Industry

YouTube Rolls Out Paid Courses To More Channels

2024-09-04 11:15:20

YouTube is now allowing more channels to offer informational courses to viewers.

Courses can be offered for free or via a one-time payment, creating new revenue opportunities.

This expansion, announced via the platform’s Creator Insider channel, marks a step forward from the initial beta testing phase, which was limited to a select group.

Course Creation & Features

The Courses functionality, accessible through YouTube Studio on desktop, allows creators to package their educational content into structured, multi-lesson programs.

Key features include:

  1. Special course badges: These will appear on watch pages, playlist pages, search results, home feeds, and “watch next” recommendations.
  2. Dedicated channel tab: Courses will have their own tab on the creator’s channel page.
  3. Potential featured placement: Courses may be highlighted on youtube.com/courses for increased visibility.
  4. Interactive quizzes: Creators can design quizzes associated with specific videos within the course.
  5. Discussion section: A playlist-level comment area for audience engagement and interaction.
  6. Completion badges: Upon finishing all course videos, viewers receive a badge in their YouTube app.
  7. Information panel: Displays course length, content details, viewer progress, and links to the creator’s channel.

Creating A Course

Follow these steps to begin creating a course:

  1. Access YouTube Studio on desktop
  2. Click “Create” then “New Course”
  3. Enter course details, including title, description, and visibility settings
  4. Click “Create” to save

While course creation is currently limited to desktop, you can upload individual videos via mobile and add them to courses later on desktop.

Gradual Rollout

YouTube is implementing this feature gradually, meaning not everyone will have immediate access.

By providing creators with tools to structure and monetize their educational content, YouTube is enhancing its value proposition for content producers and offering viewers a more structured learning experience on the platform.

For more detailed information about YouTube Courses, including purchasing, refund policies, and device availability, viewers and creators can refer to YouTube’s official help documentation.