YouTube has created a pivotal platform for content creators to monetize their passion, providing an opportunity to earn revenue from video content. So whether you’re a vlogger, a budding filmmaker, or simply someone sharing your passion through videos, you’ve probably asked the question: How much can you make by having your YouTube account go through monetization?
YouTube Monetization: An Overview
When you monetize your YouTube channel through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you can earn money through ads, channel memberships, merchandise shelves, Super Chat, and YouTube Premium revenue.
However, qualification for YPP isn’t that instant for YouTuber aspirants. That’s because your YouTube channel needs at least 1,000 subscribers, 4,000 watch hours over the past 12 months, adherence to YouTube policies and guidelines, and an associated Google AdSense account.
Ad Revenue
Ads are the most common way to generate income from YouTube. When advertisers pay to display ads on your videos, you get a share. However, the amount you make is contingent on several factors such as the type of ad, ad impressions, and the engagement viewers have with these ads.
According to the YouTube website, the creators are typically paid $0.01 to $0.03 per ad view. This can go up to $0.05 per view at best. This implies that with 1,000 views, a YouTuber is likely to earn roughly $18. Therefore, to make $1,000, you’d need approximately 55,556 views.
Channel Memberships
Channel memberships allow your viewers to join your channel through monthly subscriptions, receiving badges, emojis, and other perks. While the exact split of the subscription fee between YouTube and creators hasn’t been officially revealed, creators are known to earn the majority of the subscription fees collected.
Merchandise Shelf
For eligible channels, the merchandise shelf feature lets you display your official merchandise directly under your videos. YouTube collaborates with various merch suppliers, and you earn from the resulting sales.
Super Chat Payments
Super Chat allows your viewers to pay to pin their comments on live chats during live streams. The earnings from Super Chat stand at 70%, with YouTube taking a 30% cut.
YouTube Premium Revenue
YouTube Premium is a paid membership offering an ad-free YouTube experience. When a YouTube Premium member watches your content, you earn a part of their membership fee. How much you earn depends on the length of time viewers spend watching your content.
The Realistic Earnings
Lastly, while it’s challenging to determine an average pay, a study by Noxinfluencer found that a YouTuber could earn through YouTube monetization between $0.3 to $2.5 per 1000 views from AdSense, and channels with larger followings and successful merchandising can earn much more.