Connecting a YouTube channel to MCN Desk takes about a minute and needs nothing more than the Google account that manages it.
Everything starts from the Channels page. There is nothing to install, no developer account and no keys to create — MCN Desk already has the YouTube connection set up for you.
You are sent to Google's own sign-in screen. Pick the Google account that manages the channel. If the channel sits under a Brand Account, choose that Brand Account from the list so the right channel is connected.
Google asks you to confirm what MCN Desk may see. The access requested is read-only:
MCN Desk can never upload, edit, delete or comment on anything, and can never change your channel settings.
As soon as the channel is connected, its history starts importing and then refreshes every morning. You can watch progress in the Sync Center and refresh manually at any time. If an import ever fails, your previous figures are kept — nothing is wiped.
Repeat the same flow for every channel you manage, including several Brand Accounts under one Google login. Each channel is stored against its own YouTube identity, so a new connection is always added alongside the others and never replaces one.
If you manage a channel you do not own, the owner can connect it themselves: invite them from Users & Access, and when they sign in and click Add channel their channel joins your network. Manager access granted inside YouTube Studio is not enough on its own — Google only lets apps connect channels owned by the account signing in, or Brand Accounts that account is listed on.