You love YouTubing. You love making videos. But you do it as a hobby, right? You don’t make any money off of your YouTube videos. If you have enough followers and subscribers, you can start monetizing your videos and finally make money off of your efforts.
How much money do YouTubers make? This YouTuber generated between $100,000 and $130,000 in YouTube ad revenue. While other expenses are involved, such as paying for video production and an editor, you can make a living off of your YouTube videos.
But first, you need to know how to monetize your videos. Here’s your guide to YouTube monetization.
Who Can Monetize Their Videos?
Just because you uploaded your first YouTube video doesn’t mean you can monetize your videos. You can start monetizing your videos when you hit 4,000 watched hours over a year and achieve 1,000 subscribers.
How do you see this information? Your subscriber amount is visible on your channel and on each individual video. You can see your watch time hours by clicking “Channel Analytics.” The watch time hours stat will appear on the graph.
How to Enable Monetization
If you qualify for monetization, you’ll have to enable ads before you can start generating income. Here’s how to make money off of YouTube.
- Sign in to your YouTube account and enter YouTube Studio.
- Look at the left sidebar. You’ll see the Monetization section (also expressed as a dollar sign).
- The YouTube Partner Program Terms document will appear. Read the document and agree to the terms.
- Create a Google AdSense account or link your channel to an existing one.
- Set your monetization preferences.
YouTube offers additional tools for YouTube ad partners. For example, you can look at the Monthly Estimated Revenue chart. YouTube predicts how much money you can make from your channel. Use this as a goal to make more.
What to Know Before Monetizing Your YouTube Videos
Before you start generating ad revenue, there are some best practices to know. Here’s what you should know about YouTube monetization.
Use No Copyrighted Material
In order to monetize your YouTube videos, you can’t use any copyrighted material. This includes music and someone else’s voice narration. Always use your narrations. If you want to use music, YouTube offers a music library.
Brand Yourself
There are two main focus areas that will skyrocket your channel success: quality content and branding. Every YouTuber knows they should only release high-quality content. But what about branding?
Branding encompasses the recognizable traits of your channel. This includes your logo, the same CTA you use, and even your unique personality.
Look at yourself as a brand and take steps toward smart branding. Practice your on-camera personality. Make your YouTube logo. Craft a catchy CTA you’ll use in every video.
Be Patient
Sure, there are channels that generate six-figure salaries on YouTube ads. How much does YouTube pay? It all depends on your popularity and viewership. And you won’t see the big dollar signs immediately.
Be patient. Focus on making high-quality content.
Your videos may not perform well right away and won’t generate a lot of revenue. Don’t let that discourage you. Hosting a YouTube channel takes a lot of time and energy. Focus more on creating the best content and let your videos be your momentum before money.
Make Money Using YouTube Monetization
Now that you understand YouTube monetization, are you unsure about the type of videos you should create? Here are some video types that could work with your brand.