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Running a gaming channel is exciting—until you run into strikes, copyright claims, or monetization issues. YouTube’s Community Guidelines might feel like a maze, but it’s actually not that hard to navigate if you know the routes. Here's a simple guide to keep your gaming content safe.
1. Know the Rules (and Play by Them)
YouTube’s Community Guidelines are there to keep things fair and civil. These rules cover a lot of important stuff like avoiding hate speech, or not letting people promote real-world violence.
Example: If you’re streaming or uploading a video of a shooter of some sort, or even an rpg, try focusing more on the game’s strategy and fun moments instead of making comments that could be seen or even misinterpreted as promoting real-world aggression. You’re here to entertain, not stir up trouble, even if it might be accidental.
Why it matters: Breaking these rules can result in strikes, and three strikes? Game over—your channel could be deleted.
2. Age-Restricted Content
A lot of games nowadays are very far from being child-friendly. Maybe there’s mature language, intense violence, or highly suggestive themes. Usually, most often, YouTube uses bots to flag such content as age-restricted. What happens then?
Well, first, these videos would be not viewable to users who are under 18 or who are signed out of their account. Secondly, these videos would be unavailable on most third-party websites (such as discord). Age-restricted videos are still able to be monetized via ads, but they will have limited monetization due to the fact that some advertisers just prefer to stick to family-friendly content.
What you can do: If you know your video isn’t for younger viewers, mark it as age-restricted yourself. This shows YouTube you’re playing fair and honest, and the algorithm appreciates it more than you think.
If your content keeps getting demonetized and you don’t understand why, just drop us a message and we will be sure to help! Understanding the reason is only one professional audit away!
3. Copyright
Gaming content, most often, comes with in-game music, sound effects, and cutscenes that are copyrighted. Sometimes it might feel as if gaming content is the one that gets demonetized the most, but it isn’t so. If the content isn’t 100% yours, you could face a copyright claim regardless of the content you make.
Pro tip: Use royalty-free music or sounds. (with AIR Media-Tech, you can get access to a whole library of music for free to put over your videos, for example) Better yet, check the game’s policy on content sharing—many developers encourage it, but some might not.
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4. Ads Want Clean Content
Every YouTuber wants their content to be monetized. However, it’s important to remember that YouTube has strict rules about what’s considered to be ‘ad-friendly’. Gaming channels alone have their own specifics when it comes to ads.
- Avoid excessive profanities at the start and in the majority of the video.
- Avoid shocking and excessively violent content (especially if the entire point of that content is just to be shocking and excessively violent).
- Stay away from hateful, derogatory, or content that’s connected to drugs.
- Remember that content that’s focused on the sale, assembly, abuse, or misuse of real or fake firearms is not suitable for advertising.
- Stay clear from content glorifying or promoting dishonest behavior, such as trespassing, cheating, or computer hacking that is personal or paid for.
All of these rules don't mean that you can’t be yourself—just save the spicier language for moments that really need it and if you play a shooter that can be considered violent, either censor the parts that could potentially make your content not that ad-friendly or age-restrict your video.
Why it matters: Ad-friendly videos mean more ad revenue. Less drama, more cash.
5. Be Honest About Sponsors
Got a sponsor? Awesome! But make sure your audience knows about it. YouTube requires you to disclose any paid promotions.
Example: If a game studio pays you to play their new release, mention it upfront. Say something like, “Big thanks to [Game Studio] for sponsoring today’s video!”
Why it matters: Being transparent builds trust. Viewers appreciate honesty, and YouTube stays happy. Win-win.
6. Handle In-Game Purchases Wisely
Microtransactions and loot boxes are common in modern games (you have League, WoW, Fortnite, CS:GO and so many other games that have paid skins, transmog, mounts and other cosmetics in their in-game shops), but they’re also a hot topic. Be upfront about how they work and what they cost.
Example: If you’re opening loot boxes, share the odds of getting rare items. Educating your audience shows you care about their experience—not just hyping the game or being dishonest to deceive them.
Why it matters: Transparency about in-game purchases keeps your content responsible and builds credibility with your viewers.
7. Create a Friendly Gaming Space
Nobody likes toxic behavior, and your viewers will appreciate a positive vibe. Set rules for your chat and moderate it actively to keep the trolls at bay.
Example: Post chat rules in your stream description. Something simple like “Be kind, no spamming, and respect others” works wonders. Moderate comments under your YouTube videos as well. That will not only protect you from bots, but from people who exist solely to make other people miserable.
Why it matters: A supportive community keeps viewers coming back and encourages new subscribers to stick around.
Stay One Step Ahead
YouTube’s guidelines change over time, so keep an eye on updates. Feeling overwhelmed? AIR Media-Tech can help! From expert advice to tools that simplify compliance, we’re here to keep your gaming channel secure and thriving. Ready to take the next step? Let’s unlock your channel’s full potential!
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