How to Make Money on YouTube in 2022: 5 Ways to Get Paid

Reach 1K subscribers and apply for the YouTube Partner Program

Let’s get this one out of the way first. The biggest hurdle to joining the YouTube Partner Program is surpassing the 1,000-subscriber threshold.

A few additional requirements apply before you can become a partner: Your videos must abide by the site's advertising guidelines and have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours within the last 12 months.

You don’t get paid per video view.

You’re paid for the times when someone watches or clicks on an ad shown on your video.

Influencer Marketing Hub says that while payment varies, the average YouTube channel can expect to make about $18 per 1,000 ad views.

You'll be paid once your balance reaches $100.

Say it takes approximately 1,000 video views to earn $4 from those viewers who saw ads.

You would need 25,000 video views to make $100 through those ads.

There Are alternative ways to earn before you hit 1,000 subscribers:

Become an affiliate marketer

Affiliate marketing might be the most practical way to monetize your YouTube traffic, especially if you plan to make product review videos.

It works like this: You find a company or seller with an affiliate program, such as Amazon Associates, and apply to join.

You’ll use their process to create custom links to products you plan to feature in your videos.

Review or make reference to the products in your YouTube videos, and paste your custom affiliate marketing link(s) in the description field when you upload.

As an affiliate of a brand, you’ll earn a commission when a viewer clicks your custom link and purchases the product.

Don’t forget to properly notify your viewers about your affiliation with the brand or brands featured, and be sure to point them to the “link in the description” when you shoot your video

Create sponsored content through brand deals

A form of affiliate marketing is another way to get paid on YouTube: Companies interested in your channel’s audience might sponsor your videos or offer you product placement deals in exchange for a shoutout.

You can contact the brands you’d like to work with directly or use resources like the aforementioned affiliate marketing sites to find corporate partners that complement your style of content.

You can receive lump sum payments, earn commission on a per-sale basis or get the product or service for free.

Keep in mind: If you do have an endorsement or use product placement in a video, you must notify YouTube by ticking a box in the advanced settings tab of your video manager to indicate your video contains paid promotion.

Create and sell your own product or merchandise

If you have merchandise or offer a service that’s relevant to your audience, let them know about it and provide links in your videos.

The incentive to sell: While creating your own products can be a lot harder than pitching those of other companies, you could stand to make more money this way, since you’ll keep the bulk of your proceeds as the product owner.

Turn to crowdfund

Crowdfunding is another monetization method you can use to keep your channel going. There are two primary types of crowdfunding: recurring and project-based.

Earn more in the long run YouTube offers an opportunity for all, but it’s not a get-rich-quick platform.

The good news is, with a little motivation and a lot of practice, you can find ways to earn before the coveted 1,000-subscriber threshold

Keep these tips in mind as you get started: The more videos you make and upload, the easier it is to reach the viewing-hours threshold.

If making money on YouTube isn’t for you, consider alternative routes