How to make money from YouTube

Today's self-made superstars, or YouTube stars, are those who have gained a following by providing video material that teaches, amuses, entertains, reviews, or is just plain fantastic.

It's not unusual for these Youtube stars to pursue their careers solely for the sake of doing so, to satisfy an inner desire to create and perform in front of an audience.
Although it may not have been your primary motivation for launching a YouTube channel, there are a wide variety of ways you may make money on the platform. You'll learn how to make money on YouTube, how much money you can make on YouTube, and how to make money on YouTube in this guide.

Okay, ad revenue is the most obvious way to make money on YouTube. But it’s not the only way—or, to be honest, the best way.

How to make money on YouTube

1. Join the YouTube Partner Program

You can obtain access to additional features on YouTube by signing up as a YouTube Partner. You don't need to be a Partner to make money on YouTube, but being a Partner makes it a lot easier.

Step 1: Start a YouTube channel
Don’t worry, we have a handy guide for this. It’s called ‘How to create a YouTube channel.’

Step 2: Make your channel successful enough that it meets the YouTube Partner Program requirements.

To join the program, you need a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.

Step 3: Set up an AdSense account
This is simple. Just follow YouTube’s official guide to AdSense accounts.

Step 4: Explore your new monetization features
Each monetization channel has different eligibility requirements. For instance:
Ad revenue: to earn ad revenue, you must be at least 18 years old, and you must create content that is advertiser-friendly. Basically, the less controversial your videos, the more YouTube advertisers will be comfortable running ads on them, and the more money you make.

YouTube Premium revenue: if a YouTube Premium member watches your video, you get a portion of their subscription fee. (This one is automatic, which is nice.)
Channel memberships: in order to sell channel memberships to your subscribers (i.e., your fans opt in to pay you an extra amount), you need to be at least 18 and have more than 30,000 subscribers.

Merchandise shelf: in order to sell merch from YouTube’s merchandise shelf, you must be at least 18 years old, and have at least 10,000 subscribers.

Super Chat payments: if you want your fans to have the ability to pay to have their messages highlighted in your live chats during your live streams, you must be at least 18 (and live in a country where the feature is offered).

Step 5: Submit to ongoing reviews
As a YouTube Partner, your channel will be held to a higher standard, according to YouTube. You have to follow not just the YouTube Partner Program policies, but the Community Guidelines. Not to mention staying on the right side of copyright law.

2. Create sponsored content

You are not required to have an Instagram account to be an influencer. The benefit of the sponsored method is that you avoid paying YouTube a percentage of your earnings. You directly negotiate with the brand, and they directly pay you. It's unsurprising that it's a popular way for YouTubers to earn money.

If you can demonstrate to businesses that you have a substantial and/or engaged audience—and your material is relevant to their target market—they are likely to be interested in hearing from you.

Aaron Marino, a.k.a. Alpha M, is a YouTuber who is well-known in the men's lifestyle area. How large is it? His brand collaborations are so extensive that even his movies explaining his brand partnerships feature brand partners.

3. Become an affiliate partner

If your YouTube audience is dedicated and engaged but not quite there in terms of size, check for affiliate marketing companies.

Affiliated YouTubers direct their viewers to a brand's online store or specific product pages. They then earn a commission on any sales generated by their — you guessed it — affiliate links.

Affiliate partnerships are similar to sponsored content relationships in terms of setup and logistics.

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