Official Artist Channel (OAC)

An Official Artist Channel (OAC) brings together all of your music content on YouTube into one unified channel. This includes your existing channel, Topic Channel, and any official releases delivered through your distributor.

OACs are designed to give artists a centralized presence on YouTube, making it easier for fans to find your music and for you to manage your content.

An OAC is not the same as YouTube Channel Administration. An OAC is a YouTube status that merges your channels into one artist identity, and needs one release delivered to YouTube Music through Symphonic. Channel Administration is a Symphonic service for managing and monetizing your own channel, and needs 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months. Enrolling in Channel Administration does not create an OAC.

Some key benefits of this are below:

Unified Channel & Content

Your OAC combines:

• Your personal YouTube channel
• Your Topic Channel (Art Tracks)
• Official releases delivered via your distributor

All content is organized in one place under your artist name.

Subscriber Consolidation

Subscribers from your different channels are merged into a single total.

This helps:

• Increase your visible subscriber count
• Strengthen your channel’s authority and reach

Improved Organization & Visibility

Your channel is automatically structured to highlight:

• Official music videos
• Albums and releases
• Popular content

This creates a more professional and consistent experience for fans.

Access to Artist Features

With an OAC, you may gain access to additional YouTube features, including:

• YouTube Analytics for Artists
• Merchandising and ticketing integrations
• Enhanced fan engagement tools

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for an Official Artist Channel, you must:

• Own and operate a YouTube channel dedicated to a single artist or band
• Have at least one official release delivered to YouTube Music through Symphonic
• Comply with YouTube’s Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, and copyright policies
• Be part of a distributor or label network that can request OAC access on your behalf

Important Notes

• An OAC is not a new channel. It is created by upgrading and merging your existing channels.
• Once approved, your Topic Channel will be merged into your main channel.
• Some standard YouTube features may change after the transition to an OAC.

Before requesting an Official Artist Channel (OAC), you must first resolve any artist separation or mapping issues on your Topic Channel(s). This includes removing content that doesn't belong to you, combining multiple Topics into one, and correcting how your artist name appears. If these issues remain unresolved, your OAC upgrade request will likely be unsuccessful. Please reach out to us if you need assistance with this. 

How to Request an OAC

There are two ways to request an Official Artist Channel (OAC). Both ways will reach our team for fulfillment. Fill out the form below, or go straight to it at form.jotform.com/201878506936062

The form asks for your Symphonic Account ID, YouTube Channel name and Channel ID, Topic Channel ID, the UPC of an approved release, and your Vevo Channel ID if you have one.

Symphonic submits the request to YouTube for you; you do not apply to YouTube directly. YouTube is currently taking 3 to 4 weeks to process OAC requests.

FAQS

Will Vevo videos be visible on my OAC channel? 

Yes, once we have successfully linked your Vevo channel to your Official Artist channel, your Vevo video(s) will automatically appear on your OAC and notify subscribers. If you see any missing Vevo videos, feel free to submit a help request with us. 

When a Vevo video goes live, do users get a notification if they are only subscribed to the OAC channel?

Yes, as long as your YouTube and Vevo channels are linked, your subscribers will receive a notification that your Vevo video is live.

I've delivered a video to my OAC, will this also appear on my Vevo channel?

No, the video will only appear on your OAC. In order for the video to appear on both channels, you will need to submit the video for distribution to Vevo.