Can you monetize YouTube Shorts?
For a long time, this was the most frequently asked question by Shorts creators. And now, there are a few ways to make this dream come true. Keep reading to learn how!
Late last year, YouTube made a big announcement that's sure to put a smile on your face. As of February 2023, the YouTube Shorts fund is officially gone! Now you can start monetizing your Shorts through the YouTube Partner Program and earning money from video advertisements. This should be much easier than competing with the best Shorts creators for a small monthly bonus.
So, what does all of this mean for you? Overall, it means that if you're in the YouTube Partner Program, you can start making money from Shorts right now!
If you aren't in the program yet, there are two ways to become eligible:
Gain 1,000 subscribers and 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
OR
Gain 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours on your long-form videos.
And once you're in the program, only eligible Shorts will earn advertising revenue. Here's what they should look like, in detail:
Now let's talk about the revenue-sharing model for Shorts.
First, all Shorts revenue is split between two parties: the creators who make them and the music publishers who provide songs for those videos.
Here's how it works in detail:
So, if you're a creator looking to monetize your Shorts, know that your earnings are based on the number of views you get, your geographical location, and how many music tracks you use.
Spoiler alert: Making (a lot of) money from Shorts is still incredibly hard.
But don't just take our word for it. Take a look at the revenue we earned from Shorts on the vidIQ channel. For 468,500 views, we only got $16.61!
So while it's easier than ever to become a monetized Shorts creator, keep in mind that you still need to make extremely popular Shorts to consider it a side hustle.
OK, so getting into the YouTube Partner Program to make money with Shorts is a real challenge. You either have to go viral a lot or face the difficult task of earning 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.
But guess what? You don’t have to join that race if you don't want to. There are other ways to monetize YouTube Shorts, and one of those golden opportunities is through brand sponsorships.
When a brand sponsors you, they’re paying you to advertise a product or service in one of your videos. That could be a new line of laptops, the latest leggings from Lululemon, or even a squeegee that removes pet hair from dirty carpet.
Here’s an example of a sponsored YouTube Short. In this video, actress Eliana Ghen advertises Vita, a mobile video editing app.
If you’re looking at this video and thinking, Hey, I could do that, you’re 100% correct.
Here’s why:
As for that last detail, don’t just take our word for it. Sponsorship coach Justin Moore echoes the same sentiment.
“At the end of the day, most brands don’t want to partner with you and feel like the only thing you’re good at is long-form video,” Moore says. “They want to feel that you may have some flexibility to create different types of content.”
Ready to get your first brand deal? Read this post to avoid the common mistakes YouTubers make while pitching brands.
Overall, there are two ways to monetize YouTube Shorts:
But to achieve either one, you need to make popular Shorts that spread across the platform like wildfire.
To help you out, here's a guide for boosting the Shorts views on your channel!
Lydia Sweatt is a writer who loves balancing her article/blog time indoors with a healthy dose of nature. She bikes, hikes, and identifies edible plants along the way.
