How to find and export your YouTube data.

YouTube does not show a channel's total storage. YouTube Studio > Content lists the videos the channel uploaded, and a Google Takeout export of those videos gives the size. Report the total Takeout archive size in GB.

At a glance

Report in: GB
Category: Photos, video and social
Checked: September 2026

Check your data

Where YouTube shows how much you have.

Sign in to YouTube Studio with the account that owns the channel. If the channel belongs to a Brand Account, switch to that Brand Account first.
Select Content from the left menu to see the channel's uploaded videos.
To get a size, run the Google Takeout export described below and add up the archive sizes.

Plan and role. You need to be signed in as the channel's owner, or switched to the Brand Account that uploaded the videos. Takeout exports only videos that account uploaded.

What to report on the Polyshares intake.

Report YouTube in GB. The intake also asks how many years the company has used it and how many seats it has.

Report the total Takeout archive size in GB. If you also know the total hours of video, add it in your notes. Years in use runs from the channel's first upload, and seats are the people who manage the channel.

Export the full history.

Sign in to Google Takeout with the Google Account linked to the channel, and switch to the Brand Account if one uploaded the videos.
Deselect all products, select YouTube with its videos included, choose ZIP or TGZ and an archive size up to 50 GB, and create the export.
Download every archive part from the email link before it expires.

Takeout downloads videos in their original upload format, or as MP4 files with H264 video and AAC audio. Archives expire after about 7 days and each can be downloaded up to 5 times. Downloading one video at a time from Studio gives only 720p or 360p MP4 files, is capped at 5 downloads of a video in 24 hours, and does not work for removed videos, videos with strikes or videos using preapproved audio tracks.

The intake only needs the size, so you do not have to run an export to fill it in. You also do not need to clean or scrub an export. Polyshares handles anonymization before anything moves.

Why YouTube data has value for AI training.

A company channel holds long form video the business made itself: product demos, training, walkthroughs and recorded talks. Spoken explanation paired with what is on screen, plus titles and descriptions that say what each video covers, is useful material.

What stays private.

Unlisted and private videos are part of the channel's uploads, so review them and leave out any you do not want included.

We anonymize identifying details before anything moves. Polyshares does that work, so your team does not have to scrub records first.

Your company keeps ownership of its data. The license is bounded to defined material and a defined use.

Polyshares is the buyer and pays your company directly. There is no fee or commission, and Polyshares reviews the record before it makes any offer.

Common questions about YouTube data.

Does Takeout give me the original YouTube video files?

Takeout downloads videos in their original upload format or as MP4 files. That is higher quality than Studio downloads, which are limited to 720p or 360p.

Why are some videos missing from my Takeout export?

The channel may belong to a Brand Account. Sign in to the Google Account linked to it, switch to the Brand Account that uploaded the videos, and request the export again.

Can I export videos uploaded by other channels?

No. You can only download videos your own account uploaded.

Source: Download YouTube videos that you've uploaded, How to download your Google data. Checked September 2026.

Put your numbers on the intake.

List your systems, their sizes and your headcount in one intake. Polyshares reviews the record and prices it. There is no fee or commission to your company.