YouTube is one of the platforms that lets creators earn money from their ideas and creations. You can earn revenue through ad revenue, affiliate marketing, product placement, and paid partnerships.
However, making money on YouTube is a journey, and you must meet certain criteria to be eligible. But when do you start making money on YouTube?
You need to meet the monetization criteria to start making money on YouTube. The prerequisite is at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours for long-form videos in the last 12 months. You need 1000 subscribers and at least 10 million views in the last 90 days for YouTube Shorts. Besides meeting these criteria, your account must be approved for the YouTube Partnership Program.
Keep reading to understand when you start making money on YouTube.
Overview of Making Money on YouTube
Unlike what some users think, YouTube is not a get-rich-quick platform. Starting a YouTube channel and growing it into monetization is challenging. There are certain prerequisites that you need to meet to be eligible.
Not all channels are monetizable. Your content needs to be original and non-repetitive. It also must not have audio or video infringing on others’ intellectual property rights.
Additionally, your channel needs a good standing with YouTube. This means no active Community Guidelines strikes on your account when applying for monetization.
All these aspects considered, when do you start making money on YouTube? Let’s find out below.
When Do You Start Making Money on YouTube?
Assuming your channel has a good standing with YouTube and the views are trickling in just fine, when do you start earning from your content? Here are the steps to make it happen.
Step #1: Reach Monetization Threshold
You don’t start a YouTube channel and start earning immediately. For a channel to make money, it must meet the eligibility criteria.
Once your channel reaches the monetization threshold, you can apply to be a member of the YouTube Partnership Program. But what are these requirements?
Your channel has to have at least 1000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours for long-form videos in the last 365 days (or 10 million YouTube Shorts views in the last 90 days).
YouTube will send you an email to let you know your channel has met these eligibility criteria when it reaches the threshold. However, you need to turn on the alert on the Earn tab of your YouTube Studio menu.
Step #2: Join the YouTube Partnership Program
YouTube understands that not everyone wants to show ads on their content.
It lets creators decide whether to show ads on their videos in exchange for a percentage of the ad revenue. That is why you must apply to monetize your channel via the YouTube Partnership Program (YPP).
YPP will review your videos, subscriber count, and watch hours. You will get approved if your channel meets YouTube’s monetization policies and guidelines.
Step #3: Create an AdSense Account
Your channel has been approved for monetization, and you’re ready to get the bucks. How do you get paid?
Google pays its ad revenue partners through Adsense. If you already have an Adsense account from other Google programs, connect it to your channel.
Otherwise, create an Adsense account for your YouTube channel. YouTube will review your Adsense account application and approve it if it meets the requirements.
Step #4: Get Paid on YouTube
My videos are getting views, and I can see the estimated earnings on my dashboard. How do I get paid? This is a common question among beginners on YouTube.
You need to provide your tax information. YouTube requires all monetized creators to provide tax information, regardless of location or country’s tax policies.
You must also verify your personal information, including your payment name and address. YouTube will give you a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you’ll use to authorize Adsense payments.
To receive your payment, you need to choose a payment method. YouTube pays creators through various methods, including wire and electronic funds transfers.
You’re all set to get your YouTube payment. The last bit is to meet the payment threshold. There are different payment thresholds for various payment accounts, but the most common is $100.
If your balance reaches the payment threshold at the end of the month, YouTube starts processing the payment. You’ll receive the payment in the next 21 days.
Wrapping Up
You need to meet the monetization threshold to start making money on YouTube.
You can then join the YouTube Partnership Program and start earning through ad placement.
Once your earnings reach the payment threshold, YouTube will pay you through your Adsense account.
