How do people actually make money on Youtube?
Hey ya’ll! I’m curious about how people actually make money on YouTube. I’ve been thinking about starting a channel myself to try and earn some side gig money, but I don’t actually know the mechanics behind how that works. Is it like a views thing where videos make money at a certain threshold? Or is it a subscribers thing? Basically, how would I go about making money on YouTube?
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Expert Comments
My biggest advice to anyone starting a YouTube channel is to pick a niche. Choose a topic you’re passionate about and that has an audience (e.g., tech reviews, fitness, finance, or entertainment).
Then:
1. Post Consistently – Upload videos regularly (at least once a week) to build an audience.
2. Optimize for SEO – Use relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags to improve discoverability.
3. Engage Your Audience – Reply to comments, ask questions in videos, and encourage viewers to subscribe.
4.. Leverage Shorts – YouTube Shorts can help grow your audience faster and drive traffic to longer videos.
5. Promote on Other Platforms – Share your videos on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter to attract more viewers.
6. Improve Video Quality – Use a decent camera, good lighting, and clear audio to keep viewers engaged.
7. Watch Trends – Create content around trending topics to get more visibility.
In terms of a monetization strategy –
1. Apply for the YouTube Partner Program once you meet the eligibility requirements (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days).
2. Use affiliate marketing (promote products and earn commissions).
3. Offer memberships and exclusive content (once eligible).
4. Sell merchandise or services via YouTube Shopping or third-party sites.
And finally, be patient and adapt. Making money on YouTube takes time, so stay consistent and adjust your strategy based on analytics.
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Then:
1. Post Consistently – Upload videos regularly (at least once a week) to build an audience.
2. Optimize for SEO – Use relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags to improve discoverability.
3. Engage Your Audience – Reply to comments, ask questions in videos, and encourage viewers to subscribe.
4.. Leverage Shorts – YouTube Shorts can help grow your audience faster and drive traffic to longer videos.
5. Promote on Other Platforms – Share your videos on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter to attract more viewers.
6. Improve Video Quality – Use a decent camera, good lighting, and clear audio to keep viewers engaged.
7. Watch Trends – Create content around trending topics to get more visibility.
In terms of a monetization strategy –
1. Apply for the YouTube Partner Program once you meet the eligibility requirements (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days).
2. Use affiliate marketing (promote products and earn commissions).
3. Offer memberships and exclusive content (once eligible).
4. Sell merchandise or services via YouTube Shopping or third-party sites.
And finally, be patient and adapt. Making money on YouTube takes time, so stay consistent and adjust your strategy based on analytics.
Don’t rush anything! It’s best as a hobby, so start simple - just make content
! Most importantly, it should be fun (because of how much work it really is), and you should figure out what your niche is. One more thing - audio is king if you want to upgrade anything.
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Reader Comments
It's hard to get around the fact that you'll need subscribers and views to make any substantial amount of money on YouTube. In 2025, you need to meet two requirements to qualify for the YouTube Partner Program, which will give you access to monetization features.
1. At least 1,000 subscribers
2. Either 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months OR 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days
To get to those milestones and grow your audience further once you get there, you'll want to identify a niche you can create content in and then make high quality content that people will want to keep coming back to! Good luck.
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1. At least 1,000 subscribers
2. Either 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months OR 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days
To get to those milestones and grow your audience further once you get there, you'll want to identify a niche you can create content in and then make high quality content that people will want to keep coming back to! Good luck.
There are a few different ways to make money on YouTube, and most full-time YouTubers will use all of them to make a living. Smaller YouTubers will pick and choose their methods based on how hungry they are to make money. So, first you have the YouTube Partner Program. That allows you to get a cut of the advertising revenue. To join that program, you have to reach a certain viewer/subscriber threshold though, and it typically takes over a year for most YouTubers to reach that level. The other thing video-makers will do is offer channel memberships where viewers can pay a monthly subscription to get special perks. After that, you’ve got things like affiliate marketing and sponsorships, but those typically won’t be an option until you’ve got the first two revenue streams rolling.
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If you're more of a streamer, you can also make money from donations that come in during your stream. This may not be the most effective method of making money from YouTube when you first start out, but once you build up an audience it's nice to be able to create a stream schedule that's built up of however many hours you want and make money when it's convenient for you.
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That’s a great question! YouTube offers several ways to earn money, and while views and subscribers both play a role, monetization is a mix of multiple factors.
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Upload good-quality content that people want to watch… and that starts with it being content YOU’D like to watch.
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Making money on YouTube isn’t just about uploading videos and hoping for the best—it’s about having a plan, staying consistent, and knowing how YouTube pays creators. There are plenty of ways to make money, and you don’t need millions of subscribers to start earning.
Let’s break it down in simple words.
How Do YouTube Creators Make Money?
The most common way people make money on YouTube is through ads. YouTube has something called the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which lets creators earn money from ads on their videos.
But before YouTube starts paying you, there are some requirements:
1) 1,000 subscribers
2) 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months
3) 10 million views on Shorts in 90 days
3) Follow YouTube’s monetization rules
Once you hit these numbers, you can apply for YPP. If you’re approved, YouTube will place ads on your videos, and you get a cut of the revenue—usually around 55% of what advertisers pay.
Do You Get Paid Per View or Per Subscriber?
It’s not about subscribers—it’s about views and ad revenue. On average, YouTubers make between $3 to $10 per 1,000 views, but this depends on your content. Tech, finance, and business channels earn more because advertisers are willing to pay higher rates, while entertainment or vlogging channels may make less.
Other Ways to Make Money on YouTube
If you don’t want to wait until you hit 1,000 subscribers, there are other ways to start earning:
1) Affiliate Marketing – Share product links in your video descriptions and earn a commission when people buy.
2) Sponsorships – Brands pay you to mention their product in your videos.
3) Merch Sales – Sell your T-shirts, mugs, or digital products through YouTube’s merch shelf.
4) Channel Memberships & Super Chats – Viewers can pay for exclusive content or highlighted messages in live streams.
How to Get Started?
1- Pick a niche – Gaming, tech, fitness, cooking—whatever you love.
2- Post consistently – Aim for at least one video per week to grow an audience.
3- Engage with viewers – Reply to comments and ask your audience what they want to see.
4- Use good titles & keywords – This helps people find your videos on YouTube.
You don’t need to be famous to make money on YouTube—you just need to stick with it.
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Let’s break it down in simple words.
How Do YouTube Creators Make Money?
The most common way people make money on YouTube is through ads. YouTube has something called the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which lets creators earn money from ads on their videos.
But before YouTube starts paying you, there are some requirements:
1) 1,000 subscribers
2) 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months
3) 10 million views on Shorts in 90 days
3) Follow YouTube’s monetization rules
Once you hit these numbers, you can apply for YPP. If you’re approved, YouTube will place ads on your videos, and you get a cut of the revenue—usually around 55% of what advertisers pay.
Do You Get Paid Per View or Per Subscriber?
It’s not about subscribers—it’s about views and ad revenue. On average, YouTubers make between $3 to $10 per 1,000 views, but this depends on your content. Tech, finance, and business channels earn more because advertisers are willing to pay higher rates, while entertainment or vlogging channels may make less.
Other Ways to Make Money on YouTube
If you don’t want to wait until you hit 1,000 subscribers, there are other ways to start earning:
1) Affiliate Marketing – Share product links in your video descriptions and earn a commission when people buy.
2) Sponsorships – Brands pay you to mention their product in your videos.
3) Merch Sales – Sell your T-shirts, mugs, or digital products through YouTube’s merch shelf.
4) Channel Memberships & Super Chats – Viewers can pay for exclusive content or highlighted messages in live streams.
How to Get Started?
1- Pick a niche – Gaming, tech, fitness, cooking—whatever you love.
2- Post consistently – Aim for at least one video per week to grow an audience.
3- Engage with viewers – Reply to comments and ask your audience what they want to see.
4- Use good titles & keywords – This helps people find your videos on YouTube.
You don’t need to be famous to make money on YouTube—you just need to stick with it.
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