Let’s dive into the world of YouTube Shorts, where people share super short videos. Have you ever wondered if you could make money from these tiny videos? In this guide, we’ll talk about how you can earn money with YouTube Shorts and find out how much you might be able to make.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been making videos for a while, we’re here to help you understand the money-making side of these quick clips.
Can you monetize YouTube Shorts?
Of course!
For more than 15 years, people have been able to make money from their regular, long YouTube videos. They’ve earned over $50 billion from those videos.
But YouTube Shorts is a newer type of video, and at first, it didn’t let people make money. However, in late 2022, YouTube changed that. Now, folks who make short videos on YouTube can earn money too.
How does YouTube Shorts monetization work?
Monetizing YouTube Shorts can be a bit tricky, but let’s break it down:
- YouTube Shorts ad revenue sharing: Creators make money from ads shown on their Shorts videos.
- If someone with YouTube Premium watches your Shorts video, you, the creator, get a share of the money from their subscription.
- YouTube Shopping: Creators can earn a commission when viewers buy products through their Shorts.
- YouTube fan funding: Fans can directly support their favorite creators by giving them money.
Initially, YouTube introduced Shorts monetization with the YouTube Shorts Fund in 2021. It was like a reward for creators who made popular Shorts videos. But it was a temporary thing while YouTube figured out a long-term way to pay Shorts creators. In February 2023, they replaced the fund with the Shorts ad revenue-sharing model.
YouTube Shorts ad revenue sharing
In this way of making money with your YouTube Shorts, you get a share of the money earned from ads shown between Shorts videos. Here’s how it works:
- YouTube adds up all the money made from ads between Shorts videos.
- YouTube calculates the money needed for music licenses used in Shorts, and that money is paid to music partners. The rest of the ad money goes into the Creator Pool.
- YouTube divides the Creator Pool among creators who make money based on their share of views in each country.
- YouTube uses a formula to decide how much money you get. They keep 55% of the money, and you get 45%.
YouTube Premium subscription revenue sharing for Shorts
This method of making money from YouTube Shorts works a bit like the one with ads, but it’s only for views from subscriptions. They use a formula that’s like before but for subscription views.
Here’s how it works:
YouTube gives you 45% of the money they get from YouTube Premium, but only for creators making money from Shorts. Some of that money goes to pay for music licenses.
You can check how much money you’re making from Shorts Feed ads in YouTube Analytics.
YouTube Shopping features
Besides making money from ads and premium subscriptions, you can also earn cash with your YouTube Shorts by using YouTube Shopping to promote your products.
If your Short has products in it, you can tag them when you upload the video. This way, when people watch your Short, they can see your products and buy them without leaving YouTube. They can shop while watching your Short video.
YouTube Fan Funding
When you start making money on YouTube, you can use different ways for your fans to support you. For YouTube Shorts, the two most important ones are Super Thanks and Channel Memberships.
Super Thanks, used to be called Viewer Applause, lets your biggest fans show how much they like your content. They can buy a special animation that only they see while watching your Short. They can also leave a colorful comment in the Short’s comments section.
Super Thanks comes in four price options, from $2 to $50. After taxes and fees, you get 70% of the money people spend on Super Thanks.
Now, let’s talk about something called “channel memberships.” It’s a way for your fans to support you by paying a monthly fee. In return, you can give them special things like badges, emojis, exclusive stuff, and live streams just for them.
You can create different levels of membership, with prices ranging from $0.99 to $499 per month. You can have up to five levels, each with its own monthly cost and special rewards. When people become members, you get to keep 70% of the money they pay, and YouTube takes 30% as a fee.
Who is eligible for YouTube Shorts monetization?
To make money with YouTube Shorts, you have to meet certain requirements. You need at least 1,000 subscribers and either 10 million views on your Shorts in the last three months or 4,000 hours of people watching your longer videos in the past year.
Your Short videos in the Shorts Feed don’t count towards these requirements.
But if you don’t meet these rules, there’s still a way to make money with YouTube Shorts. YouTube started a program in June 2023 for new creators and those with fewer followers. It lets you earn money through YouTube Shopping and fan funding.
However, this program doesn’t give you access to all the money-making features of YouTube Shorts, like sharing ad revenue or getting money from YouTube Premium subscribers. To join this program, you need at least 500 subscribers, three public uploads in the last three months, and three million views on your Shorts in the last three months (or 3,000 hours of people watching your longer videos in the past year).
For both programs, there are some things you need to do:
- Follow YouTube’s rules for making money on your channel.
- Live in a place where the program is available (the expanded program is only available in some countries for now).
- Make sure your channel doesn’t have any strikes for breaking community guidelines.
- Use 2-step verification for your Google account.
- Have access to special features on YouTube based on your channel’s history or by proving your identity (this doesn’t apply to the expanded program).
- Have an active AdSense account.
You can check how close you are to being eligible in YouTube Studio and ask for a notification when you’re ready.
How to start monetizing YouTube Shorts
Here’s how you can join the YouTube Partner Program and start making money with your YouTube Shorts:
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- Click on your profile picture at the top right and select YouTube Studio.
- On the left side, click on Earn.
- If you meet the requirements, you’ll find an Apply button. Click it. If you’re not eligible yet, click Get Notified to return later.
- Click Start to review and agree to the basic terms.
- Connect your existing AdSense account or create a new one if necessary.
- Wait for YouTube to review your application, which typically takes around a month.
- Once approved, go back to the Earn section in YouTube Studio and accept the Shorts Monetization Module.
Note: These instructions are for applying on a computer. The process may vary slightly on Android and iOS devices. In both cases, open the YouTube Studio app and tap Earn in the bottom menu.
To monetize with Super Thanks fan funding, visit the Earn tab in YouTube Studio, click on Supers, and choose Get Started. For Channel memberships, go to the Earn tab, click on Memberships, and select Get Started.
How much can you earn through YouTube Shorts monetization?
Certainly! Sadly, right now, earnings from YouTube Shorts aren’t all that great. Most YouTube Shorts creators find that they make around 5 to 7 cents for every thousand views. That’s roughly 50 to 70 dollars for a million views.
When it comes to YouTube shopping, how much you earn depends on how well you promote your products and how much those products cost. You can keep an eye on your YouTube shopping earnings in your YouTube analytics.
As for Super Thanks, it depends on how much your fans like your content and how close you are to them. Super Thanks is like a digital tip.
So, are YouTube Shorts making money? Yes, but the money isn’t as much as what creators usually get from longer YouTube videos.
But don’t worry; there are other ways to make money with your short content on YouTube, as you’ll see below.
4 other ways to make money with YouTube Shorts
1. Join an affiliate program
You can make money through an affiliate program on YouTube Shorts, depending on your channel’s popularity and where you live.
YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program
If you have more than 20,000 followers and live in the United States, you might be able to join the official YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program. This program lets you use YouTube Shopping to show products from other brands in your Shorts videos and make money from it.
Just like with regular YouTube Shopping, you can put labels on the products in your videos and tell people where to buy them. You can also ask for free product samples from some brands to help you plan and make your future YouTube Shorts videos.
External affiliate programs
You can also use YouTube Shorts to promote affiliate programs directly. There’s no specific subscriber requirement or watch time needed for this.
Here’s how it works: You find an affiliate program related to products you mention in your Shorts. When people buy those products through your referral, you earn a commission from the retailer running the affiliate program, not from YouTube. To guide viewers to your affiliate link, you can use a pinned comment on your Shorts, directing them to your profile for links to specific products. It’s like having an Instagram link in your bio, but for YouTube Shorts.
Shorts that have affiliate stuff in them must follow Google’s rules. You also have to say it’s a paid promotion in the Short. When you upload it, choose “Yes, it includes paid promotion” and confirm.
This will show a label on your Short, telling viewers it’s a paid promotion. If you want to learn more about using affiliate marketing to make money with YouTube Shorts, read our article about it.
2. Work with brands
Instead of joining affiliate programs, you can directly work with brands. If you have many followers, brands might also approach you.
Working with a brand as a YouTube Shorts influencer could mean getting free products or being paid to make content about their products.
Like with affiliate marketing in YouTube Shorts, you need to tell your viewers that you’re working with the brand by using the “paid promotion” option when you upload your video.
3. Patreon
Imagine you’re an artist during the Renaissance in Europe, and you have a wealthy supporter funding your work. Patreon brings this idea to the modern world by allowing content creators to earn money through paid subscriptions.
Video content is super popular on Patreon, making it a great choice for making money from your YouTube Shorts. You can use Shorts to share a snippet of a longer video and tell your viewers that they can watch the whole thing by becoming one of your Patreon supporters.
You can also use the community section on Patreon to talk to your supporters and build a community.
What’s cool about Patreon is that you don’t need a specific number of subscribers or watch hours to start. However, you should compare both Patreon and YouTube channel memberships to see which works better for you and the perks you want to offer.
For more ideas, take a look at our detailed blog post on how to make money with Patreon.
4. Use Shorts to grow viewership for long-form videos
Of course! Even though this isn’t a direct way to make money from YouTube Shorts, it’s something important to consider when looking at the overall value of your Shorts.
Yes, the money you earn from the YouTube Partner Program for Shorts may not be huge. But, especially for new creators, Shorts can help you grow your audience quickly. And once you have a bigger audience, you can make money from longer YouTube videos, which typically earn more money from ads.
To earn money from YouTube Shorts, as we mentioned earlier, you need a certain number of people to watch your videos. One way to get more views is by purchasing YouTube Shorts views, and it’s a smart move. There are several places where you can buy YouTube Shorts views, but BuildMyPlays is known as a trustworthy and high-quality option. Curious about what people think? Check out BuildMyPlays reviews to see why users appreciate their easy and effective services. BuildMyPlays assures you of delivering the correct quantity with exceptional quality and service, ensuring your peace of mind.
For only $15, you can boost your YouTube Shorts video with 1000 views. This will help attract more viewers and grow your YouTube channel, ultimately allowing you to earn more money from it.
Conclusion
To sum things up, we’ve learned that making money with YouTube Shorts is possible. We’ve talked about various ways to do it and things that can affect how much you make.
If you want to get more views on your YouTube Shorts videos, you can think about using a service like BuildMyPlays. BuildMyPlays can make more people see your videos, and that could help you make more money.
Just remember, success with YouTube Shorts can vary, but if you work hard, make good videos, and maybe get some help from services like BuildMyPlays, you can increase your chances of making money on this platform. Whether you’re just starting or have been doing it for a while, YouTube Shorts can be a place to show your creativity and make some income. Good luck on your YouTube Shorts journey!