Monetizing Youtube is relatively easy. You just accept YouTube monetization for your uploaded personal videos. What happens though when you want to drive YouTube revenue to your Google AdSense business account? Here is how to associate your YouTube channel with your business AdSense account.
The problem I solved: Having monetized my personal YouTube channel, I needed all the YouTube revenue to end up to my company’s accounts. Given YouTube creators can only be paid through Google AdSense, I had to associate my YouTube videos with my company’s AdSense business account.
If you started out with Google AdSense like me, you have already got yourself a personal account to monetize your websites and blogs. You registered your domain, built a website, began blogging and adding content. Nice. Given the website had already reserved space for advertising, you thought:
[dt_quote type=”blockquote” font_size=”big” animation=”fade” background=”fancy”]Let’s monetize and make money by adding Google AdSense ads![/dt_quote]
So, you added AdSense code all over your website, hoping that some of your readers would eventually click on those ads. As a newcomer to the online advertising world, you opened a personal account just like everyone else.
At first your efforts seemed to go unnoticed. No clicks, no revenue. Yet, you weren’t disappointed. You kept on creating unique and useful content for your website’s visitors. Besides, that was just a hobby for you. You never thought of turning professional as a blogger.
And then it happened! Your Google AdSense account began showing some revenue. At last, your first dollar made out of thin air had come your way; because building a website is thin air if you think of it!
Long story short, your earnings began increasing and you decided to take it to the next level by the time earnings justified to start your own business! Thus, you opened a new business account at Google AdSense, deleted previous code (originating from your personal AdSense account) and installed the new one.
At this point you should have:
- An inactive personal account; and
- An active account under your business name (or company).
You no longer need to sign in to your personal account, since you manage all advertising streams via your business one.
Great! So, what is the problem?
The problem comes out when you monetize your personal YouTube account.
YouTube monetization revenue is automatically deposited to a Google AdSense account
Back when you started blogging and uploaded your first videos at YouTube, you really didn’t think of your new online adventure as a way to make money. Indeed, most of people are using the web just for fun just like you used to. YouTube monetization was an unknown term.
Yet, your videos had been just as successful as your website, which now shows ads linked to your business account. What happens to the revenue coming from your YouTube video channel? That channel is linked back to your personal AdSense account, remember? So, all the YouTube monetization draws back to your personal account at Google AdSense! And we don’t want that.
You need to link your personal Youtube channel to your AdSense business account, if you want YouTube revenue to end up to your company’s bank account. And that is how you will do it.
10 steps to associate your YouTube channel with an AdSense business account
1. Log out from every Google service. It’s much easier to start from scratch, even if you have linked your Google accounts together.
2. Log in to your AdSense business account. Obviously you will use your business Gmail address to log into AdSense.
3. Go to YouTube. As you won’t have a YouTube channel under your business name (most probably), you will be presented with an empty channel.
4. Switch accounts and log into YouTube with your personal one. Don’t worry, you are still logged in with your business account at AdSense (unfortunately, you cannot login with multiple accounts at AdSense concurrently, that is the purpose of the second step).
5. Click on the Monetization tab under Channel Settings and pick the fifth question: How will I be paid? At the opened tab, you click on associate an AdSense account.
6. Click Next on the following screen and you will be redirected to AdSense.
7. If you have followed the previous steps correctly, you can now associate your personal YouTube channel with your AdSense business account!
8. On this step, you will finalize the association.
9. You will be redirected automatically back to the monetization settings. Verify that your AdSense account association is approved.
10. You may also check if everything went as planned at your AdSense business account settings, where YouTube should show up as 3rd-party access.
Congratulations, you now bring all the revenue your personal YouTube channel generates, to your business AdSense account! Your business profits will benefit from the YouTube monetization of your personal videos.
Now, I have to ask you the usual question Google asks you at their FAQ pages: Did you find the above helpful? Let me know in the comments below.
Hi
Thanks for helpfull article!
I am going to associate my Youtube channel with new Adsense bussines account as you described. But there is one thing that I am worring about.
What happened with your Youtube stats during the personal-bussines adsense account switch?
Has number of views droped?
Thank you for commenting. I just checked my channel’s analytics at YouTube and I did notice a small drop during the ‘switch’ period (about 10% max). Yet, I highly doubt it was due to associating the channel with a business Adsense account. Most probably it was me neglecting to publish new videos.
Why do you believe views are expected to drop after making the switch?
Hi there, this is a great article. It describes everything very well and pretty much answers my question. I haven’t created an Adsense account just yet for the exact situation described above.
I am only at a personal (individual) account stage now. It’s a hobby. However, I would like to turn it into a business in the future if views and revenue increase. I was wondering if I should avoid having to follow the procedure you described and just create a business account now….before it ever becomes a business?? I think this will cause me more headaches with taxes at the moment though. Maybe I will just keep it personal for now. another concern though……will I be able to change email account links later? I also do not want to change the name of my channel either. I want it all to remain unchanged. From reading your article, I think all this is possible and I shouldn’t have any issues later.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks
Hi Ken, thank you for your comment.
Actually I myself operated a personal AdSense account before creating a new business account. Your YouTube channel will remain unchanged and you can change the linked AdSense account with your YouTube account.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for sharing! I currently have a personal adsense account, but I want to switch to a business one. Is it okay to create a business account while my personal account is still active? I want to keep my personal account active while waiting for my business account to get approved so that I can still get my earnings. Once my business account gets approved, I will then associate my YT accounts and websites to it. My concern is if this is risky or not. Is this fine or should I delete my personal account first, then apply for a business account?
Thank you,
Ella