So is it worth it? If you like making videos and you’ll keep posting for a year with little to show for it, yes. If you need money this month, YouTube is the wrong side hustle. Skip to the end for faster options.
How much does YouTube pay?
YouTube doesn’t pay a set rate per view. You get a share of what advertisers spend on your videos, and that changes with your niche, where your viewers live and what time of year it is. Anyone quoting you a flat “per 1,000 views” number is guessing.
What YouTube does publish is the split:
| Where the money comes from | Your cut |
|---|---|
| Ads on long videos (the watch page) | 55% of net ad revenue |
| Ads in the Shorts feed | 45% of the revenue allocated to you from the Shorts Creator Pool |
| Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks | 70% of net revenue |
Quick math: if advertisers spend $100 on your long videos, $55 of that is yours. Shorts work differently: the ad money goes into a shared pool that’s split by views, and you get 45% of your share.
You also get a slice of YouTube Premium money when Premium members watch your stuff. YouTube doesn’t publish a percentage for that one.
YouTube Partner Program
Best for: people who’ll post for a year before it pays
- What it is
- YouTube’s program that lets you earn from ads, Premium, memberships, Supers and Shopping on your channel.
- What you do
- Upload videos or Shorts, hit a threshold, apply in YouTube Studio, accept the terms and link an AdSense for YouTube account.
- How much it pays
- 55% of net ad revenue on long videos, 45% of your Shorts Creator Pool allocation, 70% of memberships and Supers. Paid out through AdSense.
- The catch
- The bar to get in is high, and it’s getting higher for new channels.
Worth it? Only if you’d make the videos anyway. Nobody should start a channel just for ad money.
What you need to get paid on YouTube
There are two levels. The lower one gets you fan money and Shopping. The higher one gets you ad money, which is what most people mean by “monetized.”
| Level | What it takes | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Lower tier | 500 subs, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days | Memberships, Supers, Shopping |
| Full YPP (until January 31, 2027) | 1,000 subs and either 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days | Ad revenue, plus everything above |
| Full YPP for new creators (starting February 1, 2027) | 1,000 subs and either 8,000 watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in the last 90 days | Ad revenue, plus everything above |
Yep, the watch-hour bar for new channels doubles on February 1, 2027. If you’re already in the program, YouTube says your status isn’t affected. But from that date every partner channel has to stay “active” to keep earning: 1,000 watch hours in the past 365 days, or 1 million Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days.
Shorts watch time doesn’t count toward the watch-hour number. You pick one road or the other.
A few boxes you’ll also need to tick:
- Live in a country where the Partner Program is available
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google account
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes
- Link one AdSense for YouTube account (you can set it up inside YouTube Studio)
- Follow YouTube’s monetization policies, which includes keeping videos advertiser-friendly if you want ads on them
How long does it take to make money on YouTube?
Longer than you think. YouTube doesn’t publish an average, so here’s the math instead.
Say people watch 4 minutes of your videos on average. 4,000 hours is 240,000 minutes, so you’d need about 60,000 views in 12 months. That’s about 165 views every single day for a year, from a channel that starts at zero. Under the new 8,000-hour rule it’s about 120,000 views, or roughly 330 a day.
The Shorts route sounds easier until you run the numbers. 10 million views in 90 days is about 111,000 views a day. 20 million is about 222,000 a day.
And getting in is just the door. Once you’re in, the money is a cut of ad spend on whatever people watch. Unless your videos pull big view counts, expect the first payouts to be small.
Bottom line: plan on months of posting before YouTube pays you anything, and don’t quit your job over a channel that hasn’t earned yet.
Other ways YouTubers make money (often more than ads)
Here’s the part most people miss. Ad money is the slowest stream, and for plenty of channels it isn’t the biggest one.
Sponsorships
A brand pays you to mention or show its product in a video. You set the price and the deal is between you and the brand, so there’s no subscriber minimum from YouTube. Brands care about who watches, so a small channel in a tight niche (budget travel, a specific video game, a hobby people spend money on) can land deals before a big general channel does.
The rule you can’t skip: when a video has paid promotion in it, you have to tell YouTube by ticking the paid promotion box (it says the video includes branded content) in YouTube Studio. That puts a disclosure label at the start of the video.
Affiliate links
You put a link in your description, someone buys or signs up through it, and you get paid by the company. This works from video one. It works best on videos where people are already shopping, like reviews, “best X for Y” lists and how-to videos that need a product.
If you’ve never done affiliate stuff, a blog pairs well with it. Here’s how to start a WordPress blog so your videos and posts can feed each other.
Memberships, Super Chat and Super Thanks
Fans pay you directly. Memberships are a monthly payment for perks you choose. Super Chat and Super Stickers highlight a fan’s message during a live stream or Premiere, and Super Thanks lets them tip on a regular video. You keep 70%, and you only need the lower tier (500 subs) to turn them on.
This works great for channels with a small crowd that really likes them. It does nothing for a channel nobody hangs around on.
Selling your own stuff
Merch, a course, an ebook, a template, a service. YouTube Shopping lets you tag products in your videos once you’re in the program, and nothing stops you from linking your own store in the description before that.
You keep the margin instead of a slice of ad spend, which is why so many creators push their own products. If writing is your thing, see how to publish a book and get paid.
How to start a YouTube channel that can actually earn
No secret sauce here, just what moves the numbers above.
Pick a topic people search for and spend money on. Day-in-the-life vlogs are hard to earn from. “How to fix X” or “Is Y worth it” videos get found for years and attract sponsors and affiliate programs.
Post on a schedule you can keep. Twice a month for a year beats ten videos in week one and then nothing. That also covers the new “active channel” rule for partners.
Make people stay. Watch time is the number that gets you in, so a tight 8-minute video that people finish helps more than a rambling 20-minute one they leave after 2 minutes.
Start the non-ad money early. Add affiliate links and a way to contact you for sponsors from day one instead of waiting on the Partner Program.
If audio is more your thing than video, starting a podcast uses the same playbook, and plenty of podcasts post their full episodes to YouTube too. Good with a camera? These ways to get paid to take photos pay sooner.
Can you get paid to watch YouTube videos?
Not by YouTube. Any site promising to pay you for watching YouTube videos specifically is one to be careful with. Some rewards apps do pay small amounts for watching video ads and clips on their own platforms, and we cover the legit ones in get paid to watch TV and videos. Expect cents, not a paycheck.
Need money while your channel grows?
A channel is a long game. If you need cash in the meantime, apps that pay for testing games and trying offers are a lot quicker. I’d start with Testerup, then Freecash and Bigcash personally, but all are good and worth a free sign up to check which apps pay best.
Testerup
Best for: getting paid to test mobile games
- What it is
- An app that pays you to test mobile games and take surveys.
- What you do
- Pick a game or task, play to the goals it lists, and collect the reward. Every offer shows what it pays before you start.
- How much it pays
- $10 welcome bonus. Cash out by PayPal, Venmo (US), Visa virtual card or Amazon gift card, usually within 24 hours and up to 3 business days. PayPal and Venmo payouts lose 5%.
- The catch
- You’ll verify your face before the first payout, and you have to be 18 or older.
Worth it? Yes if you’ve got a phone and some downtime and want money this week, not next year.
Freecash
Best for: quick cash from games and offers
- What it is
- A rewards site and app that pays for games, app trials, surveys and other offers.
- What you do
- Pick an offer, finish what it asks (reach a level, try an app, take a survey) and get credited.
- How much it pays
- $10 welcome bonus that unlocks after your first offer. First withdrawal needs ID verification and a $5 to $20 minimum depending on your region, then $5 for PayPal. Most PayPal, crypto and gift card withdrawals are instant.
- The catch
- The ID check comes before your first cash-out, so have it ready.
Worth it? Yes if you’re 16 or older and want fast cash-outs with a low bar.
Bigcash
Best for: short offers on your phone
- What it is
- A rewards app that pays coins for games, apps, surveys and offers.
- What you do
- Pick an offer and finish it. Bigcash says most take 5 to 10 minutes.
- How much it pays
- 250 coins = $1. Bigcash claims up to $170 per offer and $20M+ paid out. Cash out to PayPal or gift cards, and its App Store listing says payment is sent within 36 hours.
- The catch
- Some game offers want real progress over weeks, and rewards can be reversed if an advertiser flags the activity.
Worth it? Yes if you want a third app to compare offers against the other two.
For the full list, see apps that pay you real money, or check what’s paying right now. Want more ideas you can run from a laptop? Try these digital side hustles or browse every side hustle on the site.
YouTube money questions
How many subscribers do you need to get paid on YouTube?
500 for fan money (memberships, Supers) and Shopping, plus the uploads and watch hours or Shorts views listed above. 1,000 for ad money, plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. From February 1, 2027, new creators need 1,000 subs plus 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views.
Does YouTube pay per view?
No. It pays you a share of ad revenue: 55% on long videos and 45% of your Shorts Creator Pool allocation. Views matter because more views usually means more ads shown, but there’s no fixed rate per view.
Do YouTube Shorts make money?
Yes, once you’re in the Partner Program. Shorts ad money comes from a shared Creator Pool split by views, and you get 45% of your share. Shorts views also count toward getting in, but the bar is 10 million views in 90 days (20 million for new creators starting February 1, 2027).
How does YouTube pay you?
Through an AdSense for YouTube account linked to your channel. You set it up during your Partner Program application.
Can you make money on YouTube without being monetized?
Yes. Sponsorships, affiliate links and selling your own products don’t need the Partner Program. Just tick the paid promotion box on any video with a sponsor.
Sources (5)
- YouTube Help. YouTube Partner Program overview and eligibility. support.google.com. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- YouTube Help. Expanded YouTube Partner Program eligibility. support.google.com. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- YouTube Help. Upcoming changes to the YouTube Partner Program. support.google.com. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- YouTube Help. YouTube Partner Program terms (revenue share). support.google.com. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- YouTube Help. Paid product placements, sponsorships and endorsements. support.google.com. Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
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