Do you want to discover the best ways to make an income from YouTube?

With billions of users YouTube is the biggest online video platform. The opportunity to make money on YouTube is enormous. YouTube’s ad revenue is projected to hit an astonishing $33.5 billion in 2024, of which they paid out over $18 billion to it's creators. However, getting views on the platform won't magically generate you money, and it’s not just about uploading random videos or promoting your channel; you need a solid strategy.

We’ll walk you through classic monetization techniques and introduce some fresh, innovative ways to earn money on YouTube in 2024:

YouTube’s platform is a goldmine for creators, but monetizing your content can be tricky.

The best part? There isn't just one way to monetize your videos. You have multiple options based on your content, audience, and strategy.

Let’s dive into 10 opportunities to make money on YouTube and how they work.

The YouTube Partner Program allows creators to earn revenue from ads running on their videos. This will allow you to be paid directly by YouTube. Here’s a quick look at the criteria you need to meet:

Also there are some additional requirements of the amount of views your channel needs:

Long-Format-Videos:

Shorts-Videos:

The Ad revenue can vary depending on a few different factors like the viewer demographic, length of the video, advertiser relevance and your content type. Content in high-value niches like finance, technology, health and real estate attract a higher revenue because advertisers are willing to pay more to reach the audience that watches these videos.

While “$1 per 1,000 views” used to be a benchmark, the reality is more nuanced now with 1,000 views being able to make anywhere between $0.25 upto $50 or more, depending on the factor mentioned above.

Sponsored content is a popular and very lucrative way to make money on YouTube. With an developed audience you can promote brands within your videos to earn directly from these partnerships. Ensure the sponsorships align with your content to keep your audience engaged. For example if you run a tech channel, working with tech companies to review and promote their products would be a good fit.

Affiliate marketing allows you to earn a commission by promoting products or services within your videos. When viewers click on your links and make a purchase, you get a cut of the profits. This is especially popular among review channels and “how-to” content creators.

A popular example of this is the Amazon Affiliate Program, also known as Amazon Associates. By leveraging this program, you can earn commissions of 1-10% on products that your audience buys from the Amazon website after clicking on your referral link.

Lifestyle Vloggers might include affiliate links to gear that they use to create their videos, like cameras or microphones. Unboxing or review channels might mention the product that they're dedicating their video to in the description with a affiliate link.

Crowdfunding platforms like Patreon enable your supporters to contribute financially to your creative endeavors. Creators might offer exclusive content, shoutouts, or early access to new videos in exchange for their support.

Selling branded merchandise is a great way to earn money while boosting your visibility. Custom t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more can help you build a closer relationship with your followers.

With this monetizing feature in YouTube,, viewers can pay to have their messages highlighted or send animated stickers during live streams. This feature does not only boost engagement but also provides a direct revenue stream from your live interactions.

Channel memberships are a fantastic way for creators to earn a steady income. Think of it as a subscription service where fans pay a monthly fee for perks like exclusive content, badges, and more. It’s perfect for creators who post regularly and engage with their audience frequently.

If you create viral or newsworthy content, media companies might want to use it. Licensing your content allows them to do so for a fee, providing another revenue stream for your existing videos.

If you are having problems with finding the time to create and come up with viral video ideas without infringement of copyright, the YourVirals subscription might be the best fit for you. By subscribing to our video library you unlock 150,000+ viral videos that you can use to grow your channel to new heights. If you are interested and you want to learn more about using YourVirals Viral Video Library to monetize on youtube check out our step-by-step guide.

How many views do you need to make money on YouTube?

To start making money on YouTube and join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) you need:

How to increase ad revenue on YouTube?

YouTube creators can increase ad revenue by optimizing their content for SEO with relevant keywords, making longer videos focusing on high-CPM niches like finance and technology, using multiple ad formats, and maintaining a consistent upload schedule also help. Leveraging YouTube Analytics to refine strategies and collaborating with other creators can further boost visibility and earnings.

Struggling to create YouTube videos? Check out our subscription model for fully licensed videos that you can use on your channel with ease.