How to Copy YouTube Data to a Different Google Account

Whether you’re transitioning to a new Google account for personal reasons, rebranding your YouTube presence, or simply merging accounts for better management, copying your YouTube data can seem daunting at first. Thankfully, while there is no single-click solution directly from Google, there are a number of practical steps you can take to safely transfer your content, subscriptions, and channel data from one account to another.

TL;DR

If you want to move your YouTube data to a different Google account, start by downloading your content using Google Takeout. Manually re-upload videos to your new channel and update metadata. Unfortunately, subscriptions, comments, and watch history can’t be directly transferred, but you can replicate them manually where possible. Google currently doesn’t allow direct transfers between accounts due to security and copyright protections.

Why You Might Want to Copy Your YouTube Data

There are many valid reasons to move your YouTube data from one Google account to another:

• Consolidating multiple old channels under a single brand.
• Migrating to a professional/business email address.
• Transferring ownership to a coworker or team member.
• Sharing management permissions within a team.

Whatever the reason, knowing the right method to transfer your data can save you serious headaches down the road.

Step-by-Step Guide to Copying Your YouTube Data

1. Download Your YouTube Content via Google Takeout

Google Takeout is a free service that allows users to export their data from most Google services, including YouTube. Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to https://takeout.google.com/.
2. Click on “Deselect all”.
3. Scroll down and check YouTube and YouTube Music.
4. Click on the drop-down to select specific data like your videos, playlists, and settings.
5. Click “Next step” and follow the on-screen instructions to export your archive.

The process may take a while, especially if you have years of video content. Once it’s ready, you’ll receive a download link via email.

2. Re-Upload Videos to Your New YouTube Channel

Unfortunately, YouTube doesn’t currently allow a seamless video transfer between two accounts. You’ll need to manually re-upload the videos to the new channel. When doing this, consider the following tips to maintain quality and consistency:

• Preserve metadata: Use the original titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnails.
• Keep video quality: Upload the highest resolution version of each video.
• Set the correct visibility: Public, Unlisted, or Private depending on original settings.

Re-uploading does take time, but it also gives you an opportunity to refine your content, update older thumbnails, or remove outdated material.

3. Transfer Channel Branding & Details

After uploading your videos, make sure your new channel looks and feels like the original. This includes copying:

• Channel banner and profile picture
• About section text and links
• Channel trailer or featured video
• Custom playlists

You may want to keep both tabs open side-by-side to make it easier to copy design elements and text accurately.

4. Save and Migrate Subscriptions

Subscriptions are not included in the Google Takeout archive and cannot be directly imported into another account. However, you can manually replicate your subscriptions using these steps:

1. Log into your old account and go to the Subscriptions page at https://www.youtube.com/feed/channels.
2. Open the channels you’ve subscribed to in separate tabs.
3. Log into your new account and subscribe to each one manually.

If you’re subscribed to dozens or hundreds of channels, this might take some time, but consider it an opportunity to unsubscribe from channels you no longer watch.

5. Move Playlists

Playlists can be a crucial part of your content strategy, especially if they’re organized by topic or series. To move them manually:

1. In your old account, go to the YouTube Studio and then the Playlists tab.
2. Open each playlist, copy the list of video links, and create a new playlist in your new channel.
3. Paste each link into the new playlist. If videos are yours, ensure you’ve re-uploaded them first.

Playlists can unfortunately not be shared across personal accounts as editable copies, so this manual method is the only consistent option.

6. Move Comments and Likes (Not Possible)

Here’s the bad news—there’s currently no way to transfer your comment history, liked videos, or watch history from one YouTube account to another. These features are tied to personal behavior data governed by Google’s privacy protocols.

If your comments are critical for engagement or SEO, you might want to copy and paste them under your new account on key videos, although this should be done sparingly to avoid spam flags.

7. Set Up Channel Permissions (For Brand Accounts)

If you’re considering transferring ownership instead of copying data, using a Brand Account can be an excellent solution. Brand Accounts allow multiple users to manage the same YouTube channel. Here’s how:

1. Go to Google’s Brand Account page.
2. Create a new Brand Account or use an existing one.
3. Move your channel to your Brand Account by going into YouTube Studio > Settings > Channel > Advanced Settings.
4. Once the channel is under a Brand Account, you can invite a different Google account as a manager.

This saves you the trouble of re-uploading videos and helps retain your YouTube metrics like watch time, views, and subscribers.

Tips for a Smooth Migration

Here are a few more tips to help make your transition as seamless as possible:

• Back up everything before starting any migration process.
• Let your audience know about the transition with a pinned comment or a short video.
• Check analytics post-migration to monitor any drops in engagement or traffic.
• Use YouTube’s built-in cross-linking options (cards and end screens) to point viewers to your new channel.

What You Cannot Transfer

Despite your best efforts, there are some things you won’t be able to move over:

• Watch history
• Monetization status (you must re-enroll in the YouTube Partner Program)
• Community posts
• Comments you’ve posted via your old account

Knowing these limitations ahead of time will prevent surprises and give you realistic expectations for what the migration will accomplish.

The Bottom Line

While YouTube does not offer a built-in feature for transferring data between Google accounts, you’re not without options. With the combination of Google Takeout, manual re-uploads, and Brand Account permissions, you can effectively recreate your YouTube presence on a new account. It takes time, but doing it methodically ensures you retain control over your content and maintain consistency for your audience.

Until YouTube provides a full-feature migration tool, this is the most reliable way to handle the process—and who knows? This may just be the fresh start your channel needs.