Okay, advertisement acquirement is the virtually obvious style to make money on YouTube. But it'south not the only fashion—or, to be honest, the best way.

(Spoiler: the best way to make money on YouTube is all the ways.)

YouTube is half the internet: that's 1.nine billion users logging in every month. But at the same time, 500 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute.

Then you already know this article is not going to be about how easy information technology is to purchase a Swiss watch with the advertisement revenue from your YouTube views. (Though if yous accept millions of video views, you could probably at to the lowest degree rent one. Wait, don't.)

Read on, and nosotros'll lay out 7 ways to earn income from your YouTube aqueduct, consummate with stride-by-pace instructions.

Bonus: Download the free xxx-24-hour interval plan to abound your YouTube following fast , a daily workbook of challenges that volition help yous kickstart your Youtube aqueduct growth and track your success. Get real results after one month.

How to make money on YouTube

1. Join the YouTube Partner Program

The YouTube Partner Program is how regular YouTubers become access to special features on the platform.

You don't need to exist a partner to make money on YouTube (just setting upwards an AdSense business relationship and getting views is enough to handle that), but being a Partner makes it a lot easier.

YouTube Partners have access to multiple income streams: not but video ads, but YouTube Premium subscription fees, and features that tap your loyal fans' wallets directly like Super Conversation, channel memberships and the merchandise shelf (more on these later.)

Pace 1: Outset a YouTube channel

Don't worry, we have a handy guide for this. It's called 'How to create a YouTube channel.'

Footstep 2: Make your aqueduct successful enough that it meets the YouTube Partner Program requirements

To bring together the program, you lot need a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 picket hours in the previous 12 months.

Here are some ideas for how to get more of those precious YouTube views.

Step three: Fix an AdSense account

This is elementary. Merely follow YouTube's official guide to AdSense accounts.

Footstep four: Explore your new monetization features

Each monetization channel has different eligibility requirements. For example:

  • Advertising revenue: to earn ad revenue, you must be at least 18 years sometime, and y'all must create content that is advertiser-friendly. Basically, the less controversial your videos, the more YouTube advertisers will exist comfy running ads on them, and the more money you make.
  • YouTube Premium revenue: if a YouTube Premium member watches your video, you lot get a portion of their subscription fee. (This one is automated, which is overnice.)
  • Aqueduct memberships: in society to sell channel memberships to your subscribers (i.east., your fans opt in to pay you an extra amount), you need to exist at least 18 and have more than 30,000 subscribers.
  • Merchandise shelf: in club to sell merch from YouTube'due south merchandise shelf, you lot must be at to the lowest degree 18 years erstwhile, and have at least 10,000 subscribers.
  • Super Chat payments: if you desire your fans to accept the ability to pay to accept their messages highlighted in your live chats during your live streams, you lot must be at to the lowest degree 18 (and live in a country where the feature is offered).

Step 5: Submit to ongoing reviews

As a YouTube Partner, your channel volition exist held to a higher standard, according to YouTube. You have to follow not but the YouTube Partner Programme policies, just the Community Guidelines. Not to mention staying on the correct side of copyright law.

2. Sell your own merch

Peradventure you identify as a content creator outset, and entrepreneur second. (Just think that even Drake sells t-shirts.)

Alternately, you're an entrepreneur showtime and video creator second, which means you lot probably already have a product, and yous're designing your YouTube marketing strategy to sell information technology.

Either way, merchandise is a feasible mode to earn money from YouTube.

Stride one: Imagine and design your production

Merchandise for your channel is meant to both represent and feed your audience's connection with yous. That ways your merch should exist unique.

Hawaiian YouTube star Ryan Higa launched his milk-based energy drinkable Ninja Melk to leverage the popularity of his viral comedy, Ninja Melk. While he also sells t-shirts and other merch from his online shop, Ninja Melk'southward entreatment is broad plenty information technology has its own website.

Pro tip: You might have more ideas for merch than you can possibly stock. And then start by dipping your toes in the water with 1 or 2 items. But brand sure you appoint your audience in the determination-making procedure. Poll them equally to what they want. Or build fizz past offering one-off products related to big subscriber-count milestones.

Step 2: Source and/or build your production

In near cases, y'all'll need a manufacturer, supplier or wholesaler to make and deliver your product. Some suppliers volition evangelize it to you, and some will spare you lot the headaches of inventory, shipping and returns past handling it themselves.

If yous're not sure where to start, check out Shopify's how-to on the topic of finding a brick-and-mortar company to make your dream a reality.

Step 3: Create your shop and landing page

Yous'll demand a separate website to handle purchases. If you want to link it directly from your videos (and you do), refer to YouTube's list of approved trade sites.

Footstep 4: Enable your YouTube Partner merchandise shelf

YouTube Partners tin can also employ the shelf feature to sell their channel'south merchandise. If yous're eligible, follow YouTube's instructions to enable it.

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Pace 5: Promote your product in your videos

This is where your amuse comes in. Clothing or use your merch in your videos. Characteristic viewers who have bought and are using information technology. (If we were on some other platform, we might telephone call this 'user-generated content,' or peradventure 'solid gilded').

And don't forget to add together your store's link to your video descriptions, and include end screens and cards with compelling calls to action.

Ryan Higa showing clips of people using his product on YouTube
Source: Ryan Higa


Pro tip: Don't forget to say thank you lot. Because it's polite. But too because it's an excuse to remind people how neat and popular your product is, i more fourth dimension.

3. Create sponsored content

You lot don't have to exist on Instagram to exist an influencer. The reward of the #sponcon strategy is that you don't have to give YouTube a cut of your earnings. You negotiate directly with the brand, and they pay you lot directly. No wonder information technology'southward a pop fashion for YouTubers to make money.

If y'all can offer brands a big and/or engaged audition—and your content is relevant to their target market—they probably desire to hear from you.

For instance, YouTuber Aaron Marino, a.k.a. Blastoff One thousand, is big in the men'south lifestyle space. How big? And then big that even his videos that explain his make partnerships have brand partners.

Step ane: Find a brand to partner with

Quality is of import, when it comes to the names you work with. You probably already have a wish list of dream brands. Whether yous're aiming for the stars or building yourself up grassroots-manner, make sure y'all perfect your make pitch earlier you transport it.

Also consider signing up with an influencer marketing platform. These are intermediary websites that help marketing teams find appropriate influencers to work with. FameBit was 1 of the first to focus on YouTubers, for instance.

Footstep 2: Brand a deal

According to this contempo study by influencer marketing platform Klear, YouTube videos are, on boilerplate, the most expensive type of sponsored content brands can purchase from influencers. Basically, YouTube influencers are able to charge more for their videos than they would for Instagram Stories or Facebook posts, because video is only more expensive to produce.

While your charge per unit will vary on your audience's size, engagement and relevance to your potential partner, know your worth before yous sign a contract.

Step 3: Exist transparent about your #sponsored #advertisement

Sponsored content is advertisement. That means you need to make sure you're in pace with Google'south Ad policies. The FTC (U.Due south.) and ASA (U.Thousand.) both have guidelines of which you lot should be enlightened, also, if y'all're American or British.

Transparency is good for your legal wellness, but also for your relationship with your audience. YouTube has a visible disclosure feature to help y'all brand sure your audience is aware that you're advertisement to them.

Sponsored content disclaimer on video
Source: YouTube

4. Get an affiliate partner

If your YouTube audience is loyal and engaged, but not quite there yet headcount-wise, wait for companies investing in chapter marketing.

YouTubers affiliated with businesses encourage their viewers to visit the brand's online store or specific production pages. They then get a percentage of sales made through their — you guessed it — affiliate links.

In terms of setup and logistics, affiliate partnerships are similar to sponsored content deals, so follow the steps from tip #3 to get started.

5. Get your fans to pay you directly

This strategy for making money on YouTube includes a few different income streams, but they all have one matter in common: you have to make it easy for your fans to show their appreciation with their credit card.

Step i: Host alive chats where people tin use Super Conversation

In early on 2017, YouTube replaced their previous Fan Funding feature with Super Chat. This is a feature that is but bachelor to YouTube Partners while they live stream.

Substantially, your viewers can make their comments more visible—they're highlighted and pinned for a set amount of time depending on how much they pay—in the live chat stream.

YouTube Super Chat

Step 2: Encourage your fans to get channel members

Join button on a YouTube Channel
Source: YouTube

YouTube offers the ability to permit your viewers pay yous to become members of your channel. In exchange, they get custom emoji, badges, and access to members-only exclusives like Live Chats with you.

For instance, Wintergatan is a Swedish band that also makes elaborate marble machines and posts videos nigh information technology to their YouTube channel. They regularly thank their channel members in their videos. They also make it clear what the money from memberships supports:

Wingarten Join this channel page description
Source: YouTube

You'll need to build out a promotion strategy to convince people to become members, which may or may non include several tiers of membership. Similar Super Chat, this characteristic is simply bachelor to YouTube Partners.

Step 3: Encourage your fans to become YouTube Premium subscribers

This stride is the terminal on our list for this strategy because it benefits your channel only indirectly. That said, when YouTube Premium members watch your channel, you lot get a cutting of their subscription fee. (And then does every other channel they watch.)

vi. Use crowdfunding

Soliciting donations online is at present commonplace. Whether you're looking to build ongoing revenue from a pool of small monthly donations, or looking to fund a personal, aqueduct-related project, crowdfunding is how many YouTubers brand money.

Step 1: Set a crowdfunding account

YouTube has a listing of approved crowdfunding sites to choose from.

For recurring funding Patreon is a acme pick. Meanwhile, sites like GoFundMe or Kickstarter are best for one-off campaigns to get a new mic, or new laptop, or new … spleen.

Even household names like Walk Off the Earth or Veronica Mars (ok, she's a fictional character) accept used Patreon to fund their projects, be they music videos or feature-length films.

walk off the earth crowdfunding page
Source: Walk Off the Globe

Step 2: Promote your campaign in your videos

Detail your specific goals then that people know exactly what they can expect when you've succeeded.

Likewise, offer enticing perks that stack as your fans choose how much they want to donate.

For more information and inspiration, check out this detailed guide to crowdfunding strategies.

Step 3: Go beyond YouTube

A successful campaign is a multi-platform matter. Nosotros have some advice on how to promote your YouTube aqueduct (and by extension, your crowdfunding entrada) everywhere else.

7. License your content to the media

When a video goes viral, every news outlet wants to get their hands on a copy in order to replay it for their audience. Fortunately, established media companies are well aware that they need to pay for what they use. And voila, you lot've got yourself another way to make money on YouTube.

Every bit a content creator, licensing your most successful work to the media can be as simple as making sure you lot're like shooting fish in a barrel to find.

Step 1: Keep your contact details updated on your Nigh page

You never know when lightning will strike. Even if you don't take a business director, ready upward a generic e-mail business relationship that you can indicate to for business concern inquiries.

Lilly Singh About page
Source: Lilly Singh

Footstep ii: Sign up to a video rights marketplace

Jukin Media is a great identify to commencement. Even if you don't take a viral video like the Chewbacca mask lady (see below), media outlets often need timely footage to round out their reporting.

For example, Jukin has an entire catalogue of 'newsworthy' videos that yous tin can contribute to, if y'all happen to have exclusive footage of a major natural disaster, plane crash, or plague of locusts.

Jukin Media video package
Source: Jukin Media

How much money can yous make on YouTube?

Sadly, this age-onetime question has one infuriating respond: it depends.

The sky is the limit, as ix-year onetime YouTuber and multi-millionaire Ryan Kaji'due south story proves. Simply getting into vii-digit territory takes a lot of time, consistent work and luck.

YouTube revenue relies heavily on AdSense. In unproblematic terms, YouTubers get paid for each ad view on their aqueduct. Merely rates vary beyond geographies, demographics, and even industries (software ads may accept a higher CPM than, for instance, clothing ads).

On average, YouTubers brand between $three and $5 per 1,000 video views through AdSense. If your channel is reaching a lot of people, this can stack up to a pretty paycheck. It's non uncommon for big creators to cash out upwards of $200,000 each month from AdSense alone.

But even if your aqueduct is trending and AdSense acquirement is filling up your bank account, call up that YouTube fame depends on many factors, some (or most) of which are out of your control — the YouTube algorithm can change, as can your audience'south tastes and needs.

To make certain that the money y'all make on YouTube turns into a healthy and consistent income, follow our 7 tips and branch out. Merch, branded deals and crowdfunding tin can brand you money even if, for whatsoever reason, your AdSense paychecks get down.

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