When it comes to content creation platforms, YouTube has shown some serious staying power. Even in the face of competition from TikTok, YouTube is still one of the best places to create and share video content. More than that, it’s one of the best platforms for making recurring income as a creator.
For YouTube creators looking to monetize, joining the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is a great place to start. The program offers you multiple ways to earn, allowing you to diversify your income on a single platform.
Interested? Before anything, there’s one thing you should know: YouTube’s Partner Program and its associated policies are frequently updated, meaning it can be tough for creators to keep up. To help, here’s a full breakdown of the YouTube Partner Program, including how it works and all the latest updates.
How to get monetized on YouTube
YouTube’s Partner Program is the hub for in-app features that make you money. While creators need to meet certain eligibility requirements to enroll, YouTube has recently made the program more accessible by making it available in more regions. It’s also introduced a new, lower tier that’s easier to reach.
No matter which tier you want to join, your YouTube channel will need to meet the following requirements:
- Abide by the YouTube channel monetization policies. These include the YouTube Community Guidelines, AdSense program policies, Creator responsibility policies, and more.
- Be in a region where the YouTube Partner Program is available (you’ll find the full list below).
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel.
- Use 2-Step Verification with your Google Account.
- Have access to advanced features, which you can get through ID verification or by building up your channel history.
- Have — or create — an active AdSense account.
On top of these requirements, you’ll need a certain number of subscribers and public watch hours (or Shorts views) to be eligible.
To get access to all monetization options, you’ll need 1,000 subscribers and either:
- 4,000 public watch hours from your videos in the last 12 months;
- 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
If you don’t meet these requirements yet, don’t worry! There’s also an expanded version of the YouTube Partner Program with lower benchmarks — though you’ll have fewer monetization options available.
You’ll need to hit 500 subscribers, have three valid public uploads in the last 90 days, and either:
- 3,000 valid public watch hours from your videos in the last 12 months;
- 3 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Now, on top of these requirements, you’ll need to be in a region where the YouTube Partner Program is available. Here’s the full list:
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Argentina
- Aruba
- Azerbaijan
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bermuda
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Guatemala
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Martinique
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Norfolk Island
- Norway
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Republic of Ireland
- Reunion
- Romania
- Saint Helena
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Saudi Arabia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Wallis and Futuna
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
- Zimbabwe
How to join the YouTube Partner Program
Meet all the eligibility requirements? Great! Here’s how to apply for the YouTube Partner Program:
- Sign in on YouTube.
- Next, click your profile picture at the top right and hit YouTube Studio.
- Hit Earn in the left menu.
- Hit Apply.
- Click Start to see the terms and conditions, then Accept.
- Link your AdSense account or create a new one.
Once you’ve completed these steps, YouTube will review your channel. You can expect to hear an update in one month.
How to enable monetization on YouTube
YouTube’s monetization options are split into what the platform calls “modules.” Essentially, you can choose which modules you want to turn on.
For example, you could choose to monetize your channel through ads and YouTube Premium, but not channel memberships.
To turn on individual monetization modules, follow these steps:
- Sign in on YouTube.
- Click Earn in the left menu.
- Find the modules you want to enable and hit Get started. You’ll have to accept the terms and conditions of each module you choose to turn on.
YouTube monetization options
Here’s an overview of all the ways you can make money with the YouTube Partner Program, which options are available with the expanded Partner Program, and which are only available with the full tier.
Watch Page ads
These are the ads that play at the beginning of — or during — long-form YouTube videos. When you’re part of the YouTube Partner Program, you’ll get a share of any revenue YouTube makes from placing these ads on your videos.
Curious how much you could make from these ads? Check out our YouTube money calculator.
Only available with the full Partner Program.
Shorts Feed ads
When YouTube users scroll through their Shorts feed, they’ll get an ad every so often, and creators will get a portion of the revenue from those ads. Here’s how that revenue sharing works:
- YouTube receives an initial pool of shareable ad revenue. Part of it goes to paying licensing costs for music, and another part goes to rewarding creators.
- The pool for rewarding creators is calculated based on how many views were brought in by Shorts and how much music was used in them.
- Shares of this new pool are attributed to Shorts creators based on the views they brought in.
- Creators get 45% of this allocated amount.
Only available with the full Partner Program.
Channel memberships
Membership platforms like Patreon allow creators to get a bit of extra income by sharing exclusive content with paying members. YouTube has its own version of these memberships, and creators can offer members-only videos, live streams, and loyalty badges.
Available with both tiers of the Partner Program.
Super Chat and Super Stickers
When you live stream on YouTube, viewers have the option to make donations in exchange for highlighted chat messages or virtual stickers that show up in the chat feed. It’s an easy way for viewers to support your channel and it’s a nice source of revenue for you.
Available with both tiers of the Partner Program.
Super Thanks
These work a little bit like Super Chat and Super Stickers, except they go under your videos instead of just your live streams. They’ll show up as distinct, colorful comments that stand out from the rest of the feed.
Available with both tiers of the Partner Program.
YouTube Shopping
YouTube Shopping lets you plug products directly in your videos, whether they’re from your own store or other brands. Viewers will be able to tap or click a link in the video and go directly to a store page for that product. This makes it easier to sell your own products or promote brands you have partnerships with.
Available with both tiers of the Partner Program. You’ll need to be part of the full Partner Program to sell more than just your own products.
YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is a paid subscription that allows users to enjoy YouTube ad-free, download videos for offline viewing, and more. Creators with monetized channels can earn a portion of the fee YouTube collects for this subscription.
Only available with the full Partner Program.
More ways to make money with your YouTube channel
While built-in YouTube monetization offers plenty of options, you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. Why? Creator monetization programs like the YPP are often subject to change, meaning you could easily lose a chunk of revenue if you’re affected by an update. Diversifying your income keeps your career profitable and sustainable.
Here are some of the best ways to earn more on YouTube:
1. Join affiliate programs
Affiliate programs are pretty simple: you promote a company’s product with a unique shopping link, and you earn commission from sales coming from your link. YouTube’s own affiliate program is a great source of revenue, but you can find third-party programs as well.
2. Partner with brands
Brand partnerships and sponsorships are some of the most lucrative ways to make money on YouTube. You’ll need to do a bit of research and reach out to the right partners, but it’s well worth the effort.
3. Promote and sell digital products
Selling digital products — like templates, ebooks, and mini-courses — is one of the best, low-effort ways to generate income through your YouTube channel. Why? Selling your own digital product means it can be tailor-made for your viewers.
Once you’ve brainstormed and built a digital product, you can promote it through your YouTube content to maximize your sales. And because you’re selling a digital download, you can sell the same product over and over without having to produce more units. No need to deal with shipping, fulfillment, or third-party suppliers.
No matter what your content is about, you can create digital products that address your audience’s needs. Here are just some digital product ideas for popular creator niches:
- Fitness: Workout plans, how-to guides for popular exercises, or templates for healthy eating.
- Beauty: Mini-courses on advanced makeup techniques, or guides on skincare ingredients.
- Travel: Pre-travel checklists, or guides to popular destinations.
- Food and cooking: Tutorials on specific recipes, or e-cookbooks.
- Business and finance: Budgeting templates, or financial literacy courses.
Interested in creating your own digital products? The Leap’s AI-powered tool can help you build and sell digital products in minutes. Try The Leap free today!
4. Sell merch or other physical products
While they usually involve more work to produce, ship, and maintain than their digital counterparts, physical products are still a great way to earn money through YouTube. After all, they’re a big part of how Mr.Beast brought in $82 million in 2023.
You don’t need such lofty ambitions to make them worth it, though. Start with a few merch options featuring a graphic or slogan that’s unique to your channel, and grow your product offering from there.
Why some YouTube videos get demonetized
If you’re part of the YouTube Partner Program, your videos will bring in revenue through ads and other sources. But some videos can get demonetized, meaning they bring in less revenue or none at all. You can see if a video is demonetized in the YouTube Studio app.A video that’s been demonetized will have its status as Limited or Ineligible. A video might be demonetized for a few reasons:
- Copyright: Content in your video has been claimed by someone who holds the copyright to that content.
- Content guidelines: If your video doesn’t meet these guidelines (e.g. it depicts graphic violence or hate speech), it can’t be monetized.
- Community guidelines: This is a different set of guidelines, more focused on harassment, cyberbullying, and promoting dangerous behaviors. If your video goes against these guidelines, it will be demonetized.
- Duplicate content: If most of a video has content pulled from another video, it may not be monetized at all.
- It’s not suitable for advertisers: Maybe there’s a bit too much swearing or it’s about a sensitive topic. Either way, YouTube has given brands the option to opt out of putting ads on it.
How do you make sure your content stays monetized? Review YouTube’s guidelines and stick to them. If you’ve had any videos demonetized in the past, review them to see why and avoid making the same sort of content in the future.
Why some YouTube channels get demonetized
In some situations, an entire YouTube channel won’t be eligible for monetization, not just a few videos. This is pretty rare, and usually only happens for one of two reasons:
- A channel isn’t in good standing: If a YouTube channel regularly goes against YouTube’s policies and guidelines, it may be made completely ineligible for monetization, even if it meets all other requirements.
- A channel’s content is not advertiser-friendly: Even if it doesn’t go against YouTube’s Community or Content guidelines, there are some aspects of YouTube content (e.g. language and topic) that might make content not particularly friendly for advertisers. That can make an entire channel difficult to monetize.
Start earning on YouTube
YouTube’s Partner Program is one of the most robust creator monetization programs out there. And now that YouTube has expanded the program with lower eligibility requirements, it’s easier than ever to start monetizing your YouTube channel. Create consistently to grow your audience, and explore other monetization methods like brand partnerships and selling digital products, and you’ll soon be making some serious income.
Want more tips for making money on YouTube? Check out our YouTube Shorts Monetization Guide to learn how you can start earning with short-form videos.
FAQ
How much does YouTube pay for 1,000 views?
YouTube uses several factors to calculate how much a creator makes per 1,000 views, resulting in a metric that the platform calls cost per mille (or CPM). Each creator has a unique CPM, based on factors like their location, the length of an individual video, and their subscriber count.
That said, some estimates out there can give you a range to work with. According to creators interviewed by Business Insider, payouts for 1,000 views ranged from $1.61 to $29.30.
Do you need 1,000 subscribers on YouTube to monetize?
Not anymore! While you’ll still need 1,000 subscribers to access all available monetization options on YouTube, the platform recently launched a new Partner Program tier that’s more accessible for content creators who are earlier in their journey. You’ll only need 500 subscribers to be eligible for this early-access tier.
Can I monetize my YouTube channel with 500 subscribers?
You’ll be able to monetize on YouTube with just 500 subscribers, but you won’t have access to every monetization option of the YouTube Partner Program.
Here’s a quick overview of the monetization features you can unlock based on your subscriber count:
500 Subscribers:
- Channel memberships
- Super Chat & Super Stickers
- Super Thanks
- YouTube Shopping (but only for selling your own products)
1,000 Subscribers:
- Watch Page Ads
- Shorts Feed Ads
- YouTube Premium
- YouTube Shopping (for selling other brands’ products)
In short, the 500 subscriber tier lets you monetize YouTube live streams and other interactions with your audience, but it won’t give you access to ad revenue sharing.
Can you monetize YouTube Shorts?
Absolutely! Just like long-form videos, YouTube Shorts are eligible for ad revenue sharing.
You can also use Shorts as a marketing channel for growing your other revenue streams, like your long-form videos, merch, digital products, and affiliate programs.
What kind of videos or topics can’t be monetized on YouTube?
YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines are the go-to resource for creators to learn what not to do if they want to maximize their channel’s ability to generate revenue. Below are some of the topics that can’t be monetized:
- Sexual or graphic adult content.
- Videos that promote harmful or dangerous acts that can get people hurt.
- Hateful or discriminatory videos.
- Content that’s violent without any additional context. News reports and documentaries about violent events can be exempt, but any video with gratuitous violence as the focal point for no good reason can’t be monetized.
- Profanity or vulgar language that comes out early in the video — or is omnipresent throughout — might make it ineligible for monetization.
- Shocking content might not be eligible for monetization, though context is key here.
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