Ever wondered how many subscribers YouTube pays? 

Many creators dream of turning their YouTube hobby into a source of income. But before you can start earning, YouTube has certain rules you need to follow.

To make money on YouTube, you need 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million views on YouTube Shorts within 90 days. 

Once you meet these requirements, you can apply for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) and earn through ads and other ways. Let's go through what you need, how YouTube monetization works, and how to maximize your income potential!

Requirements for Monetization

YouTube has updated its Partner Program requirements, introducing two monetization tiers to make it easier for creators to start earning. Depending on your channel’s size and engagement, you can unlock various monetization features at different levels:

Tier 1: Early Access to Fan Funding and Shopping Features

For creators still building their audience, YouTube’s Tier 1 provides early access to fan funding and some shopping features without requiring full monetization eligibility. In Tier 1, creators can start monetizing through:

• Channel Memberships: Offer exclusive content and perks to subscribers for a monthly fee.
• Super Chat and Super Stickers: Let fans pay for highlighted messages and fun stickers during live chats.
• Super Thanks: Enable viewers to contribute one-time payments on any uploaded video.
• Shopping Features: Access limited shopping tools to sell merchandise.

Eligibility Criteria for Tier 1:

• Subscribers: 500 subscribers
• Watch Time or Shorts Views: 3,000 valid public watch hours over the past 12 months or 3 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days
• Content Requirement: At least three public uploads in the past 90 days

Meeting these thresholds lets you unlock fan funding features, allowing you to start monetizing before meeting the full requirements for ad revenue sharing.

Tier 2: Full Access to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)

Tier 2 offers full access to YouTube’s monetization features, including ad revenue sharing, for channels that meet more extensive criteria.

Eligibility Criteria for Tier 2:

• Subscribers: 1,000 subscribers
• Watch Time or Shorts Views: 4,000 valid public watch hours over the past 12 months or 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days

Meeting these criteria unlocks ad revenue sharing, YouTube Premium revenue, and full access to all other monetization features, maximizing your earning potential on the platform.

Additional Requirements for Both Tiers:

• Compliance: Channels must follow YouTube’s monetization policies, including Community Guidelines and copyright regulations.
• Security: Enable 2-Step Verification on your Google Account.
• AdSense Account: Link an active AdSense account to receive payments.

With these updated thresholds, YouTube provides multiple ways for creators to start monetizing at various stages, making it easier to turn content creation into a source of income.

How YouTube Monetization Works: Step-by-Step Process to Earn

Once you meet the requirements, here’s how to start making money on YouTube:

Step 1: Check Regional Availability:

‍Before applying, ensure the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is available in your country, as some monetization features may vary by location. Check YouTube’s list of eligible countries to confirm if your country supports YPP features.

Step 2: Apply for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)

• Access Your Account: Go to your YouTube Studio, find the “Earn” tab. Here you can track your progress towards monetisation and apply for the same when you meet the minimum requirement.

• YouTube Review: YouTube will review your channel to confirm compliance with content policies, community guidelines, and monetization policies. The review process typically takes a few days but can extend to several weeks. Patience is key here, as YouTube conducts a thorough assessment of your content.

Step 3: Set Up a Google AdSense Account

• Link to AdSense: During your YPP application, you’ll be prompted to link a Google AdSense account. This is where YouTube will deposit your earnings.
• Enter Payment Details: Fill in your payment details, including your bank account information, to receive payments seamlessly.
• Verify Your Account: Google may request identity verification, which could include providing your phone number or address. This verification step is crucial for secure transactions.

Step 4: Enable Monetization on Your Channel

• Turn On Ads: Once approved, access your video settings in YouTube Studio and enable monetization. You can select different ad types, such as skippable ads, non-skippable ads, and display ads, to suit your audience.
• Continue Uploading and Engaging: Consistently post new content to keep your audience engaged. Regular uploads and higher interaction levels—likes, shares, and comments—can lead to more views, ultimately increasing your ad revenue.

Step 5: Withdraw Your Earnings

• Reach the Payment Threshold: Once you’ve accumulated $100 in your AdSense account, you’ll be eligible to withdraw your earnings.
• Receive Payments: AdSense processes payments on a monthly cycle. Choose your preferred method, such as bank transfer, to receive funds directly into your account.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for Monetization

Starting to monetize your YouTube channel is exciting, but some common mistakes could delay or hurt your chances. Here’s what to watch out for:

1. Posting Copyrighted Content: Using music, videos, or images without permission can lead to copyright strikes, affecting your monetization status.
2. Violating Community Guidelines: Misleading titles, inappropriate content, or hate speech can lead to strikes on your channel, preventing you from joining the YPP.
3. Misleading Tags or Keywords: YouTube prohibits the use of irrelevant tags to increase views. Always use tags that match your content.
4. Shortcuts to Meet Watch Hours: Creating low-quality or repetitive content to boost watch time won’t work. YouTube looks for quality content that viewers enjoy.

Pro Tip: Focus on building a loyal and engaged audience by sharing content that truly resonates. For more tips on building your YouTube presence, check out our beginner tips for YouTube success. When you’re ready to expand beyond YouTube, SuperProfile can help you connect, monetize, and grow across platforms—all while maintaining a stellar brand presence.

Exploring Income Streams Beyond Ads with Your Subscriber Base

Hitting 1,000 subscribers is just the beginning of your journey to earning on YouTube. While ads can be a primary source of income, using your subscriber base to explore other revenue streams can significantly boost your earnings. Here's how you can make the most out of your growing audience:

1. Create a Digital Storefront with SuperProfile

Now that you've built a loyal subscriber base, leverage it to sell digital products, courses, or services. For example, if you run a fitness channel, offer workout guides, eBooks, or online coaching sessions. By giving your subscribers more ways to engage with your content, you create additional income sources beyond ads. 

SuperProfile makes this easy by offering a customizable storefront where subscribers can find and purchase your digital products. You can sell services like one-on-one coaching, host paid events or workshops, and offer exclusive content. The built-in payment integration ensures secure and effortless transactions, all managed in one platform.

2. Offer 1:1 Sessions, Webinars, and Workshops

Your subscribers may want personalized interaction through one-on-one coaching, consultations, or events like webinars and workshops. SuperProfile simplifies managing these services by handling scheduling, payments, and communication.

You can offer one-on-one coaching, paid webinars, or workshops and charge premium rates for access. SuperProfile’s tools make managing registrations, ticketing, and payments easy, letting you focus on delivering your content. Whether you're providing lessons, advice, or hosting events, you can easily integrate everything into your SuperProfile storefront, engaging your audience beyond YouTube while maximizing your revenue.

3. Grow Your Email List with Lead Magnets

To maintain a strong connection with your audience, you can build an email list using SuperProfile's lead magnet feature. Offer exclusive downloadable content—like a free mini-course, template, or guide—in exchange for subscribers' email addresses. Once you’ve built your list, keep your audience engaged by promoting digital products and giving subscribers early access to new offerings, making them feel valued and connected to your brand.

This helps you expand your reach beyond YouTube and ensures you can engage with your audience through email marketing, where you can more directly control communication and monetization.

4. Memberships for Exclusive Content

SuperProfile allows you to offer paid memberships to exclusive communities, whether on Telegram or Discord. You can create subscription tiers, provide premium content, and even monetize your most engaged fans who want more personalized interaction beyond YouTube. Plus, with SuperProfile’s comprehensive analytics dashboard, you can track engagement, subscription trends, and content performance all in one place, giving you valuable insights to optimize your offerings.

5. Merchandise Sales

Selling your branded merchandise? Integrate your products directly into your SuperProfile storefront, offering a professional-looking space to manage orders and payments—all from a single platform.

By integrating SuperProfile into your income strategy, you not only diversify your revenue streams but also simplify the entire process, from offering digital products to managing payments—all without the need for multiple platforms. Plus, your subscribers can easily access everything you offer by linking all your social media profiles, websites, and digital stores in one central hub using SuperProfile’s customizable Link in Bio page.

Factors That Affect Your Earnings

Earnings depend on more than just the number of subscribers. Other factors include:

Strategies to Increase Your YouTube Earnings

Want to maximize your earnings? Here are some strategies:

1. Upload Consistently: Posting regularly keeps your viewers engaged and attracts new subscribers.
2. Engage with Your Audience: Reply to comments and ask for feedback to build a sense of community around your channel.
3. Collaborate with Other Creators: Team up with other YouTubers to reach new audiences and grow your subscriber base.
4. Optimize Your Videos: Use relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions to rank higher in searches. An eye-catching thumbnail can attract more clicks.
5. Monetize Beyond Ads: Once you’ve built your subscriber base, diversify your income streams through SuperProfile, where you can sell digital products, services, or courses, giving you more income sources besides YouTube ads.
6. Diversify Your Content: Create a mix of video types—tutorials, product reviews, vlogs, or how-tos—to engage different audience segments.
7. Analyze and Optimize: Use YouTube Analytics to see which content performs best and optimize future videos based on those insights.

Conclusion

To start making money on YouTube, you need 1,000 subscribers and the required watch hours or Shorts views. But it's not just about the numbers; it's about creating engaging content, building a community, and exploring different ways to earn.

Focus on delivering value to your audience, try out various video types, and once you hit the 1,000-subscriber mark, don’t stop there—explore more monetization opportunities through SuperProfile.

With features like digital product sales, one-on-one sessions, webinars, and exclusive memberships, SuperProfile gives you everything you need to monetize your expertise and grow beyond YouTube. 

Ready to turn your YouTube success into a full-fledged business? 

Start your SuperProfile journey today with a free trial and explore how you can monetize your expertise through multiple income streams, all in one place.