How to make money on YouTube

It is no secret that a person can make money by creating videos on YouTube. All over the world, we see many cases of how initially shooting videos for fun has turned into a full time job. And let's be honest, what's better than doing what you love and getting paid for it. In this article, we will introduce you to the principle of monetizing a YouTube channel or videos and go over the basics of monetization, which every creator should master.

WHAT DOES MONETIZATION MEAN?

Monetization or monetization is the term used by YouTube for its official program that allows creators to earn money from their videos. This means that YouTube creators get a certain monetary share from the ads that appear before, during or next to the video. However, the creator does not get the income automatically. YouTube has strict rules that determine whether a video is eligible for monetization or not. The basic step in how you can start earning on YouTube is to become a member of the YouTube Partner Program.

HOW DO I BECOME A YPP MEMBER?

In order to monetize your videos, you must be part of the YouTube Partner Program and meet all its conditions. This program gives creators expanded access to YouTube resources and features, as well as better access to YouTube support. And of course, last but not least, it enables the monetization of YouTube channels, i.e. making money. Are you wondering how to become part of the YouTube Partner Program? These are the basic conditions for entry that every creator must meet:

1. You must have more than 1000 subscribers.

2. You must have more than 4000 valid watch hours of videos in the last 12 months.

3. You must be a resident of the country or regionwhere the YPP is available.

4. You must follow all monetization ruleson the YouTube platform.

5. You must have aconnected AdSense account.

Even if you meet all the conditions mentioned above,YouTube will not add you to YPP automatically, you have to apply for membership. You do so in your YouTube studio.

1. Sign in to YouTube.

2. Click on your profile picture in the top right to go to YouTube studio.

3. In the panels on the left, click on the option "Monetization".

4. If you meet the entry conditions, click the "Start" button on the "Read the conditions of the Affiliate Program" tab.

5. After signing the terms, YouTube will mark this step with a green "Done" sign on the "Read the terms of the Partner Program" tab, and you can start monetizing your videos.

If you do not yet meet the limit of 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of viewing, you can set the option in your YouTube Studio in the same place to request that YouTube send you a notification when you meet the set limit. Thanks to this, you will not always have to worry about whether you have already reached the limit, YouTube will notify you and you will be able to request monetization of videos.

HOW CAN I MAKE MONEY ON YOUTUBE?

There are several ways to make money on YouTube. The most well-known form of earning on YouTube is income from advertisements in the video, but also income from paid memberships, superchats and superstickers, income from YouTube premium subscriptions or shelves with goods. Are you surprised by the number of ways to earn? Let's take a closer look at them.

ADVERTISING EARNINGS

The most well-known way of making money on YouTube is ad revenue, which you only get if you are a YPP member and your video is suitable for monetization. In simple terms, it works by showing an ad in your video and YouTube keeps track of how many times that ad is shown to viewers. Your earnings are then recalculated according to the CPM metric (cost per 1000 impressions) and you will be credited with advertising income based on it. The value of CPM is different in each country, while in Slovakia this value varies from €0.50-1, abroad it can easily be several times.

Condition:

Condition: In order to earn from ads on YouTube you must be at least 18 years old or a legal guardian over 18 years old, have a YouTube channel connected to AdSense and create content in accordance with with guidelines for appropriate content.

EARNINGS FROM MEMBERSHIPS

You must have already come across the option to pay for a membership with your favorite YouTube creators. You may have even purchased some. If you have become a member of YPP then you are entitled to create YouTube memberships you too. Membership allows fans to support their favorite creator for a monthly fee that gives them access to special benefits such as exclusive members-only content. This means that if you decide to run a membership option on your YouTube channel, you should prepare extra content for your members that is just for them.

Requirement: To create memberships for your YouTube channel, you must be at least 18 years old and have more than 1,000 subscribers.

LIVESTREAMS, SUPERCHATS AND SUPERSTICKERS

Livestreams are among the common ways a YouTube channel can increase their earnings. In addition to classic one-off posts, viewers can also participate in superchat.

If you don't already know what superchat is, itis the paid comments in the chat during YouTube live streams that are highlighted and pinned at the very top. The amount the viewer pays determines the color of the message and how long the message will be pinned in the chat. This is a great feature that is easy to use, improves the way you communicate during livestreams and brings you earnings. If you decide to use this function, do not forget to notify the viewers so that they are informed about this function and can use it during the next livestream.

Condition: To be able to run superchat and superstickers on your YT channel, you must be at least 18 years old and live in a country or region where superchat is available.

EARNINGS FROM YOUTUBE PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTIONS

YouTube Premium is a paid membership that brings users various benefits such as watching videos without ads, the ability to download videos, access to YouTube Original movies and series, but also, for example, access to the YouTube Music service. This premium service not only benefits its users, but also YouTube creators. In practice, it looks like when YouTube Premium subscribers watch your content, you get a portion of their subscription.

Condition :You must create content that YouTube Premium subscribers will watch.

SHELF WITH MERCH

Last but not least, the merch shelf feature you can use to monetize YouTube.  Thanks to it, your fans can buy official merchandise that you present under your video. Unfortunately, this function is not yet available in Slovakia, but we believe that this will change in the near future.