Since the roll-out, many creators have earned massive views and subscribers from YouTube Shorts. But of course, there’s a catch. For the millions of views and hundreds of subscribers earned, revenue for YouTube Shorts, in most cases, seems to hover around just a few dollars. Zero dollars, even.

, for example. In nearly 60 days of posting YouTube Shorts, this channel with 25K subscribers told us they'd gained:

Super London Cars achieved this feat by posting Shorts of expensive supercars, such as this 

Ferrari LaFerrari parking too close to a Porsche GT2 RS. The 32-second video has more than a million views.

Despite this success, Super London Cars haven't reached the 4,000 Watch Time hours needed to monetize their channel. Instead, their YouTube analytics show a mere 918 public Watch hours - and those are the only hours that count toward monetization. That’s about 0.54% of the total Watch Time hours (170K) Super London Cars has earned.

Does that signal the end for this creator? More specifically, will this channel 

 (YPP) and monetize its content? We can’t say for sure, but we can definitely help you avoid this monetization pitfall.

Regular Watch Time on YouTube vs. Shorts Watch Time

Before we dig into the data, we’d like to applaud Super London Cars for seizing the growth opportunities YouTube Shorts can bring. This creator exponentially grew their channel in a short amount of time, which isn’t easy.

In the old days of YouTube, that would be enough to qualify for channel monetization. But here’s the modern-day catch: 

Videos played from the Stories and Short videos shelf don't count toward YouTube’s monetization requirements.

For a visual explanation of what this means, watch our latest video, "How to Fail at YouTube Monetization."

, where you watch a video determines how its Watch Time is calculated. For example, if you watch a video through the standard YouTube player in the mobile app, that video earns 1 

 YouTube view. The Watch Time you earn there will count toward monetization. 

However, if you watch that same video through the Stories and Short video shelf, the video earns 1 

 view. When content is viewed this way, its Watch Time doesn't count toward channel monetization.

How to Check Your Analytics For YouTube Shorts Watch Time

 you’re earning with both YouTube Shorts and regular content? Log in to your account on desktop and follow these steps:

You should automatically end up on the Overview tab, where a large graph of your views, Watch Time, subscribers, and estimated revenue are displayed. Navigate directly below this graph and click 

Next, you’ll see some advanced analytics. At the top of the page, click 

This will show you, at the channel level, how many YouTube Shorts views you’re getting. The Watch Time is also displayed for each traffic source.

Here’s what our graph looks like for the 

Immediately, you can disregard the Watch Time from Shorts because we know those don't count toward monetization. 

You will, however, count the Watch Time from every other traffic source that counts toward monetization. Change the date range on your graph to capture your entire video history, then add up the number of Watch Time hours from the sources pictured below. 

The number you get should almost match YouTube’s number of public Watch hours for your channel.

When we expand our graph, the vidIQ Shorts channel has 241 public Watch hours and those count toward monetization. It’ll take a while, but we should eventually reach the 4,000 hours of Watch Time needed to apply to the YPP.

The Strange Watch Time Analytics of Super London Cars

Now that you’ve seen our Shorts analytics, it's time to compare these numbers to the Super London Cars channel. It has way more subscribers, millions of more views, and a massive amount of Watch Time. But somehow, Super London Car is only 700 hours closer to monetization than we are. Clearly, the numbers don't add up.

When you look at the traffic sources for Super London Cars, things get even more confusing. The channel is earning almost all of its Watch Time from YouTube Shorts, but there are still thousands of hours coming from suggested videos and browse features. 

These hours alone should be more than enough to take Super London Cars over YouTube’s monetization threshold. So what’s happening here?

Well, we have three possible explanations, none of them good ones:

There’s a glitch in the YouTube analytics, and the Super London Cars creator needs to contact YouTube to get it fixed and apply for monetization.

YouTube changed its policies so that Watch Time from 

 video under 60 seconds won’t count toward monetization. But there are no public updates to support that.

Traffic source analytics aren't accurate enough to tell us when views are coming from YouTube Shorts or the regular YouTube player.

YouTube Shorts are new and probably weren’t created for widespread monetization. If you want to make more money on YouTube, creating short videos under 60 seconds isn’t the answer - at least not today.

Instead, put that energy into the long-form content on your main channel. Make sure you’ve fully optimized your channel to include featured playlists, a channel banner, banner links, a profile icon, and irresistible thumbnails. You’ll earn more Watch Time when people watch videos through the regular YouTube player, so cover your bases there first.

Once you’ve done that, invest in a separate YouTube Shorts channel. Make sure there’s cross-promotion between your main channel and the channel you use for short, punchy videos. When you create a Short that gets featured on the Stories and Short videos shelf, there’s a chance viewers will visit your Shorts channel. If you've set up a featured channels section beforehand, your main channel will be advertised there.

For now, that’s all you can do. Use your main channel for primary monetization, then harness the exposure from YouTube Shorts to grow both channels organically.


Not all content on YouTube will help you quickly monetize your channel, YouTube Shorts especially. To win at monetization, here's what you need to know about Watch Time hours and how they're recorded.

How To Win at YouTube Monetization

It's inevitable that while filming a video, many creators let slip a curse word or two. But somehow, by the grace of YouTube, many of them won't go on to experience widespread demonetization because of it. These creators continue to stay on YouTube’s good side, which means they can display ads on their videos and continue earning AdSense revenue.

Other creators haven’t been so lucky. They’ve uploaded videos that include profanity, then watched those videos get demonetized, and wondered where they went wrong.

Clearly, an important rule was either ignored by these creators or lost in translation. If some creators can get away with cursing while others can’t, where does YouTube draw the line?

, but it’s an explanation with several interpretations. Depending on which words you say, YouTube may restrict the advertisements on your video or ban them altogether.

 use “adult” words to express yourself? Here’s YouTube’s stance on profanity.

Before you let those curse words fly, consider this warning from YouTube’s 

“Content that contains frequent uses of strong profanity or vulgarity throughout the video may not be suitable for advertising. Occasional use of profanity (such as in music videos) won’t necessarily result in your video being unsuitable for advertising.”

As you can see, a video with strong profanity is at risk of demonetization. If you use strong expletives frequently, the likelihood of earning little to no money increases.

But which words can creators say and what is considered strong profanity?

There are a few different categories of inappropriate language on YouTube. But to keep things simple, just know that 

, such as “hell” and “damn” are less risky. YouTube says you can enable ads on videos containing those words, so no worries there.

However, swear words that are lewd and insulting 

 result in demonetization. So avoid dropping frequent F-bombs, racial slurs, and other derogatory phrases. That’s the kind of language many advertisers want to avoid, and using it will affect your revenue.

What You Say at the Beginning of a Video Matters

Last year, YouTube clarified the most important things to know about profanity and how it affects monetization. In a video from 

, the team revealed that how often profanity occurs at the beginning of a video is a key factor.

For more information, watch the video below:

Top Tip: It’s best to avoid profanity, as that’s the only way to follow YouTube’s guidelines flawlessly. But if you have to say some risky words - especially if they’re crucial to the main idea - save them for later in the video.

Profanity on YouTube: Is Demonetization The Only Consequence?

If you’ve read YouTube’s Community Guidelines, you won’t be surprised to learn that demonetization is just one consequence of swearing on YouTube. When you mix lewd, dehumanizing words with content that incites violence against specific groups of people, that’s a serious offense.

 should avoid it. The only exception is when the creator’s intent is to educate viewers on a certain subject, as in the documentaries you’d watch on TV.

This is an important distinction because if YouTube thinks a creator has bad intentions, their video(s) could be removed from the platform. And if that creator keeps violating the rules, YouTube has the right to terminate their channel.

Our advice is to always play it safe. You have permission from YouTube to use mild language, but the platform changes its rules all the time. If you can avoid swearing at all, that’ll keep your channel monetized and in good standing for years to come.

Can you swear in a YouTube video and still earn AdSense revenue? Well, that depends on which words you want to say...

Can You Swear on YouTube and Still Make Money?

The way we tell stories, as well as who gets to tell those stories, keeps evolving. That’s the underlying message of YouTube’s latest 

, a statistical breakdown of how global events influenced video creators and viewers alike. With data showing the rise of virtual events and relatable content creators, the report proves video is still a powerful medium for expression - maybe the most powerful.

From the constant popularity of online gaming to our shared experiences around virtual events, here are the key insights from YouTube’s report.

New Creators Made YouTube Their Storytelling Home

According to YouTube, a large number of people became video creators in 2020. There was a 95% increase in new YouTube channels on the platform, and most likely, this contributed to a diverse group of emerging creators.

Ash Chang, YouTube culture and trends manager for the Asia-Pacific region, said as much in his video summary within the report:

“More than ever, it feels like the creator archetype of what we think a creator should be, should look like or should make content about has broadened and evolved to meet an audience more receptive to a diversity of stories and storytellers.”

Statistics around these diverse creators, as well as their genre-bending content, were also highlighted in YouTube’s report:

47% of people said it’s hard to place their favorite creators into one genre. 

, a U.S. creator who mixes makeup with true crime content, is a great example.

58% of people said they’d watch online content from creators in any age group.

By October 2020, VTubers (animated AI characters) were viewed 1.5B times per month.

, an indigenous creator from Ecuador became one of the top creators in Latin America, growing her channel from 100K subscribers to 1M in 2019.

In 2020, Video Connected People to New and Exciting Experiences

We’ve shared video experiences before, but not as fervently as in recent months. Instead of watching digital events solo, many viewers decided to watch alongside their favorite creators for a shared experience.

One example is rapper Travis Scott’s virtual concert on 

. Viewers were able to watch for free on the gaming platform, and 

 decided to do just that. However, Earnest Pettie, trends insight lead for YouTube, said many viewers tuned in to their favorite creators’ live streams, watching them react to Travis Scott’s concert instead. The same thing happened during other online music, sports, and gaming events this year.

By itself, online gaming is a popular watch category across the web. Here are the statistics from YouTube’s Culture & Trends report:

73% of people watched gaming content via online video platforms.

Minecraft Speedrunner VS 3 Hunters Grand Finale

” is one of YouTube’s top 10 trending videos of the year.

Online Video Helped Us Reckon With COVID-19, Racial Injustice, and More

Humans have always known adversity, but 2020 challenged us to address several global issues at once. Through video consumption, viewers channeled their desire for socio-economic progress, as well as pandemic stress relief.

Here are the key statistics from YouTube’s Culture & Trends Report:

54% of people watched humorous content online to cope with challenging moments in 2020.

Daily views for two songs spiked during widespread protests. In June, “This Is America” by Childish Gambino was viewed 1.6M times each day. “Fight The Power” by Public Enemy was viewed 30K times each day for the same month.

Whether you’re a content creator or consumer, Y

ouTube’s Culture & Trends Report proves the continual

 power of online video. It helps people of all backgrounds express themselves, connect with others, and share ideas about the world at large.

Did you catch YouTube's Culture & Trends Report for 2020? The global year-in-review highlights the rise of virtual events, emerging creators, and collective resilience during a challenging year.

YouTube in 2020: Powerful Stats You Need to Know

Did you know that for gaming channels on YouTube, making episodic content is the quickest way to lose viewers?

They either get burnt out as the series progresses or become discouraged after reading a video title with a high episode number - something along the lines of, 

Viewer burnout happens on YouTube no matter what you’re posting, so that’s not the biggest problem with episodic content. The real challenge is understanding how a viewer reacts to numbered episode titles.

For example, after reading a hypothetical title like 

 how do you think the viewer will react? Will they attempt to watch the previous 52 episodes or click on a different video with immediate, up-front value?

Most likely, it’ll be the latter. That’s why we always advise gaming channels to stop putting episode numbers on every YouTube video. It doesn’t generate the success creators are looking for, so it’s time to find a different strategy.

How Episode Numbers Impact Video Performance on YouTube

Dan, our resident gaming expert, has personal experience with using episode numbers on YouTube. Years ago, he used them in most of his video titles, especially while playing games like Minecraft.

The idea was to create a series of content reflecting specific tasks or missions in the game. Over time, Dan created multiple series on YouTube spanning dozens of episodes.

Fortunately, the first episode in a series usually performed well. The video got a decent number of views, so logically, it made sense to continue the series using numbered titles. But as time passed, the opposite effect took place. Every subsequent episode seemed to earn fewer views than the last.

Dan recently explained why this happened, and every gaming creator should heed his warning. Watch his insightful video explanation below:

YouTube’s search function, which is amazingly intuitive for viewers, is one reason episode numbers aren’t the best strategy for video titles. When a viewer types a phrase into YouTube’s search bar, the platform tries to auto-complete the request. For gaming searches, the term “Ep. 1” appears more often than any number, which means viewers are encouraged to watch the first episode of a gaming series en masse.

Therefore, 20 episodes into a series, Dan realized that viewers watching from episode one got burnt out - even if episode one got thousands of views.

He didn’t blame the episode numbers themselves for decreasing his views. In Dan’s opinion, it was his mindset as a new creator that trapped him in an unsuccessful strategy. Instead of focusing on episode titles, he needed to create unique, valuable content.

YouTube’s algorithm wants to recommend your videos to like-minded viewers. But if people keep skipping over your content (due to episodic burn out or any other reason), YouTube will recognize that and give the opportunity to another creator.

To make sure that never happens, provide a clear value proposition in each video. Make sure new viewers not only feel welcome but understand what happened in previous videos on your channel.

The Best Way to Present Episodic Content on YouTube

Even if episode numbers don’t create the best titles, they do serve a purpose. At the very least, they exist to help fans of your ongoing series understand which part of the show they're about to watch.

But if episode numbers have both helpful and harmful qualities, how should you use them (or not) on YouTube?

When you don’t know what to do, use these tips to make the right decision:

Instead of using episode numbers in your titles, create a playlist for each gaming series on your channel. That’s an easy way to segment a lengthy show on YouTube.

 to use episode numbers, stick them at the end of your titles. That way, the relevant information and keywords appear first.

No matter what, don’t put episode numbers in your thumbnails. This preview image is the first thing viewers see, and spotting “Ep. 87” in the corner of the graphic won’t encourage them to watch. Unfortunately, no one wants to start a show in the middle of its season.

Additionally, understand that for each video, some viewers are meeting you and your channel for the first time. So even if they’ve landed on episode 23 of a gaming series, reassure them that the video is about one specific thing they need to know.

Need an example of what that sounds like? This quick video introduction should do the trick:

What's up, guys? I'm [creator name], and welcome back to our Minecraft let's play. So in the last episode, we set up this map, and now that we know where we are, today we are going to trade with the villagers. If you missed the map video, by the way, don't forget to check that out in the link in the description below.

How you present your content on YouTube is important. But the first step is to make videos anyone can watch at any time, with thumbnails and titles reflecting that intent.

Do these two high-value tasks, and without a doubt, you’ll attract more views and subscribers to your gaming channel.

Episode 1... episode 2... episode 3... Does this titling method help you get more views as a gaming channel? In our experience, the answer is no. Here's a better way to present your content on YouTube.

Please Stop Using Episode Numbers on Your Gaming Content

This year - and what a long, arduous year it's been - is finally coming to a close. For many YouTube creators, 2020 was a non-stop grind that hasn't stabilized just yet. In the thick of COVID-19, video creators constantly supplied the world with entertainment during lockdowns and quarantines - and some are still creating at outstanding rates. 

If you're one of the thousands looking forward to some end of year rest, take the time you need. But before you go, don't forget to give back to your loyal YouTube audience. These are the people who brought you tons of views throughout 2020 and are most vocal about your content.

This holiday season, let your subscribers know that even though there are millions of videos to watch on YouTube, you’re glad they chose to tap on yours. Because all the comments, the extra Watch Time, and even the occasional 

 aren’t just achievements to be analyzed. They’re actions from real humans who believe in their favorite creator - a.k.a. you.

Ready to show your appreciation this season? W

ou can delight loyal viewers and attract new ones at the same time.

1. Do a Giveaway During Your Next Live Stream

Live stream giveaways are a fun way to delight your audience. Gifts are usually received positively, and it’s exciting to give them over live video.

What you decide to give away will depend on your audience. If you have a beauty channel, you may decide to give a makeup kit to three lucky subscribers. Or perhaps you have a business channel and want to give yearly planners to goal-oriented viewers.

No matter what you decide to give, make sure it's valuable to your audience. That way, your viewers will look forward to the live stream giveaway, and lucky winners will truly appreciate the gift. It’s all about promotion and building anticipation for the big moment.

If you’re wondering how live streams can benefit your channel, read our blog, “

How to Make More Than $100 on YouTube in Less Than an Hour.

” You’ll discover that an energetic live stream (with no giveaway) can attract thousands of in-the-moment views plus revenue from donations called Super Chats.

 powerful without a giveaway, imagine what the promise of a gift can do.

2. Give Your Viewers the Spotlight With a Share-For-Share Campaign

. But what if you flipped that spammy practice into something honest and sustainable that works just like free advertising? Then you’d have a secret weapon called 'share for share', a cross-promotional strategy few creators are doing.

In your next video, encourage your viewers to screenshot/screen record their favorite moment from the video they’re currently watching. Ask them to share the images and videos to another platform (such as Instagram) and tag your profile in their post. Instagram will notify you of all the tags, and you can easily repost fan content to your Instagram Stories.

If you can get even 10% of your subscribers to advertise your content on another platform, that’ll benefit your channel. They’ll introduce you and your content to potential subscribers, which is an easy way to get more exposure.

Of course, your subscribers will gain something valuable too. For those super fans who are most vocal about your content, they’ll love the idea of being featured on your social media.

I’m not sure who the originator of share for share is, but I first saw the campaign on a channel called 

. If it’s a good fit for your audience, give it a try.

3. Highlight Top Commenters at the Beginning of Your Videos

In each video, you can easily reward your audience by shouting out their comments. After your video introduction and before the main topic, take a few moments to highlight screenshots of funny or uplifting comments.

Doing this right at the start of a video is helpful because you’ll have viewers’ full attention. And if you have a growing number of top commenters, there’s a good chance they’ll listen closely to hear their name called.

Need some help identifying your top commenters? Read 

 or watch the video below for more information:

So how does this strategy help grow a YouTube channel? Well, if you’re constantly highlighting the best comments, you’ll encourage more viewers to write public notes beneath your videos. The more comments you receive, the more opportunities you’ll have to 

From there, you can build an irresistible comment section. Newcomers will be more likely to join your community if they see supportive notes, funny jokes, and interesting discussion threads below your content.

4. Create That One Video Your Audience Has Been Asking For

You know the one. It’s the video idea you always see in the comments but haven’t found the time to film this year. If it’s a good idea that doesn’t violate YouTube’s Community Guidelines, why not surprise your audience by uploading that video just for them?

This is an act of goodwill, so the payoff may not be immediately quantifiable. There’s no guarantee that fan-requested videos will go viral or attract more subscribers.

However, taking your viewers’ thoughts and ideas into consideration is endearing. You can get a positive return on this investment, which materializes in several ways:

Strengthening the bond you’ve created with viewers

Proving your dedication to potential subscribers

As a YouTube creator, it’s still your job to decide which videos fit your channel and content strategy. But it never hurts to pay attention to your audience and include them in your decision-making, whenever possible.

Your subscribers watch your channel because they like your content. But sometimes, making your audience feel seen and heard is just as valuable as producing videos that get thousands of views. Whether it’s something of monetary value or even a verbal thank you, don’t forget to give back this season.

What goes around comes around. If your YouTube subscribers have supported your content all year, here are four ways to give back and grow your influence all at once.

How to Grow Your YouTube Channel By Giving Back to Subscribers

 was first released in 2018, few gamers were interested in the online, multiplayer game. However, that changed when COVID-19 spread across the globe and disrupted everyone’s 2020.

As a matter of public safety, cities around the world issued stay-at-home orders and temporary lockdowns. With few entertainment options, bored gamers decided to finally give 

One of those early gamers was Chance Morris, a.k.a Sodapoppin. In July, he started streaming the game to 2.8 million followers on his 

. By September, the game was so popular that 

 is the talk of the internet, millions of people are accepting the game’s challenge: Repair a malfunctioning spaceship while an "imposter" hunts and kills members of the crew. Everyone’s playing it, from influencer royalty like James Charles to 

 is popular on Twitch, but the game also has a large presence on YouTube. According to vidIQ’s keyword tool, more than 54 million viewers entered the phrase ‘Among Us’ into YouTube’s search bar. And that was just in the past 30 days.

Want to snag some of those views for yourself? Here are some tips for creating awesome 

 videos, take some time to review the game’s top keywords. Once again, we used the vidIQ keyword to compile this list:

These are great keywords to consider at the start of your research. But keep in mind that these are the most popular terms, meaning they’re harder to rank for on YouTube. If you have a small to medium-sized channel, use variations of these keywords to stand out from the competition.

‘Among Us Stack Kill’ A Top Keyword for Imposter Strategies

Look at the top 10 keyword list above. ‘Among Us imposter’ makes the cut, but our keyword tool says it's an extremely competitive search term. If you wanted to make content around the imposter side of 

, how would you do that and get decent views?

All you have to do is niche down even further. Dig deeper into the thrill of being an imposter, and you’ll find a valuable keyword opportunity: 

The videos attached to this keyword are absolutely hilarious. In them, creators share their strategies for killing multiple crew members at once on the 

SKRIMP, a channel with nearly 10K subscribers, got more than 30K views with this “stack killing” video:

Not bad for a channel with less than 10K subscribers, right? 

Other channels are experiencing success with “stack kills” too. For example, 

 has 1K subscribers and earned nearly 5K views with their video, “

Among Us Impostor Secret Stack Kill Strategy.

‘Among Us, But’ Is the Shock Value You Need For More Views

 is fun, but the entertainment value explodes on a modded version. Some creators are taking advantage of this by playing/creating outlandish versions of the game, and you should too.

 used the ‘Among Us, But’ keyword to showcase their video game development skills. Their video is titled “I Made Among Us, But It’s Single Player (Among You).” That’s a headline many die-hard fans would click, as evidenced by the video’s 2.9M views:

Tokaint has 108K subscribers today, but they didn’t start there. Our community manager Daniel Holzhauer discovered that this channel went from 7K to 100K 

 in less than a month. Interestingly, their most-watched videos contain the 'Among Us, But' keyword.

Another creator is leveraging this term too. 

 has 7K subscribers and is getting tens of thousands of views using ‘Among Us, But’.

Admittedly, this keyword is getting some attention from top YouTube gamers, so it’s a tad competitive. However, there’s proof of smaller creators getting more views than they’d normally receive.

 is a fun game and a joyful online trend, but who knows how long it will be popular. If gaming is your niche, use this trendy title to get more views on

Are you playing Among Us like the rest of the world? While you're fixing that spaceship, use these tips to upload the footage to YouTube and get more views.

How to Get More Views On YouTube By Playing Among Us

Dan, our executive producer at vidIQ, has achieved something every creator dreams of. After posting a video to YouTube’s platform of 2 billion monthly viewers, he's gained 852,000 views in just a few weeks.

That magical video is titled, “How to Make a Map in Minecraft 1.16.3," and it’s one of his shortest videos at only 58 brief seconds:

Dan’s video - and any vertical video less than 60 seconds - is what YouTube is now calling YouTube Shorts. The platform has been testing this content in the 

, a new display area for discovering short-form content. In it, viewers can cycle through random videos - kind of like TikTok’s never-ending loop of content.

We’ve talked about YouTube Shorts a lot on 

Since YouTube Shorts were announced, we've wondered whether creators could get nearly 1 million views from a 60-second video. Now that we've seen it happen, here's what you should do to reach that milestone.


Posts Written By Lydia Sweatt

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