How to make money on YouTube

YouTube is a site for sharing videos of all kinds. Anyone with a Google account can upload a video to YouTube and find an audience who enjoys their content. Some successful YouTube creators have cultivated careers by being themselves on camera or explaining and documenting their hobbies or areas of expertise. Here are some ideas for ways you could earn money using YouTube.

Monetizing your videos with advertisements

The most common way YouTube creators earn money is through advertisements. In January 2018, YouTube changed its policy for advertisements. Before placing advertisements on your channel, you must meet the YPP (YouTube Partner Program) minimum requirements. To be eligible to apply for monetization, your channel must meet these standards:

• Have 1,000 subscribers.
• Have at least 4,000 hours of watch time in the last twelve months before applying or 10M YouTube Shorts views in the last 90 days.

If you meet the above requirements, you are eligible for advertisements on your YouTube video. Monetization applications can be made in the monetization section of your Creator Studio page. Once you apply, it takes approximately one week for your channel to be reviewed by YouTube employees. If your channel meets YouTube's criteria, it may be approved, and you may run advertisements for users when they view your videos.

Types of available YouTube advertisements

There are a few different advertisements to choose from, which can be customized with slight variations. The main types of YouTube advertisements are:

• Video Advertisements are short videos no longer than 20 seconds that can be placed anywhere throughout your video, and you can make them skippable or non-skippable. If your video is 10 minutes or longer, you can include a much larger number of video advertisements throughout it.
• Display Advertisements are advertisements on the screen outside of the video, usually found to the right of the video on the desktop website. Your viewers will not see these advertisements if they watch your content in fullscreen mode.
• Overlay Advertisements cover up a small area of the video, found at the bottom. They are slightly transparent and can be dismissed by the viewer if they click the "X" icon in the upper-right corner of the advertisement.
• Sponsored Cards are cards found on the right side of the video on the desktop site and below the video on the mobile app. Sponsored cards link the viewer to products that Google recommends based on the video.

What is the YouTube merch shelf?

If your channel is approved for monetization, not marked as kid friendly, and the YouTube partner program is available in your region, the merchandize shelf is accessible.

To access the merch shelf, in your YouTube channel settings, open the Monetization section and click Merchandize. In this area, select Spring to have your custom merchandize sold through Spring and advertised in your videos.

What are YouTube Super Chats and Super Stickers?

YouTube Super Chats and YouTube Super Stickers are available for those who are part of the YPP (YouTube Partner Program) and done during live streams and Premieres. When available, your viewers can purchase a Super Chat or Super Sticker to help make their comments stand out in live chat. Super Chats and Stickers help the creator see their viewers' important messages and better interact with them.

Using your channel to promote other content

If you don't meet the requirements for monetization, there are other ways to make money using your YouTube channel. You can use your channel to promote different things, such as:

• An online store or website.
• Merchandise related to your YouTube channel.
• A page on Patreon or another service that lets your viewers financially support their favorite creators.

Promoting your content is effective if your viewers are willing to support your channel.

Sponsors

Another great way to make money on YouTube is with sponsors. If you have enough traffic on your channel, companies may reach out to you for a sponsorship or brand deal. This process usually involves endorsing the product or telling your viewers about it. Some sponsors pay you for endorsing a product or after seeing how much traffic to their website comes from ads on your channel.