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

 for kid-focused content. The most important rule was that 

channels had to be categorized as either ‘Made For Kids’ or suitable for ages 13 and older.


The goal was to make sure children were only watching age-appropriate content on YouTube. Historically, the platform has struggled to filter mature videos and ads, and in response, the Federal Trade Commission 

. After such a hefty penalty, YouTube had to clean its house - hence, the addition of a ‘Made For Kids’ category.

To learn more, watch this video explaining everything you need to know about YouTube, COPPA, and the FTC:

OK, let’s be honest. This is great news for parents. Arguably, fewer children will see questionable content on YouTube. But as great as that sounds, where do these new restrictions leave creators?

One crushing reality of YouTube’s 'Made for Kids' decision is creators could make a lot less money from the platform. Whenever a channel is 

, it’s not eligible to show personalized ads to viewers. That means no matter how old viewers are, those that watch kid-related content won’t be shown the ads they’re most likely to watch or click on. Over time, that results in less money for creators.

Nevertheless, YouTubers with kid-focused channels can still make money from their content. If you’re in that category, take a deep breath, relax, and keep reading to explore all your money-making options.

1: Sell Kid-Friendly Merchandise to Your YouTube Audience

As a Made For Kids channel, you can increase your revenue with brand-specific merchandise. Plenty of YouTubers are doing that right now, and they’re selling a range of products, such as clothing, toys, mugs, and workout equipment.

Unfortunately, Made For Kids creators aren’t allowed to display a carousel of products underneath their videos. This is one of the 

 YouTube is enforcing to comply with the COPPA Act. To work around this, direct your loyal viewers to an off-platform e-commerce site that houses all your products. There are plenty to choose from, such as:

Once you’ve created your wonderful, made-for-kids store, be loud and proud about it! You can start by adding the store link to video descriptions, but don’t stop there. Mention it verbally in your videos and add screenshots that show what the store looks like, what viewers can buy, and the website URL.

Also, don’t forget to mention the value of your products. Plenty of wide-eyed children may want to play with your toys, games, and other merch, but in the end, it’s the parents you’ll have to convince. They hold all the money, so make the purchasing decision easy for them by spelling out the benefits.

As you encourage viewers to leave YouTube and view your digital store, Watch Time on your channel may decrease. If that happens to you, don’t worry - just be a tad more strategic with your in-video marketing. You can always wait until the end of a video to mention your digital store and keep viewers watching.

2: Fund Your Videos With Brand Sponsorships

As a Made For Kids channel, I’m sure you know how popular kid-themed videos are on YouTube. Sometimes it’s shocking how lullabies, animated characters, and toy reviews can rack up millions of views. I mean, seriously! “

,” a video by Pinkfong that has 6.3B views, was inescapable for at least two years.

As you can see, kid-focused creators have a huge advantage online. To harness your full potential and make more money, set your sights on a brand sponsorship.

Think you need millions of subscribers to make it happen? Well, consider this: Channels with less influence are attracting popular brands every day. For example, this video from Moonbug Kids Learning Corner, titled, “

And best of all? Moonbug Kids Learning Corner has less than 100K subscribers.

3: Join Extra Platforms That Pay Kid-Focused Creators

YouTube is a popular platform with children, so don’t abandon it altogether. According to a 2020 Statista 

, 35% of U.S. parents let kids 11 and younger watch YouTube several times a day.

Even still, you have to be realistic about your revenue. If a lack of personalized ads is decreasing your income, it’s time to share your content on additional platforms.

Luckily, a few websites are paying kid-focused creators for their content. Boost your income by joining these kids-only streaming platforms:

You can also try platforms with a range of audiences, such as Amazon’s 

. Both platforms are helping video makers and other creatives get paid for their work.

If you have a Made For Kids channel, don’t give up hope just yet. With some creativity and grit, you can still make money from the amazing content you post on YouTube.

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

Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps today!

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.

Close-up of YouTube, Instagram, Netflix, and other social media app icons on phone screen

To comply with COPPA, YouTube has restricted many of its monetization features for kid-friendly channels. Here’s how to keep making money anyway.

How to Make Money as a 'Made For Kids' YouTube Channel

In this week's episode of YouTube, I spoke with Devin Weber, CEO of Braille Skateboarding, about the techniques the company implemented to become a leader not only on YouTube, but in the hugely competitive skateboarding industry.

Devin shared with us how they found their audience, built a community, and how we can do the same with our own channels. In this episode of TubeTalk you will learn:

How to find a gap in the market and use YouTube to fill it

What NOT to do - including this one BIG mistake

Why being brand and family-friendly underpins long-term success

Why evergreen content is important for longevity

Click on the podcast link above and take a listen!

So, you're a YouTube creator who has listened to all the advice but your channel is still not attracting the views and subscribers you'd hoped it would. What are you doing wrong? Find out what it 

takes to be a successful channel on YouTube

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. Don't foprget to 

 on your favorite podcast application so you never miss an episode!

You can also find the complete list of all the 

Smiling woman on white background with blue panel and TubeTalk logo for video podcast

We have all heard of niching down, but how about niching up? It's a strategy that Braille Skateboarding used to generate over 5 million YouTube subscribers!

How This Skateboarding Channel Kickflipped its Way to 5M YouTube Subscribers

Have you heard of Patreon, the platform that allows creators to monetize their work? If so, you may have realized that in some ways, it’s a YouTube competitor. The platform helps video creators monetize their talents — whether that’s comedy, cooking, fitness, or another skill — with paid, multi-level memberships.

Typically, YouTubers ask subscribers to extend their loyalty and become Patrons, a nickname for Patreon members. By doing that, creators get to charge viewers for exclusive content, which allows them to earn more money outside of AdSense revenue. Depending on the level of service, these creatives can charge Patrons a few bucks a month or even $100.

Despite this Patreon benefit, the scales are beginning to tip in YouTube’s favor. To compete with Patreon, YouTube developed a tiered service of its own called 

subscribers can stay on the platform and pay creators for exclusive video content

, just like Patrons. For a quick summary on the topic, watch this video from the YouTube Creators Academy about the benefits of Channel Memberships:

If you’re a YouTuber who’s interested in this new opportunity, keep reading! We’ll explain what Channel Memberships are, which channels can access them, and the type of video content viewers will pay for.

How to Qualify for YouTube Channel Memberships

As with most YouTube programs, creators must satisfy some basic requirements before offering Channel Memberships. At minimum, you must:

Not have a ‘Made For Kids’ YouTube channel

Comply with YouTube’s terms and policies

What Content Can You Offer via YouTube Channel Memberships?

When you set up Channel Memberships, you can offer some wonderful, exclusive perks to your subscribers. These include custom badges and emojis, videos, live streams, community posts, live chats, and more.

As the creator, you get to decide how these perks are organized and who gets to access them. For example, you might decide level one members get loyalty badges that display when they leave a comment. Or, in addition to that, you might decide level two members get access to your live streams.

No matter what you end up doing, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to mix and match perks. YouTube is allowing creators to have up to five membership levels. Each level must contain 1-5 perks, and perks from lower levels are included in higher levels.

Need a good example to follow? Look no further than 

, a theory channel with 77.3K subscribers and robust membership offerings. The creator of this channel helps viewers become music maestros with three paid plans, as shown below:

In level one, members get loyalty badges, custom emojis, and early access to videos for $1.99 each month. Going a step higher, level two costs $9.99 per month but offers way more content than the first. Members get perks from level one plus exclusive live streams, a members’ group, and behind-the-scenes content. Lastly, level three includes the perks of levels one and two. In addition to that, members can choose video topics, receive feedback on their work, get 10% off on music courses, and receive a personal thank you message, all for $24.99 per month.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? When viewers are ready to opt-in, all they have to do is click the ‘Join’ button below any Music Matters video, as shown below:

How to Turn On YouTube Channel Memberships

When you’re ready to make more money with Channel Memberships, turning on the feature is easy. Here’s a quick, step-by-step guide on how to do that:

Navigate to the left menu and click ‘Monetization’.

Next, you’ll see the ‘Channel Monetization’ page. Go to the uppermost menu and click ‘Memberships’.

Find the ‘Set-Up Your Memberships Offer’ panel, click ‘Start’, and follow the instructions.

YouTube Channel Memberships Revenue: How Much Money Can You Make?

When it comes to revenue, creators have a great opportunity to make money with Channel Memberships. There are tons of pricing options, and YouTube is letting creators dictate the value of their content.

Right now, creators can set fee levels between $0.99 and $100 per month. After adjusting for currency rates, the same money range applies to other countries where Channel Memberships are available. To see all the pricing options, 

As you start earning, you might realize that all the money doesn’t go directly to you. That’s because while you get to keep 70% of the revenue, YouTube takes a 30% percent cut. Before you set your membership prices, do some calculations to estimate how much money you’d receive charging certain amounts.

The Most Important Thing to Know About Channel Memberships

Now that we’ve discussed the details of Channel Memberships, let’s look at the bigger picture.

First, there’s the issue of quality and consistency. Channel Memberships are an amazing feature, but they’re going to require some extra work on your part. If you’re only used to uploading public videos, engaging a private group of superfans may be new for you. You’ll have to juggle your normal content creation plus the exclusive perks you promised to channel members.

With that being said, consider this: Are you able to provide valuable content under these conditions? After all, YouTube’s free content is outstanding already. Your videos, live chats, badges, and more should entice viewers to open their wallets and pay you each month.

These are just a few things to consider before creating your membership levels. If you’re up for the challenge (which we know you’ll crush), it helps to flesh out your content plan and identify the value in every detail.

Smartphone displaying YouTube logo on screen over scattered hundred dollar bills.

Want to take control of your YouTube income? Put yourself in the driver’s seat with Channel Memberships, a powerful monetization tool.

Make More Money on YouTube With Channel Memberships

The COVID-19 pandemic just won’t quit. That means school systems in many areas of the world will not be welcoming children back in the next few weeks like they normally would.

It’s great for kids, who will literally and figuratively 'Zoom' through online classes so they can release their cooped up energy in the restricting confines of social distancing. Obviously, the situation isn’t so great for the parents, who typically prefer their young ones participate in engaging, productive classes while the adults quarantine in peace.

So, many parents are still resorting to temporary home schooling.

If you think that sounds like a great—but super intimidating—idea, you’re in luck. YouTube has enough educational content to easily fill entire curriculums for learners of all ages, for as long as COVID-19 continues.

Online Learning on YouTube: Science Class

Rather than locking down your squirming kids for a boring distance learning lecture on human anatomy, let them watch this '

When it’s over, they’ll probably watch more of the channel’s vomit-inducing videos without your prodding. Learning accomplished!

, which is still churning out fun videos during the quarantine, including 

 with an interesting experiment on mask-wearing and bacterial growth.

Online Learning on YouTube: History Class

Juice up dusty old history class with master storyteller Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. As the name warns, these jaunts through history can get intense. Exhibit A: an episode entitled “

” with graphic descriptions of historical schadenfreude told in the ironically soothing crunch of Carlin’s gravelly voice.

This course is for high school and college learners.

Hoards of YouTube videos attempt to make math interesting, but none do it better than Vihart. Armed with mesmerizing 

 and fueled by an obsessive hatred of the 

, Vihart makes arithmetic the most interesting class of the learn-at-home day. Don't believe me? Take a look at how the channel even makes logarithms cool:

Online Learning on YouTube: Philosophy Class

Fresh high school graduates forced into a quarantined gap year can get a head start on their university core curriculum classes with a channel like 

 Host Stephen West summarizes the ideas of philosophers like 

 and concepts such as logical positivism in engaging bite-sized chunks of about 30 minutes.

A word to the wise home learner: West advises his work is “beginner-friendly if listened to in order.”

Gym class at home could be as simple as releasing your kids into the back yard. Alternatively, you could provide a little structure with a channel called Cosmic Kids Yoga. Each episode is an adventure set in a different world (

) so little ones don’t get bored and start bouncing off the walls again.

 by offering free workouts to kids (and adults) while households were on full lockdown during the pandemic. Here's taster of a recent fun exercise routine from him:

Older learners can draw inspiration from 

When the time for art class arrives, check out the daily painting challenges posted by 

. The step-by-step tutorials even include links to Google Drive patterns and other resources in the descriptions to make sure you have everything you need. Each episode is backed by a soundtrack of relaxing piano music.

If you want to get a little more wild and messy, click over to 

 and learn some amazing acrylic pouring techniques.

Online Learning on YouTube: Social Studies Class

Leave the social studies to Mr. Beat, YouTube’s resident civics professor. The bulk of his content is about US social studies, but he dips into international topics from time to time as well.

He’s made kid-friendly videos on everything from impactful 

 of the South American nations of Uruguay and Paraguay.

Online Learning on YouTube: English Class

It would be irresponsible to build a YouTube curriculum without including Khan Academy, and the channel features an excellent 

 that’s perfect for an at-home English class.

You can also mix in some English literature with Ted-Ed’s beautifully narrated and animated series 

After creating your own YouTube curriculum for learning from home, you might just want to keep using it when schools reopen. There may even be other conventions to replace with online content.

 then make sure to download vidIQ for more subscriber insights. 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 

Back to school supplies including pencils, clock, apple, and markers on chalkboard background

Here’s how to create a full curriculum of courses around YouTube videos to get your kids through COVID-19 school shutdowns.

How YouTube Can Unlock Back to School Success

Online harassment is an unfortunate but well known problem in digital communities. According to a Pew Research 

, four in 10 Americans have personally experienced some form of unacceptable online behavior, from offensive name-calling to physical threats.

If you’ve been harassed online, it’s time to take matters into your own hands. These safety tools from YouTube can help.

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

Clip YouTube Videos: From Long Video to Short Video

How to Make Money as a 'Made For Kids' YouTube Channel

How This Skateboarding Channel Kickflipped its Way to 5M YouTube Subscribers

Make More Money on YouTube With Channel Memberships

How YouTube Can Unlock Back to School Success

How YouTube Can Help You Tackle Harassment and Bullying

How to Kickstart Your YouTube Channel Right Now

Why Online Harassment May Be Even More Devastating Than We Thought

How to Add Info Cards to Your YouTube Video

What Are YouTube Super Chats?

YouTube Updates Mid-Roll Ad Rules to Benefit Creators

How Big YouTube Channels Develop Winning Strategies for Success

TikTok Drama: What Now for Creators on the Platform?