How to Make Money on YouTube in 2023: A Complete Guide

YouTube is one of the most popular and profitable platforms for content creators. With over 2 billion monthly active users and billions of hours of video watched every day, YouTube offers a huge potential audience and revenue stream for anyone who can create engaging and valuable videos.

But how do you make money on YouTube in 2023? What are the best ways to monetize your channel and videos? And what are the requirements and challenges that you need to overcome?

In this article, we will answer these questions and more. We will cover the following topics:

The YouTube Partner Program: How to join, what are the benefits, and what are the different ways to earn money through ads, memberships, merchandise, and more.
YouTube Shorts: How to create short-form videos that can attract millions of views and earn money from the YouTube Shorts Fund.
YouTube BrandConnect: How to collaborate with brands and get paid for sponsored content on your channel.
Other ways to make money on YouTube: How to use crowdfunding, donations, affiliate marketing, and other methods to supplement your income from YouTube.

By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to make money on YouTube in 2023 and what steps you need to take to get started. Let’s dive in!

The YouTube Partner Program

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is the main way to make money on YouTube. It allows qualifying creators to access various monetization features, such as:

Advertising revenue: Earn money from display, overlay, and video ads that run on your videos. You can also earn a portion of a YouTube Premium subscriber’s fee when they watch your content 1.
Channel memberships: Offer exclusive perks and content to your fans who pay a monthly fee to join your channel 1.
Merchandise shelf: Showcase and sell your official branded merchandise on your watch pages 1.
Super Chat & Super Stickers: Receive tips from your viewers who pay to get their messages or animated images highlighted in live chat streams 1.
Super Thanks: Receive tips from your viewers who pay to get their messages highlighted in your video’s comments section 1.

To join the YPP, you need to meet the following minimum eligibility requirements 1:

Be at least 18 years old, or have a legal guardian older than 18 years of age who can handle your payments via AdSense.
Live in a country or region where the YPP is available.
Have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.
Have more than 1,000 subscribers.
Have a linked AdSense account.

You also need to follow the YouTube channel monetization policies, which include:

Complying with all YouTube’s terms of service and community guidelines.
Creating content that meets the advertiser-friendly content guidelines.
Respecting intellectual property rights and not reusing other people’s content without permission or fair use.

Once you meet these requirements, you can apply for the YPP through your YouTube Studio dashboard. Your channel will be reviewed by YouTube’s team before you are accepted into the program. This process may take up to a month or longer depending on the volume of applications.

If you are accepted into the YPP, you can start earning money from your videos. However, you need to keep in mind that:

Not all videos are eligible for monetization. Some videos may be demonetized or limited in ads due to their content, metadata, or audience settings. You can check the monetization status of your videos in your YouTube Studio dashboard and appeal any decisions that you disagree with.
Your earnings may vary depending on various factors, such as your video’s topic, length, quality, viewer demographics, ad formats, ad rates, seasonality, and more. You can track your earnings and performance metrics in your YouTube Analytics dashboard.
You need to reach a minimum payment threshold of $100 before you can receive your payments from AdSense. You also need to provide your tax information and verify your identity before you can get paid.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are short-form vertical videos that are up to 60 seconds long. They are designed to be watched on mobile devices and can be easily created using the Shorts camera feature in the YouTube app.

Shorts are a great way to grow your audience and reach new viewers on YouTube. They appear on the Shorts feed on the YouTube app and website, as well as on the homepage and other surfaces. They can also go viral and reach millions of views through the Shorts algorithm.

But how do you make money from Shorts? Well, YouTube has recently announced the YouTube Shorts Fund, a $100 million fund that will be distributed over the course of 2021-2022 to reward creators who make original and engaging Shorts 1.

The YouTube Shorts Fund is open to anyone who creates Shorts that follow the YouTube community guidelines and policies. Each month, YouTube will reach out to thousands of creators whose Shorts received the most engagement and views and pay them for their contributions. The amount of money each creator will receive will depend on various factors, such as the number of views, the location of the viewers, and the quality of the content 1.

To participate in the YouTube Shorts Fund, you don’t need to be a part of the YPP or have a minimum number of subscribers or watch hours. However, you do need to create original content for Shorts and not reuse other people’s content without permission or fair use 1.

The YouTube Shorts Fund is a temporary initiative that will be replaced by a more permanent monetization model for Shorts in the future. YouTube is currently working on developing this model and will take feedback from creators and viewers to make it suitable for Shorts 1.

To create Shorts, you can use the Shorts camera feature in the YouTube app, which allows you to record up to 60 seconds of video with various editing tools, such as music, filters, speed controls, timers, and more. You can also upload your existing vertical videos that are less than 60 seconds long and add #Shorts in the title or description to make them eligible for the Shorts feed 1.

Some tips to make your Shorts more engaging and discoverable are:

Use catchy titles and thumbnails that capture the attention of your viewers.
Add relevant hashtags and keywords in your title and description to help your Shorts appear in search results and recommendations.
Experiment with different topics, formats, styles, and trends to see what works best for your audience and niche.
Collaborate with other creators and remix audio from videos across YouTube to create unique and creative Shorts.
Engage with your viewers by responding to their comments and feedback.

YouTube BrandConnect

YouTube BrandConnect is a service that connects creators with brands for sponsored content campaigns. YouTube BrandConnect helps you get paid to include advertiser content in your videos, and provides campaign management resources. You always retain creative control and you choose who you work with.

To be part of YouTube BrandConnect, you need to meet these minimum eligibility requirements:

Be at least 18 years old
Be in the YPP
Be based in the U.S., Canada, or the United Kingdom
Have zero active community guidelines strikes

To sign up for YouTube BrandConnect, you need to follow these steps:

Sign in and go here.
Click Sign up.
Accept the YouTube BrandConnect contract
If you’re currently working with YouTube BrandConnect, we already have your information, so you won’t see this step.

YouTube will email you when they find a suitable YouTube BrandConnect opportunity for your channel. You can then review the offer details and decide whether to accept or decline it. If you accept it, you can start working on your sponsored video according to the brand’s brief and guidelines. You can also communicate with the brand through YouTube’s messaging system.

YouTube BrandConnect offers various benefits for creators, such as:

Access to premium brands that match your channel’s audience and niche
Support from dedicated account managers who can help you with campaign execution and optimization
Exclusive insights and measurement tools that show how your sponsored video performed
Guaranteed payment within 30 days after your video goes live

Other ways to make money on YouTube

Besides the YPP, YouTube Shorts Fund, and YouTube BrandConnect, there are other ways to make money on YouTube that don’t require you to be part of any program or service. These include:

Crowdfunding: You can ask your fans to support your channel financially through platforms like Patreon, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or GoFundMe. You can offer them rewards or perks in exchange for their donations.
Donations: You can receive one-time or recurring donations from your viewers through platforms like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, or Streamlabs. You can thank them by giving them shoutouts or recognition in your videos.
Affiliate marketing: You can earn commissions by promoting products or services that you use or recommend to your viewers through platforms like Amazon Associates, Rakuten, or ShareASale. You can include your affiliate links in your video description or cards and encourage your viewers to click on them and make a purchase.
- Merchandise: You can create and sell your own branded merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs, stickers, or accessories, to your fans through platforms like Teespring, Spreadshirt, or Shopify. You can promote your merchandise in your videos and link to your online store in your video description or cards.
- Consulting: You can offer your expertise or skills to your viewers or clients through platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or Clarity. You can charge an hourly rate or a fixed fee for your services and deliver them online or offline.
- Courses: You can create and sell your own online courses or tutorials to your viewers or students through platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, or Teachable. You can charge a one-time fee or a subscription fee for access to your course content and provide support and feedback to your learners.
Conclusion
YouTube is a powerful platform for making money online in 2023. Whether you want to earn money from ads, memberships, merchandise, sponsorships, or other methods, there is a way for you to monetize your channel and videos.
However, making money on YouTube is not easy. It requires hard work, creativity, consistency, and patience. You also need to follow YouTube’s policies and guidelines and respect the rights of others.
To succeed on YouTube, you need to focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to your viewers and aligns with your passion and niche. You also need to engage with your audience and build a loyal fan base that supports you and your brand.
If you do that, you will be able to make money on YouTube in 2023 and beyond.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about making money on YouTube in 2023.
Q: How much money can I make on YouTube? A: There is no definitive answer to this question. Your earnings on YouTube depend on various factors, such as the number of views, subscribers, watch time, ad rates, CPMs (cost per thousand impressions), RPMs (revenue per thousand impressions), click-through rates (CTRs), conversions, sponsorships, donations, commissions, sales, and more. Some creators make thousands of dollars per month on YouTube, while others make much less or nothing at all.
Q: How do I get paid on YouTube? A: If you are part of the YPP or YouTube BrandConnect, you will get paid through Google AdSense. You need to link your AdSense account to your YouTube channel and provide your tax information and identity verification. You will receive your payments once you reach the minimum payment threshold of $100. You can choose from various payment methods, such as bank transfer, wire transfer, Western Union Quick Cash, or checks.
If you are part of the YouTube Shorts Fund or use other ways to make money on YouTube, you will get paid through different platforms or methods depending on the feature or service you use. For example, if you use Patreon for crowdfunding, you will get paid through Patreon’s payment system.
Q: How do I increase my earnings on YouTube? A: There are many ways to increase your earnings on YouTube. Some of them are:
- Optimize your videos for SEO (search engine optimization) by using relevant keywords,titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, and captions to help your videos rank higher in search results and recommendations.
  - Increase your watch time and retention by creating longer, engaging, and valuable videos that keep your viewers hooked and interested.
  - Grow your subscriber base and fan loyalty by uploading consistently, interacting with your viewers, asking for feedback, and providing incentives or rewards.
  - Diversify your income streams by using multiple monetization features or methods that suit your channel and niche.
  - Experiment with different types of content, formats, styles, and trends to see what works best for your audience and niche.
  - Collaborate with other creators or brands to cross-promote your channels and videos and reach new audiences.