Carla Marshall has 10+ years of experience in video marketing, social media management, content marketing, DRM, and SEO. She was previously Editor in Chief at ReelSEO.com, and as a journalist and video marketer, she's covered news stories, creator journeys, and digital-first publishing initiatives across all the major online video platforms. She is YouTube Certified and a judge for the Shorty Awards, as well as the UK, US, Canadian, Global, and EU Search Awards.

Carla Marshall

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Darryl covers YouTube growth and creator tools at vidIQ, helping creators understand how to grow their channels. 

When not writing, he’s tending to his farm surrounded by horses, chickens, dogs, and somehow cramming more plants into his garden than it could ever reasonably hold.

Darryl Rentz

YouTube logo with gaming controller and dollar signs representing making money gaming

Gaming channels earn through six stacked revenue streams: AdSense (RPM ranges from $1–$8 depending on sub-niche), affiliate links (game keys, peripherals), channel memberships (unlocks at 1,000 subscribers for gaming), Super Chats from live streams, brand sponsorships ($150–$50,000+ per video by tier), and Patreon. Content format determines CPM ceiling: tutorials and reviews earn the most; Let's Plays and compilations earn the least. YouTube Shorts drives subscriber growth but generates negligible ad revenue. Build on YouTube over Twitch for searchable VODs and integrated monetization that compounds over time.

How to Make Money with a Gaming Channel on YouTube

Lydia Sweatt is a writer who loves balancing her article/blog time indoors with a healthy dose of nature. She bikes, hikes, and identifies edible plants along the way.

Lydia Sweatt

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Close-up of a fluffy tabby cat with green eyes looking upward in natural light

Pet channels earn $3-7 CPM on average, with product reviews hitting $6-12 CPM. Stack your revenue: affiliate links for pet products (Chewy, Amazon, fresh food brands), pet brand sponsorships starting at 10K subscribers, channel memberships for exclusive pet content, and merch featuring your animals. Use Shorts (viral pet clips) as your subscriber growth engine, then convert viewers to long-form content where affiliate links and sponsorships generate the real money.

How Pet Creators Make Money on YouTube

crafts and headphones arranged on a table surface

Flat lay of art supplies, stationery, and headphones on wooden desk background.

Arts and crafts channels earn $3-6 CPM on average, but product-review content hits $8-12 CPM. Stack your revenue: affiliate links on every video (5-15% on supplies), an Etsy or Gumroad shop for patterns and digital downloads, paid courses on Skillshare or your own site, YouTube Shopping tags, and Patreon for extended tutorials. Use Shorts (time-lapse art completions) to grow subscribers fast, then convert them across your monetization stack.

How Arts & Crafts Creators Make Money on YouTube

Liron Segev, aka TheTechieGuy, is the Director of Customer Success at vidIQ, an internationally celebrated Digital YouTube Strategist working with some of the largest brands and YouTube influencers in the world. Over the past 20+ years, his work has taken him to South Africa, the UK, and the US where he frequently speaks at conferences and provides expert tech commentary for various print publications, radio, and TV while actively running his Tech YouTube Channel.

Liron Segev

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Speaker in red plaid shirt gesturing during TubeTalk presentation on black background

How do you build a business on YouTube? In this week's episode of TubeTalk, we talk to a creator who will talk us through the right mindset to achieve that goal.

How to Turn Your YouTube Channel into a Successful Business

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Hand mixing egg whites to stiff peaks with electric beater in a glass bowl on blue surface

Cooking channels earn $4-8 CPM on average, with kitchen equipment reviews hitting $8-14 CPM. Stack your revenue: affiliate links for every tool and ingredient (Amazon, Williams Sonoma, Thrive Market), meal kit and kitchen brand sponsorships starting at 10K subscribers, a self-published recipe ebook or online course, YouTube Shopping for tagged products, and channel memberships for exclusive recipes. Use recipe Shorts as your subscriber growth engine, then convert viewers across your monetization stack.

How Cooking Creators Make Money on YouTube

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Beauty is one of YouTube's highest-paying niches at $5-12 CPM, driven by cosmetics and skincare brand advertiser demand. Stack your revenue: affiliate links for every product (Sephora, Ulta, Amazon Beauty), brand sponsorships starting at $500-$2,000 per video even at 10K subscribers, YouTube Shopping for in-video product tagging, and channel memberships. Use GRWM Shorts and transformation reveals to grow subscribers fast. The path to maximum earnings: affiliate links, then sponsorships, then your own product line.

How to Make Money on YouTube as a Beauty Creator

Classroom desk with books, pencils, beakers, and math and chemistry formulas on chalkboard

YouTube is an incredible platform for any teacher or educator looking for a recession-proof way to build an online career. Find out how.

How Educators and Teachers Can Make a Living from YouTube

Comparison of YouTube growth metrics: 50 subs 4k views today vs 1,750 subs 450K views tomorrow

Want to grow your YouTube channel as fast as possible so you can monetize it? Read how one very small creator did just that!

How One Tiny YouTube Channel Generated 1000 Subscribers & 4000 Watch Time Hours in 24 HOURS!

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10 last-minute tax filing tips for US YouTubers - make sure you claim all your deductibles!

10 Last Minute Tax Filing Tips for US YouTube Creators

Rob started out on YouTube in 2012, building up a tech channel before joining the vidIQ team. He now educates over 450,000 subscribers on the vidIQ channel which has over 25,000,000 video views. Today he is hard at work sharing everything he has learned on the YouTube platform; educating video creators on how to grow their own channels and turn hobbies into careers - just like Rob did in 2017.

Rob Wilson

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48 minutes to create 1 video earning over $100, with vidIQ branding and icons

How do you earn more than $100 in less than an hour from just 150 people watching your content on YouTube? We tell you how!

How To Make Money on YouTube