In 2005, when YouTube was created, hardly anyone imagined the scale and influence the platform would achieve. Moreover, no one knew how to capitalize on it yet. But just some 20 years later (trust me, youngsters, it’s not that long), YouTube isn’t just a way to express yourself, it’s a full-blown employer. People started to take YouTubers seriously. More and more creators achieve worldwide fame.
This was helped considerably by the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which allowed creators to earn revenue from the views on their videos. Just recently we covered how to make money on the platform, and today we’ll talk about the most basic way – monetizing content. Let’s break down all the YouTube monetization requirements, including the new 2024 rules, and examine some handy tips for a successful start. So, when can you monetize YouTube?
Not so long ago, creators needed 1,000 subscribers, 3 video uploads within 90 days, 4,000 hours of viewing time in the last year, or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days to join the YouTube Partner Program. However, these requirements were significantly reduced last year. By the way, YouTube Shorts monetization requirements are not much different from those put forward to channels with long videos.
Primarily because YouTube has decided to maximize its competition with TikTok and Instagram in the short video niche. So the platform decided to go for quantity and offered creators the most lenient conditions to enter YPP.
Besides, based on our experience, gaining the very first 1,000 subscribers is a rather laborious endeavor that can take more than one month. Usually, after overcoming this “psychological threshold”, you will take much less time to grow to 2000 subscribers than when you had to reach the first thousand subscribers, if you work just as hard on your channel. The pattern here is simple: the more people know you, the more they recommend your videos, react to them, and so on. The algorithms read all of this and start moving the video higher up in the recommendations.
Plus, the requirement to upload three videos within 90 days makes it difficult to access the affiliate program, as some creators who do time-consuming content may simply not have enough material in that amount of time. Even though their videos are already garnering millions of views.
Anyway, there are still nuances here, but more about them below. Here’s what it takes right now to become a part of YPP:
IMPORTANT! Make sure to check if the YouTube Partner Program works in your country. You’ll find a list at this link.
It would seem that this is it, happiness and prosperity, BUT! If you join YPP after you’ve gained 500 subscribers, you won’t be able to monetize from external ads in your videos for the time being. However, you’ll have access to the following features:
You need a valid AdSense account to receive payouts. It’s Google’s primary platform for revenue management. Here’s how you set it up properly:
But Adsense is not the only or even the most convenient way to get money from YouTube. We’re offering you a better way: our MC Pay app. There you will have access to more than 10 withdrawal methods, national currencies, crypto, Advances, Expresses and much, much more. Also, our experts will be able to help you grow your channel, analyze it and advise you on what to do to improve your performance.
YouTube monetization rules require full compliance with community guidelines and copyright regulations. Videos that violate these rules may be blocked or demonetized. We’ll talk more about this down below.
Verification takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
As we mentioned above, YouTube got a lot stricter on copyright infringement (although it would seem that it can’t get any stricter). So use only copyright-free music, images and videos. Copyright violations may result in demonetization.
For example, here’s content that you can’t monetize:
YouTube insists that your videos must be unique, interesting, and follow community guidelines. Here’s what the platform dislikes the most:
You can read more about the community guidelines here.
This applies to all YouTubers, both newbies and experienced creators. The thing is, YouTube is run by algorithms that read the activity on your channel. If people leave a lot of likes and comments, if you answer users’ questions yourself, your video will be recommended much more often. This in turn will increase engagement and watch hours, which is exactly what you need to earn more.
Here we get a bit clichéd 🙂 But oddly enough, it works. We often give creators advice that everyone seems to know. However, time after time we realize that we should remind people about it once in a while.
So. Especially in the beginning, you need to figure out how to post videos regularly. Better still, post them at the exact same time. To do this, you’ll have to find the perfect slot when users are most active.
Determine the optimal posting schedule and commit to it. It will be better not only for the viewers, but also for the algorithm, which will pay attention to you and sooner or later raise you in the search results.
You shouldn’t expect success on YouTube if you post your videos sporadically. With this attitude, you get views only if you already have an audience that is waiting for your videos whenever they come out. But it will be extremely difficult to start with this posting format, and it will take much longer to reach the right metrics.
YouTube Shorts has become a great way to promote your long-form content. Initially this format was a response to the expansion of short videos from TikTok, but at some point it turned out that Shorts is a great way to promote your channel.
Create compilations of your videos, make spontaneous videos, record announcements, and just original content. Shorts can have many more views than long-form videos… just because people watch them faster and more often. Yes, we’re talking clichés again, but keep this in your head: Shorts are as valid a way to promote your videos as any other.
So keep experimenting with formats and topics.
It’s great if you already have friends who do YouTube and have achieved something on the platform in general. Collaborating with well-known creators is one of the most effective ways to attract new audiences to your channel.
Make collabs and promote each other’s channels – it’s a mutually beneficial partnership.
And if you don’t have any friends like that… keep making videos 🙂 When you succeed (we don’t doubt that at all), the creators you’ve watched before will come to talk to you!
Remember another rule of thumb: nothing is trivial on YouTube. Given that most of the processes here are automated, you should also think like a machine, act like a machine, BE A MACHINE.
That’s a joke, of course.
Still, you should learn basic optimization principles like keywords in titles, descriptions, and tags.
5. Watch your analytics
Use YouTube Studio to analyze which videos perform best and optimize your content based on that data.
And by the way, our partners have free access to VidIQ. It’s a very useful service that helps you analyze titles, keywords, and other YouTube stats. It will help you make descriptions of your videos that can help them rise in the rankings. That’s exactly what you need.
YouTube monetization rules require compliance with all guidelines of the platform. Violating them can lead to demonetization, so be sure to research the platform’s regulations.
Again, you should have a sense of what content on YouTube is demonetized or blocked, but still check out the rules just in case.
Even accidental use of someone else’s music or video can result in penalties. So be careful with this and use copyright-free music. YouTube itself has it, you can find great background tracks for your videos there.
People don’t talk about it that often, but still give it some thought right away. If you’re an aspiring creator and don’t fully understand how you’re going to behave on the platform, that’s one thing. In that case, you need to find a video format that your audience likes and make a rough plan for yourself on how you’re gonna post it.
If you’re an experienced creator – well, don’t forget that it’s better to develop ideas ahead of time and plan your shoots. This will help avoid emergencies, and your regular schedule won’t be affected.
Demonetization is the temporary or permanent disabling of the monetization feature on a channel. To avoid this, you should:
It all depends on the theme of your channel and your strategy. For some it takes months, for others it takes years. And someone is just lucky enough to get the right figures and become popular (we believe that it will be you, but be willing to work anyway).
Yes, thanks to the new guidelines, you can use Shorts views to fulfill the minimum requirements. In one of our articles we already told you how to withdraw money from Youtube after you earn from the first Shorts.
Address the moderators’ concerns, refine the content, and reapply.
Meeting YouTube monetization requirements is an important step towards success on the platform. By following the guidelines, creating unique content and actively engaging with your audience, you can achieve great results. In 2024, new rules make the monetization process more transparent and accessible to anyone willing to work hard. So start your journey today to turn YouTube into a source of steady income!
Good luck!
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