With an active user base of more than 2.5 billion people, YouTube is one of the best platforms for generating income. But how do you make money on YouTube without millions of subscribers and an inbox full of brand deals?
This article lists all the ways of how to make money on YouTube regardless of your viewer count or target audience. Start monetizing your content – with or without filming videos.
Key takeaways
- Join the YouTube Partner Program: earn through ads from YouTube views and YouTube Premium revenue.
- Design and sell custom products: create and sell your own print-on-demand merchandise and earn money. Choose Printify for no upfront costs, no inventory, and no risk.
- Become an Affiliate Marketer: partner with companies to promote their products and earn commissions from sales generated from your links.
- Offer channel memberships: if your channel has 30,000 subscribers (1,000 for gaming channels) and is part of the YouTube Partner Program, offer exclusive content to members for a monthly fee.
- Create sponsored content: collaborate with brands to make sponsored content. Earn through direct payments, free products, or commissions.
1. Join the YouTube Partner Program
The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is one of the top ways for how to make money on YouTube. You’ll earn through YouTube ads and other built-in monetization features.
Joining YouTube’s Partner Program is a necessary step in video monetization. This is how you do it:
- Log in to your YouTube account.
- Click on YouTube Studio under your profile picture.
- Hit Earn and select Apply to get started.
- Click Start to review and accept the terms and conditions.
- Set up or link your Google AdSense account.
And that’s all! YouTube will review your application within a month.
Once you’re part of the YouTube Partner Program, enable monetization through YouTube Studio. Choose your monetization preferences and explore the options, such as ads on short-form or long-form videos and revenue from YouTube Premium subscribers.
Here are some other monetization options:
- Watch Page Ads
- Shorts Feed Ads
- Supers
- Memberships
- Shopping
The average YouTube channel earns $0.018 per ad view. So, if you already have an established following, generating ad revenue with your videos is an easy way to start making money.
Click the Analytics tab and scroll down to see your Monthly Estimated Revenue – use it to plan and analyze your YouTube earnings.
Eligibility requirements for the YouTube Partner Program
The rules for joining the YPP are straightforward. You need to meet certain milestones, such as watch time and channel subscribers.
When do you start making money on YouTube? When you reach at least 1,000 subscribers and:
- Watch Time: 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.
or
- Shorts Views: 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Additionally, you must comply with all of YouTube’s monetization policies, have an AdSense account, and live in a country where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
2. Design and sell custom products
If you’ve got a knack for business, one of the most profitable ways to learn how to make money off YouTube is to sell products. It’s a great option if you don’t have a huge following to begin with.
Design your own clothing line or custom merchandise and earn money by organically showcasing your brand and designs in your video content.
Selling quality merchandise helps you build a loyal following, connect with fans, and establish a trustworthy brand. Subscribers love to show their support with one-of-a-kind merch.
To stand out among other top-paid YouTubers, consider these strategies:
- Unboxing videos: share the excitement of unboxing your merchandise. Show the quality, detail, and unique features of your products to give viewers a genuine first impression.
- Behind-the-scenes: give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at the design and production process to bring them along on your journey.
- Collaborations: partner with other YouTubers to expand your reach. Collaborations introduce your merchandise to a broader audience, increasing sales and brand visibility.
- Live streams: engage with your audience in real time. Announce new product launches, offer exclusive live stream discounts, and answer fan questions directly.
- Video descriptions: Use your video description to give promo codes and include links to your online store. This call-to-action makes it easy for viewers to find and buy your merchandise.
Sell custom products with Printify
The easiest and best way to sell custom products is by partnering with print-on-demand companies like Printify.
Our platform is ideal for busy YouTubers who want to earn money with their own merchandise while focusing on content creation. Plus, you only pay once you sell, so don’t worry about upfront costs.
Here’s how to cash in on this low-cost, high-profit business idea:
- Register: Sign up for a free Printify account.
- Create: Pick from over 900 products and add your custom designs.
- Sell: Publish products to a storefront and promote them to your fans.
- Profit: Let our Print Providers handle printing, packaging, and shipping.
Check out our article on YouTuber merch for insights into the most popular products, colors, and designs among other YouTubers and their audience.
You can never go wrong with simple black or white t-shirts rocking your logo or channel name.
Earn revenue on YouTube by selling merch with Printify
3. Become an affiliate marketer
Start affiliate marketing and become a pro at promoting goods or services on YouTube. Partner with affiliate media companies or connect directly through an affiliate eCommerce site.
Affiliate marketing pairs businesses wanting to promote products with creatives looking to earn commissions. It’s a fantastic monetization strategy for those wondering how do you get paid on YouTube from marketing alone.
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Sign up: join an affiliate program by filling out an application.
- Get your link: receive a unique affiliate link upon approval.
- Create content: make engaging YouTube videos promoting the affiliate link.
- Disclose links: mention these affiliate links in your content, video’s description, and info cards.
- Earn commissions: when viewers click and purchase through the link, you earn a percentage of the sale.
Affiliate programs are usually free to join, so you can start making money without spending. Just be sure to research that you’re promoting high-quality, reliable products.
Join the Printify Affiliate Program
Looking for an affiliate program that’s perfect for your audience of budding business owners and entrepreneurs? Sign up for the Printify Affiliate Program and earn a 5% commission on each sale your links generate from YouTube traffic.
Benefits of joining the Printify Affiliate Program include:
- Free sign-up
- No earning limitations
- 90-day cookie life
- Convenient monthly payouts
4. Offer channel memberships
If you’re 18 years old and your YouTube channel has 30,000 subscribers (1,000 for gaming channels), you are eligible for channel memberships – also known as fan funding.
Memberships are a fantastic way to monetize content by offering exclusive videos and features to those willing to support your channel for a monthly fee.
Members can access perks like:
- Members-only streams
- Exclusive Community Tab content
- Members-only super chat
- Exclusive emojis
- Members-only video content
- Early-access videos
- Highlighted comments
Check that your region is eligible for channel memberships. Your channel must also be in the YouTube Partner Program to enable this feature.
Elevate your YouTube channel membership with quality custom merchandise
5. Create sponsored content
Sponsored content or brand deals are collaborations where both parties benefit – companies gain exposure to your audience while you receive sponsorship revenue.
Sponsorships come in many forms, such as:
- Direct payment for advertising products.
- Free brand products or services.
- Commissions from affiliate sales.
The best part? You don’t have to share your earnings with YouTube. Negotiate the deal with the brand, and they pay you directly.
Legalities and transparency: if you engage in brand deals, you must disclose sponsorships or paid product placements to both YouTube and your followers.
- For YouTube: it’s a simple check box in your video details.
- For your audience: YouTube automatically displays a disclosure message in the first 10 seconds of your video. You should also include verbal announcements and on-screen disclosures to adhere to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) laws.
6. Collect donations via Super Chat and Super Stickers
An excellent way of how to make money on YouTube is through live streams and premieres. Viewers can donate anything from $1 to $500 with a pinned comment or animated sticker.
It’s a great way to earn extra money without video ads and also encourages viewer engagement. They can ask questions, express their opinions, or simply support their favorite creators.
This monetization method is particularly useful when using multiple channels or media outlets like YouTube and Twitch. Essentially, it involves monetizing the same content on different platforms.
For example, uploading videos from Twitch, such as VODs (Video on Demand), as YouTube content can attract more YouTube viewers and enhance your overall reach on both platforms.
Don’t forget to read the Super Chat during the stream to shout out your supporters and thank them for their donations. This shows appreciation and encourages others to donate, generating more money.
To set up Super Chat and Stickers, go to YouTube Studio → Earn → Supers, and toggle the switch to turn on the feature.
7. Try crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is another great way to generate revenue with YouTube content. Unlike direct donations, crowdfunding focuses on gathering funds for a specific project or purpose.
Whether you need new gaming equipment to better your streams, hire an exciting guest for an upcoming video, or gather funds for a fun YouTube project – ask your audience to pitch in via crowdfunding (or sponsorships, as YouTube calls it).
YouTube has a SPONSOR button. Add it to your videos to let people contribute directly. It’s also possible to host your crowdfunding on a different platform:
- Create a crowdfunding account: use popular sites like Patreon or Kickstarter to set up your account.
- Create your project page: your pitch should be exciting, reasonable, and compelling, regardless of the project’s size.
- Promote your project on YouTube: upload engaging videos explaining the perks of sponsoring your channel and link to your crowdfunding page.
8. License your content to others
Licensing your videos to other YouTube channels, social media platforms, and news outlets is one way to generate income through other revenue streams.
Plenty of YouTube creators have earned quite a bit of money from one viral video. And while that one video is great to earn ad revenue, you can license those viral hits to make more cash.
Sites like Jukin Media are great places to submit videos based on categories, like newsworthy content. If you have a video that might interest reporters, like natural disasters, community news, or other relevant content – upload it and earn a commission.
Turn your viral content moments into premium merchandise
Tips to make the most of your YouTube channel
When creating videos to earn more money, it’s crucial to prioritize quality content, good editing, and relevance.
Let’s look at some tips to make the most of your YouTube channel.
Longer videos equal higher revenue
If ad clicks and view ratio is your main source of income, consider filming longer videos. Content over ten minutes has a higher watch time, generating higher ad revenue.
If you include many ads in a shorter video, viewers might get annoyed and leave your channel. A longer video stretches the time between ads, providing a more natural content flow that’s perfect for monetization.
Videos with a high watch time also rank better on YouTube searches. Make sure to film at least over ten minutes, or cash in on that hour-long video essay.
High-quality content for the win
To make money, YouTubers must post quality content, build a loyal audience, and develop a trustworthy image as a content creator.
Invest in quality equipment and editing software, make well-produced and compelling videos, and, most importantly, post honest content that resonates with audiences. Don’t forget to use thumbnails that comply with platform guidelines.
Descriptions matter
Channel and video descriptions are some of the most important assets on your YouTube channel. They serve many purposes, from follower engagement to storytelling, search engine optimization (SEO), and promotions.
Write compelling descriptions, video titles, affiliate disclosures, detailed instructions, and enticing promotions for your products, fundraisers, or other social media channels. Don’t forget to use this space for relevant tags and keywords to secure your spot in search results.
Interact with your audience
Always interact with your followers during streams or in the comments. Fans love to communicate with their favorite creators, and your engagement will only encourage others to join.
Showing appreciation for your YouTube audience means more views, longer watch times, higher engagement, and more money.
Is it possible to make money on YouTube without making videos?
Yes! There are plenty of ways you can make money on YouTube without filming videos.
- Focus on audio: create guided meditations, sound effects, songs, autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos, and more.
- Live stream: from engaging podcasts to video games, live streams are a way to avoid pre-filming and editing. It also gives you a chance to cash in on profitable podcast merch ideas once you establish a following.
- Educate with voiceovers: educational content is relatively straightforward to make. Record guided tutorials, online courses, and other educational materials.
- Freelance: from scriptwriting and content planning to thumbnails and descriptions, offer your YouTube services to other creators.
- Utilize the Creative Commons License: YouTubers can mark their content with a CC-BY license, letting other creators repurpose and edit their videos for highlights, compilations, or commentary with proper credit and policy adherence.
FAQ
How much YouTubers make depends on the revenue outlet. YouTubers with one million followers earn anything between $14,600 to $54,600 monthly on views alone. Meanwhile, YouTube ads can generate up to $11,500 a month if you have a dedicated viewership.
How many views do you need to get paid on YouTube? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. You first need 1,000 subscribers to monetize your content. Additionally, you must have 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or have ten million Shorts views in the last 90 days.
At least 1,000. That’s the minimum amount YouTube requires to monetize your channel and earn directly on the platform.
Affiliate marketing is a great way for beginners to start earning quickly. If you don’t have a dedicated following yet, promote other companies’ products or services. Establish yourself as a trustworthy content creator to grow your channel and expand your revenue streams from there.
The rates differ for each country and category you’re in. On average, a YouTuber can earn $2–$12 per 1,000 video views through ads. There’s potential to earn more if you make content in categories that are competitive among advertisers.
Produce audio content, like ASMR or guided meditation videos, post songs or educational voiceovers, repurpose other creators’ content under fair use, or offer freelancing services to other YouTubers.
Conclusion
Depending on your content, revenue stream, and time investment, the potential to earn from YouTube videos is endless. There are many ways to make money, from ads and sponsorships to fan donations and selling merchandise.
If you don’t yet meet the requirements for ad monetization, we recommend starting with affiliate marketing and your own line of merch. Sell products like custom t-shirts using a POD service like Printify.
So get inspired, get creative, and start making money on YouTube one idea at a time.
