How to Make Money on YouTube: 15 Proven Methods (2026)
YouTube has paid creators over $100 billion since 2021. From ad revenue to Shopping to Shorts monetization, here are 15 real ways to earn on YouTube in 2026.
YouTube has paid creators, artists, and media companies over $100 billion since 2021 — $70 billion of that in just the 2021-2024 period. No other platform comes close to YouTube's creator payouts, which is why it remains the gold standard for sustainable creator income.
The platform generated approximately $60 billion in total revenue in 2025, and creators keep 55% of ad revenue on long-form videos — one of the most generous splits in the industry. But ad revenue is just the beginning. YouTube Shopping grew 5x year-over-year with 500,000+ creators enrolled, and new features like dynamic branded segments and YouTube Courses are creating entirely new revenue streams.
This guide covers 15 monetization methods with real RPM data, eligibility thresholds, and earnings estimates by subscriber count.
YouTube Partner Program: The Foundation
Before diving into specific methods, you need to understand the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) — it's the gateway to most monetization features.
Full YPP (ad revenue access):
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months OR 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days
Expanded YPP (fan funding only):
- 500 subscribers
- 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days
- 3,000 watch hours in the last 12 months OR 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days
The Expanded tier unlocks Super Chat, memberships, and Super Thanks — but NOT ad revenue. Review typically takes about one month.
1. Ad Revenue (Long-Form Videos)
The core of YouTube monetization. Ads run before, during, or after your videos, and you keep 55% of the revenue.
RPM by niche (what you actually earn per 1,000 views):
| Niche | Estimated RPM |
|---|---|
| Finance/investing | $10-$25 (up to $45 in Q4) |
| Digital marketing | $8-$15 |
| Tech/software | $7-$12 |
| Education | $5-$10 |
| Photography | $5-$8 |
| General tech | $2-$5 |
| Gaming | $1-$3 |
| Entertainment/vlogs | $1-$3 |
| Comedy/memes | $0.50-$1.50 |
Estimated monthly ad revenue by subscriber count:
| Subscribers | Monthly Ad Revenue |
|---|---|
| 1,000 (just monetized) | $50-$200 |
| 10,000 | $500-$1,500 |
| 100,000 | $2,000-$6,000 |
| 500,000 | $5,000-$20,000 |
| 1,000,000 | $10,000-$30,000+ |
These are heavily niche-dependent. A finance channel at 100K subscribers can earn $10K+/month, while a gaming channel at the same size might earn $1K-$2K.
2. YouTube Shorts Monetization
Shorts have their own monetization model that works differently from long-form.
How it works: Ads run between videos in the Shorts feed. Total ad revenue is pooled. Music licensing costs are subtracted first, then the remaining revenue goes to a "creator pool" distributed by each creator's share of total Shorts views. Creators keep 45% of their allocated revenue.
RPM: Typically $0.01-$0.13 per 1,000 views, with most creators seeing $0.03-$0.07.
Music impact: Using music significantly reduces your payout. No music = full creator pool allocation. One track = 50% to music costs. Two tracks = 67% to music costs.
Bottom line: Shorts monetization won't make you rich, but it supplements long-form revenue and drives subscriber growth that increases your overall channel earnings.
3. Channel Memberships
Fans pay a recurring monthly fee for perks like exclusive content, badges, emojis, and members-only live chats.
Pricing: Creators set tiers from $0.99 to $99.99/month (most use $4.99).
Revenue split: 70% creator / 30% YouTube.
Conversion rate: Typically 1.5-3.5% of your subscriber base. Gaming and education channels see the highest conversion at 3-3.5%.
Example: A channel with 50,000 subscribers at 2% conversion = 1,000 members × $4.99 × 70% = ~$3,493/month.
Eligibility: Available at the Expanded YPP tier (500 subscribers).
Build a consistent content schedule to retain members. PostEverywhere helps you schedule YouTube videos and Shorts in advance so you never miss a upload. Start free trial →
4. Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks
Viewers pay to highlight messages during live streams and show appreciation on videos.
Super Chat: $1-$500 per message during live streams. Messages stay pinned based on amount.
Super Stickers: Animated images during live streams ($0.99-$50).
Super Thanks: Viewers pay to show appreciation on non-live videos (available on both long-form and Shorts).
Revenue split: 70% creator / 30% YouTube.
Real earnings: One creator with ~300K subscribers reported Super Chats represent 30-45% of channel revenue — approximately $12,000/month, with memberships adding another $4,000.
Eligibility: Available at the Expanded YPP tier (500 subscribers).
5. YouTube Shopping (Affiliate Program)
Tag products from participating retailers directly in your videos and earn commissions.
Commission: Median affiliate commissions hover around 15% (range: 10-20%+). Performance bonuses are also available.
Scale: YouTube Shopping GMV grew 5x year-over-year with 500,000+ creators enrolled globally.
How it works: Tag products in your video descriptions, end screens, and product shelf. Viewers click, buy, you earn commission. Integrates with Shopify for seamless product sync.
Eligibility: YPP member with 5,000+ subscribers. Available in US, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, and more.
6. Brand Deals and Sponsorships
Brand partnerships typically pay significantly more than ad revenue — a single sponsorship for a mid-tier creator can equal months of AdSense earnings.
Rates by subscriber count:
- Nano (1K-10K): $50-$300 per video
- Micro (10K-50K): $200-$2,000
- Mid-tier (50K-100K): $2,000-$5,000
- Mid-tier (100K-500K): $5,000-$10,000
- Macro (500K-1M+): $10,000-$50,000+
Pricing models: CPM ($5-$30 per 1,000 views) or CPV ($0.02-$0.06 per view).
YouTube BrandConnect: YouTube's built-in matchmaking platform for connecting creators with brands. New features in 2025-2026 include dynamic branded segments (swappable sponsorship slots), AI-powered creator-brand matching, and enhanced real-time analytics.
7. Selling Courses and Digital Products
A channel with 100K monthly views earning $12 RPM generates ~$1,200 from AdSense. But selling just 10 courses at $497 each adds $4,970/month — digital products can represent 80%+ of total income.
Platforms: Teachable, Kajabi, Thinkific, Gumroad, Podia.
Pricing strategy: Low-ticket intro courses ($47-$197), mid-tier programs ($497-$997), high-ticket coaching ($2,000+).
Market size: The e-learning market is estimated at $299.7 billion in 2024, projected to hit $842.6 billion by 2030.
8. YouTube Courses (Native Feature)
YouTube now lets creators build structured courses directly on the platform — no third-party tools needed.
Features: Structured lesson format, discussion sections, completion badges, dedicated "Course" tab on your channel, and potential featuring on YouTube's courses discovery page.
Advantage: Courses live directly on YouTube where your audience already is. No redirect to external platforms means lower friction.
Status: Rolling out gradually. Check YouTube Studio for the "Course" option under the "Create" button.
Want to grow your YouTube audience faster? Use PostEverywhere to find the best time to post on YouTube and schedule content across all your social channels from one calendar. See pricing →
9. YouTube Premium Revenue
When YouTube Premium subscribers watch your content, you earn a share of their subscription fee — no ads shown, but you still get paid.
Revenue split: 55% creator / 45% YouTube (same as ad revenue).
Why it matters: Premium viewers generate disproportionate revenue because they use background play, downloads, and rack up more minutes. Premium can represent 15-30% of total revenue even when Premium viewers are a small percentage of your audience.
YouTube subscription revenue: Hit approximately $20 billion in 2025.
No extra setup: Automatically included for all YPP members.
10. Merch and Product Sales
Sell physical products directly through your YouTube channel.
Merch shelf: Display up to 12 products beneath videos. Integrates with Shopify, Spring (formerly Teespring), Spreadshop, and Merchbar.
Shopify integration: Full e-commerce sync with YouTube — product shelf below videos, live shopping support, and a dedicated "Store" tab on your channel.
Requirements: YPP member, 1,000+ subscribers, supported country.
11. Affiliate Marketing (Traditional)
Promote products in videos and include affiliate links in descriptions.
Typical commissions: 5-30% depending on program. Amazon Associates pays 1-10%, while SaaS and digital products often pay 20-50%.
No minimum requirement: Unlike YouTube Shopping Affiliate, traditional affiliate marketing works even for non-YPP channels. Just include links in your description.
Best niches: Tech reviews (high commission + high purchase intent), software/SaaS, beauty, fitness supplements, financial products.
12. Crowdfunding (Patreon, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee)
External crowdfunding platforms let you collect recurring support with more favorable revenue splits than YouTube's 70/30.
Patreon: Recurring memberships. Platform fee: 5-12%. You keep 88-95%.
Ko-fi: One-time tips plus memberships. Free tier: 0% platform fee on donations.
Buy Me a Coffee: One-time support plus memberships. 5% platform fee.
Strategy: Use Patreon for dedicated fans wanting exclusive content. Ko-fi for casual supporters wanting to tip. Many creators use both.
13. Consulting and Coaching
Leverage your YouTube authority to offer premium services.
Rates: $100-$500+/hour for consulting. $1,997-$4,997 for coaching programs. $3,000-$10,000 for personalized guidance packages.
Best niches: Business/marketing, fitness, finance, tech skills, music production, video editing.
Strategy: Your YouTube content demonstrates expertise at scale. Coaching monetizes that expertise at premium rates for people who want personalized help.
14. Licensing Content
Media outlets, news organizations, and brands pay to use your video footage.
Payment models: Flat fee ($50-$2,000+ depending on virality) or ongoing royalties.
Platforms: Jukin Media (now Trusted Media Brands), ViralHog, Storyful — they connect creators with media buyers and handle licensing.
Best for: Viral content, newsworthy footage, unique captured moments, drone footage, time-lapses. A single viral video can generate licensing income for years.
15. YouTube BrandConnect (Dynamic Segments)
YouTube's newest brand partnership feature lets creators insert swappable sponsorship slots into videos instead of permanently "burning in" brand segments.
How it works: Record a sponsorship segment that can be dynamically inserted, removed, or replaced. When one deal ends, you can resell the slot to another brand — without re-editing the video.
Shorts integration: Creators can add direct links to brand sites in Shorts.
Available in: 22 countries as of November 2025.
This is a game-changer for creators who want to maximize long-tail revenue from evergreen content.
YouTube vs. Other Platforms: Creator Earnings Comparison
| Platform | Average Creator Income | Revenue Split | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | $141K/year (full-time) | 55/45 (ads), 70/30 (memberships) | Long-form, education, reviews |
| TikTok | $131K/year (full-time) | 45/55 (Shorts-equivalent) | Short-form, discovery, commerce |
| $105K/year (full-time) | 100/0 (Subscriptions, for now) | Visual, brand deals, lifestyle |
YouTube pays the most on average because of its generous ad revenue split and the platform's emphasis on longer watch sessions.
Getting Started: Your Monetization Roadmap
Phase 1 (0-500 subscribers): Focus entirely on creating quality content and finding your niche. Use affiliate links in descriptions (no YPP needed). Build an email list for future product launches.
Phase 2 (500-1,000 subscribers): Qualify for Expanded YPP. Enable Super Chat, Super Thanks, and Channel Memberships. Start building a community.
Phase 3 (1,000-10,000 subscribers): Full YPP unlocked. Ad revenue begins. Pitch micro brand deals. Consider launching a digital product or course.
Phase 4 (10,000+ subscribers): Scale brand partnerships. Launch YouTube Shopping affiliate. Build out multiple revenue streams. Consider YouTube Courses.
FAQ
How many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube?
500 subscribers unlocks fan funding features (Super Chat, memberships). 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 watch hours unlocks ad revenue through the full YouTube Partner Program. Traditional affiliate marketing requires zero subscribers.
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
Average RPM is $3-$5 per 1,000 views across all niches. Finance/investing channels earn $10-$25 RPM. Gaming and entertainment earn $1-$3. Shorts pay $0.01-$0.13 per 1,000 views.
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million views?
Approximately $1,500-$30,000 depending on niche, with the average around $3,000-$7,000. Finance content at 1M views can earn $10,000-$25,000, while entertainment might earn $1,000-$3,000.
Can you make a living on YouTube?
Yes. Full-time YouTube creators earn an average of $141,000/year. However, most successful creators combine ad revenue with brand deals, memberships, and digital products. Ad revenue alone typically isn't enough until you reach 100K+ subscribers.
How long does it take to get monetized?
Most creators reach 1,000 subscribers in 6-12 months with consistent weekly uploads. YPP review takes approximately 1 month after meeting requirements. Channels can be demonetized for inactivity if they don't upload for 6+ months.
Are YouTube Shorts worth it for making money?
Shorts RPM ($0.01-$0.13 per 1K views) is much lower than long-form. But Shorts are excellent for subscriber growth — many creators use Shorts to grow their audience, then monetize through long-form content, memberships, and brand deals.
What equipment do you need to start?
A smartphone with a decent camera is enough to start. Sound quality matters more than video quality — a $20-$50 lapel microphone makes a bigger difference than an expensive camera. Lighting, editing software, and better cameras can come later as revenue grows.
Start Your YouTube Monetization Journey
YouTube has paid creators $100 billion since 2021, and the opportunity is growing with Shopping, Courses, and BrandConnect. The creators who win are the ones who start now, publish consistently, and diversify their revenue streams.
Use PostEverywhere to schedule YouTube uploads, find the best posting times, and manage all your social channels from one dashboard.
Related reading:
Jamie Partridge
Founder & CEO of PostEverywhere
Jamie Partridge is the Founder & CEO of PostEverywhere. He writes about social media strategy, publishing workflows, and analytics that help brands grow faster with less effort.