How to Make Money on YouTube 2021

Dec 5, 2020

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Knowing how to make money on YouTube in 2021 is important for content creators of all sizes. Making money by creating YouTube videos will allow a creator to re-invest their earnings back into their channel, leading to more growth. But how can a content creator make money on YouTube- what are the requirements to do so?

To make money on YouTube in 2021, a content creator can monetize their videos through Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, brand deals, and more. Ideally, a content creator should employ multiple monetization methods at the same time to increase revenue and stability, as YouTube is quite volatile.

One of the biggest advantages YouTube offers over other platforms online is the ability to make money. However, it's important to recognize that certain monetization methods can be better than others in certain scenarios. Content creators need to select the best monetization methods for their channels and niches if they want to make money.

What Are the Requirements to Get Monetized on YouTube

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What are the requirements to get monetized on YouTube? Well, for a channel to become a member of the YouTube Partner Program, it must have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Only channels that are part of the YouTube Partner Program can monetize their videos with Google AdSense.

Do You Need Adsense to Make Money on YouTube

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Many content creators make it their mission to be able to monetize their YouTube videos with AdSense. They devote all their energy to gaining subscribers and watch time. But is this necessary? Do you need AdSense to make money on YouTube? Or, are their other monetization options available?

A content creator does not need AdSense to make money on YouTube. Over the years, many different monetization options have been made available for content creators looking to monetize their videos. Content creators should ideally employ multiple monetization methods at the same time to ensure more stability.

It's never a bad idea for a creator to monetize their videos with AdSense. Anytime more money can be made without viewers being negatively affected, it's a huge bonus. Creators must ensure, however, that they do not become dependant on AdSense, as ad revenue can decrease very rapidly in certain situations.

Ways to Make Money on YouTube 2021

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There are many ways to make money on YouTube in 2021. Look around YouTube, and you'll see different channels using similar monetization methods. Some ways of making money on YouTube are more effective than others. Creators should make sure they select effective monetization methods for their channel if they want to make money.

Here are some ways to make YouTube money in 2021:

  • Google AdSense
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Brand deals
  • Digital products

Let's break down each of these monetization options in more detail.

Google AdSense

Google AdSense is the most popular and well-known monetization method on YouTube. When people talk about making money on YouTube, they are often referring to making money through AdSense. AdSense is a great monetization option, as it is easily implemented and doesn't hurt the viewing experience for viewers.

Something important to recognize is that not every channel can have its videos monetized through Google AdSense. As mentioned above, a channel must be a member of the YouTube Partner Program to be able to make money through AdSense. Along with this, the videos a channel uploads must be advertiser-friendly.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing has become an increasingly popular monetization method in recent years, and there's a good reason for it. You see, affiliate marketing is a monetization method that can be used by channels of any size. Even channels with 100 subscribers make a significant amount of money through affiliate marketing.

Money is made through affiliate marketing when a product or service is purchased by someone who recently clicked on an affiliate link. In other words, money is earned when someone is referred to and purchases a product or service. Sometimes, however, a purchase isn't necessary for money to be made, depending on the deal.

Brand Deals

Watch videos consistently from any large channel and chances are you'll come across a video that has been sponsored by a brand/company. Brand deals are a great way for content creators with an audience to make money, as they are simple to implement and are often beneficial to the audience at hand.

The big issue with brand deals as a monetization method is that they are typically reserved for larger channels. With this said, it isn't unusual for channels with small audiences in high-ticket niches such as marketing or finance can get brand deals. In more general niches such as gaming, however, brand deals are typically saved for larger channels.

Merchandise

YouTube content creators have made money through selling merchandise for a long time now. Hats, shirts, mugs, and more have all been sold to audiences in nearly every niche in existence. Also, print-on-demand services have made the process of selling merchandise much easier, as creators no longer have to physically possess their merchandise to sell it.

With increased ease, however, comes increased competition. Nearly every successful channel create their own merchandise- and there are a lot of successful channels. Since this is the case, creators must ensure that their merchandise is high-quality. Gone are the days that poorly designed clothing can be sold to audiences- there's too much competition.

Digital Products

With physical merchandise, profit margins tend to be quite low. This problem does not exist with digital products, which is why selling digital products has become quite popular in recent years. Digital products tend to consist of educational material in the form of eBooks and video courses, and they are sold in many niches.

A big barrier to entry when it comes to digital products is the need to have the ability to sell. Meaning, a content creator must know how to create a high-quality digital product and how to market their digital product to get sales. Many creators do not possess these skills, which makes it difficult to make money by selling digital products.

Coaching

One of the reasons why so many people watch YouTube videos is to learn a new skill. Often, many people are willing to spend money to get insider information from successful people. This is where coaching comes in. Coaching is a great way for creators to make money and directly help people learn or improve their skills.

Believe it or not, coaching can be sold in many niches- even niches that might not be expected. For example, coaching services are sold in the photography niche. You would think that people would be able to watch photography videos and learn everything they need to know, right? Well, this isn't the case. People are willing to pay to go directly to the source.

Do You Make Money on YouTube From Views or Subscribers

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Do you make money on YouTube from views or subscribers? After all, many content creators seem to place a lot of importance on the number of subscribers they have. This must be because they make money whenever someone subscribes to their channel, right? Well, this isn't the case.

YouTube content creators make money from views- not subscribers. Ads can only be shown to people when they watch videos, and money is earned through AdSense when viewers are shown ads. Also, if people do not watch videos, they will have no way of knowing about affiliate products, etc.

Technically, an argument could be made that content creators do make money from having subscribers. After all, videos cannot be monetized unless they are uploaded on channels with 1,000 subscribers. However, this is only related to earning money through AdSense. Money can be earned with 100 subscribers, for example, through affiliate marketing.

It never hurts to have subscribers. Subscribers tend to turn into repeat viewers, and these viewers are often more open to spending their money on products, services, and merchandise. Directly, however, content creators are not paid for the number of subscribers their channels have.

How to Check How Much Money You Make on YouTube 2021

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Getting accepted into the YouTube Partner Program can be a long and difficult process. Once it happens, however, it's a great feeling. Knowing that money will be earned simply by people viewing videos is awesome. But how can a content creator know how much money they have made through monetizing their videos with Google AdSense?

Here's how to check how much money you make on YouTube 2021:

Step 1 - Go to the YouTube Studio

To begin, you need to make your way to the YouTube Studio. Getting to the YouTube Studio is a simple and straight-forward process. Simply select your channel icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen while on YouTube, and select the "YouTube Studio" option from the menu that pops up.

Step 2 - Select the "Analytics" Menu Option

After selecting the "YouTube Studio" menu option, you should be brought to a new screen- the Channel Dashboard. From this screen, you need to select the "Analytics" option located on the menu on the left side of the screen. Make sure your menu is expanded and not collapsed to be able to see this option.

Step 3 - Click on the "Revenue" Tab

Once you have selected the "Analytics" menu option, you will be brought to your Channel Analytics page. On this page, you can see how many views, watch time, subscribers, etc. your channel has gained in any given time frame. You can also see how much money your channel has earned through AdSense by selected the "Revenue" tab near the middle of the screen.

How Long Does It Take to Make Money on YouTube 2021

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Growing an audience on YouTube is a long-term game. Since an audience is needed to make money on YouTube, it's safe to say that it will take time to make money as well. But how long does it take to make money on YouTube in 2021? Can a content creator expect to make money quickly or not?

At the end of the day, there is no set amount of time that it will take for a content creator to make money on YouTube. Some content creators manage to make money within a few months of starting a YouTube channel, whereas other creators don't make any money for a year or more.

Often, the amount of work a content creator puts in will determine how long it takes for money to be made. Upload 1 or 2 videos each month will often result in slow growth and low revenue. On the flip side, uploading 12 videos each month will often result in quicker growth and higher revenue.

What's important to remember is that there are many different ways of making money on YouTube in 2021. Creators don't only need to stick to AdSense- they can find affiliate products and offer coaching services. Casting a wider net and utilizing multiple monetization methods makes the process of making money easier.

Conclusion

Every content creator looking to have a successful career must learn how to make money on YouTube in 2021. Old monetization methods are no longer effective, and new monetization methods have come into play. Picking the right monetization methods and putting in the work is key to making money on YouTube for channels of all sizes.

Daniel James
Hi there! I’m Daniel, the founder, and CEO of Tubefluence. I help businesses and influencers utilize the power of YouTube marketing to grow an audience and generate leads.
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