In many creators’ videos, you’ll spot the coveted YouTube subscriber plaque. It typically hangs on a wall or sits on a bookcase somewhere in the background, twinkling under production lights. We notice them – creators and viewers alike – because of how sophisticated they look. Smooth. Minimalist. A shiny finish.
And if you’re a creator, only one thought enters your mind: What is that, and how can I get one?
These awards are part of the YouTube Creator Awards program. They are available in four levels: silver play button (100K subscribers), gold play button (1M subscribers), diamond play button (10M subscribers), and red diamond play button (100M subscribers).
Creators earn their YouTube play buttons through a simple three-step process:
There are four YouTube play buttons, and each one signifies a different achievement for your channel:
Fun fact: The diamond play button isn’t actually made of diamonds. Two years ago, tech creator Marques Brownlee unboxed the award and explained its makeup.
“It’s a solid piece of machined aluminum – which is super heavy – and then polished on the outside with [a] crystal embedded in the middle of it,” Brownlee says.
You can order your first YouTube play button (silver) when you hit 100,000 subscribers. The award comes free. However, if you live in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan, import duties or taxes apply. Most creators receive their awards within 4 to 6 weeks after ordering.
YouTube offers one free play button for each subscriber milestone. If you need extra copies for another setting or team, you can purchase additional play buttons after your channel is reviewed.
Besides reaching 100,000 subscribers, your channel must meet several YouTube play button requirements to claim your first award:
If you’re unsure of anything at all, check your eligibility here.
Once you send in your play button order, YouTube checks your channel for eligibility. This review takes about 1 to 3 weeks. When you are approved, your award is made and sent to your address. Most creators see their play buttons 4 to 6 weeks after ordering. International orders might need extra time. YouTube emails you a tracking code so you can follow the delivery.
Many creators record an unboxing video when it arrives. Viewers love watching these special moments, and by now, it's a culture on YouTube!
In the past, creators who got 50 million subscribers received a custom play button designed and made by YouTube. It typically matched the channel's theme and came in numerous shapes and sizes. Even better, the creators had no idea what the award would look like.
Unfortunately, those days are gone. YouTube doesn’t make custom play buttons anymore, so if you have 10 million subscribers, you’ll need to reach 100 million to get another award – not 50.
Only three channels managed to get a custom play button (officially) before the option disappeared:
Of course, you must gain thousands of subscribers to get any kind of play button from YouTube.
Here’s how one channel used the art of suspense to reach 100,000 subscribers in three months.
No, YouTube gives a free play button when you hit a subscriber milestone. You only pay if you order extra or if your country requires import duties.
YouTube says play buttons usually arrive within a month after you order. Shipping times can vary by location.
There are four levels: Silver for 100K subscribers, Gold for 1M subscribers, Diamond for 10M subscribers, and Red Diamond for 100M subscribers.
No, play buttons are given only to creators who achieve the set subscriber milestones and meet all the rules.
You can earn a YouTube play button by growing your channel to meet specific subscriber milestones and following YouTube’s monetization and community guidelines.
You receive your first play button, the Silver Play Button, when your channel reaches 100,000 subscribers.
Lydia Sweatt is a writer who loves balancing her article/blog time indoors with a healthy dose of nature. She bikes, hikes, and identifies edible plants along the way.
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