Table of Contents
- YouTube monetization requirements
- Do I meet YouTube’s requirements for monetization?
- How should apply for the monetization program?
- How to monetize YouTube
- How to grow your YouTube channel
YouTube monetization requirements
Whether your channel meets the YouTube monetization requirements or still needs some TLC, here are 5 major requirements to get started, if you’re ready to monetize YouTube:
1. You need to have over 1000 subscribers
2. People need to have watched at least 4000 hours of your videos in the last 12 months
3. You have a linked AdSense account
4. Content doesn’t violate YouTube’s monetization policies
5. YouTube partner program exists in your location
Do I meet YouTube’s requirements for monetization?
How do you know if you’ve hit YouTube’s requirements for monetization? Let’s start with the more in-depth way first.
- Log in to your YouTube channel and go to YouTube Studio. In your dashboard, you should see a live count of how many subscribers you have.
- To see how many hours people have watched your videos, go to your channel analytics and look at the “Overview” tab. You’ll need to adjust the date at the top to cover the last 12 months.
- Once you’ve adjusted the date, look at the “Watch time (hours)” tab above the graph in the center of the page. There you’ll see how many hours people have spent watching your videos.
- In YouTube Studio, click “Monetization” tab on the left sidebar and you’ll see a message that either says you’re eligible or not eligible to apply for the program.
How should apply for the monetization program?
Meeting the watch time and subscriber requirements doesn’t guarantee you’ll get into the YouTube Partner Program.
You should become familiar with YouTube’s monetization policies before you apply for monetization.
The policies include its community standards, AdSense guidelines, and other topics deemed important by Google.
You can also use YouTube Studio to monitor engagement metrics to help determine the best time to post on YouTube to maximize your views.
1. To make money from YouTube, you need an AdSense account, and you need to link it to your YouTube channel.
Here’s a basic overview of how AdSense makes you money:
You make ad space available for advertisers
Advertisers place bids to have their ads appear in front of their target audience
Google matches the advertisers to your content
The highest bidder’s ad appears in front of your viewers
You earn a portion of the ad revenue
This next sentence is very important. Do not sign up for an AdSense account on the AdSense website. Create your AdSense account through YouTube Studio.
2. Submit your applicaton.
Once you submit your application, an actual person (not an algorithm) will review your channel to make sure it meets all of YouTube’s policies and requirements. Since a human needs to approve your application, the process takes time.
Get your results. According to YouTube, you should know if you’re approved around one month after you apply. You may wait longer than one month if your channel needs further review, if YouTube has a lot of applications, or even if technical difficulties slow down the process. Again, make sure your channel meets all of YouTube’s requirements before you apply to make the review process as smooth as possible.
If for some reason, you get rejected from the Partner Program, you just have to wait 30 days before applying again. However, take time to review your account before re-applying. YouTube will explain why they rejected your channel in their rejection email, so read that closely and make changes as necessary. You may need to adjust video thumbnails or even delete videos that violate community guidelines. Taking a deeper look at your channel will help you understand what caused the problem.
How to monetize YouTube
Before you start rolling in dough, take a minute to learn about how you can make money from your YouTube channel.
1. Earn revenue from ads
YouTube allows a variety of ads to run across creators’ videos. While your videos may include ads whether or not your channel is monetized, YouTube Partners can collect revenue from the ads that appear with their videos.
2. Encourage channel memberships
As a YouTube Partner, your fans can pay a monthly subscription fee to get exclusive content from your channel. This content may be members-only videos, stickers, or other items that regular subscribers cannot get. If you enable channel memberships, you’ll see a “Join” button next to the “Subscribe” button on your channel page. Creators earn about 70% of the revenue from their channel memberships.
3. Sell merch with your videos
If you have something your fans might love—you can sell them through YouTube. YouTube’s “Merch Shelf” appears under eligible videos and includes branded items specific to your channel.
You can create channel merch by partnering with one of YouTube’s approved retailers.
4. Partner with other brands for sponsorship opportunities
Working with brands for channel sponsorships requires time and creativity, but it’s a great way to make money outside of YouTube’s monetization requirements. Leverage your YouTube channel’s audience to partner with brands that make sense for your channel. If you make home renovation tutorial videos, for example, you can partner with a brand that makes tools or even the store that sells you the materials. Don’t be afraid to ask for sponsors. If there’s a certain brand you consistently use and trust, it can’t hurt to reach out. Make sure that you disclose any paid promotion in your videos before they go live on YouTube. You can do this when you upload your videos by checking a box certifying that you have partnered with a third-party sponsor.
How to grow your YouTube channel
1. Use YouTube SEO
Before you even create your YouTube videos, take some time to do YouTube keyword research. You can use a tool like VidIQ to figure out which keywords the top videos use, as well as keywords with the best ranking opportunities. Once you’ve settled on a topic and your target keywords, use them throughout your video script and in your video title, description, and tags.
2. Promote your video outside YouTube
You don’t have to wait around for YouTube to start showing your videos in the search results. If you have a website, any social media accounts, or an email marketing strategy, start including your YouTube videos. Post on Facebook when you upload a new video. Send a weekly video digest to email subscribers. Embed your videos on your website. Use the audience you have to grow your YouTube channel. Rewrite this paragraph.
3. Learn from other competitors
Pay attention to your competitors’ YouTube activities. Whether they’ve mastered monetization or simply create engaging content, it’s worth analyzing their videos. Do their videos receive high engagement? Do they produce similar content but attract more views? Dedicate time to understanding what you can do to surpass your YouTube competitors.
