Earning money from your video may not have been your primary motivation for launching a YouTube channel. However, earning money is possible for any creative who can grow views, subscribers, and an engaged audience.
While you must be a member of the YouTube Partner Program to earn AdSense revenue, there are several other methods for a creator to earn money. Let’s look at the many options:
#1 YouTube Partner Program Ad Revenue Share
One of the most accessible methods for YouTube producers to earn money is through ad income generated against their material. Applying to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is a significant step toward monetizing your video.
Before creators can qualify, they must first clear a few hurdles. Still, those goals are all crucial in your YouTube journey in and of themselves, so if you achieve the criteria, you can as well start earning money from the video you’d be creating otherwise. The following are the six prerequisites for channels applying to join the YPP:
- At least 1,000 YouTube subscribers
- In the last 12 months, at least 4,000 hours of YouTube viewing time have been generated.
- Reside Where YouTube Partner Program is Available to Content Creators
- There are currently no active community guidelines. Your Channel Has Strikes
- Have a Linked AdSense Account
- and Enable Two-Factor Authentication
If you meet all six requirements, you can apply to the YPP and enable YouTube monetization by doing the following steps:
- Log in to the YouTube account you wish to monetize.
- Go to YouTube Studio by clicking here.
- Select Other Features > Monetization from the left-hand menu.
- Read the YouTuber Partner Program rules and eligibility conditions and agree to them.
- Create a new Google AdSense account for your channel or link an existing one.
- Confirm your choices for monetization.
To estimate your expected or future YouTube income, return to the dashboard, choose the Analytics tab on the left-hand side, select Revenue from the top-level tabs, and then scroll down to the Monthly Estimated Revenue part of the chart. YouTube keeps 45 percent of ad income. However, you will still receive a 55% payment! Learn more about the YouTube Partner Program by clicking here.
#2. Super Chat
If producers go live on YouTube, they can monetize their live broadcast by using the Super Chat function. Viewers can purchase a Super Chat message using a credit or debit card during the stream. When the payment is complete, YouTube will emphasize that viewer’s message on the live chat panel.
Viewers will see a dollar bill sign on the chat screen if Super Chat is enabled. If users click on this button, a slider will display, giving them the option to give a cash amount to the artist.
Donations can range from $1 to $500 per day (up to $2,000 per week) or the equivalent in their local currency. YouTube keeps around 30% of the proceeds from Super Chat donations.
To learn more about how to set up and use the Super Chat function, you must be above the age of 18 and live in an area where it is available. More information regarding Super Chat can be found here.
#3. Super Stickers
Viewers can use Super Stickers to pay to have a certain image show on a YouTube live broadcast discussion. Fans can purchase a variety of designs that encompass gaming, music, fashion and beauty, cuisine, and other topics.
Creators who already use the Super Chat function can also get Super Stickers. The functionality is available in four languages and 60 countries. The Stickers are available at a variety of pricing points ranging from 99 cents to $50. YouTube keeps 30% of all donations.
#4 Super Thanks
Super Thanks, like Super Chat and Super Stickers, allow viewers to “tip” their favorite YouTube video producers while simultaneously allowing YouTubers to commercialize their material. Viewers can use the function on submitted videos rather than live streams.
YouTube’s Super Thanks function was launched early this year to all channels currently registered in the YouTube Partner Program. The extra viewer donation option is now available in 68 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Brazil, India, and South Korea. More details regarding Super Thanks can be found on YouTube:
#5 YouTube Short Films Fund
YouTube Shorts presently boasts more than 1.5 billion monthly viewers, accounting for three-quarters of YouTube’s total monthly worldwide viewership of 2 billion logged-in users as of June 2022. The platform’s response to TikTok’s tremendous success has recently begun running advertising against these very short-form video clips, but for producers who are not in the YPP, YouTube offers another approach to assist you financially benefit.
A $100 million Fund for Shorts Creators will be distributed to numerous qualified channels in May 2021. Each month, creators who match YouTube’s criteria can request funding from the Fund. If chosen, artists can expect to earn $100 to $10,000 each month from the Fund. Because of the high demand from artists, YouTube has put various safeguards in place before anyone can qualify. Your channel’s short performance in the preceding month will determine your eligibility for a shorts bonus. You will also have to:
- Be situated in a country that qualifies (check the details from YouTube here)
- Be at least 13 years old in the United States, or the age of majority in the country where the fund is operational.
- Follow YouTube’s Community rules and Monetization policies – in other words, keep your account up to date.
- In the last 180 days, you must have uploaded an original Short.
- Accept the program’s rules and connect to an active Google AdSense account to receive bonus payments from the Fund.
In this handy tutorial, you can learn more about how to make money using YouTube Shorts.
#6 Premium YouTube
Did you know that YouTube Premium provides more than just a collection of benefits that provide a better viewing experience (ad-free videos, offline playbacks, and so on)? It can also provide revenue to creators.
The platform compensates for the loss of possible AdSense revenue by sharing viewers’ monthly membership costs with creators. YouTube has additional information regarding Premium.
#7 Memberships in Channels
Channel Memberships help producers leverage their subscriptions and fans. You can create a a section where you provide special content and other membership benefits to viewers and subscribers who join up.
Memberships are offered at various costs, allowing supporters to pay whatever they can afford or believe is suitable. The lowest beginning fee is $4.99 per month, and the most price a creator can charge is $49.99 per month. YouTube, like AdSense, will remove 30% of your total earnings. Learn more about the advantages of Channel Memberships for both creators and users:
#8 Merchandise Sales
Many YouTubers have successfully made a living by selling products on (and off) the network. A clever, creator for example can generate significant buck from the sale of branded hoodies, t-shirts, water bottles, mugs, tote bags, key chains, and other things.
It is beneficial to lay out your merchandising strategy before investing in any goods and, even more so, before engaging any service to produce and sell items on your behalf. We talked to four industry professionals about how to create a successful merchandising strategy. If you follow their advice, you’ll be off to a good start.
#9 Brand or Sponsorship Deals
Brand and sponsorship arrangements are a broad issue, and we will go into detail about this potential revenue source in future postings. Sponsorships or partnerships show that a brand or publication wishes to collaborate directly with a creative on material that promotes a product or service.
Getting a brand agreement as a creator is almost entirely dependent on that channel getting the proper audience reach and engagement. The creator must be a good match for the brand, and the brand must be a good match for the creator. In a brand deal, credibility and authenticity are crucial.
In contrast to the YouTube Partner Program, a creator does not require 1000 subscribers or 4000 hours of viewing time to be considered for a partnership. You can secure sponsorship arrangements early in your YouTube adventure, but as a lesser creator, you must be realistic and recognize that you will most likely not make as much money as a channel with 1 million or more followers.
A significant number of firms particularly seek to compensate smaller creators since they know their audiences are engaged, implying a larger return on investment. That is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
#10 Affiliate Revenue
Did you know you can make a good living as an affiliate marketer? You can be paid for promoting another person’s business or product by giving a bespoke link that records customer behavior on your affiliate account.
For example, you might make a video on a certain gaming system and then include an Amazon affiliate link to that device in your description box. If a viewer clicks on your link and purchases the console, you will receive a little commission!
Because anybody can apply and be approved for the program, Amazon is an excellent place to start with affiliate marketing. Just be aware that, like with any commercial transaction, there are regulations to follow, although they are rather simple requirements for most individuals to strike. Learn more about the Amazon affiliate program for YouTube creators by reading this comprehensive guide.
Aside from Amazon, practically every firm has an affiliate marketing scheme, including TubeBuddy! If you believe your channel is focused enough to promote a product or service, start looking for something that is a good fit for you and your audience.
We’ve gone through 10 different strategies to generate money on the site. Just remember to use YouTube like a business from the start if you want to be financially successful.
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