Learn How to Enable YouTube Monetization and Make Money on YouTube
YouTube’s monetization policy changes from time to time and that can seem scary. We promise you have nothing to fear—we’re here to walk you through the ins and outs of the entire YouTube monetization process. Equipped with knowledge straight from YouTube’s amazing community of creators, you’ll be ready to grow your channel in no time. But first, let’s go through some of the basics of monetization. How do you even start?
Qualifying for YouTube Monetization
First, to qualify for monetization, your channel has to have at least 4,000 hours of watch time within the last year and at least 1,000 subscribers. This policy went into effect at the beginning of 2018 and is another way for YouTube to prioritize watch time (as opposed to view count, which was the platform’s previous focus). “Watch time” is the total number of hours users have spent watching your channel’s videos. Since YouTube ultimately wants to keep users on the platform for as long as possible, watch time has become more and more valuable to creators. Luckily, we have a guide to help you start and grow your YouTube channel.
Based on conversations in the r/youtubers and r/youtube subreddits, the 1,000 subscribers/4,000 hours of watch time benchmarks are actually pretty manageable! Plus, once you’ve implemented an effective SEO strategy, it won’t be long before you hit those magic numbers.
As we’ve said before, do not try to game the system. Your monetization application could be denied if your channel shows any signs of engaging in “sub4sub” or “view4view” strategies. In other words, if you’re subscribing to other people’s channels in exchange for subscriptions to your channel, or watching other channels’ videos in exchange for watch hours on your own channel, YouTube could find out and deny (or disable) your monetization. So don’t do it.
YouTube is a search engine, just like Google, so sure, there are ways to improve your visibility, but if you do anything to game the system, YouTube’s advanced algorithm will catch it and penalize your channel. Engaging in shady YouTube tactics is a risky move and a waste of your time. Trust your creative instincts and focus your efforts on producing content that you love, and you’ll get the subscribers you deserve.
Prep Your Channel for Monetization
Before you hit the “Enable” button to monetize your channel, there are a few things you can do to make sure that your channel has the best possible chance of getting approved for monetization. It can take up to 30 days for YouTube to review your channel, and you have to wait an additional 30 days to apply if your application is denied, so don’t take any chances—you want revenue to start coming in as soon as possible.
One of the most common reasons that YouTube doesn’t approve monetization applications is duplication. (By the way, if your application is denied, YouTube will provide a reason on your monetization page, but the explanations can be a little vague). Now let’s talk about how to avoid this issue.
When using stock footage and audio, just make sure that you have all of the right licenses in place. This is actually very easy because each purchase of stock footage and audio from Storyblocks comes with a license that you can download at any time. It’s important to know where to have and understand these licenses even if you’re not monetizing your channel.
4 Steps To Enable Monetization on YouTube
You’ve reached the required number of subscribers and watch hours, and you’ve checked your channel for red flags—now what? It’s time to learn how to enable monetization on YouTube.
0 Comments