How To Make Money On Youtube: 2025 Complete Guide
Monika Ivanauskaite
10 hours ago
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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 high-quality, exclusive content.
As research suggests, the Gen Z audience watches more short-form videos with long-form videos as their second choice of media consumption. 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 monetization strategy for your YouTube channel as you make money from ads on your videos.
You can run video ads once you have:
- 1,000 subscribers,
- 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million Shorts (short-form videos) 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.
If you wish to become a part of the YouTube Partner Program, you should focus on a few things:
- Creating content consistently,
- Producing high-quality thumbnails to attract viewers,
- Providing engaging content that provides additional value to your viewers,
- Optimizing video descriptions to reach the required watch time from your YouTube views.
Additionally, some content creators were speculating whether people with YouTube Premium could view their content. The answer is yes but you’ll need to accept certain monetization modules to earn YouTube premium revenue.
That’s the only way to monetize the YouTube premium subscribers watching your videos.
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.
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 the YouTube Partner Program.
3. Use 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 target 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 brand deals and sponsorships
Brand sponsorships allow you to make money 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, other brands might require you to create dedicated product reviews. It’s a great way to make money 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.
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, you can create and sell merchandise like T-shirts, sweatshirts, or mugs. Also, you can sell digital products like courses, ebooks, or other creative projects like workshops.
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.
Additionally, you can use YouTube’s Merchandise shelf allowing fans to shop directly from YouTube. 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-form 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 short-form videos 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.
How to make money on YouTube without making videos
If you’re considering how to make money on YouTube without making videos, you have a few options.
Firstly, you can repurpose stock videos with sounds for people who need background videos for meditation. For example, there are numerous 14-hour-long videos with looped images of fireplaces to create ambiance.
Secondly, you can join money-making platforms like JumpTask to complete micro tasks and make money in multiple ways. Such tasks range from completing surveys to sharing your unused internet connection.
Also, you can watch the selected YouTube videos via JumpTask and get monetary rewards without creating content. If you want to join this platform, you can sign up on their website with your email and get started.
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.
Key takeaways
- YouTube offers various ways to earn money, including its partner program, ad revenue, channel memberships, affiliate links, sponsored content, and merch.
- You should consider your audience and their behavior. While some people will support you via crowdfunding platforms, others might be more likely to buy merch. Thus, it’s important to experiment with various income streams to see what’s most relevant for you.
- The key to successfully monetizing your YouTube channel is having patience and staying consistent. You’ll need to build an engaged audience that will support your work, so you can achieve your financial goals by prioritizing quality content and your viewers.
- Alternatively, you can seek other money-making opportunities by using platforms like JumpTask – an open engagement platform where people can play games, take surveys, and explore other easy ways to make money online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make money from your previous videos via the YouTube Partner Program, affiliate links, and other passive income sources. While staying consistent with your videos helps you grow your channel, it’s not a requirement to upload weekly.
Videos about tech, finance, and business earn more money from ads than other niches. However, every channel is different and you might set up a revenue source from traditionally lower-income generating niches too. The key point is to have an engaged audience to increase your views.
No, you can start making money on YouTube with minimal equipment such as your phone and laptop. However, it’s a good idea to invest in your channel’s growth and use professional equipment once you start earning a stable income from your videos.
It’s recommended that you run ads on your videos. However, you should be authentic and carefully consider whether all of your videos should have ads. For example, your audience might react badly if you run ads on videos dedicated to sensitive topics like charities.
If you violate YouTube’s monetization policy, you will likely face demonetization on your videos, revenue hold or reversal, and even account termination. Therefore, you must become familiar with YouTube’s guidelines if you’re considering making money on YouTube.
You must comply with your local laws and regulations. Thus, you need to research or consult with a professional to decide which type of self-employment is suitable for you and your work. It’ll determine how much taxes you’ll pay.
Monika Ivanauskaite
Content manager
The mind behind JumpTask updates is also a nature enthusiast, balancing announcements with hikes and capturing serene moments. Dive into the blog for a scenic journey through JumpTask's ever-evolving landscape.
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IN THIS ARTICLE
- How many views do you need to make money on YouTube
- 1. Join the YouTube Partner Program (ad revenue)
- 2. Offer channel memberships
- 3. Use Super Chats and Super Stickers
- 4. Secure brand deals and sponsorships
- 5. Tap into affiliate marketing
- 6. Sell your own merchandise or digital products
- 7. Crowdfund your YouTube channel
- 8. License your YouTube videos or repurpose on multiple platforms
- 9. Monetize YouTube Shorts
- How to make money on YouTube without making videos
- Key takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions
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