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

How To Make Money on YouTube

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.

YouTube Tips & Tricks

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

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

YouTube Shorts

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.

How To Get More Views on YouTube

This post is all about how you can monetize your content on YouTube to start generating revenie. The are four golden rules to making money on YouTube, and they are:

You need to have 1,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel

Your videos have generated 4,000 Watch Time hours over the last 12 months

You comply with all YouTube's policies and guidelines

#1 The YouTube Partner Program Requirements

Commonly known as the YouTube Partner Program, or YPP for short, you'll need to hit all four requirements before your channel will be accepted.

Let's start with the 1,000 subscribers. This one is pretty straightforward, it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to 1,000 subscribers, once you hit that milestone, you've reached that requirement.

As well as 1,000 subscribers, you also need 4,000 hours of Watch Time on your videos over the last 12 months. There is some confusion with this one, so let me try and clarify that. First of all, this is not about how much video content you, the YouTube creator watch. This is all about how much video content is watched on your channel from people all across the world. It’s all those hours of video that people have watched on your channel in the last 12 months (from any given date). You could well have well 4,000 hours of Watch Time over the lifetime of your channel, but it's only the last 12 months that count for YouTube Partner Program requirements.

Another couple of things to tell you about Watch Time. Live streams do count towards that total. Unlisted videos also count towards that total. But if you delete any videos, that Watch Time will be removed from your channel Watch Time hours. And one more final thing, if you are already in the YouTube Partner Program, and if your channel falls below 4,000 hours of Watch Time, YouTube won't automatically remove you from the partner program, but they can do it at their discretion. If you want a much more detailed video on the topic of 4,000 hours specifically, check out this video:

If you want to check the progress of above requirements, you can do so by clicking on your logo in the top right-hand corner of most YouTube pages, and then clicking on YouTube Studio Beta. You can view all of your analytics here, but to quickly check progress on monetization, hover your mouse over "Other features", and then click on "Status and Features". On this screen, you should see a monetization box, and if you click "Learn more", it will tell you exactly where you currently stand with subscribers and Watch Time hours.

But if all of that sounds like too much hard work, then we've got a free tool that will do all of this much quicker and more efficiently. If you 

 on pretty much every YouTube screen, you will see a collection of real-time stats all about your channel. It will show you your channel's views per hour, views over the last 48 hours, and your subscriber count. But the really cool thing is that it will track your progress to 4,000 hours of Watch Time too! Once you hit 4,000 hours, that number will turn green to show you you've reached that monetization requirement.

#2 Following YouTube Rules for Monetization

Next on the list is the rule book. If you want to monetize your content, you need to make sure you stick to it, as YouTube state:

When you apply for the YouTube Partner Program, you'll go through a standard review process to see whether your channel meets YouTube's policy and guidelines. Only channels that meet them will be accepted into the program.

YouTube also constantly check channels in the program to see whether they continue to meet YouTube's policies and guidelines. These policies and guidelines that are very comprehensive, given all of the growing pains YouTube have had of finding the right balance between creators, viewers, and advertisers. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with these 

 if you want to monetize your content in the future.

However, if you are in a TLDR mood, to summarize, apply common sense. If you think a video might be inappropriate, chances are it is, and you make such content at your own risk.

#3 Copyright and Monetization Policies on YouTube

Among YouTube's policies and guidelines is the huge topic of copyrighted material. Essentially, if you use other people's work, then you could be using copyrighted material without their permission, and YouTube does not want you to do that. It will almost certainly get you demonetized or prevent you from entering the YouTube Partner Program. Let's look at this in a little more detail.

For most of you, this is the most important monetization policy. You have to make sure that you're adding value to any third party content you monetize, and that your content has significant original commentary, educational value, or editorialized statement. And let's be clear, that still might not be enough. This does not give you a license to use other people's content in your videos all the time, because if you do, YouTube may use this as an argument not to monetize your content.

YouTube confirms that if all or most of your channel is dedicated to reused content, and you're not transforming the original work by adding your own unique value, 

then your channel is not eligible for the YouTube Partner Program.

 The spirit of this policy is to make sure that YouTube are incentivizing unique and original content into the YouTube Partner Program, and that YouTube are protecting and rewarding the creators who work hard on original content.

Now, some may see YouTube's spirit of a policy as an excuse to demonetize channels they don't want in the monetization program, but let's have a look at it from this point of view. You spent days, hours creating a magnificent piece of content, and it goes viral on YouTube. And then a dozen random video creators steal that content, upload it, generate hundreds of thousands of views, and end up profiting handsomely from it. How would you feel if that happened? That's what YouTube is trying to protect - original content from video creators.

Admittedly, reused, duplicate content, and copyright content is a broad gray area on YouTube, and they don't always get it right. And you may look at some channels on YouTube and see that they're clearly flaunting these rules. Well, you don't know what their individual circumstances are, they may have permission to use that content, or they may get caught in the future, and you don't want to follow the examples of channels that are doing this. It's not a road to success.

Ultimately YouTube is the gatekeeper. They hold all of the keys. You are on rented ground, and if you flaunt these rules, and break them, then don't be surprised when YouTube comes after you.

#4 Linking a Google Adsense Account with a YouTube Channel

If you are going to earn money from your videos, YouTube needs a way to pay you, and at least to begin with, this will be done through an AdSense account. A few things you need to know about this, if you already have an AdSense account, you can use that. You can connect multiple channels to one AdSense account, and if you haven't got an AdSense account, you can set one up during the YouTube Partner Program application process.

#5 Applying to the YouTube Partner Program

Let's remind ourselves of those requirements one more time: You need:

1,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel

4,000 Watch Time hours on your videos over the last 12 months

To comply with all YouTube's policies and guidelines

When you've applied YouTube Partner Program, it may take up to a month for the platform to make a decision. That’s because actual humans will review your channel so it’s a manual process. Some channels have been approved in days, so it could be quicker. However, if it does take longer than a month, then your channel will usually be placed in further review. When this happens, unfortunately, the wait times can get very long. Three, six, possibly even 12 months. In some unfortunate cases, YouTube never seems to come to a decision, leaving the creator in monetization limbo.

We appreciate that this can be a very frustrating position to find yourself in as a video creator, as many of you have commented about this on our videos here at vidIQ. Unfortunately, we ourselves cannot help push the process forward for you, so what we recommend you do is to talk to TeamYouTube on Twitter, make sure that everybody knows that you have an issue with your monetization decision.

YouTube say that this will never speed up the process, but at least having some decision is something you should deserve as a video creator.

#6 Being Rejected from the YouTube Partner Program: Next Steps

Now let's say that you've applied for the YouTube Partner Program, but you've been rejected. What can you do?

When you are rejected from the YouTube Partner Program, YouTube will give you a general reason why. Unfortunately, they won't tell you specifically what video or content is causing the issue, so you may be left blindly adjusting your channel. However, the good news is you can reapply for the program in 30 days' time.

Again, this is where you will have to use your common sense. If you think there are videos that are walking the community guideline and policies tightrope, then they most likely are and you need to adjust them. If there are videos that have copyright content on them then those are probably causing a problem with YouTube as well, so you will need to delete them.

Creators have asked when they apply for the partner program, will having a community guideline strike or a copyright strike against my channel prevent me from getting into the program? The answer is probably no, it definitely won't prevent you, but it is going to have an impact.

There is a dedicated support page with advice on what you should do if you are rejected from the YouTube Partner Program, and 

Once you are in the Partner Program, and you want to take your monetization a step further by earning money from Super Chats, membership, and merchandise, take a look at this video on the subject:

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

Want to know how to monetize your channel and start making money on YouTube? Take a look at our beginner's guide!

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

Name me a topic that you can’t find at least one video about on YouTube. Go on, I’ll wait.

There’s unique, unusual, thought-provoking, and hugely entertaining content being uploaded to the platform every day, and creators are building significant views, subscribers and communities around it.

Our guest on this week’s TubeTalk podcast (

just click the play button above to hear it in full

) we talk to Dan Markham of ‘What's Inside’, who has grown his main YouTube channel to 6.8M subscribers, and his social following to over 500K followers.

Dan is clearly positioned to give us all the tips and tricks of building an audience, building a following, and absolutely rocking it on YouTube with his unique content around discovering what’s inside things.

Subscribe to TubeTalk: The Video Marketing Podcast!

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! You can find vidIQ's TubeTalk at:

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

So you have an idea for a channel on YouTube but it's around an unusual or unique topic. How do you make that work? On this week's TubeTalk podcast we talk to one creator who's done just that!

How to Create a YouTube Channel Around the Most Unique or Unusual Content

Every single YouTube creator has their very own unique story. Each YouTuber has a tale to tell about the first time they picked up the camera, hit record, then posted their content on the platform.

For some, being a YouTube creator is still just a dream. And we understand that it can seem daunting when you are first starting out. It can be a challenge to push yourself, especially if you're unsure about your content or how you will look on screen. However, many of you push through and continue to create and share your vision with the world.

vidIQ was founded on a mission - to help creators. We wanted to provide you with the tools and knowledge it would take to grow a successful channel. We are so lucky to have some incredible creators inhouse who diligently publish video content that educates and informs creators on every step of their YouTube journey. Now we want to turn the camera on YOU!

Let us know how and why you became a YouTuber!

 for a chance to be featured on our channel and receive some cool vidIQ swag!

Let's hear from some of the vidIQ team on what inspired them to become a YouTube Creator.

 is not only a skilled editor but also a passionate YouTuber! He turned to YouTube in college and found his niche in gaming. Listen to his full story here:

 started YouTubing long before he was “the face” of vidIQ. He did his first video 12 years ago and hasn’t stopped creating since! Over 2000 videos later, he tells us what 

 is a YouTube Certified Expert who offers YouTube tips and tricks for Small YouTubers looking to grow their channels. Listen to what led him to become a 

 and let the world know YOUR unique story!

YouTube is full of wonderful creators who each have their own story to tell about their journey. Now vidIQ wants to hear those stories! So tell us why YOU YouTube #WhyIYouTube

Tell vidIQ Why You YouTube! #WhyIYouTube

VidCon 2019 is just a few days away and thousands of creators, publishers, brands and fans are set to gather for what promises to be the best celebration of online video ever.

While the Creator and Community Tracks are a fantastic fit for creators and their audience, the Industry Track focuses on those professionals who create, produce, publish, distribute, and monetize online video for brands and publishers and is packed with strategic advice and actionable takeways.

Every workshop, panel, discussion and fireside chat is aimed at entertaining and informing one of the most exciting and fast-growing industries in the world.

For VidCon10 we've picked out 10 panels, sessions, workshops and keynotes that we believe vidIQ users with Industry Track tickets will find enormous value in attending.

 for the rest of the sessions available between the 10th and 13th of July 2019.

10 Industry Track Sessions You Shouldn't Miss: VidConUS 2019

Industry Keynote - YouTube Sparks Opportunity

For the past few years, YouTube has made some major announcements from the stage at VidCon about features which have changed the way the platform operates. This year Neal Mohan, YouTube's Chief Product Officer, and other YouTube creators, take to the Headliner stage as they discuss new product updates and other developments for the platform. Get a seat early, because YouTube keynotes are always packed out!

Why Small Screens Dictate Big Creative Decisions

One of the biggest frustrations for online video creatives is the demands of varying screen sizes which dictate different shots and cuts needed for every video platform. However, Robert John Davis, Head of Digital for Ogilvy US, is in a very unique position to discuss a few tricks of the trade for creating effective videos, and will prove that smart creative strategies will lead to lower production costs, but much more flexible video assets.

Advanced SEO Strategies to Drive Viewership and Rankings

Did you know that 2% of Google searches end up with a user clicking on a video that answers their question? Do you need some advanced SEO Strategies to take advantage of that opportunity to help dramatically increase your own video views? Join Justin Briggs for a must-attend session where you'll learn the tricks of the trade for increasing the views your video gets because it was returned in a Google search. Every creator, brand, and publisher needs to understand SEO for both Google, and for YouTube, and this session is a great place to start.

Screw Viral: How to A/B Test Your Creative to Perform for the Long Haul

Industry professionals will know the Harmon Brothers from their extraordinary advertising videos which have gone super viral. Campaigns like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, Purple, Poo-Pourri (see below), and Lume have set the standard for viral marketing, but the Harmon Brothers leave nothing to chance, exhaustively testing not only titles, thumbnails, but a wide range of other factors. In this workshop, Daniel Harmon will teach you how to A/B test your creative strategy so it performs for you in both the short, and the long term.

Creator Star Power: How to Break Through to a New Audience

How can brands leverage creator insights from the most successful YouTube influencers to help drive views and engagements for their campaigns? We all know that influencer marketing can be a difficult terrain to navigate but on this panel, the opportunities for brands to lean into YouTube trends and build up strong and productive partnerships with some of the most influential YouTubers will be discussed. If you're a brand, or an influencer, this will be a must-attend session.

The Insights Every Creator Needs to Know: Attracting, Retaining + Monetizing Audiences

In this session, industry professionals will have a front row seat as top executives from Nielsen reveal a true data-driven look at what makes successful video content succeed. With the biggest dataset in the world, Nielsen will be able to confirm what kind of videos are captivating viewers, and how to convert those views and engagements into solid business revenue.

The popularity of podcasts has sky-rocketed in recent years, and many marketers and other creatives are embracing them as part of their overall distribution strategy. Not only do they have a relatively low barrier to entry, they are also a very effective way for building audience engagement. Join VidCon founder Hank Green, plus executives from WNYC Studios, and the Ramble Network, for a discussion on the current state of podcasts, and podcasting culture. Oh, and don't forget to check out vidIQ's very own podcast for the online video industry, 

Stand Out on Instagram: Best Practices Every Creator Needs to Know

Instagram, with over 1 Billion users, is one of the most popular platforms for creators, brands, and publishers to connect with their audience. Besidone Amoruwa, strategic partner manager of Beauty, Lifestyle and Gaming on Instagram’s Emerging talent team, will be at the Industry Track to talk about all things Insta. She'll be discussing the latest product features for creators, as well as giving us a wealth of tips for building success on the site.

Measuring Branded Content Success on Social

Shareablee are back to the Industry Track for another round of killer insights into the value of social video. What makes advertisers take notice of your content, and how to really prove ROI are just some of the topics that Tania Yuki, Shareablee CEO and Founder will discuss.

Influencer marketing is a major strategy for a huge number of brands in 2019. But which influencers drive massive views and engagement, and which can prove a turn-off for that brand's target audience? World-class expert Cassie Roma shines a bright light on the influencer industry to help brands create the most impactful strategy when it comes to collaborating with influencers.

 then make sure to download vidIQ. It will help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

VidCon celebrates its 10th birthday this week, so let's take a look at the top 10 must-attend sessions at the Industry Track.

VidCon 2019: 10 Industry Track Sessions You'll Want a Front Row Seat For

VidConUS kicks off on the 10th of July 2019, and it promises to be the most entertaining, informative, and educational yet. We've already given you our pick of the 

10 Community Track sessions you shouldn't miss

, and now we bring you 10 of the must-attend panels and workshops from the Creator Track.

The vidIQ experts will be out in force (don't forget to check out our booth!) covering a range of topics from ranking in search to creating 

 that drive CTR, to understanding video velocity - you won't want to miss those sessions. We've picked out another seven that we feel will be hugely valuable to any creator. Check out the full 

10 Creator Track Sessions You Shouldn't Miss: VidConUS 2019

Matching Your Videos with Search: The YouTube Secret Revealed

The man behind vidIQ, CEO Rob Sandie, will discuss the impact that answering the questions that people are asking on YouTube can have on your channel. If you hit the sweet spot it can be a game-changer and drive significant views and subscribers your way. Rob will give you his top secrets for ranking on search so this is one session you'll want to be in the front row for.

Understand Views Per Hour: Why Velocity Matters

Star of vidIQ's YouTube channel, Rob Wilson, takes to the stage to discuss why it REALLY matters how fast you get views and engagement for new videos on YouTube. He's going to take you on a journey about video velocity, and you're going to pick up a ton of actionable takeaways to apply to your YouTube channel that day.

Jeremy Vest, the Director of Marketing here at vidIQ is one of the biggest experts in the world when it comes to custom thumbnails. In this workshop he's going to share his thumbnail secrets that have helped his clients get billions of views on YouTube! He'll confirm the importance of emotion, branding, and visual storytelling so creators can achieve the highest CTR possible for their content. We're biased, but this session really is a must-attend for all YouTube creators.

Beating the Grind Without Losing Your Mind

Burnout is a real concern for creators and influencers, but how do you find that work/life balance when you have targets to meet? Drawing from years of work with creators, mental health professionals, & community managers, among others, Kat Lo will discuss the common pitfalls creators face and how to build a realistic strategy for self-care.

Viral YouTuber Ash Blodgett knows the difference between having the next viral hit and building an engaged and dedicated audience. In this session she'll break down the stategies you need to achieve your online video goals.

Gaming content is one of the biggest verticals on YouTube right now which means it's also one of the most crowded and competitive. Alex from LowSpecGamer will walk you through how to build a strategy for growth so you find your niche and find your voice on Gaming YouTube.

How to Make Money as a Creator and Keep It

Devin Weber, VP of Operations at Braille Skateboarding, is an expert at the financial side of being a YouTuber (check out her 

). In this session, she'll be giving the audience solid-gold tips on subjects such as as taxes, savings, and health insurance, and bringing them up to speed on financial management.

Trying to grow your YouTube channel but not sure where to start or what to do? The team behind YouTube Studio will be here to teach you how to evaluate your YouTube performance and how to become your own expert growth hacker.

The awesome Matt and Stephanie Patrick always bring incredible value to creators at VidCon, and this session will be no different. They are going to guide you through data analytics and what it means to translate those numbers into actual strategy.

Be Copy(right) and Maximize Your Content Creation

Copyright issues can be a minefield - both for the creator seeking to use images or music under fair use, and for the licence holders behind that I.P. Join a panel of experts who will take a deep dive into understanding copyright so you can be one step ahead to making a living out of being a full time content creator.

VidConUS kicks off on the 10th of July 2019! We bring you 10 of the best panels and workshops for the Creator Track that you shouldn't miss if you're serious about YouTube.

VidCon 2019: 10 Creator Track Sessions You Need to Attend

 has always been the flagship convention for YouTube fans and creators, but with the explosion of interest in other video platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it’s now a must-attend event for anyone passionate about online video. The event is split into three different tracks - Industry, Creator, and Community.

 is for those interested in everything online video, including the culture, the content and, of course, the creators. It's a chance for viewers to take a deep-dive into everything YouTube and beyond. There are over 125 Community Track panels, Q&A’s, parties, and meet-ups in total between 

. In no particular order, these are our 10 stand-out sessions from the Community Track, but check out the full 

10 Community Track Sessions You Shouldn't Miss: VidConUS 2019

Want to know how the top creators keep on top of, or even ahead of, the very latest content trends? This looks like a fascinating discussion that any video creator at VidCon will want to attend. Keeping an eye on Internet trends will give you a head start on your competitors so don't miss it!

The incredibly exciting thing about online video is that the barriers to entry are super low. That means that there's a constant stream of new creators coming through and taking the space by storm. VidCon is shining on spotlight on 5 creators you should be aware of, as they discuss the success they have found in the past year.

Has there ever been a more creative or inspiring time to be a beauty creator? The Community Track is bringing together some of the most innovative make-up artists online right now as they discuss their talents and skills. This is an absolutely must-attend session for any aspiring MUA looking to create video content around their expertise online. The awesome Mykie from Glam&Gore is just one of the creators taking part:

Have you ever turned to YouTube to recreate a dish or dessert you've seen on TV or in a movie? Join a host of chefs who had the same idea, and have turned their content into billions of views and engagements. If you have a passion for food or cooking, join this session as the experts discuss their ideas for creating, or replicating, some of the most iconic recipes in pop culture.

Your Life Online and Off: Privacy and Finding the Balance

We have created a culture of sharing our lives online - but how much is too much to share? Are you very clear about your own boundaries or are you happy to be an open book? This very important session will discuss where many creators draw the line and how they have established what is, and isn't, off limits.

Harassment is a very real issue for many online video creators, and this session discusses the strategies that have been developed and practiced to cope with online abuse. This will be a very enlightening and supportive session for any creators (and viewers) who want to keep a safe online presence.

Animation content is huge on YouTube and other online video platforms, and the community is one of the tightest and most supportive around. Join some of the top animation creators as they discuss collaborations and other ways of working together. SomeThingElseYT is one of the featured panellists:

One of the many incredible achievements of VidCon has been the ability to bring people together to celebrate everything online video. Whether it's your first time at the Community Track, or you're a veteran of the event, the feeling of finding your "tribe" is unforgettable. This panel discusses how they found their people, and built a strong community around their content.

I Build; You Build: Let's Build a Discussion Together

Science plus entertainment is a winning combination, and online video has given many creators the opportunity to show off their wildly creative inventions to billions of people via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. Join the names behind the Glitter Bomb Trap, Remote Control Shopping Cart, and the Tomatoes in Salad Remover Robot, as they discuss what it takes to be an inventor/creator in online video.

Our last pick is a panel that addresses one of the most pressing issues facing video creators in modern culture - that of burn-out. Creators who can talk openly about the difficulties they have faced, or are experiencing right now, have a positive impact on the community and help to move the conversation forward. This session will include actionable takeaways that creators can put into practice.

VidCon celebrates its 10th birthday this year, and it promises to be the best and biggest event yet. We take a look at the must-attend sessions for VidCon's Community Track.

VidCon 2019: 10 Community Track Sessions You Shouldn't Miss

YouTube is an amazing platform for viewers to find entertainment and information resources. It’s also an amazing platform for creators to earn revenue from ads run against the entertaining and educational content they upload. But what if revenue from AdSense isn’t an option?

, a fitness instructor with over 2.3M subscribers on YouTube. Caleb is passionate about the content he makes - hugely popular workouts set to some of the biggest tracks around.

, he can’t generate revenue from AdSense against those videos, but instead uses YouTube to earn money from other successful business ventures built around his brand. In this podcast you will learn:

How you can turn any hobby into YouTube content

How to make a business out of that hobby on YouTube

How to grow your business away from YouTube

How to leverage your YouTube brand to grow other successful ventures

How to Make Money With YouTube When AdSense is Not an Option: Podcast Snapshot

Liron Segev: Tell us how you got started. What happened when you picked up your camera and you decided, okay, YouTube is the place for me. How did that journey start?

Caleb Marshall: It was really by accident. I wish I could say that it wasn't but before I started my channel. I didn't watch YouTube, I didn't know anything about YouTube. I had just grown up playing with cameras and iMovie and I loved making little home videos but I really was never immersed in the YouTube culture.

However, I was teaching these dance fitness classes at my college as a hobby, and I recorded myself. I just had a lot of fun in the creative process and I threw those videos up on YouTube and I just kept doing that every couple of weeks or so. Within eight months I had 100,000 subscribers. It was then I decided to get more serious.

I was happy with my content, but I didn't know exactly how I wanted to shoot it or present it. But I did have a brand behind it and a vision and I think having that vision is what allowed me to keep going. Because it was less about the little details and having every shot perfect or having multiple cameras. It was just using what I had in the moment and just having a vision of where I kind of wanted it to go.

Liron Segev: The whole thing with YouTube is that yes, a lot of people do this as a hobby and at a certain point you tend to go, Oh, hold on, this is actually a thing. I'm actually getting some traction. People are loving what I'm doing. You went in with a vision, you had an idea and you said, "Well, it doesn't have to be perfect. I just want to produce my content, put it online and see where this leads and then turn it into a business. Get it out there."

Caleb Marshall: I've been doing the same format of videos for five years but always improving on the production values. The goal is to get everybody up and moving, no matter what level you are, you should be able to play the video and follow along.

You should laugh, you should be having fun. It should be something that adds value to your day or takes the stress away. That's my goal is really just to bring joy into people's lives through easy to follow along with the dances.

Making the move from Indiana to LA was the smartest thing I've ever done for YouTube. I know you can really do it anywhere but with me not monetizing any of my videos, I really had to count on making those connections and real relationships out in the industry.

Liron Segev: Okay, Whoa. You have videos with millions of views, like this one where you do a routine to Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too” but you don’t earn revenue from them?

Caleb Marshall: I haven't made a dime off those videos. Actually I've had to pay.

Liron Segev: Okay, you're going to have to break it down for us. Why is that? We know that we want to make videos on YouTube and hopefully and that's going to bring us money. You have 26 million views on a video and you're not making a cent? What's going on?

Caleb Marshall: No, and that's the problem. I started the channel but just out of passion. It was never started as a business and when it became something that I could leverage, something I really wanted to invest all my time in.

Then I had to get creative and figure out how I could do what I love and make money because everyone's first suggestion to me is, just don't use copyrighted music but that wouldn't make me happy and therefore I wouldn't want to be doing this.

As I've gone on, I've had to find a balance and now we do like YouTube memberships and that's been really awesome because I can give people hour long workouts instead of just one song at a time and I can find a way to monetize my audience there. We can go on tour but I've had to get really creative and it's been an uphill battle.

Four months ago we had a label contact us and we had to remove almost 50 videos. The Megan Trainor one, the Sia one. I mean those were all gone. All my views were gone and I mean the labels were just coming for us really hard and were upset that we were using their songs.

It's confusing because then I have other record labels coming to me and saying, "Hey, will you please use my music? We'll pay you to use my music." It's very confusing but monetization isn’t turned on for any of my videos unless there's been a deal with the record label.

Liron Segev: Copyright music is obviously quite a big pain at this stage because it makes sense you to use the latest and the greatest tracks that are out there, but now you have a problem because the labels are saying forget it. They are either they're telling you to take it off or that telling you that if you are monetizing, we going to earn that revenue.

Caleb Marshall: I don't want to work with labels who don't support me. I don't want to support people who don't support creators and so I've just made a choice that I'm never using music from that label again, whether they want me to or not, I just want to focus on working with people who see me as a value, see me as a marketing tool because really that's what my YouTube channel is. It's a marketing tool for music.

Liron Segev: You've mentioned you do memberships, which is your one form of revenue but then you did also say that you go on tour. Tell me about the tour part.

Caleb Marshall: Yes. Well that's my favorite thing. That's what I started doing in college was teaching live classes. YouTube was always just a way to kind of get out there what I was already doing. Doing the YouTube videos allows me to sell tickets for basically a “cardio concert” and we rent out concert venues.

It started out like local YMCAs, your local gym but now we're renting out concert venues and doing live shows there. We have lights and sound and we'll have little skits in between.

There's like a 15 song playlist and it's all the songs from our channel and so people know that dance is kind of already when they come but I'm instructing and everyone's following along and it's like a big sweaty, sexy church service. It's amazing.

Liron Segev: How do you use your social media?

Caleb Marshall: I really think it changes. I love Instagram - I feel like that's kind of my homepage. I feel like Facebook used to be that for me. Facebook used to drive all of our ticket sales. It was our driving factor of our business model and then when the algorithm shifted overnight, we just stopped selling tickets to tours.

People stopped seeing my content. It was crazy and immediately you internalize all that and you go, Oh my God, people hate me now. But then I talked to other people and everyone's like, no. The same thing happened to me. I use TikTok but that's just to make me smile.

Liron Segev: You understand when things are going right and you understand when things are going wrong. Almost like it's a real business. That's the message I'm trying to drive a lot home into people that your channel is a business and whether you started out that way or you didn't start out that way.

At a certain point you realize that your channel has expenses, you have to travel to events, you have to buy equipment, that things cost money and as soon as you start making that conversion from how it's a hobby too, oh wow, this is actually a business. That's exactly what you've done consciously, which is great and therefore you're able to stay that are one step ahead.

Caleb Marshall: I also think it's also a unique place for me since I am not monetizing the videos, I'm more conscious about how I use this to help my other business models that are making money, or how to use this to direct people to my YouTube memberships. It's a weird blessing that I don't have to be so concerned with monetizing a quick viral video.

It’s also a myth that a viral video will take a creator and carry them to the promised land. That’s just not the case.

Liron Segev: You'll get your bump, you'll get your exposure but it's your channel that delivers and that's what I love about your channel is that you don't rest on the one video. Every video is you putting your heart and soul into it. You can see the energy jumping off the screen and I dig that. It’s awesome that you're appealing to such a wide community and that's the power of the internet.

If people want to find you, they want to follow you, they want to get into everything that you have to offer, where can they track you down?

Caleb Marshall: They can track me down on YouTube at 

. Most importantly I just launched a new podcast with one of my now best friends and ex-girlfriend, Hayley. It's called 

 is a podcast and we talk every week and it's very funny and exciting and a new adventure so go check it out.

If generating AdSense revenue from your content isn't an option, there are still plenty of ways you can use YouTube to build a successful and lucrative career. Find out more on this episode of TubeTalk.

How to Make Money With YouTube When AdSense is Not an Option: TubeTalk 206 with Caleb Marshall

During the coronavirus crisis, YouTube has confirmed that health and safety is its number one priority. To ensure that, a lot of its employees will be working away from the office, and the platform is relying a lot more on 

machine learning and A.I to judge potentially harmful video content

. You can read real-time updates from YouTube regarding COVID 19 and the 

YouTube is responding to the current health crisis with new guidelines around application reviews to its Partner Program. If you are waiting for your channel to be monetized, it may take a little longer than usual.

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