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What are the YouTube Play Button Levels?

Berrak Kayaoğlu
Berrak Kayaoğlu
Snapmuse.io team

Are you an ambitious creator who has nurtured a thriving channel, reached an impressive milestone, and is now seeking to have your channel rewarded with a glamorous YouTube plaque by the YouTube Creator Awards? It’s no surprise that you are captivated by the allure of the YouTube Play Buttons. So let’s embark on an exhilarating expedition through the YouTube Play Button levels and familiarize you with each one before you earn them!

What are the Different Play Buttons?

To put it simply, Play Buttons are prestigious YouTube awards given to creators who achieve specific subscriber milestones. YouTube awards are presented as physical YouTube plaques, and their levels vary. There are four main types of Play Buttons: the Silver Play Button, Gold Play Button, Diamond Play Button, and Red Diamond Play Button. Simple yet significant, all YouTube Play Buttons serve as tangible testaments of your YouTube milestones and the incredible journey you have embarked upon.

How Do I Actually Get the Play Buttons?

As mentioned earlier, to earn a YouTube Play Button, you need to achieve certain YouTube milestones in terms of your channel’s subscriber count. Here is a breakdown of the specific subscriber count required for each Play Button:

It all begins with a significant achievement when your channel reaches the milestone of 100,000 subscribers. This special YouTube 100K plaque is when you get your first YouTube Play Button. As you continue to grow, the challenge becomes greater, aiming for an impressive one million subscribers.

But the adventure doesn’t end there. The next target is the coveted realm of 10 million subscribers among the awards for YouTubers, showcasing a creator’s success.

Yet, the possibilities don’t stop at 10 million. Brace yourself for the uncharted realm of 50 million subscribers, a remarkable achievement that speaks volumes about your impact and influence. And if you dare to dream even bigger, the extraordinary realm of the 100 million subscribers Play Button and beyond awaits, promising unparalleled recognition and acclaim.

Are you ready to take an even deeper dive into the different YouTube plaque levels? Let’s go!

1. The Silver Play Button

The Silver Play Button is your first major step on your epic journey into the realm of YouTube rewards. This first milestone will be awarded to you when your channel reaches 100,000 subscribers – and your journey to the 100K milestone won’t be as challenging as you’d think when you adapt effective reward strategies for enhancing the fan experience to maximize your channel growth by building an engaging community.

2. The Gold Play Button

The Gold Play Button is the next level on the ladder. It is awarded to creators when their channels surpass 1 million subscribers. This is a major level-up in your game, indicating to the world that your channel has gained a substantial following.

3. The Diamond Play Button

The Diamond Play Button is a highly prestigious award. You receive the Diamond Play Button when you achieve the remarkable feat of reaching 10 million subscribers! This Play Button proves your exceptional influence and popularity among the creator community.

4. The Red Diamond Play Button

The Red Diamond Play Button proudly stands with its striking red color among all YouTube Play Buttons, celebrating your achievement of reaching the 100 million subscriber milestone! Only a few creators have been able to attain this significant reward. These proud five channels include individual YouTubers PewDiePie and Mr. Beast, along with three brand channels: T-Series, Cocomelon, and SET India.

How Do I Earn a Custom Play Button?

I can hear you asking, “What about the customized YouTube Play Button?” Well, of course, we have an answer for that too!

The specific number of subscribers required to earn a Custom Play Button varies and is not publicly disclosed by YouTube. However, typically, creators who become eligible for a Custom Play Button surpass the milestone of 10 million subscribers. Earning this particular Play Button can be a bit trickier since YouTube also considers factors like engagement, viewership, and the overall influence of the channel.

Moreover, since the Custom Play Button is special, YouTube has the ability to personalize its design and appearance based on the branding of the channel.

The most important aspect of earning a Custom Play Button is, of course, creating high-quality content, maintaining consistency, and engaging with your audience. As they say, you need to give 110% for success.

When Do You Get Your First YouTube Play Button?

“When do you get your first YouTube Play Button?” is probably the question that inhabits the highest level of exhilaration for every creator. You get your first YouTube Play Button, aka the Silver Play Button, when you hit that 100,000 subscriber milestone. But you’ll have to wait for a little while after ordering your YouTube plaque as YouTube Play Buttons typically arrive within 4-6 weeks. 

After your first YouTube Play Button or seeking to become a professional content creator? Luckily, you are in the right place! Follow the link to check out our article to learn how you can grow your channel, cultivate a dedicated community of your own, and turn your fans into engaged superfans!

Who Earned YouTube’s First Custom Play Button?

Phew! What a journey, right? Think of all the time and effort put into building a channel with creative, high-quality content and a dedicated fan base!

Do you want to know who earned YouTube’s first Custom Play Button? It was our beloved Felix Kjellberg, whom we all know as the famous PewDiePie. He received his Custom Play Button in 2016 when his channel reached 50 million subscribers. His award was styled as a brofist, which is, in fact, his signature gesture!

The introduction of this Play Button was YouTube’s way of recognizing and encouraging creators who achieved a significant milestone after the Diamond Play Button and before the Red Diamond Play Button.

Now it’s time to take the next step! Take your place in the YouTube community, start creating, and aim for these remarkable awards. But remember, you cannot embark on this journey without your followers. Building a loyal fan base and achieving success requires a community and, of course, the right tools. 

This is where Snapmuse.io comes in. You can enlarge and connect with your community here at Snapmuse.io with the help of CreatorPasses and web3 technologies. You can take a look at our article “What is an NFT and How Does It Work?” to get a better grasp of the hype behind CreatorPasses. 

Interested in launching a CreatorPass collection but worried that your followers are not quite the web3-enthusiast type? Fret not! With our beginner’s guide on what is blockchain technology in social media and how does it work, it’s easy for you to break down how the decentralization of social media breaks the barriers between fans and creators in a simple yet effective way. 

So let your creativity flourish, engage with your audience, and give it your all. Your path to success and Play Buttons awaits. Start your YouTube adventure with the help of your community and Snapmuse.io, and watch your channel thrive.