With over 2 billion daily users, YouTube has become the second largest search engine worldwide, following Google. It is not just a platform for entertainment but a space where content creators can earn millions by sharing their videos online.
As we spend hours scrolling through countless videos on YouTube, the creators behind them are reaping financial rewards. This might lead you to think, “Why not become a YouTuber instead of a mere viewer?” While the idea is enticing, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with YouTube monetization requirements to succeed in this competitive landscape.
Creating a YouTube channel can open doors for additional income or even a full-time career, offering various benefits and, of course, financial rewards. However, the first step lies in monetizing your audience. Let’s find out how.
In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into every aspect of YouTube monetization, covering the latest YouTube monetization policy. By the end, you will know everything you need to establish and monetize your YouTube channel.
Let’s get going!
What Are The YouTube Monetization Requirements 2024?
In an announcement on June 13, 2023, the company declared it would lower the eligibility criteria for YouTube channel monetization requirements, aiming to incentivize more creators to participate in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
These significant reductions will undoubtedly give smaller creators opportunities to generate income through various monetization methods on the platform.
As per the updated YouTube Channel Monetization Requirements, content creators with smaller followings will now have the ability to join the partner program and utilize fan-funded monetization features.
Here are the revised requirements:
- A minimum of 500 subscribers
- Three valid public video uploads within 90 days
- at least 3000 watch hours in the last year
Furthermore, recognizing the rising popularity of short videos, the company made a notable relaxation in the YouTube shorts monetization requirements.
Instead of necessitating 10 million public views, channels with as few as 3 million public short views will qualify for monetization. This threshold is more than three times lower than the previous requirement of 10 million views.
Nevertheless, these new requirements for the YouTube Partner Program will only apply to fan-funded monetization methods, such as paid Chat, Stickers, tipping, and channel membership. Simply put, these approaches involve receiving direct financial assistance from viewers. Of course, you must create engaging content and develop a faithful following to achieve this feat.
Note – These revised requirement policies haven’t been implemented worldwide; they will exclusively apply to users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea.
YouTube Monetization Requirements For Ads
However, you must still meet the existing YouTube monetization requirements to earn money through Ads. Monetizing through ads is the most lucrative way to earn money, considering you have substantial content and followers on your YouTube channel. However, there are certain requirements that you must fulfill, and these milestones may prove daunting, particularly for aspiring creators.
YouTube offers a range of monetization features that allow creators to earn revenue from these video advertisements, considering metrics like video views, ad impressions, and audience engagement. In simple terms, the success of your videos will determine your earnings: the more views, the more money. It’s simple dollars and cents!
To monetize your YouTube channel through ads, you need to join the YouTube Partner Program, which grants you access to monetization and enhances your channel and community.
As a YouTube partner, once you reach specific milestones and meet certain criteria, you can earn a substantial income through advertisements. Moreover, becoming a YouTube partner unlocks various features you can utilize to maximize your financial gains.
However, you must meet the YouTube monetization requirements to be eligible to apply for the program, which we will discuss further in the article.
YouTube Partner Program Requirements
Since YouTube keeps modifying the eligibility criteria, I recommend visiting the official YouTube page to stay updated on the latest changes. The information in this article is based on the latest YouTube monetization update.
As per the latest YouTube Monetization Requirements 2024, you must fulfill the following to join the YouTube Partner Program:
- You must be living in a country where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
- You have a Google AdSense account added to your YouTube channel.
- Your channel must have at least 1,000 subscribers. This threshold demonstrates audience engagement and ensures creators have established a reasonable following.
- Creators need to accumulate at least 4,000 watch hours on their channel within the past 12 months. This requirement emphasizes the need for consistent content creation and audience retention.
- Your channel doesn’t have an active Community Guidelines Strike. In other words, you are not violating any YouTube community guidelines regarding content, copyright, and more. Visit YouTube’s official page for the latest Community Guidelines.
- You must have access to advanced features on YouTube.
- You must follow the YouTube monetization rules set by the platform.
- You must enable 2-Step Verification on the Google Account linked to it to enhance your channel’s and content’s security.
Also, specific regulations govern the usage of YouTube, including community guidelines, terms of service, copyright policies, and adherence to Google AdSense. These rules apply to current participants in the YouTube Partner Program and those considering joining.
How To Join YouTube Partner Program?
Once you fulfill all the YouTube Video Monetization requirements, you can proceed to YouTube Studio to apply for the partner program. On YouTube Studio, you can check your content, get information about your audience and analytics, and monitor the progress of your channel.
1. Select the Criteria
Currently, there are two ways you can become eligible for YouTube Partner Program:
- If your channel has 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months
- If your channel has 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days
2. Apply For The Program:
To apply for the YouTube Partner Program, take the following steps:
- Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in with your Google account associated with your YouTube channel.
- Scroll down the tray on the screen’s left side, and click on Earn.
- Scroll down to locate the section named How do I join?
- Here you can see your channel’s statistics, such as follower count, public watch hours, and Youtube Shorts view counts.
- Suppose you want to be notified when you meet the minimum requirements for monetization. In that case, YouTube will send you an email indicating that your channel is ready to be monetized through the YouTube Partner Program.
- If you fit the criteria, YouTube will allow you to proceed and apply for the YouTube Partner Program. Select Apply to get started.
- The next step is to complete the two-step verification process to comply with Google’s security guidelines. If you have already completed this step, which you probably have, you will see a green checkmark indicating its completion.
- The next step is to check if you have any active strikes. If your content violates YouTube community guidelines, YouTube won’t proceed with your application further. Review the guidelines, rectify the issue, and start the process again.
- Next, Click on Start to review and accept the Base Terms and Conditions. Ensure you carefully review every section to avoid any rejection or delay.
- Click on Start to set up an AdSense account or link an existing active one.
After you submit your application, YouTube’s automated system and review team will carefully assess your channel, considering factors such as content quality, number of views, most watched videos, and followers to evaluate its overall performance.
Furthermore, the team will review your channel to ensure compliance with monetization policies, community guidelines, AdSense Program policies, copyright regulations, and other relevant criteria.
Once your application is approved, you will receive a notification via email. To track the progress of your application, you can visit the Earn section of your channel in YouTube Studio at any time.
3. What To Do If Your Application Gets Rejected?
When applying for the YouTube Partner Program, there is a possibility that your initial application may be rejected. In recent years, YouTube has significantly changed its monetization policies to prioritize creativity and high-quality content.
Nevertheless, if your application is rejected, you can appeal the decision within 21 days and reapply after 30 days. This presents an opportunity to enhance the quality of your content, address any issues that may exist, and make your channel more aligned with the YouTube ecosystem.
If your second application is rejected, you can appeal within 21 days. However, this time, you must wait 90 days before reapplying for the program, provided your appeal is unsuccessful. It is advisable to thoroughly review the YouTube community guidelines page and align your channel accordingly before submitting your second application.
4. Follow YouTube’s Copyright Policy:
I want to emphasize the importance of adhering to the YouTube copyright policy when creating videos for your channel. In two words: Don’t Copy.
YouTube takes copyright infringement very seriously and does not hesitate to take action against even the largest channels that violate these guidelines. It is crucial to upload videos you have created or obtain proper authorization. Downloading and using others’ content as your own is a breach of copyright and goes against ethical principles.
If any of your content is found to violate copyright rules, you will receive a warning via email. Following three warnings, YouTube may take further action based on the evidence provided.
After the third strike:
- You may be eliminated from the YouTube Partner Program.
- You may lose Ads from videos that infringe copyright.
- Your YouTube account may be permanently terminated.
It is vital to respect copyright laws and create original content to maintain a positive standing on YouTube and avoid the consequences associated with copyright infringement.
Frequently Asked Questions:
On average, channels can earn approximately $4.1 per 1,000 views through AdSense revenue. However, the channels that engage in influencer marketing and paid promotions tend to earn more, with an average of $18 per 1,000 views. It’s important to note that these figures are just estimates, and actual earnings can vary significantly. There is no guarantee that every channel will be able to achieve these higher earnings.
Certainly, you can begin monetizing your content on YouTube even if you don’t have 1000 subscribers. However, please note that without fulfilling YouTube monetization requirements, you won’t have access to features such as displaying advertisements on your videos. Nonetheless, several alternative methods are available to monetize your channels, such as affiliate marketing, crowdfunding, selling merchandise, and more.
YouTubers receive payment through their Google AdSense account, which they need to set up and enable for monetization when creating a YouTube channel. Payments are made once you accumulate a minimum balance of $100 in your AdSense account.
According to average YouTube monetization rates, the potential income for 50,000 views through YouTube ads ranges from $40 to $200. However, incorporating paid promotions or engaging in affiliate marketing can increase your income up to four times.
To achieve a monthly income of $500 with YouTube, it is necessary to fulfill YouTube’s monetization requirements of having 1000 subscribers and accumulating 4000 watch hours on your channel. However, the actual amount you can earn will depend on the number of views your videos receive.
If you are a UK, US, Canada, Taiwan, or South Korea resident, you can monetize YouTube Shorts without having 1000 subscribers. As per YouTube Channel Monetization Requirements 2024, creators with a minimum of 500 subscribers can start monetizing using fan-funded methods such as tipping, channel membership, paid chats, etc.
You can use fan-funded methods to monetize on YouTube without 1000 subscribers. However, you must have at least 500 subscribers to do that. These methods include using paid chats, super stickers, Super Thanks, and a channel membership program where you offer premium services to viewers in exchange for monthly payments.
Conclusion:
YouTube monetization allows creators to transform their content creation passion into a reliable and sustainable income stream. By meeting the platform’s criteria and adhering to its guidelines, creators unlock access to various monetization features that can recognize their hard work and cultivate an engaged community of viewers.
However, fulfilling the YouTube monetization requirements won’t do it alone. Generating original content that resonates with viewers and offers value in various ways, whether by addressing their questions, providing entertainment, or even assisting with relaxation, is crucial. Your imagination is the only boundary to what you can achieve!
I am an engineer by education, tech writer by profession, and a motor sport fan by heart.
