With more than 2 billion registered users each day, YouTube is the top video platform in the US. Lots of businesses already use it for marketing videos. And some may even browse content for helpful tutorials or information. But it can also be a source of revenue.
Content creators, influencers, and companies make lots of money on YouTube each day. But the exact amount varies based on numerous factors. Here’s an explanation for those interested in starting a YouTube channel.
Minimum Requirements to Make Money on Your YouTube Channel
There are several ways to earn money with YouTube business ideas. And each of them has different minimum requirements. To earn money through ad revenue, you must:
- Be 18 or older, or have a legal guardian of that age who can handle payments
- Follow the Google AdSense program policies
- Create content that doesn’t include inappropriate language, violence, adult themes, promotion of tobacco, or anything that may offend advertisers
You can also make money through channel memberships, which allow subscribers to sign up for extra paid content. Or you could sell merch that viewers can purchase. For these revenue streams, you must be at least 18 years old and have at least 1,000 subscribers. Then there’s potential income through Super Chat and Super Stickers, which simply requires you to live in a country where this feature is available. And YouTube Premium subscription revenue is available to any channel watched by YouTube Premium subscribers.
How Much Money do You Make on YouTube?
Not all YouTubers make money. You have to build up your subscriber base and views before you even think about earning an income. However, there are some YouTubers who make millions. In fact, the top earner from 2020, Ryan Kaji, brought in $29.5 million last year. However, most make significantly less than that. The average channel with a million subscribers makes around $60,000 a year.
How Much Money do YouTubers Make Per View?
There is no exact formula for how much is earned per view. Google usually pays between $0.01 and $0.03 per ad view. But top channels may earn up to $0.05. You can also earn more for each view if you get subscribers to take separate action like clicking an affiliate link or purchasing merchandise.
How Much do YouTubers Make Per 1000 Views?
The exact amount YouTubers can make per 1,000 views varies based on factors like engagement and type of content. However, average YouTubers make about $18 per 1,000 ad views. You can earn more with extra revenue streams like affiliate marketing and merchandise.
How Much does a YouTuber Make Per Hour?
The amount of money you can get paid per hour by making YouTube varies dramatically. The YouTube Partner Program pays based on video views, not hours worked. So a high profile YouTuber like Jeffree Star may make thousands of dollars for each hour spent working on YouTube videos. But a brand new YouTuber may have to work for free for years to build up an audience. The average hourly rate falls somewhere around $25 for monetized channels.
How Much Money does 1 Million YouTube Views Make?
The average amount YouTubers make per 1 million views usually falls between $2,000 and $4,000. However, the pay rate varies dramatically depending on engagement, type of content, and other revenue streams. Additionally, it takes hard work to get to 1 million views. You have to constantly market your channel and create recurring content that gets attention from subscribers and YouTube browsers.
How Much does a YouTuber with 100K Subscribers Make?
When you make money on YouTube, it’s calculated based on views rather than subscribers. However, the more subscribers you have, the more views each of your videos is likely to get. So the average YouTuber with 100k subscribers can make $12,000 or more per sponsored video. Factors like engagement, type of content, and other revenue streams may also impact your income.
Highest Paid YouTubers
Ryan Kaji is the highest paid YouTuber. But there are lots of other big names who make money on YOuTube. Here are some top earners:
- Jeffree Star, $15 million: Star earns money through makeup and lifestyle videos on YouTube, as well as his own makeup line.
- Daniel Middleton, $16.5 million: Middleton’s DanTDM channel features commentary on popular video games.
- Mark Fischbach, $19.5 million: The popular Markiplier channel breaks down popular video games.
- Evan Fong, $11.5 million: Fong’s VanossGaming channel brings in subscribers and views by posting funny gaming videos with friends.
- Anastasia Radzinskaya, $18.5 million: This six-year-old’s channel, Nastya, features an array of videos for kids around the world.
- Dude Perfect, $23 million: This channel features five bros perfecting stunts with toy swords, guns, and sporting goods.
- Logan Paul, $10 million: Paul’s income has dropped through the years. But he still brings in money from personal vlogs. He originally gained notoriety on the now-defunct Vine.
- Jake Paul, $10 million: Logan’s brother, Jake, has a similar channel and popularity related to Vine.
- PewDiePie, $13 million: Swedish comedian runs this channel full of comedic shows and gaming content.
How do YouTubers Get Paid?
YouTubers that get paid through the Partner Program earn income based on views of YouTube videos. These are hosted through Google AdSense. So you need to start by signing up for an AdSense account. From there, you need to start a YouTube account and work to hit over 10,000-lifetime views. Then apply for the YouTube Partner Program and the company will review your content to make sure it fits the creator policies.
Once your application is approved, payments are issued through your AdSense account. Once you accumulate at least $100, you can transfer it to your own account. The amount you earn is determined based on how your audience engages with video ads. There are various advertising formats. So some advertisers pay per click, and others pay per view. Overall, the more people watch ads on your channel, the more you’re likely to earn.
Additionally, some YouTubers earn money through other revenue streams. For example, they may include affiliate links in their descriptions, text ads in videos, working with sponsors directly, or selling merchandise.
Top Ways to Make Money on YouTube
There are many ways to get paid on YouTube ands not just through the YouTube platform itself. Here are some of the ways you can make money as a YouTuber.
Showing Display Ads on Your Channel
YouTube offers a variety of display ad options, including skippable and non-skippable ads, bumper ads, and overlay ads. Skippable ads only need to be watched for five seconds before viewers can skip to their video. Non-skippable ads must be watched in their entirety before the video is played. Bumper ads must also be viewed in their entirety, but they can only be up to six seconds long. And overlay ads display text on the bottom portion of the video screen.
Within these categories are CPC, which stands for cost-per-click, and CPM, which stands for cost-per mille (1,000 impressions). Clicks are likely to be more valuable for those who want real engagement or want to sell products or services now. But impressions may be more valuable for those looking to educate or build brand recognition.
Regardless of what types of ads you’re interested in, start by signing up for AdSense and connecting your account to YouTube. Then you can choose the formats that work best for you. Average CPC falls around $2, and average CPM falls around $7.50. And YouTube offers about 45 percent of its ad revenue to content creators.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate links direct viewers to a website and track their activity. When those who clicked a link make a purchase, the affiliate who shared the link earns a percentage of the sale. On YouTube, it’s easy to include these links in descriptions. For example, you might share links to products you’ve reviewed or demonstrated.
To make use of this tactic, find affiliate programs relevant to your channel. The Amazon Associates program is popular for many. Then include your links and start bringing in passive income. This is unlikely to bring in a ton of money right away. But you can use this strategy even if your channel isn’t large enough to host ads. Then you can continue using affiliate links alongside other revenue streams as you channel grows.
Selling Merchandise
YouTube can also provide a platform for you to market your own merchandise. Create t-shirts, mugs, or even digital products to offer to your audience. Then simply promote these items at the beginning or end of the video.
This isn’t a direct service offered by YouTube. So you need to create a website or find another way to facilitate sales. But YouTube can be the perfect inspiration for content and marketing channel.
The Patreon Button
Patreon offers a platform for monetizing content. You can add a patreon button to your channel and descriptions, allowing viewers to essentially donate to your channel. You can also offer content upgrades that people can only get if they subscribe to your paid Patreon page. This might include more in-depth videos or written content they can’t find anywhere else. Use your YouTube page to promote this option, while still offering some valuable content for free.
Sponsors
Sponsors differ from standard YouTube ads because you control the relationships with the brands advertising on your channel. Instead of ads automatically playing at set intervals, you integrate the promotional content into your video. This might be a short blurb at the beginning or end. Or the entire video may be about a specific product or service.
Rates for sponsorships vary dramatically. Some charge thousands of dollars for a single mention, while others work for gifted products or services. There’s no minimum views or subscribers for this option, since it’s not run through YouTube. So even those with small followings can utilize this option if you have an engaged niche.
Top Tips to Become a Successful YouTuber
Pick The Perfect Niche
Advertisers like to reach relevant consumers on YouTube. If your channel content varies from gaming to cooking, it’s more difficult for brands to target consumers that fit into their desired market. However, if your content is focused on a specific area, your viewers are likely to be more engaged and dedicated, thus helping you earn more money.
Edit Your Video Content to Perfection
Subscribers and advertisers usually prefer polished video content to raw footage. Once you shoot videos, cut out any mistakes or unnecessary content to provide optimal value in as little time as possible. You might also enhance the audio and visual features with things like filters or royalty-free music. There are tons of software programs for editing, from free versions like iMovie and Windows Movie Maker to pro versions like Final Cut Pro.
Post Regular Videos
Most YouTubers don’t get famous after one video. And even if your content goes viral, you are much more likely to build an engaged audience if you create content regularly. And those subscribers are more likely to appeal to advertisers, purchase sponsored products and services, or buy merchandise promoted on your YouTube channel. Create a schedule, like posting once a week, so they know when to look out for new videos from your YouTube channel. Then remind them to subscribe or set up alerts so they can watch all your new videos.
How many subscribers do you need to make a living on YouTube?
You need at least 1,000 subscribers to make money with the YouTube Partner Program. You likely need more to earn a living wage through this program alone. But you can supplement with other sources of income like affiliate links and merchandise.
Who is the highest paid YouTuber?
The highest paid YouTuber is Ryan Kaji, who creates toy unboxing videos and other content for kids. Along with his parents, Kaji adds a video to his YouTube channel about once a day. His net worth is around $50 million. Most of that comes from YouTube ads. But he also has a product line and other revenue streams.
Who has the most subscribers on YouTube?
The YouTube channel with the most subscribers is T-Series, with 183 million. This popular Indian record label specializes in Bollywood music videos, and actually has 29 separate channels. With all of the company’s revenue streams, T-Series earns more than $100 million annually.
Image: Depositphotos
