Quick Answer
There is no specific age requirement to be a YouTuber, however most experts recommend waiting until at least age 13 due to COPPA regulations. While some successful kid YouTubers started as young as 7 or 8 years old, there are a lot of factors to consider before allowing a young child to create their own YouTube channel. Parental supervision and guidance is highly recommended.
What is the Age Requirement for YouTube?
YouTube does not actually have a strict age requirement or minimum age to be a YouTuber. Their official terms of service state that you must be at least 13 years old to have your own YouTube account. However, there is no rule prohibiting younger children from appearing in videos on a parent or guardian’s channel.
The age requirement of 13 comes from the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) which prohibits online services from collecting personal information on children under 13 without explicit parental consent. This law impacts how YouTube can collect data and target ads to users under 13.
While YouTube does not outright ban under 13s from creating content, they do not make it easy or actively encourage it due to COPPA regulations. All YouTube channels must clearly identify if they are directed at children under 13 in order to comply with data collection and advertising rules.
Successful YouTubers Who Started Before Age 13
While YouTube’s official age guidance is 13 and up, some young kids have managed to build huge audiences and become viral sensations on the platform at even younger ages:
Ryan Kaji
Ryan started making YouTube videos for the channel Ryan ToysReview at age 4, featuring himself unboxing and playing with new toys. Within a few years he had amassed millions of subscribers, becoming one of the highest paid YouTubers in the world all before his 10th birthday.
Nastya
Anastasia Radzinskaya began starring in videos on the Like Nastya YouTube channel at age 5. The Russian-American vlogger now has over 200 million subscribers across 7 different child-focused YouTube channels her parents produce for her.
EthanGamer
Ethan began making gaming videos on YouTube starting at age 7. He quickly built an audience of over 5 million subscribers interested in watching the enthusiastic young gamer share tips and reactions as he played games like Fortnite and Roblox.
While these kids gained huge fame and followers at young ages, in all cases they started YouTube with the help of their parents, who operate the channels, edit videos, and handle business matters.
Pros of Starting YouTube Young
There are some potential benefits or advantages that creative and business-savvy kids can gain from starting YouTube early:
- Can turn a hobby, talent or interest into profit at a very young age
- Gain a head start on building an audience and brand
- Learning business skills like video production, marketing, and money management
- Develop confidence and presentation skills on camera
- Make connections with brands for sponsorship opportunities
Successful kid YouTubers essentially turn their channels into small media companies, gaining valuable experience even before their teen years.
Cons of Starting YouTube Too Young
However, there are also a number of downsides or risks involved with a child under 13 becoming a YouTuber:
- COPPA rules make it harder to monetize content for under 13s
- Digital footprint created at young age can follow them later in life
- Missing out on normal childhood experiences and play time
- Risk of being exploited by parents or taken advantage of by brands
- Harsh criticism and cyberbullying from commenters and online trolls
- Pressure to constantly create content can cause stress and burnout
Younger children often lack the maturity and judgement to handle fame, negativity, and loss of privacy that can come with being an online personality.
Tips for Parents of Kid YouTubers
For parents considering allowing their talented child to try YouTube success at a young age, experts recommend:
- Wait until at least 10-13 if possible for greater maturity and responsibility
- Only allow YouTube as a hobby at first, not primary work
- Set time limits on content creation to prevent burnout
- Monitor and filter comments to limit cyberbullying
- Manage finances and business matters, not child
- Keep school performance as top priority
With proper parental controls and guidance, YouTube can be a great creative outlet for some ambitious pre-teens. But the pressure of online fame, business management, and hateful comments should be minimized.
YouTube Channel Success By Age
This table compares the subscriber counts for several of the top YouTube channels produced by or starring children under 13:
| YouTuber | Age Started | Subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan’s World | 4 years old | 32 million |
| Like Nastya | 5 years old | 87 million |
| EthanGamer | 7 years old | 5.3 million |
This shows that some of the top kid YouTubers began building their audiences as early as 4-5 years old. However, it takes exceptional maturity, work ethic, talent, parental guidance, and luck to achieve huge YouTube fame at such a young age.
YouTube Channel Monetization for Under 13s
Due to COPPA regulations on data collecting for children under 13, there are restrictions on how YouTube channels starring or targeting kids can make money, compared to general YouTube channels.
YouTube channels for under-13s have limited or no ability to:
- Run pre-roll, display or overlay ads
- Enable YouTube Partner Program monetization
- Use targeted ad tracking for personalized ads
- Promote merchandise orcrowdfunding
- Access YouTube analytics dashboard
These monetization limitations make it much harder for child-focused channels to directly profit from YouTube ad revenue, compared to broadly appealing channels. Workarounds like parental/family vlogging, sponsorships, and off-YouTube merchandise can help earn income. But COPPA rules still impact a young YouTuber’s money making potential.
Steps for Starting a YouTube Channel Under 13
For children under 13 eager to share their talents on YouTube, parents can follow these steps to help them get started while staying safe and compliant:
- Discuss maturity, responsibilities, and time commitment required
- Agree to parent/guardian managing account, uploads, and settings
- Set clear content rules and filming schedule (ex: 10 hrs a week)
- Create shared channel account under parent’s management
- Enable all parental controls and protections
- Moderate comments, disable targeted ads
- Focus on skills gained, not monetization
With preparation and active supervision, YouTube can provide creative outlet and growth experience if a gifted child is ready for the responsibility.
Is it Worth Becoming a YouTuber as a Kid?
In summary, while it is technically possible for kids under 13 to find YouTube success, significant challenges exist:
- COPPA limits monetization options until 13
- Maturity and judgement may not be developed enough
- Risk of exploitation, criticism, or burnout
- Requires extensive parental management and oversight
Allowing a 7 year old to create YouTube content could be an enrichment opportunity with parental guidance. But waiting a few years until 13+ allows greater focus on content rather than business, and gives kids time to gain maturity to handle fame and responsibility. For most children, establishing a YouTube channel early on likely causes more problems than rewards.
Conclusion
While a few standout prodigies can achieve YouTube stardom at ages as young as 4 or 5, most experts caution against kids under 10 becoming YouTubers. COPPA regulations, maturity concerns, childhood wellbeing, and intense management needs all make it inadvisable for the majority of 7 year olds. Parents who see YouTube as a creative outlet for their gifted young child can certainly consider it, but should start carefully, focus on skills not fame, set limits, and assume direct oversight of all channel operations until their child is older. With the right expectations and controls, YouTube can be an enrichment experience for some ambitious pre-teens. But chasing YouTube fame and fortune should not be forced on a 7 year old who may not be able to handle the pressures and responsibilities.