It took me quite a few years to catch on to what a massive platform YouTube had become.
Though it was officially launched in 2005 as an online space where people could upload homemade video of themselves and their friends, it quickly blew up and was acquired by Google in 2006. Then, backed up by the power of G, YouTube was able to negotiate tons of deals that would allow not only users to upload videos with copyrighted music and material but that would eventually force movie studios, television networks and music labels to make the move to the platform, uploading their official content there.
Don’t get me wrong ― I used to watch so many No Doubt video clips on YouTube (I still do). But I didn’t catch the rise of that other niche that would soon make up the majority of YouTube channels we see out there today: the YouTuber creator channels.
Nowadays, there are tons of YouTubers making very specific content on their channels. From that guy who cooks homemade pasta to that lady who dresses like an 18th-century woman, YouTube has it all. And the most appealing part of it is that those creators actually earn money from YouTube.
But how does that work, exactly? How can you make money on YouTube? Is having a YouTube channel still worth it? Is it really possible to earn money there?
Read on to find some answers!
There are two big ways you can make money on YouTube: one of them involves monetizing your content and your channel, and the other one involves, well, not doing that. We’ll cover both of them in this post, so let’s start by focusing on the first option.
If you’re serious about cultivating a strong following and making YouTube one of your main income sources, then you’ll need to build your channel with one goal in mind: enabling monetization.
This will allow you to officially turn your YouTube channel into a sales channel. It’ll also allow you to join the select club of YouTube content creators that get to use all the different tools and resources available to make money on the platform.
In order to make that happen, you’ll need to qualify for the YouTube Partner Program (or YPP, to keep it short and sweet) ― and this is usually where things get tricky. Up until last year, any creator that wanted to join the YPP needed to meet the following criteria:
To put it mildly, those are pretty hard numbers to achieve ― not least because YouTube has become an increasingly competitive platform.
Just take Canada, for instance: a recent polling made by Statisa revealed that around 33 million Canadians watch YouTube. That’s great news because it means that your target audience will probably be a part of those millions of viewers, right? So you’ll have plenty of chance to earn money with YouTube.
But also, how do you convince those millions of people to watch your videos? If you’re a small garment store, for instance, how can you compete with the big guys like Herschel or Beyond the Rack?
It’s tough. But one of the most exciting things about YouTube is that, unlike many other platforms out there, it is increasingly adapting to make room for the new demands their creators and their viewers are pushing for.
So hear me out: there’s no denying that becoming a YouTuber with millions of followers is not as easy as it was back in the day, when people didn’t have to think that much about the videos they were uploading.
But that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing because it creates the opportunity to innovate in terms of the format and the content you’ll be putting out into the world.
If you want proof, just take a look at YouTube Shorts. When it came out in 2021, many were quick to dismiss it as just a TikTok rip-off that wouldn’t last, but it has since become some of the most in-demand content inside the platform, earning millions of views every day.
Its success has become so obvious that YouTube was forced to expand its YPP eligibility criteria. As of 2023, you can also qualify for the YPP if you:
Granted, those are still some pretty high numbers. But they are also great news for entrepreneurs and creatives that are wondering how to make money on YouTube because Shorts is a much more palatable format than the longform. It’s easier to go viral, for instance, and you don’t need as much pre-production as you would with a traditional video.
Cool, right? You can learn more about YPP in the video below:
If you’re really intent on making money from your YouTube videos, the first thing you need to do is create a YouTube channel.
Well, duh.
No, really. Creating a channel is an important step, and it’s not one you should take lightly ― because that’s where you’ll be prompted to come up with some pretty important things, such as your YouTube handle, which also serves as your channel’s URL.
Here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
The handle is also the URL for your channel, so make sure to name it properly. The best way to go is to use your own brand name. You can also update it later on if you like, but don’t forget that whichever name you choose will have to follow the requirements listed below:
See the video below for a quick step-by-step:
Having a YouTube channel is also a plus because:
📱If you still like Facebook and your audience is fairly active there, you might want to check these out:
Okay, now that we’ve covered the baby steps, let’s dive into some of the tools you’ll be using to make money on YouTube after you enable monetization on your channel.
The resources below will all become available to you once you’re approved on the YouTube Partner Program, and you’ll be able to access each of them on the dashboard of your YouTube account. Its official name is YouTube Studio, though, so keep that in mind.
Paid ads are the most established way for creators to earn money from YouTube, which is just another way of saying that they’re a super competitive niche for you to invest in. Ads can also be pretty costly, so if you’re not ready to sacrifice part of your revenue for paid traffic, it might be best to consider some of the other tools that we’ll see next.
Generally speaking, though, YouTube currently supports six different types of ads:
If ads aren’t really your thing and you’re looking for a more organic way to make money on YouTube, you should definitely try out channel memberships.
These memberships work almost like a Patreon or a “fan club” for your YouTube channel because they allow your fans and subscribers to contribute with a monthly membership fee to support your content. In return, you can offer all kinds of different rewards that vary according to the price point of the contributions.
Here are a few ideas to earn money from YouTube with channel memberships:
You can check some more premium tips on how to make money on YouTube by using channel memberships on the video below:
📰 If you’re interested in creating a YouTube account but you also want to know more about branding, check out the links below:
It’s been at least two years since Super Chat and Super Stickers became an official part of the tools a YouTube Partner can use in order to monetize their content.
They’re basically tools that can be activated during a live stream (which we’ll cover in just a sec), allowing your fans and subscribers to stand out among the rest of the followers. They kinda work like this:
Live streams are a great option if you’re not interested in creating longform YouTube videos, but you’re still looking for alternatives on how to make money on YouTube.
One of the best things about live streams is that you can do it either on your PC or on your smartphone, and you can also interact with your followers in real time. This is a great format for creators that want to cultivate a more organic, no-frills persona on the platform.
Just remember to keep a close eye on the comments, because they might require moderation. And to make sure your fans know when your stream is taking place, remember to properly announce it on your social media and on your email marketing campaigns.
💣 Pro tip for those of you out there that want to earn money from YouTube: Try creating special live streams as a bonus for your channel members.
You can also turn your live streams into workshops. For instance: If you sell plants online, create special live streams where you show how to pot or repot your plants, how to arrange them so that they go with the house decor, and so on.
Shorts are the best alternative for anyone who does not have the budget to invest in professional videos for their YouTube channel. Wanna know why?
Because you don’t need a fancy camera or an expensive mic. You can create videos using nothing but your phone.
Shorts also have a great, catchy feel to them, which makes them the perfect fit for brands that are:
💣 Great news for entrepreneurs that want to know more about how to make money on YouTube: As of February 2023, a YouTube Partner can also earn money from ads that are viewed between Shorts.
Cultivating YouTube Premium subscribers is also a great way to make money on YouTube.
YouTube Premium is a paid version of YouTube that allows subscribers to watch videos without having to deal with all those ads that are always popping in. The membership also grants the users access to YouTube Kids and YouTube Music.
For a creator, joining YouTube Premium means that:
The topics we covered above are all specific to making money on YouTube after you’ve enabled monetization―which, as we now know, can only happen after you qualify for the YouTube Partner Program.
However, if you want to find out how to make money on YouTube without being a part of the YouTube Partner Program, fear not: there’s also tons of ways for you to do that.
The only thing you need to remember is that if you do follow some of the strategies listed below, you won’t be receiving money from YouTube directly but rather using YouTube as a channel to create authority and build your following―which you can then turn into buyers.
If you’re still on the fence about investing time and money into growing a YouTube channel to display your brands and products, why not try affiliate marketing?
Affiliate messaging and YouTube videos pair really well together, mainly because creators have a knack for advertising and promoting good products. And doing that on YouTube is also pretty interesting because you’ll be dealing with video content, which means you’ll be able to really display all the benefits of the product you’re promoting.
Affiliate marketing is not for everyone, and if that’s your case you can also specialize in creating a channel that caters to a very specific YouTube audience: people who have the same interests as you or who want to follow the same professional path you’re on.
In this scenario, you’ll ideally become a specialist in a specific area and then create videos where you talk about the pros and cons of a certain profession, give tips on how to get started and even, perhaps, go live so you can answer questions directly.
A good example of how to be a friendly authority is Fran Meneses, a Brooklyn-based illustrator that has a channel dedicated to a pretty cool mix of her private life, her work life, and everything in between. In the video below she talks about how illustrators like her can make Patreon work.
This one is definitely the way to go if you're looking to earn money with an online business.
While Shopping on YouTube is a tool that’s only available on the YPP, it’s worth noting that you can easily turn your YouTube channel into a really cool and interactive storefront for your shop.
Also, keep in mind that having a YouTube channel will allow you to create a lot of versatile content―which is also great for business because it’ll help you expand your reach.
Here are a couple of ideas to inspire you:
💣 If this is something that interests you, then you should definitely check out our ecommerce solutions. You can launch an online store on Shoplazza in just a couple of minutes and start selling right away!
Video descriptions tend to get a bit overlooked, but the truth is they can be of great help for YouTube influencers who are just starting out.
Here’s why: they’re usually the only chunk of text that will be anywhere near your video, so this means that you can optimize them in order to attract new subscribers and deepen your bonds with fans that are already part of your community.
To make sure your content is actually helpful to your readers (and inviting enough to make new viewers subscribe to your channel), you can:
🤓 Check out how Shoplazza uses video descriptions on YouTube:
Info cards are another great tool for people interested in learning how to make money on YouTube, mainly because they invite your viewer to watch a bit more of your content without being too pushy. You can also create these cards for free on YouTube Studio, which is great.
There are four different types of info cards that you can add to your videos:
💣 There’s also the link info card, but that option is restricted to YouTubers who are on the YPP. This info card allows you to add links to external websites, so it’s a great tool for entrepreneurs selling digital products and other items that can be purchased directly through a link.
When the time comes to earn money from YouTube, remember that you can definitely reap some good rewards if you decide on a YouTube strategy centered around creating content that is different yet appealing.
A good way to do that is creating podcast videos. The idea is pretty simple: instead of releasing your podcast episodes on audio platforms only, you record videos of you recording the podcast and then release them on YouTube. This way, people will listen to your podcast and give you those views that are so important for your metrics.
And, speaking of metrics…
Entrepreneurs who are keen on learning how to make money on YouTube should also keep a close watch on some of the metrics reported directly on their Youtube Studio dashboard.
Below you’ll find a quick overview of the most important ones:
Another thing you should probably start thinking about is Google AdSense. This is the tool through which you’ll receive your YPP payment, and to make sure that happens smoothly, you’ll need an AdSense account.
You can learn more about this and all things related to an AdSense account on the video below:
📰 Wanna know more about some other Google solutions? Check out this list of resources:
You should also know that even an average YouTube channel can and should strive to put only top-notch content on the platform, no matter how small its number of followers might be at the start.
This is important because it will help you curate your channel and publish videos that people are actually interested in seeing. It also can’t hurt to be professional right from the start, right?
So here’s a couple of things to keep in mind when you start uploading videos:
The road to monetization can be long, and it absolutely requires a lot of hard work. However, when done correctly, it can create the perfect opportunity for you to expand your business and your brand’s reach.
But remember that learning how to make money on YouTube is just the tip of the iceberg. Now is the time where you put all that reading into action and start planning, scripting, recording, editing, thumbnailing and SEO-ing.
Good luck!
📰 If you wanna know more about how to expand your ecommerce business, you might want to check out the resources below:
We covered a whole lot of topics that are really important for any video creator and budding YouTuber, but I bet there are still a couple of burning questions that you have about how to make money on YouTube.
Below you’ll find the answers you’ve been searching for. Just remember that exact numbers are hard to come by, especially because everything related to YouTube depends on a bunch of different elements and variables.
The math for that will have to take into account a lot of factors, such as:
Generally speaking, you’ll be looking at anything between $1,800 and $4,000 per month.
You need to have either 4,000 public watch hours over the last 12 months (for traditional videos) or 10 million public views in the last 90 days (for Shorts). With that, you’ll become partly eligible to qualify for the YouTube Partner Program, which will allow you to monetize your content and make money.
A million views are not easy to come by, and there are lots of YouTube Partners out there who are still dreaming of someday reaching that golden milestone. The exact amount that YouTube pays is also hard to pinpoint because it depends on many factors such as watch time (how many minutes of the video people actually saw) and the number of ads displayed on the video.
A general estimative put out by Forbes states that a YouTube video with a million views can generate about $5,000 ― but that’s rounding up, so it’ll be safer to work with something like $2,500.
This is another case where the best answer we can give you is: it depends.
It depends on your ad revenue, the number of YouTube Premium members that watch your videos, and whether or not your fans tune in to watch that live stream and interact on the Super chat. It also depends on your AdSense metrics and the value of your views.
To earn money from YouTube, you’ll need to hit 1,000 subscribers. That way, you’ll become partly eligible to enroll in the YouTube Partner Program, where you’ll have access to a bunch of resources that allow you to monetize your channel directly on YouTube Studio.