How to Make Money on YouTube: Every Revenue Stream Explained

You make money on YouTube in five main ways: a share of ad revenue through the YouTube Partner Program, fan funding such as memberships and Super Chat, YouTube Shopping, sponsorships from brands, and selling your own products or services to your viewers. How to make money on YouTube depends on your audience size, because YouTube's own programs have eligibility thresholds while sponsorships and your own products don't.

This guide explains each revenue stream, the thresholds YouTube lists as of 2026, the share YouTube keeps, and the changes YouTube has announced for 2027. If you haven't uploaded anything yet, start with our guide on how to start a YouTube channel, step by step and come back to this one.

What are all the ways to make money on YouTube?

There are two groups: money YouTube pays you, and money you earn because YouTube sends you an audience. The first group requires the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). The second works at any size, but pays only if viewers trust you.

Our honest take: if you're starting from zero, plan your channel around a product, service or affiliate link from day one rather than waiting for ad money. If YouTube is one of several ideas, our beginner's guide to making money online helps you compare it with faster, less audience-dependent paths.

What are the YouTube Partner Program requirements?

As of 2026, YouTube lists two entry levels. The lower one unlocks fan funding and Shopping; the higher one adds ad revenue sharing.

The 500-subscriber level

YouTube's expanded YPP page lists 500 subscribers with 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days, plus either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. It unlocks channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Jewels and gifts, and Shopping features, in the countries where the expanded program is available.

The 1,000-subscriber level

Ad revenue sharing needs 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.

Everything else YouTube checks

• 2-Step Verification on your Google Account.
• Advanced features access on YouTube.
• An AdSense for YouTube account linked to your channel.
• No active Community Guidelines strikes.
• Living in a country where YPP is available, and following the channel monetization policies.

YouTube says applications are usually reviewed in about a month. It reviews the channel as a whole, so a few problem videos can block approval.

What changes in 2027?

In an August 10, 2026 announcement, YouTube said that from February 1, 2027, new creators will need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, to join. YouTube said the update won't affect creators already in YPP and that the fan funding and Shopping entry thresholds stay the same. From the same date, Shorts ad and subscription revenue sharing will require 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, even for existing partners, who keep earning on long-form videos if they fall below it.

If your goal is ad revenue, that means plan for a higher bar than most older guides describe, and check YouTube's page before you set targets.

How much does YouTube pay creators?

YouTube doesn't pay a set amount per view; it pays a percentage of revenue. The shares below come from YouTube's partner earnings overview, as of 2026.

• Watch page ads: 55% of net revenue from ads on your public long-form videos.
• Shorts feed ads: 45% of the revenue allocated to you. Shorts ad revenue is pooled each month, and when a Short uses licensed music, part of its share goes to music licensing first.
• Fan funding: 70% of net revenue from memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks.
• YouTube Premium: a share of subscription revenue based on how much Premium members watch your content.

How much advertisers pay varies widely by topic, viewer country and time of year, which is why two channels with the same views can earn very different amounts. Be skeptical of anyone quoting a fixed "per 1,000 views" figure for your niche.

Example (hypothetical): in one month, advertisers pay a net $1,000 for ads shown on your long-form videos. Your 55% share is $550, paid through AdSense once you pass your local payment threshold, before taxes. In the US, that's self-employment income, and the IRS says self-employment tax applies once net earnings reach $400 in a year.

Can small channels make money on YouTube without ads?

Yes, and for many small channels this is where most of the money comes from. None of these streams require 1,000 subscribers.

Sponsorships and brand deals

A brand pays you to feature or mention its product. Brands care more about a clear niche and viewers who act on your advice than about raw subscriber counts. YouTube requires you to tick the paid promotion box in your video details for any sponsorship, product placement or endorsement, which adds a disclosure label. In the US, the FTC also expects you to say it clearly in the video itself, in simple words like "sponsored" or "ad".

If you'd rather get paid for making videos without building a channel at all, look at becoming a UGC creator, where brands pay for the content itself.

Affiliate links

You link to products in your description and earn a commission when viewers buy. This works best for reviews, tutorials and comparisons. YouTube's own Shopping affiliate program needs YPP, but outside affiliate programs usually don't. The rules on placement and disclosure are covered in our guide to YouTube affiliate marketing.

Your own products and services

Viewers who learn from you may pay for a template, a printable, a consultation or a service. A single sale of a modestly priced product can be worth more than thousands of ad-supported views, and you keep the customer relationship if YouTube changes its rules.

Which mistakes stop channels from earning?

Most monetization problems come from policy, not from the algorithm. YouTube's channel monetization policies are strict about two things:

• Inauthentic content: YouTube says content that is mass-produced, generic, repetitive or made only to get views isn't eligible for monetization. Template videos churned out at scale are the usual casualty.
• Reused content: repurposing other people's videos without significant commentary or changes. YouTube says that if it can't clearly tell you made the content, it may remove monetization from your entire channel.

Other common, avoidable mistakes:

• Buying subscribers or views. Fake engagement breaks YouTube's rules and doesn't count toward real reach.
• Chasing a niche you can't sustain. A topic you'll abandon after 15 videos rarely gets anywhere.
• Waiting for ads before monetizing at all. Affiliate links and a simple offer can start earning from your first videos.
• Paying someone to "unlock" monetization. Only YouTube reviews your channel, so anyone promising approval for a fee is selling something they can't deliver.

How long does it take to make money on YouTube?

There's no reliable average, and many channels never reach the thresholds. What we can say honestly:

Results depend on your topic, video quality, consistency and luck. If you need income soon, a service that uses video skills, such as editing for creators who already have an audience, usually pays sooner than your own channel. Our list of real ways to make money online compares those options.

Next steps

YouTube can pay well, but it pays the audience you build, not the account you open.

• Set up your channel properly first with our step-by-step YouTube channel guide.
• Pick one way to earn from your first videos, such as an affiliate link or a small service, rather than waiting for ads.
• To compare YouTube with other beginner paths before you commit months to it, read our make money online for beginners guide.
• For work, selling and saving guides in one place, see our guide to making money online.