YouTube Monetization: Decoding What It Means and How to Get Started
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Whether you’ve been uploading videos to YouTube for a few weeks or a few years, you may have noticed that not all creators can monetize their videos on the platform. And even if you are able to monetize your video, there are certain limitations as to what type of advertisements you can include in your video or how much money you can make from it. Understanding why this is so and how to get started with monetization is crucial for any YouTuber hoping to build a career out of their channel. Read on for everything you need to know about monetizing your YouTube channel.
What does the YouTube Monetization Process Look Like?
The process for monetizing your YouTube channel varies from country to country, but it typically involves the following steps: First, your channel must meet certain criteria in order to be considered for monetization. This includes things like having at least 10,000 views on your channel and a consistent upload schedule. Next, YouTube will review your channel and videos to ensure they fall in line with their advertiser-friendly content guidelines. This includes everything from the type of content you upload to the settings on your channel (like your title, tags, and privacy settings). Finally, once your channel is approved, you must sign up for an account with YouTube’s partner program. From there, you can choose which ads you would like to run on your videos and start earning revenue.
What Does Monetization Mean?
The word “monetization” can be a little confusing, especially if you’re not entirely sure what it means. Essentially, monetization is the process of earning money from your videos. When you monetize your channel, you can earn money from your videos by displaying advertisements before or during your videos. Monetizing your channel might seem like a straightforward process, but it’s actually a little more complicated than that. There are two main ways to monetize your channel: Ad-Supported and Sponsored Video. In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about each option, plus any limitations that come with each.
How to Enable Monetization for Your YouTube Channel
The first thing you need to do if you want to earn money from your YouTube channel is enable monetization. This process varies slightly depending on which country you live in. In the United States: Once you’ve reached 10,000 lifetime views on your channel, go to your account settings, select “Channel and Brand”, and scroll down to “Monetization”. From here, select “Manage your monetization” to enable monetization and choose the type of monetization you would like to use. In the United Kingdom: Once you’ve reached 10,000 lifetime views on your channel, go to your account settings, select “Channel and Brand”, and scroll down to “Monetization”. From here, select “Manage your monetization” to enable monetization and choose the type of monetization you would like to use. In Canada: Once you’ve reached 10,000 lifetime views on your channel, go to your account settings, select “Channel and Brand”, and scroll down to “Monetization”. From here, select “Manage your monetization” to enable monetization and choose the type of monetization you would like to use.
Earning Potential for Sponsored Videos
Sponsored videos are advertisements that are clearly labeled as “sponsored”, “advertorial”, or “paid for by”. This means that the advertiser has paid you directly for the video, meaning you are responsible for paying all the associated taxes and fees. Sponsored videos are usually one-off deals and, depending on the company and how much they’re willing to pay, can range anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. One thing to keep in mind is that not all companies will be interested in sponsoring your videos. You may have to go through a few rounds of pitching before you find a company willing to pay you for your videos.
Limitations of Ad-Supported Videos
Ad-supported videos are the most straightforward way to earn money on YouTube. Essentially, you upload videos to your channel, and before or during the video, there will be a short advertisement. This ad is typically related to the content of your video and is meant to be a quick and easy way for advertisers to reach their target audience. However, it’s important to note that advertisements do not always appear. This is largely dependent on the type of advertisements that you’ve chosen to run on your videos and the number of viewers you have on your channel. One thing to keep in mind is that advertisers are paying for views, not subscribers or clicks. This means that if someone skips the ad or watches it halfway through, you won’t earn any money from that view.
How to Make Money with Ad-Supported Videos
The best way to make money with ad-supported videos is to upload fresh content regularly. The more videos you have on your channel, the more likely it is that an ad will appear during one of them. This means that uploading one video per week, while not excessive, is probably not going to be enough to earn a substantial amount of money from your channel. When deciding which types of ads to run, consider your channel’s demographics and your own personal preferences. If you have a young channel, for example, it might not be a good idea to run tobacco or alcohol ads. Likewise, if you don’t like any of the ads you see, don’t bother running them! You can choose which types of ads run on your channel, so select only the ones that are relevant to your content and that you are comfortable with.
Confirmed Streams for Ad-Supported Videos
Confirmed streams are the amount of ad impressions that you’ve actually earned. Essentially, you get paid based on the number of ads your videos have shown and how long viewers have watched the ads. If a viewer skips the ad, however, you won’t earn any money from it. The easiest way to track how many impressions your videos have had is to log into your AdSense account. You can also check the number in YouTube’s Creator Hub or on your monthly earnings report.
Limitations of Sponsored Channels
Sponsored channels are a bit more complicated to explain, but the basic idea is that a company pays you a set amount of money each month to show their advertisements on your channel and recommend their products. Sponsored channels are more common on other video platforms and in other industries. The most famous example of this is Coca-Cola’s partnership with the YouTube influencer Ryan Clark and his wildly popular channel, “Extra Life”. When you sign up for a sponsored channel, you sign a contract with the company paying for the sponsorship. This contract will outline all the details of your partnership, including the amount of money the company will pay each month, the length of the contract, and the type of advertisements you must run on your channel.
Conclusion
Now that you know what the YouTube monetization process looks like and what it means to monetize your channel, it’s time to get serious about your channel and start making money from it. The first step to doing that is to enable monetization on your channel. From there, you can decide whether you would prefer to run ad-supported videos or sign up for a sponsored channel. No matter which route you choose, it’s crucial to upload fresh content regularly so that you have enough videos to show advertisements.
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