How To Make Money On Youtube: Top 10 Strategies for 2025

A shiny 3D representation related to where to watch ads for money, featuring a metallic dollar sign and play buttons floating in a row, illuminated by a neon purple and blue gradient background.

Aspiring YouTubers, businesses, and influencers are continuously exploring additional revenue streams on YouTube. People earn money from ad revenue, sponsorships, SuperChats, and more – there are plenty of options for everyone even if you’re not creating original videos.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything from the question “how does YouTube pay its creators” to passive money-making methods.

How many views do you need to make money on YouTube

The number of views you need to make money on YouTube is different for everyone as there’s no fixed number. It might take up to two years as some YouTubers on Reddit state. Consequently, your earnings depend on several factors, including:

Cost Per Mille (CPM). This metric is specific to YouTube and describes how much advertisers are willing to pay per 1,000 views. CPM depends on your niche and audience location.
Audience retention. You might get better ad placements and more revenue if people watch your videos for longer and get more money from mid-roll ads.
Niche. There are various YouTube creators in different niches and some attract higher CPM rates. For example, finance, tech, and business have higher advertising revenue than entertainment or vlogging.
Geography. If your viewers are primarily from high-income countries, you’ll make more money than people with viewers from lower-income regions.

When you’re looking to earn more from a YouTube channel, the key point is creating content that is of high quality and unique.

As research suggests, 81% of Gen Z audience prefer short-form video content over images or text. Thus, you can experiment with YouTube Shorts monetization as an additional way to distribute your content.

However, it doesn’t matter how many subscribers you have or how many views you get – you need to focus on viewer retention. Building an engaging audience takes work, so if you’re looking for ways to make money fast, you might want to explore other opportunities.

1. Join the YouTube Partner Program (ad revenue)

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is the most popular strategy for earning ad revenue on your YouTube channel, allowing you to make money from ads shown on your videos. If you're wondering how many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube and run video ads, the answer is clear:

1,000 subscribers,
4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days.

This is one of the most popular monetization options as the platform places YouTube ads on your content.

The amount of money you can earn from your YouTube videos depends on factors like CPM, ad type, and viewer engagement. You should focus on uploading videos that are ad-friendly and avoid topics that might get restricted.

To join the YPP and start earning, focus on:

Creating content consistently,
Producing high-quality thumbnails to attract viewers,
Providing content that offers additional value to your viewers,
Optimizing video descriptions to reach the required watch time from your YouTube views.

2. Offer channel memberships

Channel memberships are a way for your viewers to receive exclusive content by paying a monthly subscription. You can earn money by creating custom badges, emojis, and other members-only perks.

Other YouTubers often do live Q&As and upload exclusive or early-access YouTube videos. Some of the most popular YouTube creators host charity events or interact with their fans live on streams as additional benefits.

You should consider promotional content for your channel membership. Include shoutouts or teasers for exclusive benefits in your new videos, offer special discounts, and early access to new content.

This strategy supplements the revenue you earn from YouTube ads and this program.

3. Fan funding via Super Chats and Super Stickers

Super Chats and Super Stickers are monetization features that allow your fans to show support during your YouTube live streams and Premieres.

Viewers pay a fee and their messages become highlighted in the chat so that you can see them better among other messages from your audience.

Super Stickers can be a fun and creative way to engage with your audience. You can create custom stickers with your channel’s logo or other visuals. Your viewers can send these stickers during streams or premieres as a way to show their support.

It’s crucial to engage with these paying members in real time as they are most likely long-term viewers of your YouTube videos. Make sure to answer their questions, react to their messages, and give shoutouts to foster a strong community.

Such fan funding is a fun way to connect with your viewers and get more revenue from your YouTube videos.

4. Secure sponsorships with other brands

Brand deals allow you to earn on YouTube by working with various brands you enjoy and promoting them.

Some brands offer one-time sponsorship while other brands value long-term partnerships, so you can make a stable and predictable income by creating sponsored content.

Attracting potential sponsors requires some work on your part. You can:

Create media kits that include the statistics of your YouTube channel, rates for sponsored videos, and branded content campaigns,
Network by joining relevant communities or contact media companies that work by connecting creators with brands,
Directly reach out to brands and join their ambassador or affiliate programs.

If you need ideas for sponsored videos, you can watch videos that sell products with short sponsorship segments at the beginning or the end of these videos.

Additionally, brands might require you to create dedicated product reviews. It’s a great way to earn some income on YouTube if you have a specific niche like tech where you review gadgets.

However, you need to stay informed about YouTube’s guidelines on promoting products. Include disclaimers in video descriptions to maintain authenticity and trustability.

Earn now, go viral later

Building a YouTube channel takes time, but your earnings don’t have to. Start making money online while you grow your audience.

5. Tap into affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing allows you to promote products or services and earn commissions with affiliate codes or unique links. Once viewers click on the link or use your code, you’ll get a percentage of the sale.

You’ll need to promote relevant products that align with your videos and content. Make sure to:

Research the brand you want to work with,
Think about your target audience and would they be interested in such a product,
Consider the price of the promoted product and set realistic goals for earning commissions.

While earning money on YouTube might be your primary goal, you should always consider building a strong and engaged community.

Before promoting brands, don’t forget to include disclaimers about affiliate links to maintain trust and credibility.

6. Sell your own merchandise or digital products

If you have a loyal and engaged audience, selling your own products, like T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, or even digital products such as courses and ebooks, is a great way to monetize your YouTube channel.

Such fan funding is a great way to monetize your YouTube channel by branching out with minimal setup costs.

For example, using a print-on-demand service for your T-shirts won’t cost you anything. These services take care of printing, storing, and delivering merch to your fans. All you have to do is automate purchases by having an integration with your e-shop.

Thanks to YouTube shopping, you can now let fans shop directly from your channel using the Merchandise shelf. You must reside in a supported country to earn revenue from this integration.

If you want to set it up, you need to:

Choose a merchandise partner like Spring or Spreadshop.
Set up an online store.
Connect your store to YouTube.
Enable the Merchandise shelf on your videos.

Alternatively, you can include the links to your online store in video descriptions.

Make sure to regularly remind your audience during your videos or live streams that you have merch to increase sales.

7. Crowdfund your YouTube channel

Your audience can support you via crowdfunding platforms where they donate money as thanks for making videos. The most popular crowdfunding platform is Patreon while other platforms include Buy Me A Coffee, Contribee, and Ko-Fi.

It can supplement the money you earn from your Partner Program or ads on your videos. However, you’ll need to set up a crowdfunding campaign by:

Setting clear funding goals,
Offering tiered rewards like shoutouts and exclusive videos,
Engaging with your supporters like answering their questions,
Promoting your crowdfunding campaign as an additional way to support your journey on YouTube.

If you need ideas on promotional material, consider mentioning it during your videos, sharing the links to your crowdfunding campaign on social media, and producing engaging content for your supporters.

However, don’t expect that all of your subscribers or viewers will contribute on these platforms. Since crowdfunding consists of voluntary donations, show gratitude by continuously giving shoutouts and saying thanks to these fans.

8. License your YouTube videos or repurpose on multiple platforms

If you have a viral video or other valuable content, you should consider licensing it to media outlets.

For example, news outlets pay for viral clips to use in their reports while stock footage websites are continuously looking for content to purchase. It’s crucial to own the rights to your footage as you can gain a reputation and passive income from your work.

Additionally, you can repurpose your content and upload it to other social media platforms like Twitter to make money.

For example, if you create YouTube Shorts, consider uploading them to TikTok or Instagram Reels. Make sure you create profiles on all possible social media channels to have more options for repurposing content.

Moreover, you can stream on Twitch for additional money and upload your long-form videos on YouTube as a reverse strategy. By repurposing content, you can maximize your potential income streams while having enough time to create new content.

9. Monetize YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are short videos that you can post on your channel to gather more views and expand your reach. Shorts have their own monetization model that’s based on ad revenue sharing. If you want to monetize them, you need to have:

1,000 subscribers
10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days

Creating engaging Shorts needs a creative approach as you need to have attention-grabbing introductions, trending music, and relevant hashtags.

Also, you should consistently post Shorts to increase your channel’s growth as the YouTube algorithm favors consistency and relevancy to your niche.

It’s crucial to understand whether your audience will watch your Shorts. For example, commentary channels perform worse by posting short-form content as their primary audience watches them for extended and well-researched videos.

That’s why it’s important to remain authentic and connect with your audience. If you feel that YouTube Shorts might not resonate with your audience, you can consider building a separate audience on TikTok and expanding into other niches.

10. Earn from YouTube Premium views

When a YouTube Premium subscriber watches your video, you earn a portion of the subscription fee they’ve paid. Instead of showing ads, YouTube shares part of the Premium revenue pool with creators, using a revenue-sharing model that’s based on two key factors:

Watch time: The more minutes Premium users spend on your content, the more you earn.
Proportional contribution: Your earnings depend on how much time users spend watching your content compared to other creators during their subscription period.

As a YouTube creator, you don’t need to take any special action to benefit from this system. If you're part of the YouTube Partner Program, your Premium earnings are automatically included in your AdSense payments and appear in your revenue breakdown as “YouTube Premium revenue.”

While there’s no fixed rate per 1,000 views like with traditional ads, many creators find that Premium earnings can be comparable, or even slightly higher, especially for long-form videos and high-retention content. Channels that produce binge-worthy videos, tutorials, music, or educational content often perform particularly well with Premium audiences.

Ultimately, YouTube Premium offers a seamless way to start earning money passively from ad-free viewing. With enough engaged viewership, it can become a reliable supplement to your overall YouTube income.

How to earn money on YouTube without making videos

If you're curious about how to make money on YouTube without making videos, money-making platforms like JumpTask offer a practical and beginner-friendly solution. Instead of producing content, you can earn by completing surveys or sharing your unused internet connection.

JumpTask focuses on microtasking opportunities that reward users for simple online activities such as completing surveys, organizing data, or sharing unused internet bandwidth. These small, easy-to-complete tasks are ideal for anyone wanting to earn extra income in their free time. All it takes to start is a device and an internet connection.

To begin, simply sign up on JumpTask’s website with your email or crypto wallet, browse available microtasks, and start earning right away.

Key takeaways

Alternatively, platforms like JumpTask let you earn through microtasks, such as games, surveys, or sharing unused internet bandwidth, all offering flexible income alongside your YouTube journey.

YouTube offers several ways to make money, like joining the Partner Program, earning ad revenue, offering memberships, using affiliate links, taking brand deals, and selling merchandise.

Success starts with knowing your audience. Some may prefer crowdfunding, others may support you by buying merch. Testing different income streams helps you find what works best.

Consistency and high-quality content are key. Over time, a loyal audience will naturally support your channel and help you reach your financial goals.

Sit back, watch and get paid

No camera? No problem. Get paid for watching videos, completing simple tasks, and exploring new ways to earn at JumpTask - no content creation required.

Frequently Asked Questions

YouTubers earn money through ads, sponsorships, memberships, affiliate links, and merchandise sales. Most ad revenue sources come from the YouTube Partner Program, which shares a portion of ad earnings based on video views, viewer engagement, and ad performance.

Yes. Revenue streams can go through affiliate links, brand deals, or crowdfunding, even without ad revenue. As your channel grows, these income streams can scale, especially if you have a loyal, engaged audience in a specific niche.

This particular program lets creators earn from ads. To qualify, you need 1,000 subscribers, 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months, and an AdSense account. Once an AdSense account is approved, you can monetize with ads and channel memberships.

Videos in niches like finance, tech, business, and education often earn more due to higher CPMs. However, consistent, high-quality content with strong viewer engagement can be profitable in almost any category.

It varies. Some creators monetize in months, others take years. Reaching 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours is the first milestone. Consistency, content quality, and audience targeting greatly impact how quickly you start earning.

Gabriele Zundaite

Digital Marketing Manager

Meet Gabriele, a marketing specialist focused on digital growth and social media. As a Digital Marketing Manager at JumpTask, she helps others discover new ways to earn online by turning creative ideas into real results. With a degree in Marketing Management and a background in growth marketing and community building, Gabriele shares clear, practical advice for anyone ready to start earning or grow their online presence.