YouTube has removed the ability to add external link cards to videos from a majority of content creators. This follows a change in policy that now only allows those who are part of the YouTube Partner Programme to include links in their videos; a move that may have a detrimental effect on smaller creators and channels.
Links to external sites are important as they allow content creators to link to affiliate sites and Patreon accounts. Both of which are valuable sources of income. Particularly for creators that have been hit hard by YouTube’s new monetisation policy that only allows an increasingly narrow range of videos to collect money from ads.
WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT https://t.co/waNEqnAFb3
— Ian Danskeleton (@InnuendoStudios) September 28, 2017
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YouTube, on its part, did not make an announcement about the change. Instead, it only offered the following statement after content creators began to notice the new policy.
“In order to use externally-linking end cards in videos, creators are being asked to join the YouTube Partner program, so that we can evaluate the validity of the channel, as well as determine whether the channel is following our community guidelines and advertiser policies. This update is meant to curb abuse and does not affect current YouTube partners or existing end cards. Additionally channels do not have to actually monetize any videos as part of this requirement.”
On the surface, it looks like this new policy is designed to prevent content creators from abusing external links. The YouTube Partner Programme puts an additional level of scrutiny on the videos, allowing the company to keep an eye on what’s going up on its streaming service. That said, there’s still the problem of having to apply and get into the programme. Something that may be more trouble than some creators are willing to do.
[Source: The Next Web]
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