YouTube Monetized is a popular way for creators to make money from their videos. Ad revenue is the most common monetization strategy, but there are also other ways to earn from your content, like merchandise sales and channel memberships.
To be eligible to monetize videos through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4000 public watch hours for long-form videos or 10 million public view hours for Shorts. In addition, you need to have a Google AdSense account and follow YouTube’s Community Guidelines. YouTube has a team of specialists who review applications before marking them approved or declined.
Once you’ve been approved to monetize, ads will appear before or within your videos. You can manage your ad settings in the Monetization tab of YouTube Studio.
Steps to Monetize Your YouTube Channel
YouTube reserves the right to demonetize any video at any time for any reason, including violations of its Community Guidelines or policies on copyrighted music. You can appeal any demonetization decision within 21 days.
Using background music without permission can be especially risky because YouTube’s copyright team may flag your videos and block them from being viewed. Similarly, violating the terms of service by uploading adult content or excessively swearing can also result in demonetization.
It’s always a good idea to diversify your monetization strategies to protect against the possibility of YouTube rejecting you or changing its rules in the future. Developing your own branded membership site or streaming platform is a great way to create an exclusive experience for your audience and protect yourself from platform changes that could negatively impact your monetization.