Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

YouTube Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

YouTube Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

YouTube Subscribers

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

YouTube Analytics

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

Welcome to TubeTalk, the online video industry’s #1 podcast for news, insights and best practices on YouTube and beyond. Each week, experts in their field take us through a deep-dive on a range of topics for video creators like personal branding, how to master the YouTube algorithm, and how to get more brand deals as a YouTuber. TubeTalk has been informing video creators and marketers since 2014, and is one of the most respected and listened to podcasts in the online video industry. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode of the best YouTuber podcast!

TubeTalk Podcast

TubeTalk

Why do YouTube videos get demonetized? It’s a valid question, especially when someone takes the time to film, edit, and upload a video. Most creators try their best to make positive, original content for viewers around the world. What are they doing wrong in terms of making money and staying monetized on YouTube?

Google AdSense 101 - How to Benefit from Ad Revenue on YouTube

Most of the time, it's a lack of information. Creators know the basics of YouTube's rules, but they don't always know the fine details. And overall, people are just ready to record!

: A set of rules to ensure everyone’s safety on YouTube

 An explanation of which videos are suitable for advertisers

: A set of terms and conditions for placing ads on YouTube videos

: A set of terms and conditions for how viewers and creators operate on YouTube

Violating any of the four could lead to demonetization. Here's how to avoid that outcome.

What Does ‘Demonetized’ Mean on YouTube?

If YouTube demonetized a video, that means it restricted 

 ads from appearing. That includes every type of ad available to creators: display ads, overlay ads, sponsored cards, and skippable and non-skippable video ads. You won’t earn Google AdSense revenue for demonetized content.

Turning off ads is just one form of demonetization.

. This option bars you from all the money-making features: Google AdSense, Super Chats and Stickers, Super Thanks, merchandise shelves, Channel Memberships, and YouTube Premium revenue. It’s like being kicked out of the 

How to Tell If a YouTube Video Is Demonetized

After uploading a video, you can see its monetization status in less than an hour. It takes a while because YouTube is making sure the video is suitable for ads.

In the YouTube Studio, there are seven monetization icons

. Each one tells you the status of a video’s earning power.

 YouTube is checking your video for ad suitability.

 Monetization is on, and your video is eligible for most ads.

 Monetization is on for a song cover, but a music publisher claimed the revenue.

 Monetization is on, but YouTube is still determining who will get paid.

 Monetization is on, but ads are limited.

 You turned on monetization for the video, but YouTube won’t show ads.

 You turned off monetization for the video.

 means your video is demonetized, as shown below.

How to Check a Video’s Monetization Status:

Log into YouTube and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select 

Find the video in question using the search bar at the top of the page.

. You’ll see one of the seven icons (shown above) indicating your video’s status.

Videos that aren't advertiser-friendly won’t earn much revenue. Here are 14 ways to avoid demonetization on YouTube.

? One of the requirements for monetizing your content is to avoid being repetitious. That means you shouldn't post videos with no recognizable differences on your channel. Your content needs a healthy dose of variety, from the audio tracks you use to the topics you cover.

That doesn’t mean you can’t explore one topic in depth. You can create similar videos as long as the bulk of each one is different. Take a look at the 

, for example. We share tips for gaining 1,000 subscribers all the time. But the advice changes as we discover new methods, which means we’re always talking about something new within the context of gaining subscribers.

2. Add Something Valuable to Repurposed Content

Using another creator’s intellectual property, such as songs, video clips, and images, could lead to one or more 

 on your channel. You’ll get these alerts when your video contains media that doesn’t belong to you. Copyright claims aren’t the end of the world, but YouTube might demonetize the video(s) in question or only give you partial revenue.

Can I Still Monetize My YouTube Channel If I have a Copyright Claim?

 happens when you reuse someone’s content without adding something new or transformative. If you’re posting a reaction video, for example, add some commentary that brings a fresh perspective to the original event, opinion, or narrative.

YouTube says it's OK to monetize reused content when:

You’re using brief clips for a critical review.

You’re adding original commentary to an event (movies, sporting events, etc.).

You’re adding an original storyline to edited footage from other creators.

Your best bet, of course, is to use your own content. But at the same time, YouTube understands that there are thousands of reaction channels out there. And guess what? Lots of creators are making money with that format.

3. Don’t Be Spammy, Deceptive, or Participate In Scams

YouTube wants every viewer to have a positive experience. And no user can do that while being tricked or misled by deceptive videos and comments. If you’re on the platform for the wrong reasons – like running scams and leading people to shady websites – YouTube might demonetize your content.

To stay on YouTube’s good side, don’t:

Repeatedly post content about making fast cash.

Lead viewers to websites with harmful software (viruses, information theft, etc.)

Use misleading thumbnails, video descriptions, and titles to “trick” viewer into clicking.

Promote “get rich quick” content or pyramid schemes.

Sell engagement metrics, like views, comments, and subscribers. That includes Sub4Sub, a type of spam where creators ask people to subscribe to their channels.

Post comments to gather information from viewers or drive them off of YouTube.

Live stream content that doesn’t belong to you.

Check out the image below to see an example of comment spam. Notice how the circled comment is impersonating the owner of the video, finance creator Graham Stephan. If you look closely, you can tell that “Replied_by Graham Stephan” is a bogus account.

This user is trying to drive people away from YouTube. Practices like this will get you demonetized.

Read more about spam, deception, and scams on YouTube’s support page

YouTube doesn’t tolerate hate speech of any kind. If you want to successfully monetize your videos, don't say (or type) harmful, offensive things. YouTube will demonetize your content if you're inciting violence or hate against specific groups.

Avoiding hate speech is easy. Think of all the ways people discriminate against others, and simply avoid saying those things in your videos. 

The most egregious hate speech revolves around age, sexual orientation, gender, race, disabilities, religion, immigration status, and veteran status.

Are there certain “demonetized words” on YouTube? Is it possible to say the wrong thing and lose all your ad revenue?

YouTube won’t demonetize a video for containing words like “hell” or “damn.” That’s considered light profanity, and most people aren’t offended by those terms. It’s the vulgar words that will get you into trouble, like repeatedly dropping F-bombs or constantly saying “b*tch.”

Can You Swear on YouTube and Still Make Money?

Here is a list of words that lead to demonetization:

Even when misspelled, adding these words to any element of a video (titles, thumbnails, etc.) is against the rules.

Our advice? Minimize the profanity in your videos. It's an easy way to get full monetization.

6. Don’t Show Dangerous or Illegal Activities

Want to make sure YouTube doesn’t demonetize your video? Avoid showing clips or images of bodily harm, gruesome injuries, and death. These themes are disturbing to viewers and scare advertisers away.

Logan Paul’s 2017 “suicide forest” video

. This was a huge scandal. Paul uploaded a YouTube video showing a dead body, and people around the world were deeply disturbed. He later shared a video of himself tasering dead rats. Eventually, 

YouTube temporarily demonetized his channel

Posting illegal activities is a bad idea too. You’ll have a better chance of monetizing your videos if you don't show:

glorifying dangerous acts results in demonetization or worse.

 If you can expect certain injury or death from an activity, it’s not suitable for YouTube.

7. Avoid Posting Sexually Explicit Content

YouTube will demonetize any video that gratifies sex. This type of content focuses on nudity, sex scenes, and pornography. If that’s the creator’s intent – indulging in sexual scenes – the next step is a no-brainer for YouTube. There will be no ads on the video, zero AdSense revenue, and (possibly) a channel termination.

Clothed or unclothed, YouTube states that showing genitals, breasts, or buttocks in an indulgent way violates its monetization policies. Also, sexual fetishes of any kind and in various formats (video, text, images, audio) are not allowed.

Read more about nudity and sexual content on YouTube’s support page.

8. Use Royalty-Free Music From the YouTube Library

Music copyright is a deep subject on YouTube. But for the purpose of monetizing videos, you only need to know two things:

Never use someone’s music without their written permission.

Did YouTube demonetize your video? Here are 14 ways to make positive content that stays monetized no matter what.

14 Ways to Avoid YouTube Demonetization

Can a YouTube creator’s CPM change for no apparent reason? By studying different channels, we know that CPMs fluctuate all the time. But increases or decreases don't happen randomly; whether your CPM soars to the moon like dogecoin or drops to the ground like a meteor, there’s a specific reason every time.

CPM (cost per millie) is the amount of money advertisers pay per 1,000 views. So for example, if one of your videos gets 100,000 views and the CPM is $8.50, the video’s total revenue is $850. That's a nice profit, but only a portion of it goes to your bank account. YouTube takes a 45% cut, which leaves you with $467.50. After that, subtract a healthy amount for taxes.

This is a best-case scenario because not every “view” on YouTube is monetized. In the YouTube Studio, there is a metric called 

 It shows how many views were actually monetized on your channel.

Take a look at the table below. In this example, the creator has 68,216 views on their channel (for a specific time period). But as you can see, YouTube didn’t monetize all of those views. Only 43,812 views brought in revenue.

You can find all this data in the YouTube Studio. Go to the 

 to see your CPM and estimated monetized playbacks.

With that in mind, here are six factors that increase or decrease your YouTube CPM.

1. The Geographic Location Listed on Your Channel

Did you know that where you live determines how much money you make on YouTube? Some countries have a larger economy than others, and that abundance translates to YouTube. If you live in the U.S., this is something you already know. The American cost of living is higher than most countries. Take India, for example. According to 

, the average disposable income is $3,258.85 per month for Americans and $452.11 per month for Indians. That means the average American has seven times more money to spend.

What does this have to do with your YouTube CPM? It simply means companies advertise different products and services on an American channel versus an Indian channel. Those products will likely cost more in the U.S., which means advertisers will pay more to have them appear (as ads) in a video. So you could earn a higher YouTube CPM just by living in a specific country.

Using our example of American income, let's look at the age of your YouTube audience. Your viewers likely fall into one of these ranges:

These groups have different income levels. For Americans between 45 and 54, yearly income peaked at $78,879 in 2013. As a result, these older but wealthier Americans spent more money (about $60,524) than other groups. And remember what we said earlier: 

Advertisers want to be where the money flows.

Now, compare that to the income of Americans under 25. In the same year, they only made $27,914.

Let’s say you have a gaming channel, and your audience is American teenagers. Because this demographic has less spending power, there’s a chance advertisers aren’t paying high CPMs to market their products in gaming videos. This means your CPM could be lower than a channel focusing on middle-aged Americans. That’s a broad generalization, obviously. But on a basic level, this methodology is why some creators make more money than others.

What are the most profitable topics on YouTube? According to research by creator 

This data was collected by studying CPMs in different niches across Russia, the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, and India. Take a closer look below.

Are you starting to see a trend? Topics like investing, health, and real estate don’t attract every viewer on YouTube. Most viewers don’t think about these areas of life until they’re approaching 30 or reach a higher salary. That’s why your YouTube niche, among other things, affects your CPM.

 to learn how one creator made $200,000 per month in advertising revenue.

4. Seasonal Changes In Your Niche/Industry

In addition to geographic location, age of the viewer, and YouTube niche, seasonality affects your CPM. Our YouTuber-in-residence, Rob Wilson, had a tech channel before joining the team and knows how AdSense revenue can fluctuate.

“CPMs for tech channels go through the roof as we approach Christmas,” Wilson says. “It’s the gift-buying season, and people are making purchasing decisions when they’re watching tech content. However, the moment we leave the holiday season, CPMs tank on those channels for a couple of months…. then we’re in the New Years’ Resolution season, where food and fitness channels see their CPMs rise.”

Now that we’ve discussed other CPM factors, let's talk about something you can control: the type of ads placed on your videos.

When your channel finally gets monetized, your first thought is probably, “I’m going to put every type of ad on my videos – display ads, overlay ads, sponsored cards, non-skippable ads. 

But did you know that CPMs vary across ad types? You can see these figures by filtering for 

Check out the image below. For a particular piece of content, video ads commanded a higher CPM than display ads. That’s because viewers can’t easily escape a video advertisement. But a small graphic at the bottom of the frame? That’s easy to ignore or make disappear with one tap.

A couple of years ago, YouTube was fined $170 million for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Act. This law states that websites can’t collect personal information from users under 13 years of age.

What does that mean for you? If you’re a “

,” it essentially means you’ll make less ad revenue. YouTube isn’t allowed to collect personal interest data for most children. As a result, those views don't see targeted ads they’re likely to click.

Advertisers know this, and they aren’t willing to pay top dollar for ads placed on content with “limited revenue." So if you have a kids channel, that's another factor driving your YouTube CPM way down.

7. How ‘Safe’ Your Videos Are For Viewing

Do your videos show adult content? How about guns and violence? On YouTube, these are CPM killers. For the most part, advertisers want to market their products on positive, PG-13 videos. So anything that falls outside of that will result in limited monetization and lower CPMs.

YouTube’s list of non-advertiser-friendly topics is lengthy. See the image below for every category.

 to keep your channel in good standing and earn the highest possible CPM.

CPM is an advertiser-focused metric. If you want to see your income after all YouTube deductions, 

Your YouTube CPM can be amazingly high or shockingly low. Here are 7 reasons why.

YouTube CPM: 7 Factors Affecting Your Channel's Revenue

Are you a gamer looking to start a Minecraft channel? We’ve got exciting news for you and the thousands of subscribers you’re about to gain. Regardless of what you may have heard, it’s 

 too late to become a Minecraft creator. The game is 12 years old and shows no signs of losing its popularity – not even in 2021.

Why It's Not Too Late to Create a Minecraft Channel on YouTube

 about launching a successful Minecraft channel on YouTube. Farzy is a Minecraft creator himself and has more than 140,000 subscribers and 33 million views. His channel is only five years old, which makes him a stand-out creator among aspiring YouTubers.

Want the secret to Farzy’s success? Here’s how he grew his channel in one of the most competitive YouTube niches.

1. Create a Niche Within a Niche for Your Minecraft Channel

If you follow our YouTube advice, you’ve heard this tip before. Succeeding on the platform is almost impossible without focused content, so 

 For Minecraft creators, it’s not as simple as saying, “Because I only play one game on YouTube, my channel has a strong focus.” You have to dig deeper and get 

 specific to stand out as a Minecraft creator.

“There are a lot of segments in the Minecraft community,” Farzy says. “There are people doing SMPs, which is survival multiplayer. There are people doing redstone videos. So I’m not just doing all of Minecraft on YouTube. I took an exact slice of that game, and in there, it’s me being the entertaining let’s play content slash tutorial content.”

Want to create a successful Minecraft channel? Choose one thing to focus on within the game: build challenges, speedrunning, new worlds, or anything you want. Then make your titles and thumbnails reflect those parts of the Minecraft universe.

2. Pay Attention to Which Videos Get the Most Views, and Make Similar Content

Imagine logging into YouTube to find one of your Minecraft videos 

. What would you do after seeing something like that? If your answer is “

investigate the cause and make similar content

,” that’s the right thing to do. More than anything, measuring the success of popular videos and repeating what works is a reliable way to grow your Minecraft channel.

After all, that’s what Farzy did. Three months ago, both newer and older videos on his channel received some love from 

. It didn’t seem to matter if the videos were weeks old or published years ago. YouTube was recommending his content to viewers, and he decided to capitalize on that.

“I had a big spurt of views from normal traffic sources – lots of them,” Farzy says. “What I did from there is I just tried to double down on that content. So making more engaging tutorials. Making let’s play content that has an inherent value…. And the growth has just skyrocketed.”

3. Strike a Balance Between Minecraft Let’s Plays and Tutorials

Is it wise to upload Minecraft tutorials and let’s play videos on the same channel? According to Farzy, it depends on how you balance the content. When you first start a Minecraft channel, tutorials that are 

 help you stand out. By answering questions people have about the game or showing them how to overcome different challenges, you can certainly get more views.

It’s the opposite with let’s play content. This section of “Minecraft YouTube” is saturated and less prevalent than it used to be. Nowadays, top creators with thousands of subscribers dominate the niche.

 create let’s play videos. You just have to be smart about it. 

In 2021, posting a 40-minute, unedited let’s play isn’t the best approach as a new creator

. And having those let’s plays and tutorials on the same channel is even more chaotic.

So what’s the solution? For Farzy, injecting as much value into every let’s play while still creating tutorials solved the problem.

“Now I’ve learned to hedge what’s not working in my favor,” Farzy says. “One example is how the classic let’s play style isn’t working. It’s very niche, and it’s not a trending topic anymore. So what I’ve done, and what other people have done as well, is within your let’s play content, try and answer a question. You can try and dig into another niche within your let’s play."

Creating a 20-minute let’s play, where the first five minutes is a valuable tutorial

Using the other 15 minutes to entertain people while exploring the game

Check out the video below from Farzy. This survial let's play is the perfect example of instructing in the first half and having fun in the second.

Farzy says he’s attracting new viewers (and quickly) after adopting this content style. If you’re going to create let’s plays, give his strategy a try.

4. Be Strategic With Your Minecraft Thumbnails

Put yourself in the shoes of a new viewer. If they aren’t familiar with Minecraft just yet, is it easy to understand what’s happening on your channel? Can viewers tell which videos are let’s plays or Minecraft tutorials?

If not, it’s time to get strategic with your thumbnails.

10 Reasons Why Some Custom Thumbnails Work and Others Don't

“A lot of new creators look at their favorite YouTubers and their thumbnails, which usually show their brand – their face making some shocked expression with little to do with the game," Farzy says. "They look at that and say, ‘OK, I’ll do that too because they have all these views.’ But really, if you’re not well-known, you need to showcase what the video is about. Nobody cares who you are yet.”

Here’s Farzy’s strategy for making Minecraft thumbnails:

For let’s play content, he shows his face in the thumbnail. But the image has text that reads, “survival series.” It’s his way of saying, “This is a let’s play video.”

He keeps his face out of the thumbnail for tutorials, so viewers know they’re getting a tutorial.

Not every viewer knows what your channel is about. Be sure to help new viewers understand who you are and what you do on YouTube.

It takes time to grow on YouTube. Whether you’re starting a Minecraft channel or a channel that tracks hummingbirds in the wild, it's the same slow grind. You need lots of patience and fortitude to get more views and subscribers consistently.

“My viewers will ask me, ‘Farzi, how did you grow your channel so fast?’.... But you’re not going to grow in a couple of weeks unless you’re some crazy channel. You need to understand that and say, ‘I’m going to put my head down, I’m going to work at this, I’m going to get better, and I’m going to do my research. If you don’t have that patience and understanding, you’re going to get frustrated.”

Take a deep breath, upload consistently, and don’t give up. Eventually, you’ll reach your goal of starting and growing a Minecraft channel.

Starting a Minecraft channel in 2021 is still worth the effort. After all, Minecraft creator Nick Farzy gained 33 million views in five years. Could you be next?

How to Start a Successful Minecraft YouTube Channel

In this post, we're going to guide you through what it takes to get 4,000 hours of Watch Time on YouTube. This is the number of watch hours you need to apply to the YouTube Partner Program and start making money.

YouTube Partner Program - How to Monetize Your Channel

Want to reach that milestone faster? Keep reading for the latest tips and tricks.

What Does 4,000 hours of YouTube Watch Time Actually Mean?

For the 4,000 hours of Watch Time to count, your 

 So that means you can't do a live stream on YouTube and then set it to unlisted and expect all those watch hours to count. Also, any videos you've deleted or set to private won't contribute to the 4,000 hours. YouTube will subtract all of that time from your total.

YouTube Monetization - Which Videos Count Toward 4,000 Hours of Watch Time?

Also, you have to achieve that 4,000 hours in 12 consecutive months. The videos don't need to have been published in the last 12 months, but they need to have been 

Watch the video watch for more details about this topic:

If you want to track your Watch Time hours, the YouTube Studio has a dedicated page in the left-hand navigation panel called 

 This will show your subscriber and Watch Time progress.

Want to get 4,000 hours of Watch Time on YouTube so you can begin to monetize your content? Find out how with our in-depth guide!

YouTube CPM: 7 Factors Affecting Your Channel's Revenue

How to Start a Successful Minecraft YouTube Channel

Make Money on YouTube: How to Get 4,000 Hours of Watch Time

The Truth About Getting a Brand Deal on YouTube

How to Start a YouTube Channel: 10 Brilliant Tips

5 Ways to Grow Your YouTube Channel Faster

How Long It Takes to Get 10,000 YouTube Subscribers

6 Digital Tools Every YouTube Creator Needs

How to Get Your First 1,000 YouTube Subscribers

How to Increase Audience Retention on Every YouTube Video

6 Signs It's Time to Make YouTube Your Full-Time Job

How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel - A Beginner's Guide

Making Money on YouTube: 7 Tips to Start a Successful Business

Getting a Good Click-Through Rate on YouTube: 6 Powerful Tips

How to Grow a YouTube Shorts Channel

The Easiest Way to Get 1,000 Subscribers on YouTube

5 Tips to Start a YouTube Channel for Your Business

How to Make $200K a Month From YouTube AdSense

Growing a YouTube Channel: 6 Ridiculous Myths That Ruin Your Chances

How to Make a YouTube Short In 2021: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

How to Get Millions of Subscribers on Multiple YouTube Channels

YouTube Success: 3 Steps to Create Valuable, Highly-Watched Videos

Starting a YouTube Career: 7 Steps to Monetize Your Passion

How to Double Your YouTube Watch Time by Looping Shorts

The Best YouTube Video Equipment to Upgrade Your Content