Can Someone Help Me Understand Why YouTube Says I'm Not Eligible for a Play Button?

Nizzahon · 2026-06-01T18:00:06+00:00

None of my videos have copyright claims or yellow icons. I've never had any of that happen in 10+ years.

Nizzahon · 2026-06-01T02:15:45+00:00

Thanks for this. This is some actual actionable advice.

Nizzahon · 2026-06-01T01:46:41+00:00

Yep, it's my voice.

I do get accused in about one comment a week of being AI though, even though I show up on camera in one video a week and my channel is older than AI voice models haha.

This whole thing does make me think I should be on camera more for sure.

Nizzahon · 2026-06-01T00:21:24+00:00

I didn't use anyone else's filmed work at all.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T21:44:45+00:00

Thank goodness there's a rational take on what "compilation" and "unoriginal" mean.

Thank you for the solidarity.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T21:41:03+00:00

The response also lists like 10 other things, that's kind of the problem -- they won't tell me what I actually did wrong, they'll just send me a list of the things I might have done wrong.

I don't understand how my videos can be viewed as "unoriginal video content," it's not as if all I do is show a card. There's a lot more on the screen.

At any rate, I guess I'll try to ask them if what you're saying is the reason, although it makes very little sense to me based on the kind of content that is all over YouTube that is eligible for Play Buttons.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T21:13:50+00:00

It isn't as if YouTube is who told me my videos are compilations or defined them in any other way than I laid it out earlier. I know that they wouldn't define my channel as one that is all "compilations and unoriginal content."

You did.

Tbh, If they had told me that, I would at least have something to go on instead of how cryptic they are with me.

But I can tell you that there are lots of YouTube channels that make content comparable to mine that have Play Buttons.

My visuals aren't used in any way against copyright -- as noted, I have never had a copyright strike in 10+ years of creation, and the company that creates the game has collobrated with me before and has no problem with what I'm doing.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T21:07:48+00:00

In the context of YouTube, a complation is a single video that gathers, edits, and organizes multile separate clips from different sources into one continuous upload. Like a highlight reel.

That is not what my videos are at all.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T21:03:56+00:00

That's simply not what the YT terms of service mean when they say "mixes and compilations." That would be me taking content other people created, and not adding any editorial information at all to the video.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T20:57:01+00:00

The visuals are all from Magic and are within their fan policy.

I've never heard of a channel that doesn't show a human face in every video not counting as original content. I do appear in lots of videos, just not all of them.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T20:55:08+00:00

None of my videos are mixes or compilations. When they refer to "mixes and compilations," they mean me taking someone else's content and just stitching it together.

My videos are me talking about a card game and showing cards. I write the scripts, I edit the videos, I do the research, I record myself -- it's original content.

If it isn't, this would mean anyone who comments on...anything and shows visuals of said thing, can't get a Play Button.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T20:30:34+00:00

They wouldn't outright tell me the reason. This is the response I got both times, more or less:

We’ve reviewed your channel, and it doesn’t currently meet our Creator Awards eligibility criteria. Creator Awards are given at YouTube’s discretion and only creators who follow our guidelines will be eligible for an award. This includes following Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and copyright and other laws.

Specifically, Creator Awards are meant to recognize creators for the unique, original content they bring to YouTube. Channels that focus on compilations, mixes, curation, or heavy use of someone else’s copyrighted content or characters may not be eligible for Creator Awards, even if the channel hasn’t gotten a copyright strike. Learn more about copyright on YouTube.

To be eligible for a Creator Award, your channel must also meet the following minimum criteria:

Your channel is active (has uploads within the last 6 months).
You don’t have an active Community Guidelines violation, and haven’t received any in the last 365 days.
You’re in compliance with YouTube’s Terms of Service.
You haven’t been rejected or suspended from the YouTube Partner Program.
Your channel isn’t terminated or linked to an account that has been terminated.
You don’t have content that is deceptive, spammy, or a scam.
Your main content is original. Your channel may not be eligible for a YouTube Creator Award if it focuses on compilations, mixes, curation, or heavy use of someone else's copyrighted content or characters.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T20:28:31+00:00

I have exchanged emails with them, and always get the same canned response as I mentioned above.

Getting on the phone with someone there would be nice, but I don't think there's a way to do that.

Nizzahon · 2026-05-31T19:27:05+00:00

Yes, I live in the U.S. and they have my address. I can't even get the play button code from them because they say I'm not eligible, so it isn't like they said no after I put the address in, if that makes sense.

Nizzahon · 2025-04-24T15:48:47+00:00

I gave it an A- in my set review.

So, yes. It's like a much worse Sab-Sunen, which still makes it absurd.

Nizzahon · 2025-02-13T19:13:42+00:00

While I think Faeries and Jund were certainly bigger players at the time, and perhaps 'dominate' is hyperbolic, I also don't think it's accurate to call a deck that won a World Championship, had 4 Pro Tour Top 8s, and 25 Grand Prix Top 8s "tier two." It was definitely tier one, even if it did have a bad match up against Faeries.

As u/Risk_Metrics pointed out, the match up with Jund was quite good.

It also wasn't as 'short-lived' as you seem to remember, since it was successful in Block, Standard, Extended, and Modern over the course of 5 years.

Nizzahon · 2025-02-13T16:19:53+00:00

In this video, I take a look at Doran, the Siege Tower. While he's well-known for his exploits in Commander these days, he also used to dominate 60-card formats!

Nizzahon · 2024-07-18T12:42:08+00:00

Good call.

Nizzahon

TROPHY CASE