, follow all the YouTube guidelines. Kids' creators should do the following to feel comfortable on the platform, despite the YouTube Kids algorithm.
- First and foremost, be aware of YouTube guidelines, terms of monetization, and child safety policy. These will allow you to arrange your work according to YouTube requirements.
- Then, create only safe content. Consider YouTube policies for your segment during the planning and creation stages, from the topic to video materials and optimization. Your content must adhere to the guidelines for creating family-friendly content. Of course, there is parental control on YouTube, but creators must also create kid-friendly content.
- Mandatory content self-certification. From now on, all content that is viewed by kids under the age of 13 has to be rated as made-for-kids content. This leads to a lot of restrictions, and unfortunately, many creators continue ignoring these requirements. However, YouTube uses machine learning and flagging algorithms to identify child-directed videos and rates such videos as made for kids. And that is already a guideline violation that might have a few consequences: from reducing traffic to monetization loss or even channel suspension.
- Understand all the risks. There are minor and more serious violations, and the consequences are different accordingly. Some of the consequences are minor and no reason to worry (for example, the yellow icon on a video). But do not forget that YouTube can still disable monetization or even suspend your channel.
- And last but not least, take a careful approach when creating content. This is a very important stage.
With the help of the guidelines, you will be aware of all the risks on the platform and will be able to moderate videos yourself before uploading.
We also help partners prevent such issues by daily moderating uploads. If our team spots violations, we alert creators before YouTube’s systems do, saving channels from penalties.
Step 2. You Must Correctly Optimize Your Video Presence
Proper optimization helps YouTube identify your channel as safe and relevant. Focus on:
- Thumbnails: Use soft colors and avoid flashing or harsh effects.
- Titles: Add keywords naturally, don’t stuff them.
- Descriptions: Include keywords, time codes, and playlist links.
- Tags: Combine general and specific keywords; tools like VidIQ can help.
Good optimization boosts algorithm visibility and improves your chances of appearing in YouTube Kids.
Step 3. Wait, or Find a Better Solution
You can wait for algorithms to recognize your content or speed things up with expert help.
AIR Media-Tech, a YouTube Certified Partner, reviews your channel, recommends improvements, and submits your application to YouTube Kids.
We’ve already helped over 90 channels, including Baby Ben and BIBO Toys, successfully join the app.
Do you need help turning your channel videos into quality content samples and applying to YouTube Kids? Just write to us.
Step 4. Content Moderation
Once you apply to AIR, our moderation team will analyze your content for compliance. But be prepared for a change. During moderation, we can identify both minor violations (i.e., spam) and global problems that may affect your transition to YouTube Kids.
Some creators only need metadata cleanup; others might need a format overhaul. We work directly with the YouTube Kids team, so following our feedback significantly increases your approval chances.
Step 5. Submission of Application to Get Your Content on YouTube Kids
After your content is ready, AIR submits the official application. YouTube then decides whether to include your channel or specific videos in the app. Once approved, our team tracks your performance, and most partners see a noticeable increase in views and revenue.
Why Should Creators Be on the YouTube Kids app?
YouTube has stated that all kids’ content will eventually migrate to YouTube Kids. Staying ahead of this shift protects your visibility and income. While the process takes time, working with a certified partner helps you prepare and succeed.
Main Challenges to Get on YouTube Kids
While the benefits are more than clear, the journey to YouTube Kids isn’t the simplest one to take:
- Strict Guidelines: COPPA regulations can seem rather overwhelming and intimidating, especially if you are just starting to think about joining the YouTube Kids app.
- Content Volume: Unsurprisingly, the YouTube Kids app has a high competition rate, which can make standing out challenging.
- Manual Review Delays: The process of joining has no clear timeline and is a bit time-consuming if you're trying to do this by yourself. Moreover, there's a higher chance of being rejected if you don't have a reliable partner, such as AIR Media-Tech, by your side.
- Ongoing Compliance: Once approved, your content requires continuous moderation and updates to maintain eligibility.
How AIR Media-Tech Can Help You Get on YouTube Kids
As a certified YouTube partner, AIR Media-Tech has access to a lot of resources unavailable to an average YouTube creator. It’s true that getting and staying on the YouTube Kids App is almost impossible without a third party, as things stand currently, which is why it’s important to find a good partner for the job.
We help when it comes to moderating the content and getting your videos up to the YouTube Kids App standards. Sometimes the creator might think they know how to format in order not to get flagged, but end up being flagged anyway because they are not aware of all the subtleties of the YouTube Kids App.
Baby Ben en Español - Canciones Infantiles
One creator we helped to get on the YouTube Kids App was Baby Ben en Español. We applied for it in late December 2023. Just one month later, Baby Ben en Español was live on the platform.
What did our partner get? Well, their views and revenue skyrocketed!
BIBO TOYS
The next creator we helped to get on YouTube Kids was BIBO TOYS. We got them there in just one month in January 2024. Their monthly views and revenue exploded even beyond our wildest expectations.
If you also want to get on the YouTube Kids app but have issues with your kids channel, we are ready to help you. AIR has a cluster of products and services for the creators in the Kids & Teens segment: Content Protection, Сhannel Troubleshooting (i.e., yellow icons, channel and video suspensions, monetization problems), Getting on YouTube Kids, Mobile Apps, and many more.
We hold the largest expertise globally in the Kids segment, helping creators grow safely and sustainably. If you want to transform your kids’ channel into one ready for YouTube Kids, AIR Media-Tech is here to help you. Just contact us today.
