Brands can request creators to share brand partner access to the campaign videos(Long and Shorts). So that brands can see the organic and paid performance metrics within Google Ads.
What is Brand Partner Access?
Long story short, FameBit and an independent influencer marketing platform were acquired by YouTube in 2016 and rebranded as YouTube BrandConnect in 2020. The platform’s purpose was to connect creators and brands to run ad campaigns, helping each other achieve successful ROI.
For example, MKBHD can use BrandConnect to partner with Canon or Apple. The brands get MKBHD’s channel reach, and Marques gets money.
In 2021, within BrandConnect a new feature rolled out called as Media Kit. The kit provides analytics, demographics, and audience insights of the campaign, which creators can share with brands.
Now in 2025, YouTube rolled out brand partner access, where creators can link their videos with a brand’s product or landing page. Additionally, the brands get direct access to video metrics, and they can see organic and paid performance metrics using Google Ads.
Brands or agencies can request brand partner access with email notification or push inbox notification in YouTube Studio.
Why Brand Partner Access is Needed?
The aim is to build a transparent platform for both creators and brands. The creators can show authentic numbers of their channel reach and pitch them to brands.
If brands are interested in creators and want to run an Ad campaign with them, they can connect with them using YouTube BrandConnect. Previously, creators needed to send data of sponsored videos to brands or advertisers using the Media Kit. Now, with Brand Partner Access, they can see all the organic and paid advertising performance.
The new feature gives control to brands, and if they run targeted ads, they can promote the sponsored video for more reach, and it will appear like a normal ad. Since the video is on the creator’s channel, they will also get a benefit.
To make the efforts calculable, both creators and brands can see organic and paid promotions separately with brand partner access.
Conclusion
YouTube has a billion users, which makes it a prime platform to run ads. Traditionally, creators and brands used to connect with 3rd party apps, mutual connections, cold email, or DMs. Now with YouTube BrandConnect, the collaboration is seamless, and with the latest update brand partner access feature, the sponsored deals have become more transparent.
Summary
- Brands can request creators to share brand partner access to campaign videos, allowing them to view organic and paid performance metrics within Google Ads.
- YouTube BrandConnect, created from the acquisition of FameBit in 2016, connects creators and brands for ad campaigns to achieve successful ROI.
- The Media Kit feature within BrandConnect provides analytics and audience insights, which creators can share with brands.