How to see your subscribers on YouTube

Making it on social media is a numbers game.

The amount of likes, follows, comments and shares determine how well content ranks with different social media algorithms – and YouTube is no exception. The platform’s algorithm prioritizes both relevant and high-performing content, so creators who want to get noticed have to score engagement points.

One of a YouTuber’s primary concerns is their subscriber count. More subscribers can mean monetizable views, brand attention, and a loyal fan base willing to click on affiliate links and buy merch.

Whether you’re a brand, creator, or casual uploader, staying on top of your metrics is important. Read on to learn how to see your subscribers on YouTube and grow an authentic audience.

How does YouTube rank a video’s performance?

YouTube aims to curate content its users will enjoy by understanding their unique likes and dislikes. This means the platform’s algorithm considers a person’s watch history, settings, and preferences when choosing which videos to promote to them.

But relevance isn’t everything – the streaming giant also factors in video engagement. This includes the number of views, likes, and overall watch time. The higher these numbers are, the more incentivized the algorithm is to promote the content.

YouTube considers several factors when ranking videos, so is having a lot of subscribers really that important to achieving success on the app? The short answer is yes. Subscribers are automatically shown new content from the creators they follow on their home page, and those with your channel’s notifications turned on receive a message every time a video goes live. These factors make subscribers more likely to engage with your content – meaning you have a better chance to rack up views, likes, and shares.

If posting on YouTube is a revenue stream, your goal is probably to monetize content through brand partnerships and affiliate marketing. Having a high subscriber count and a dedicated audience is essential to attracting collaborations that will help you earn money on social media.

How to see who’s subscribed to you on YouTube

If you want to check out your subscriber count, you can do so in a matter of seconds. Here’s how:

On desktop

Open youtube.com in your web browser and log in to your account.Click on the profile icon in the upper-right corner of the page.Select “Your channel” from the dropdown menu.View your subscriber count in the upper-left corner of the page, under your channel’s name.

On mobile

Open the YouTube mobile app for iOS or Android and login to your account.Tap on your profile icon in the top-right corner of the screen.Select “Your channel.”View your subscriber count under your channel's name at the top of the page.

How to track other key metrics on YouTube

Keeping tabs on how many YouTube subscribers you have can provide solid metrics for your success. But getting viewers to hit that subscribe button isn’t the only type of engagement you should focus on. Remember: the app’s algorithm also considers views, likes, and comments.

Fortunately, you can track all these key factors (and more) with YouTube’s built-in analytics feature. Once on your channel page on the mobile app, tap on the “Analytics” button (it looks like a bar graph). From there, you can view all sorts of data about your videos, including where people are watching from and how they found your content.

How to get subscribers on YouTube

The only way to increase your subscriber count on YouTube is by earning followers with consistent uploads and high quality. Over time, if your videos are interesting and novel, your follower count will grow organically. To encourage that growth, you can remind followers to subscribe to your YouTube videos, talk up upcoming content, and chat with viewers in the comments.

Even if it takes some time to grow your ideal following, doing so is better than purchasing subscribers. Bot subscribers don’t engage with your content, so there’ll be a suspicious gap between your subscriber count and likes or comments. Brands won’t want to work with YouTubers whose followings are full of bots either, as companies partner with creators to reach a real human audience.

FAQs about YouTube subscribers

Savvy social media users ask questions – that’s how you learn to become a better content creator. Here are the answers to common queries.

How many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube?

To sign up for YouTube’s Partner Program and make money directly from the platform, you need at least 1,000 subscribers (and 4,000 watch hours in the past year). Creators in the program gain access to monetization tools, including on-video ads, channel memberships and thank-yous from fans. However, you can start earning through affiliate marketing at any number of followers – it all depends on the brand.

Can you see all your subscribers on YouTube?

You may not be able to see some of your subscribers if they’ve chosen to subscribe privately or if YouTube has determined the accounts as spam. You will also not be able to view suspended accounts. Your recent subscriber list shows only public subscribers who’ve joined in the last 28 days and have an active account.

Why am I losing subscribers?

Losing subscribers is normal. YouTube may remove spam subscribers from your following, or the app may shut down certain subscribers’ profiles due to policy violations. Creators may also lose subscribers because viewers are no longer interested in the content, so it’s important to make high-quality videos and post consistently to stay relevant.

Take your YouTube channel to the next level with Linktree

There’s always more to learn on social media. Keep growing your following and improving your content by adding more trends and hacks to your toolkit.

Linktree’s blog can teach you how to start a YouTube channel, promote your content and make money on your videos. You can also add a link to your YouTube channel to a Linktree and use this URL in your other social media profiles to help drive traffic to your page and score more subscribers.