- So when you started your YouTube channel,
your number one goal was to get monetized, right?
To join the YouTube Partner Program,
put ads on your videos and get paid for it.
(transcendent music)
Well, there is a lot you need to do
and understand before you get there
so let me take you through all of it
in just five of YouTube minutes.
Let's about the requirements first.
You need to reside in one of the following countries.
If you don't, you won't be able to sign up.
In terms of audience requirements,
you need 1,000 subscribers on your channel.
No time limits, no deadlines, take as long as you need.
You also need 4,000 watch time hours on your videos
but only watch time from the last 12 months counts.
This number never resets.
Basically, whatever today's date is,
anything that was watched in the last 365 days
on your channel counts, as long as it's public.
So anything that you unlist, private or delete
doesn't count to that watch time.
Also, if your live streams are too long,
YouTube can't archive them and that won't count
to watch time either.
You will also need to set up two factor authentication
on your account to protect your YouTube channel.
And you must ensure that you have zero community
guideline strikes on your channel.
If you do have any, you'll have to wait until they expire.
There are dedicated YouTube monetization policies
that you must comply with as well
and they are frequently updated
so make sure you are aware of them.
Our link to all of this stuff in the video description.
But if you can't be bothered reading any of it
then I've got three things for you.
Good luck, navigating monetization
if you don't understand it.
YouTube policies are basically built around common sense.
So if you think your content is dodgy
while you're making it, then it probably is
and you probably shouldn't upload it.
And finally, all of these policies
and guidelines are actually real, really important
because you are trying to form a business relationship here.
You don't wanna screw this up because you were too lazy
to get informed.
As for copyright issues, well, copyright strikes
won't affect your ability to apply for monetization.
However, it's probably best to avoid both copyright claims
and copyright strikes.
The more you have the less original content
you technically have on your channel,
at least in the eyes of YouTube and that could reduce
the chances of you being allowed
into the monetization program.
And finally, when it comes to requirements for channels
that specifically make content for kids,
they can monetize but they are treated differently.
Again, check YouTube support pages for the latest updates.
YouTube does have a high and the monetization page
in the YouTube studio if you need to check
on the progress of any of these requirements.
You can even ask YouTube to email you when you meet
all of the requirements and can apply.
And if you download vidIQ you can use our real time
stats bar to check up on your subs
and watch time hours progress.
And now, albeit very briefly let's talk about YouTube Shorts
because somebody's got to.
Any subscribers earned from your YouTube Shorts,
do count towards your 1,000 goal.
However, no watch time from any of your YouTube Shorts
count towards 4,000 hours.
The good news is, instead of all of that,
YouTube may give you a bonus payout
if you earn enough views through YouTube Shorts.
For example, it might be $100 for 1 million views.
If that happens, YouTube will contact you directly.
And you don't already need to have your channel monetized.
If you live in one of these countries, you are eligible.
It should be noted over this YouTube Short Bonus
Creative Fund is due to expire at the end of 2022.
We don't know what YouTube plan to do next with Shorts
in terms of monetization, but we'll definitely let you know.
Now, before you monetize your channel,
you may start to see ads appearing on your videos.
Now, this kind of sucks because YouTube
has the right to monetize your content
before you are in the monetization program
so you won own any revenue from it.
However, think of this as a good sign for your content.
If YouTube is putting ads on your videos
at such an early stage, they already have a lot
of trust and confidence in your content.
And once you are monetized, you can turn off ads completely
on your videos like we do here at vidIQ.
Okay, let's say you meet all of the requirements.
What happens next?
You apply for the YouTube Partner Program.
The monetization screen will change
into an application screen that looks like this
so you just need to go through all of the steps.
Those include agreeing to all of the terms of service
for monetization, creating and
or connecting a Google AdSense account
to your YouTube account.
It's important to set all of this correctly
for tax purposes, by the way.
And then waiting for YouTube to review your channel.
YouTube's official line is that the review process
typically takes a month to complete.
But I often see channels being accepted
into the YouTube partner program 48
to 72 hours after they apply.
If you are rejected, YouTube will vaguely tell you why
and give you 30 days to resolve the problems
before you can apply again.
But if all is good, you'll receive an email
that looks similar to this and you can start monetizing
your videos.
You'll be able to set monetization
at a channel level as well as tweaking settings
for individual videos.
But you may also need to complete
this ad suitability screen when you turn monetization on.
The more you do this in the early stages,
the more trust you will build with YouTube's
automated safety checks.
When you do monetize there a few additional perks you get.
So those include YouTube online support
where you can actually talk to human beings.
You also get access to the copyright matching tool
to protect your content.
And you may also unlock additional monetization features
such as super chats and super stickies for live streams.
(clock beeps)
Blimey, that was pretty handy, wasn't it.
But you wanna know what the real secret is.
Earning money from YouTube directly is just the tip
of the iceberg.
Because there are YouTube channels out there
with less than a thousand subscribers
that are earning over $10,000 a month.
And if you wanna learn more about how to do that
for your own channel, watch this video over here.