How to upload a kids song to YouTube the right way

Before you upload: rights and privacy

• Check you may post it. Read the license of the song. Some services allow personal use only; others allow your own channels, including monetized ones. Songs from AI music apps usually need a paid plan at the time you made them.
• Protect the child. Use a first name only. Keep surnames, school names, towns and faces out of the title, description and video unless you have a clear reason and the parent's permission.
• Give each video its own idea. A distinct topic, story or lesson per song matters for monetization, as explained below.

Step by step: setting "made for kids"

1. Go to YouTube Studio and select Create, then Upload videos.
2. On the Details (Basic info) step, find Audience and choose "Yes, it's made for kids" for a children's song.
3. In the Attributes or AI use section, answer whether the content uses realistic AI (see the next section).
4. Finish the upload. The video shows as "Made for kids, set by you" in your uploads list.
5. Optional: set the whole channel in Settings, Channel, Advanced settings, Audience. Per-video settings override it.

YouTube lists "songs, stories, or poems for children", simple songs and language meant for children among the factors that make a video made for kids. It also says you should not rely on its systems to set this for you.

The AI label: when to tick it

YouTube's page on disclosing generative AI content says creators must disclose AI-generated or altered content that seems realistic, and it gives AI-generated music as an example when the music is the main focus of the video. For a song video made with an AI singer, that usually means answering "Yes" under AI use. A label may then appear on the player. YouTube lists clearly unrealistic content, such as a fantasy world, as not needing disclosure, but AI music that is the point of the video still does.

What changes when a video is made for kids

On made-for-kids videos, YouTube turns off features including comments, personalized ads, notifications, the miniplayer, cards and end screens, Save to playlist and Watch Later, channel memberships, merchandise and Super Chat. Ads can still run, but they are not personalized, which YouTube says may reduce revenue. Made-for-kids videos are more likely to be recommended next to other kids' videos.

Monetization: quality and "inauthentic content"

Two policies matter most for a kids music channel:

• Inauthentic content. In July 2025 YouTube renamed its "repetitious content" policy to "inauthentic content". Channels that are mass-produced, generic or repetitive cannot earn, and YouTube names AI-generated content made from generic templates that looks mass-produced. A song channel where each video has its own concept, words and visuals is fine; fifty near-identical videos are not.
• Quality principles for kids content. YouTube rewards content that is age-appropriate, enriching and engaging, such as songs that teach or build healthy habits. Content that is heavily promotional, misleading about being educational, or confusing may get limited ads, and channels focused on low-quality kids content can be suspended from the YouTube Partner Program.

Creators making original songs can read our page on original songs for a kids YouTube channel, and parents comparing AI tools can read Suno for kids songs.