Using a YouTube username

[Ceunon]

I figured this would be a good place to ask, since we have a few YouTubers in the community. I've been trying for some time to set up an YouTube user/channel name, since I'd like to comment on videos without using my real name. Unfortunately, Google made that bloody darn hard.

From what I've seen, I would have to create a Google+ page and link my YT channel to it. Is that correct? Or is there other (easier) way around?

[Taleric]

It has been a while since I made my YT account but I always opt for the most basic method and mine is google+ linked.

There is a way to then operate YT from another handle you setup to keep all your stuff hidden/separate once built. (My subscription and all usage are done on my other handle)

It is a bummer that big mergers drive sites like these to mandate you tie things together. I guess it is a small price for all that free content/utility.

Also it is pretty easy to build shadow accounts from top to bottom and maintain anonymity. Really they just want to target the easy marks to influence their purchases anyways.

[VegasGoat]

AFAICT, this is what you do (might need to be logged in to a google account):

https://www.youtube.com/create_channel

Click the "To use a business or other name, click here" link. Then you can name it whatever you want.

Once it's created, you'll just have to make sure you have that new channel account as the active one before you do any youtube stuff. The upper right menu has a "switch account" link.

[Ceunon]

AFAICT, this is what you do (might need to be logged in to a google account):

https://www.youtube.com/create_channel

Click the "To use a business or other name, click here" link. Then you can name it whatever you want.

Once it's created, you'll just have to make sure you have that new channel account as the active one before you do any youtube stuff. The upper right menu has a "switch account" link.

The link you posted sent me directly to my current channel, but a quick Google search got me where I needed:

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1646861?hl=en

I wasn't aware you could have a second channel without creating a G+ page first (though I think it might have created one automatically when I created it, I'll have to check). That's perfect for my needs. Now I'll just be tweaking a few settings, and maybe transfering my subscriptions to the new channel.

Thanks for the replies, guys! Problem solved.

EDIT: Yup, it created a page for the new channel. I don't think it will bother me all that much, though.

[Daisjun]

I tried creating a second channel on my account but it kept insisting I use my Google+ account. I never use it so I just changed my actual name to my handle.

[FaceFoiled]

I'm not quite sure how I did it. But my youtube channel is under my nickname; FaceFoiled. I can comment using that handle as well. At some point I was asked if I wanted to keep using my FaceFoiled handle, or switch to my real name (which for obvious reasons, I did not).

[Ceunon]

I tried creating a second channel on my account but it kept insisting I use my Google+ account. I never use it so I just changed my actual name to my handle.

I tried doing that, but the g+ profile requires you to use a "standard" name format (name_surname), which wasn't really ideal to me.

With this new channel, I'm using an actual username, though g+ recognizes it as a "business" channel, linked to a page, owned by my original g+ profile.

[EtherealWrath]

Assuming you have a YT page already- The new merger does make additional channels very easy;

Click on your username [top right, next to notification/bell]
Go to 'all my channels' link [left column, under 'youtube' subtitle]
Hit the 'Create new channel' button
Give yourself a new name, and hit 'agree'
(This also creates a separate G+ account under the same name)

Your new account is linked [admin side] to your old one, so you can switch accounts via the menu from step 1.
As far as I know- the general public can't see the link between your accounts.

[VegasGoat]

Also if you're worried about the channels possibly linking back to your actual google account, just create a second google account for anonymous activity and create the channels under that account. You can be logged in to multiple google accounts simultaneously.