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.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views 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. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

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.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

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.

Analytics

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.

Watch Time

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

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

If you’re not taking the time to clip YouTube videos, you’re missing one of the easiest ways to boost reach, re-engage your audience, and grow without recording anything new.

Clipping lets you quickly turn one long-form YouTube video into multiple short, shareable clips. 

 perform well because they’re easier to watch, share, and surface in YouTube’s algorithm.

In short, clipping a YouTube video is the fastest way to go from a long video to short video that performs better in YouTube’s recommendation system.

Clipping a YouTube video means taking the most engaging moments from a long video and creating short clips that are easier to watch, share, and discover.

Think of it as repurposing your best content into sharable, high-impact moments. One 30-minute tutorial or one hour podcast can become multiple YouTube Shorts, each attracting new viewers and reminding your existing audience why they subscribed.

To clip a YouTube video, you can use YouTube’s native 

 feature or a YouTube video clip cutter like 

. The biggest advantage of clipping is that you don’t need to start from scratch. It’s far easier than creating brand-new videos, and with a tool like vidIQ’s, even the editing is automated. Just upload your video and let AI instantly transform your YouTube long video to short video clips that are ready to share.

infographic showing the process of clipping a YouTube video: upload long video, AI scans highlights, short clips generated, and shared as YouTube Shorts.

Clipped videos aren’t just a time-saver, they’re a growth tool. Here’s where they shine:

: Put fresh content in their feed without starting from scratch.

: Shorts get pushed to a wider audience which is perfect for getting in front of people who haven’t found your long videos yet.

: Pull out the funniest line, the most jaw-dropping fact, or the moment the big reveal happens.

: Post those clips on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn to hit audiences outside YouTube.

Not all long videos make great clips. When deciding which content to turn from a YouTube long video to short video, focus on formats that naturally break into high-impact moments that make sense on their own.

Step-by-step content works well for clipping because each tip, step, or demonstration can stand alone. A 20-minute “How to Grow Tomatoes” guide might yield individual clips for “Choosing the Right Soil,” “Watering Tips,” and “Preventing Pests.” Each one delivers quick value and can link back to the full tutorial.

These are rich sources for bite-sized content. Pull the most thought-provoking questions, surprising reactions, or memorable quotes. A single guest appearance can give you a week of Shorts that tease viewers into watching the full conversation.

Highlight the biggest moments such as a keynote speaker’s one-liner, the most exciting part of a performance, or behind-the-scenes footage. These clips give viewers a taste of the event’s energy and can drive them to explore your longer recap.

Showcase one feature, reaction, or problem solved at a time. Instead of watching a 15-minute review, a viewer might click on a 30-second clip showing “How This Camera Handles Low Light” and then decide to check out the full review.

Live sessions often contain valuable, unscripted moments that can be clipped into short, engaging videos. This might include Q&A segments, funny interactions, or key announcements that deserve a second life outside the full stream.

Educational talks are perfect for pulling out single insights, statistics, or action steps. These shorter clips work well for reminding viewers of the value in attending the full presentation or watching the replay.

If your long-form video is structured as a list or countdown, each item can stand on its own as a quick, satisfying short. For example, “Top 5 Editing Hacks” can become five separate Shorts that each highlight one hack.

If you already have a library of long videos, you are sitting on weeks or even months of short-form content waiting to be repurposed.

man holding a smartphone, symbolizing mobile-first video engagement.

Should You Clip YouTube Videos from Other Creators?

 clip other creators’ videos on YouTube using the platform’s built-in Clip feature, but that’s different from downloading their content or re-uploading it, which can violate copyright.

For growth, the safest (and smartest) play is to 

. That way you own the rights, control the narrative, and build your channel’s library.

From YouTube Long Video to Short Video in Seconds

Repurposing content can be a time-consuming process, but 

 removes nearly all of the manual work. It’s the fastest way to create Shorts from YouTube video content you’ve already published. Here’s how it works from start to finish:

Choose any video you’ve already published or recorded. This could be a tutorial, livestream, interview, or any format with strong moments worth highlighting.

Let AI scan it for the most engaging moments: 

The tool uses AI to analyze your content for sections with high engagement potential. It looks for natural hooks, memorable lines, and visually interesting segments that will translate well into short form.

In just a few minutes, you’ll have a batch of polished clips sized perfectly for YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, or other vertical platforms.

Traditionally, turning a YouTube long video to short video format required watching the full recording, marking timestamps, manually cutting footage, and reformatting it for vertical platforms. This process could take hours for a single clip. Clipping a YouTube video with vidIQ’s 

No manual searching. No guesswork. Just high-impact, shareable content pulled straight from your existing videos so you can spend more time creating and less time editing.

Log in to vidIQ and clip your YouTube videos into shareable Shorts instantly.

illustration of a long horizontal YouTube video being sliced into multiple smaller vertical YouTube Shorts stacked like a feed.

Clip YouTube videos into short, shareable clips to grow your channel faster with less effort.

Clip YouTube Videos: From Long Video to Short Video

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.

Smartphone displaying YouTube logo overlaid on US hundred dollar bills representing earning.

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

Are you looking to start and grow a YouTube business? If so, you need more than click-worthy videos to make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality. If you want to eventually sell products of your own, such as ebooks, PDF guides, or merchandise, uploading videos is just the beginning.

5 Tips to Start a YouTube Channel for Your Business

, we chat with creator and business owner Steve Dotto about why YouTube is just 

 part of a business. Dotto got his start on television during the 1990’s. Since then, he started the 

 YouTube channel, where he teaches people how to use innovative technology, like Zoom, Rev, and Slack. In the grand scheme of his business, Dotto shows people how to promote their products and services online.

Need some ideas to grow your YouTube business? Here are three recommendations from Dotto himself.

1. Jumpstart Your YouTube Business with an Email List

Like YouTube, email lists are for offering value. You get to go beyond the shiny appeal of video-making and show people 

 they need your services. For example, if you have a graphic design channel, your email newsletter might include design tips you haven’t shared on YouTube. If you’ve developed a product (which we recommend!), you can advertise that too. You might sell design templates or ebooks to help people learn graphic design.

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

You don’t need thousands of YouTube subscribers to start a successful newsletter.

, social media marketer and YouTube creator, said anyone can start from zero.

“The first video you make, have an opt-in to get people’s email address…. When your video shows up as the answer to someone’s question, they won’t care how many videos you’ve done before that to qualify what you’re doing,” Martinez says.

Ready to build your email list? Use any of these services to create a value-driven newsletter:

2. Create Webinars to Share Valuable Content and Capture Emails

We know what you’re thinking about this next tip. Hosting webinars is an old internet practice that few YouTube creators embrace. 

The answer has to do with our first tip. Creating a value-driven newsletter is great for your YouTube business. But convincing people to subscribe to a newsletter without some kind of incentive is tough.

Fortunately, a webinar solves that problem.

“A big part of my business is a series of webinars that we do,” Dotto says. “As big of a fan as I am of YouTube and [how] it allowed me to recreate what I did on television, I’m also a huge fan of the live formats. Not necessarily live streaming on YouTube, [but] webinars…. When I saw with a webinar that you could reach an unlimited sized audience with real engagement, and where you can capture their email address, [I knew] you could bring them in if you deliver value.”

The process is straightforward: Create a free, one-hour “training” about anything your audience wants to learn in exchange for viewers’ emails.

Establish a value promise – a short explanation of what you will teach or cover.

Make sure the webinar fulfills that promise.

Dotto prefers webinars to YouTube live streams because there’s no way to collect emails using the latter. But he still acknowledges the power of a well-planned live stream. Both have their place within a YouTube business.

“Live streaming’s big benefit is viral sharing – the opportunity to bring new people in,” Dotto says. Webinars’ big strength is accountability. I get your email address, and I get permission to talk to you.”

Hosting a webinar doesn’t have to be complicated. Software like 

 provides an easy setup that skips the super technical stuff. It lets you stream directly to YouTube, create custom registration pages, offer a live chat to viewers, and more.

3. Create Online Courses for Your YouTube Business

Building a business on YouTube is easier when you have courses to sell. Imagine creating a digital course on bitcoin mining that costs $100. If just 10 of your YouTube subscribers sign-up, that’s an easy $1,000. And because the course is static and replayable, you’re collecting passive income without doing extra work.

Starting a YouTube Career - 7 Steps to Monetize Your Passion

Digital courses are powerful. But before you start pumping out video tutorials, consider your audience. A helpful course to you might be an unnecessary course for your subscribers. On the flip side, what you see as unnecessary might be beneficial for subscribers.

Dotto can attest to this. He says his business model comes from listening to his audience and creating solutions for their problems. That’s how he built a successful course around Evernote, a popular note-taking app.

“I loved Evernote,” Dotto says. “I was just sharing on it, so I thought, ‘They probably want a course on this.’ So I asked them, ‘If I did a course, would you buy it?’ They said, ‘Yeah.’”

The course was wildly successful. Dotto created something he knew people would buy because he had the foresight to ask what they wanted.

As you can see, growing a business on YouTube requires diversification. Here are 

seven steps to build new streams of income on YouTube

Middle-aged man with beard and glasses beside colorful Tube Talk logo on black background

It takes more than exciting, click-worthy videos to grow a YouTube business. Here are 3 ways to make more money outside of your YouTube channel.

3 Ways to Grow Your YouTube Business

Changing your YouTube channel name is easier than you think. You can make the switch in 60 seconds or less by heading to the YouTube Studio. Here's how!

Changing Your YouTube Channel Name on Desktop: Step by Step

Want to change your YouTube channel name from your computer? Follow the steps below:

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

Under the channel name and description header, click the 

 beside your current name. This gives you the option to type a new one.

 in the top right corner to save your changes.

And that's it! This used to take longer, but YouTube recently updated the process. Now, instead of your Google account changing as you switch channel names, neither is affected. That means 

you can change your YouTube channel name without your Google account assuming the same name. 

And, the way you change your name is no longer impacted by whether you have a personal account or brand account. It's all the same process.

Changing Your Channel Name on Mobile: Step by Step

Want to change your YouTube channel name? Here's a step-by-step guide to help you out.

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

Clip YouTube Videos: From Long Video to Short Video

14 Ways to Avoid YouTube Demonetization

3 Ways to Grow Your YouTube Business

How to Change Your YouTube Channel Name

What YouTube Channels with Over 1,000 Subscribers Have In Common

YouTube CPM: 7 Factors Affecting Your Channel's Revenue

How to Start a Successful Minecraft YouTube Channel

The Truth About Getting a Brand Deal on YouTube

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 Increase Audience Retention on Every YouTube Video

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