How to Make Money on YouTube

There really isn't a formula for success on the video platform, but there are certain things you can do (and need to do or have) in order to make money. The main ways to generate revenue from a YouTube channel include having ads on your videos or channel, getting sponsored and endorsed, and selling products through a YouTube platform.

You will first have to build up your YouTube platform to gain more followers. While it is by no means a science to instantly get thousands of subscribers or views, by posting frequently, promoting your videos, and paying attention to engagement and demographics, you can see what performs well and curate your content to what your viewers seem to like.

But once you do get a bit of traffic on your videos, you'll want to start making money.

However, contrary to popular belief, making a ton of cash off of ads on your videos alone won't get you that millionaire status (or even a couple hundred bucks, sometimes) - so you may have to be creative.

Ads

Still, one of the main ways (or easiest) to earn money on YouTube is through YouTube running ads on your videos. Once you get a certain amount of views, you can connect your account to a Google AdSense account, which will allow you to start earning money on your videos, according to USA Today. In order to qualify, you reportedly now need (as of January 2018) 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months, plus 1,000 subscribers to join the YouTube Partner Program (which will get you ads and therefore cash from your channel).

Still, although it may vary depending on how much the advertiser is paying YouTube, you will most likely only make between $1 and $2 per every 1,000 views.

However, beware of using copyrighted material in your videos, which will prevent you from qualifying to monetize your video.

In order for a YouTuber to get paid for an ad, the viewer of their video must have Ad-Block turned off (meaning they will see all the ads on videos) and must watch at least 30 seconds of videos they could otherwise skip. Or, this will work if the viewer sees smaller ads like banner ads, according to YouTuber Mah-Dry-Bread. The money generated from the viewer watching these ads is split between YouTube and your channel.
Sponsors and Deals

Typically only offered to large YouTube channels with a wide audience (although not exclusively), another big way to earn cash through YouTube is to get sponsored deals with companies that will pay you to promote or mention their products in your videos. You can earn money this way either as a lump sum of cash the company will pay you for the deal, clicks on the company's link, or on a per-view basis.

However, be sure you disclose the nature of the video, as it is required by law to mention that your video is sponsored in the description box. Still, sponsored deals can make a lot more money than regular ads.

Additionally, many of these companies (which, for some YouTubers, include brands like Ford (F - Get Report) , Microsoft (MSFT - Get Report) , P&G (PG - Get Report) , Samsung (SE)  and GE (GE - Get Report) to name a few) recruit YouTubers to be brand ambassadors, which can earn them money in a similar fashion.

Other Ways to Earn Money on YouTube

While ads and sponsorships do provide a decent amount of cash for some YouTubers, they are by no means the only way you can generate income from your channel. In fact, according to some YouTubers, they aren't even the main way. Other means of monetizing your videos include using sites like Patreon and selling products through your channel.