How To Make Money on YouTube in 2024 - Partner Program, Affiliate Marketing and More!

Today, probably everyone knows at least one YouTube star. You can have different opinions about them, but there's no denying that unlike many celebrities, these individuals have achieved success through their own hard work… They have managed to build an audience by creating videos that teach, entertain, review or simply show amazing things online.

That's why many people these days are also wondering how to make money on YouTube. Anyone can get started on YouTube if they have a camera (including one on their phone), a computer and video editing software.

You might not have initially wanted to start a YouTube channel to make money—many people like to share their knowledge with others, but you can always make money online doing what you love. Making money on YouTube is no longer just for a narrow group of musicians, entrepreneurs, or people with numerous followers. Even people in small niches can get gifts in exchange for reviews or free tickets to events, for example.

Here are just some ways in which you can make money off YouTube - or on other social media like TikTok.

1. Join the YouTube Partner Program

Most likely, ads will be your first answer to the question of how to make money on YouTube. Joining a YouTube affiliate program and setting up your account is the easiest way to directly monetize your videos.

You must agree to abide by all of YouTube's money-making rules related to your country, and you often have to register your income with the appropriate tax authority. Only when you have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of viewing in the past year can you apply to be admitted to the affiliate program.

How to join the YouTube Partner Program to make money?

Log in to the YouTube account where you want to start earning. In the upper right corner, click your account icon and select YouTube Studio. Select Other Features > Earning from the menu on the left. Read the terms and conditions of the YouTuber affiliate program and accept them.

Create a new Google AdSense account or link an existing account to your channel. (You need an AdSense account to get paid). Also, then choose how you want to earn money on YouTube. Once you've done that, go back to your dashboard and click the Analytics tab on the left. Then select Revenue, and scroll down to the Monthly Estimated Revenue chart to find out how much money you can make on YouTube. The estimate can vary for each channel.

2. Use affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing can be the most practical way to monetize your YouTube channel. It works especially well if you review goods or services as part of your YouTube activity. Since there is no risk on the brand's part (you only pay when it makes a sale), even small, niche channels can try to make money this way.

How to make money on YouTube using affiliate marketing? It’s simple, you find a company or seller with an affiliate program, such as Amazon Associates, and apply to join. You can also reach out to brands in your niche that run their own affiliate programs, which is not uncommon in the e-commerce industry.

Once accepted, you will be able to create affiliate links to the products you plan to feature in your videos. You can showcase, advertise and mention various goods in your YouTube videos, as well as paste custom affiliate marketing links in the video description field during upload (be sure to point them out to viewers!). As a brand affiliate, you earn a commission when a viewer clicks on your custom link and buys the product.

Don't forget to properly notify viewers of your affiliation with the featured brand or brands, so they know you are selling goods. Nothing makes you lose credibility faster than unwanted advertising.

3. Get a brand sponsorship

As any creative person, if you want to know how to make money on YouTube, the obvious answer is “to sell out”. Signing a contract with a brand is another way to make money on YouTube. Instead of earning links, you simply advertise products in exchange for money or free samples. You can get paid upfront, a commission for each sale, or a product or service for free as part of a contract with a brand.

These types of deals are more likely if you already have a strong fan base. As your channel grows, you can contact the brands you want to partner with directly. You can also search on your own for partners you would be interested in working with on sites, or you can use tools like FuzeMon to find corporate partners whose content matches yours.

Note that if you have a paid recommendation or use a product in your video, you must notify YouTube by checking the box on the advanced settings tab of the video manager. This is how to make money on YouTube if you want to sell paid advertisements. Also notify your fans, so you don't lose cred.

4. Ask your viewers to sponsor you

If your idea is interesting enough, you can ask your audience to help you buy better equipment, hire actors or cover other production costs. You can cover the costs—including compensating for your time—by organizing a crowdfunding or patronage campaign.

Crowdfunding is a tried-and-true way to make money for your channel, so you can keep going. There are two main types of crowdfunding: one-time project-based and recurring, or patronage.

A one-off project is great if, for example, you want to create a film or series of episodes. It requires experience and a portfolio, but people are more willing to pay for something once rather than commit to recurring payments. Kickstarter and platforms like Indiegogo help to monetize YouTube.

In the case of patronage, which is better for full-time or part-time content creators, fans of the channel pay a small fee to get bonuses and/or access to special content. This could be video chats, private lessons or even physical rewards.

Patreon is a popular crowdfunding platform, and many video creators, musicians and other artists who already have a lot of followers use it to earn extra money. However, you don't have to rely on outside sites.

YouTube recently created a “Join” button that allows creators to build a community of fans. Every time a viewer clicks the “Join” button next to the “subscribe” button, they can pay to join your community—they can contact you and the posts are better viewed. You get 70% of the revenue and YouTube gets 30%.

How to run effective crowdfunding campaigns?

If you decide to use crowdfunding, you need to do a few things. First, explain how the money will be spent. This will make your fans understand that you are investing in the channel.

Second, offer rewards that will make people curious. If you are producing a series, why not name some characters after your main donors! The more you can make your donors feel that they are getting something special for being loyal fans, the more likely they are to give you donations and higher pledges.

5. Sell merchandise and other objects

If you sell something or offer a service that your audience would be interested in, tell them about it and include links to it in your videos. Many people started running a channel to promote their own business and its services.

There are many things you can sell on your YouTube channel to make money. In addition to making money, you can sell T-shirts, mugs, mouse pads, tote bags…. personalize your accessories to make them viral.

You can even take it a step further by creating and selling your own unique products and running your business through your YouTube channel. For example, a language school could post interesting facts about history and language, linking to the site's profile.

You may have to buy materials or find a producer to sell a physical product, but you can also sell downloadable items such as e-books or photos. Gaming channels have sometimes even produced their own video games!

Even though creating your own products may be more difficult than selling third-party products, you can make more money this way because you keep most of the money as the product owner and don't share with Google. You don’t have to worry about how much money you can make on YouTube since you’re focusing on sales!

6. Sell and license your video content

If you make a viral video that a lot of people like, such as a memetic video of an event, you can license it and get paid for it. Remember, if your clip is broadcast on TV, you have the right to be paid—get a lawyer and make the channel pay if it uses it without permission.

If your videos go viral, news, breakfast shows, news sites and other creators can contact you and ask for permission to use them. You can also independently sell your videos to such groups and start an ongoing collaboration to earn money for your video content using apps like stringr.

Musicians or voice actors can use this opportunity to promote their videos—similar to TV clips, you can promote your lead single on YouTube and sell your albums as downloads or reserve them for your Patreon followers. You can also license your music when it gets noticed.

How much money can you make on YouTube?

The average YouTube channel can earn about $18 per 1,000 ad views. It can be estimated that this means that one video means about $3 in profit. However, the most popular YouTubers earn as much as $30 million a year.

How many views on YouTube to make money you need? Well, it doesn’t matter. The number of impressions has nothing to do with how much money you make. If a lot of people watch your video, but no one clicks the ad or watches it, you won't make any money because, for example, it uses software like AdBlock. The viewer has to click the ad or watch the video ad for the full 10 seconds, 15 seconds or 30 seconds for the YouTuber to get paid.

YouTube gives everyone a chance, but it's not a way to get rich quick. To make money on YouTube, you need time, hard work, fits, learning new skills and an interested audience. Fortunately, if you are determined and put in a lot of work, you can find ways to make money on YouTube before you reach the coveted 1,000 subscribers level.