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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My biggest advice to anyone starting a YouTube channel is to pick a niche
. That could be lifestyle, travel, food, parenting, etc. A lot of niches have overlap with other niches, so don't ever feel like because you picked food, now you're stuck making content in the kitchen. You could go to restaurants or travel and do travel content while you're exploring your main base, which is food content.
Then make sure you:
To make money on YouTube, there are a couple of different avenues:
Use affiliate marketing. This would be linking things like your equipment or materials that you’re using in your videos through Amazon, Like To Know It, or a similar program, that people can shop through, and you’ll get a small kickback. This is great because people are always looking for reputable reviews on what to buy, and because you're building trust and engagement with your audience, they’ll be more inclined to utilize your affiliate marketing links.
Offer memberships and exclusive content. Instagram has exclusive content that you can hide behind a paywall, as well as sites like Patreon or Substack. This is great for your tried and true fans. When they love what you're posting, and they want more of you. Typically, people are charging anywhere between $5-$20 or more a month. And this is a great way to really dive deeper into your niche and really build strong relationships with your core fan base or core followers.
Sell merch or special services on YouTube Shopping or third-party sites. That can be tricky because it's a lot of overhead, and you never really know what people are going to respond to. T-shirts are always popular, koozies, stuff like that. But to be honest, not everyone is going to like want to wear you across their chest or on their hat. So, just be picky about what kind of merchandise you want to sell.
And then just be patient and adapt . Making money on YouTube takes time, so stay consistent and adjust your strategy based on how your analytics are looking.
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Then make sure you:
- Upload videos on a regular basis to help build an audience. That's just because posting consistently allows your audience to build trust, so they know exactly when and where to find you. It also helps with algorithms. So, if you're consistently posting, for example, on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. or Sundays around dinner time, people are always going to know when and where to find you.
- Optimize for SEO. So before, SEO was only words, right? You had to have keywords in your bio and in your video titles and descriptions, and you should still include keywords there. But when you're thinking about short-form video, sound is now a part of search. So you want to make sure that you're utilizing trending sounds. That way, you can be found when people are utilizing those sounds.
- Community management and engagement are always going to be really popular – that's engaging with your followers and people within your niche and community who are making and engaging with content that you're making as well.
- Share your videos on other platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X to attract more viewers. Cross-promoting is always great, but it can also be a little tricky because content may not translate as well on different platforms, and your audience may be looking for a different content style on different platforms.
- Watch what's trending and create content around those trending topics to get more visibility. Those are always great because it's what everyone is doing. You don't have to hop on every trend because it might not make sense for your style or your content, but it doesn't hurt to stay in the know about what's happening. And then being patient, you've got to be in it for the love of the game and not for the numbers.
To make money on YouTube, there are a couple of different avenues:
And then just be patient and adapt . Making money on YouTube takes time, so stay consistent and adjust your strategy based on how your analytics are looking.
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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It can be slow and hard to build a community on YouTube. My community is quite niche–people who watch me are often drivers or people considering becoming a taxi driver, but my audience has expanded since I've built a bigger presence. I'd say the top 10% of channels on YouTube can make it their full-time job. People should know, however, that it's nowhere near as easy as it appears. It's quite a grind and quite time-consuming. There are several ways you can make money on YouTube that I’ll share, though.
1. You can get paid through standard YouTube videos, where you get a percentage of the ad revenue that YouTube makes from people watching YouTube ads.
2. You can also get paid through sponsorships and partnerships with brands. For example, you could make a sponsored video for a brand.
3. There's actually also a YouTube membership where people can sign up on a monthly basis to patronize your channel, and you can do private videos, special perks, and other things for your members.
4. You can also embed an online storefront on your YouTube channel. For example, if you've got your own Shopify shop, you can embed that onto your YouTube channel, or you can link Amazon products with affiliate links.
I’ll just reiterate that it takes hard work to make money and build a following on YouTube. It took me over a year to get my first 2000 subscribers. It takes consistency. Do not give up, and just keep going consistently because it takes time.
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1. You can get paid through standard YouTube videos, where you get a percentage of the ad revenue that YouTube makes from people watching YouTube ads.
2. You can also get paid through sponsorships and partnerships with brands. For example, you could make a sponsored video for a brand.
3. There's actually also a YouTube membership where people can sign up on a monthly basis to patronize your channel, and you can do private videos, special perks, and other things for your members.
4. You can also embed an online storefront on your YouTube channel. For example, if you've got your own Shopify shop, you can embed that onto your YouTube channel, or you can link Amazon products with affiliate links.
I’ll just reiterate that it takes hard work to make money and build a following on YouTube. It took me over a year to get my first 2000 subscribers. It takes consistency. Do not give up, and just keep going consistently because it takes time.
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.
I'm not a YouTuber but someone that I watch (RoyalPear) said that for each thousand views that you gain (on shorts) you get 0.15, but on videos you gain 1.20 (This may change depending on Youtube's algorithm or stuff) Correct if I'm wrong though!
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I don't know how to edit my comment but for the last sentence I forgot to add "me" between "Correct" and "if"
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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.
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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I'd also say, focus on consistency, clarity, and connection.
Consistency : It's a way to build trust with your audience because people are going to know when and where to find you and how, and that's the most important thing to them.
Clarity : You want to make sure that they're understanding what they're getting before they even click on your content. So whether that's your thumbnail or your profile picture. For example, I have a friend who does makeup artistry where I live, and she started an Instagram, but her bio didn't really reflect that. She had a rock for her profile picture. So for me, an unassuming person looking for a makeup artist that comes across her page, I'm not going to know anything about what she is about. So you want to make sure that you're getting your message across visually before you ever even open your mouth.
Connection : Talk to your audience like they're real people. You have to remember that people connect with people, and even though there's a screen between the two of you, at the end of the day, you're still talking to a person. So you want to make sure that 1) you're being kind, 2) you're respecting people, and 3) you're making people feel like they're a valued member of your community and not just some number that you're adding to your stats.
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Consistency : It's a way to build trust with your audience because people are going to know when and where to find you and how, and that's the most important thing to them.
Clarity : You want to make sure that they're understanding what they're getting before they even click on your content. So whether that's your thumbnail or your profile picture. For example, I have a friend who does makeup artistry where I live, and she started an Instagram, but her bio didn't really reflect that. She had a rock for her profile picture. So for me, an unassuming person looking for a makeup artist that comes across her page, I'm not going to know anything about what she is about. So you want to make sure that you're getting your message across visually before you ever even open your mouth.
Connection : Talk to your audience like they're real people. You have to remember that people connect with people, and even though there's a screen between the two of you, at the end of the day, you're still talking to a person. So you want to make sure that 1) you're being kind, 2) you're respecting people, and 3) you're making people feel like they're a valued member of your community and not just some number that you're adding to your stats.
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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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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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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