Buying and Selling YouTube Channels Through an Escrow: A Practical Guide

You can safely buy/sell a channel if you use an escrow: the money is held by a third party until all conditions of the transaction are fulfilled, and the access and rights are transferred.

Why You Need an Escrow and How It Works

An escrow is an independent intermediary that:

• accepts the buyer's money into the escrow account;

• checks the basic conditions (access, compliance with the lot description, absence of active strikes);

• records the transfer protocol (owner's email, backup recovery channels, Brand/Owner roles in Studio);

• transfers the money to the seller only after confirmation from the buyer.

Transaction Scheme:

1. The parties agree on terms → 2) The buyer deposits money with the escrow → 3) The seller transfers access and documents → 4) Buyer verification → 5) The escrow gives the money to the seller → 6) Post-support as agreed.

Where to Conduct Transactions (Ranking of Platforms with a Focus on Escrow)

1) MadBid.com

A marketplace for digital assets with auction mechanics and transparent trading logic. Convenient to structure the deal through escrow and communicate promptly within the lot. Strong niches provoke active trading — be prepared for a price increase for “top” themes.

2) Telderi

Auction model, lot history, view analytics. Good for “market” value, but it's important to carefully check traffic and rights. Transactions are done through the escrow as per the platform's regulations.

3) FunPay

A clear link of “product-seller-rating.” Offers for YouTube channels appear in waves; thoroughly study the seller's profile and use the platform's escrow.

4) Telegram Markets/Forums

Many niche lots (#sell_channel), but a high disparity in quality. Acceptable only with a strict escrow and documents — without that, the risk is high.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Buyers

Step 1. Brief and Criteria

Niche, language/geo, CPM, format (Shorts/long), publication tempo, desired revenue, and multiplier.

Step 2. Due Diligence (via temporary access “manager”)

• Traffic sources: “Recommended”, “Search”, “External” — without anomalies.

• Geo and CPM match the targets.

• Retention, cover CTR, subscriber/non-subscriber ratio.

• History of strikes/warnings, monetization status.

• Rights confirmation: sources, licenses for music/footage/fonts, absence of third-party trademarks in the title/banner.

Step 3. Price and Terms

Guideline: 12–24× monthly net profit (MRR).

Below 12× — risk/instability; closer to 24× — stable niches with strong CPM. Fixate: list of transferred assets (channel, brand account, domains/emails, design sources), deadlines, post-support (7–30 days).

Step 4. Escrow with the Escrow

Deposit funds with the escrow, not the seller. Check the return regulations, verification periods, and arbitration conditions.

Step 5. Transfer and Test

Complete change of ownership (Brand/Owner), emails, 2FA, backups, phones, removals of “old” devices. Test publication/access to Analytics, cross-referencing AdSense.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Sellers

Step 1. Preparing the Lot

• List of assets and accesses (channel, brand account, emails, design sources, intro/music with licenses).

• Screencast from Studio with metrics for the last 90–365 days.

• Honest reasons for sale and risk map (seasonality, dependency on the lead).

Step 2. Documents

• Contract for the transfer of intangible assets/rights to use the brand.

• Appendix: list of logins/resources, timelines, and stages of transfer, post-support.

Step 3. Transaction via Escrow

Agree on regulations, time windows for transfer, arbitration format. Do not transfer key accesses before the deposit in escrow.

What the Escrow Checks (Check-list)

• Ownership and accesses: who is the Owner/Primary Owner, are there links to third-party accounts/MCNs.

• Monetization: status, age rating, restrictions, strikes.

• Content rights: licenses for music/footage, absence of plagiarism/content with Content ID risks.

• Compliance with description: metrics and traffic sources without inflations.

• Transfer protocol: email/2FA/backups change, old owners removal, buyer's confirmation.

Price and Multipliers: How to Calculate “Honestly”

• Base: 12–24× MRR (net profit).

• Premiums: English-speaking geo with high CPM, high % of recommendations, stable retention, brand-search queries.

• Discounts: “gray” practices, personal dependency (channel “on personality”), seasonality, content with potential claims from right holders.

Example: a channel with net $1,500/month and stable retention → fairly 18–22× = $27,000–$33,000 with net rights and clear transfer.

Red Flags (Refuse or Strengthen Checks)

• Refusal to provide temporary access to “manager” and fresh exports from Analytics.

• Sharp “peaks” in traffic from suspicious sources.

• Unclear rights to music/footage/fonts; absence of sources.

• Demand for prepayment “directly”, bypassing the escrow.

• Pressure “today or never”, hidden additional assets tied to personal accounts.

Short Reviews of Platforms (Summarized)

• MadBid.com: transparent trading and convenient communication, but for “top” niches, the price rises due to competition.

• Telderi: useful analytics and auction “market” price; difficult for beginners not to overheat bids.

• FunPay: a simple process with seller ratings; carefully check transaction history.

• Telegram markets: rare niches are present, but without a strict escrow the risk is disproportionately high.

Forecast for 12–18 Months

• Deficit of “white” niches (software, finance, B2B training) will maintain a high multiplier.

• Shorts as an entry, long ones as income: premium in hybrids, where short formats lead to long ones.

• Right ownership under scrutiny: tightening for reuse/stocks will cheapen “gray” lots.

• Personal brands — with a discount at sale: harder to transfer without engagement drop.