To monetize your channel, YouTube has set the following requirements as at 2023:
- Have at least 500 subscribers.
- 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days.
- Either , 3000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million public Shorts views
- Follow YouTube's community guidelines and terms of service.
Once the above requirements are met, you can apply for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) . Here are the steps to follow in order to monetize your Channel:
- Sign in to your YouTube account and click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Click on "YouTube Studio."
- In the left-hand menu, click on "Earn" tab just below the "Copyright" tab
- If you have succeeded in meeting the above requirements the progress bars will have a blue color to the end on each requirement. If you fail to meet the above requirements you can make money with your YouTube Channel without meeting the requirements by exploring other money making strategies.
- Follow the steps to review and accept the terms of the YouTube Partner Program.
- Connect your AdSense account to your YouTube channel (or create an AdSense Account and link it if you haven't already).
- Enable Ads on your Videos.
"Your can start earning money from your videos once you complete these steps, YouTube shows various types of Ads on your videos. you can earn money from ads that play before, during, or after your videos. You can easily customize how you want your Ads to be shown on YouTube Studio"
It is important to keep in mind that, the amount you will earn from YouTube depends on factors such as the type of Ads on your video(before, after or middle),the number of views, the number of Ads on your video(the more the better but it could affect target audience negatively), the age of your audience and geographical location of your audience.
To maintain a steady growth of your YouTube channel, focus on creating high-quality content that appeals to your audience. Here are some bonus tips to help you skyrocket your channel :
- Establish your niche and create content that appeals to your target audience. You will have to be persistent and hardworking.
- Video Optimization: include relevant keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags to make your videos discoverable on YouTube Search.
- Promote your videos on social media platforms such as Facebook, Quora, Twitter to generate external traffic to your videos.
- Upload new videos consistently and engage with your audience through comments and communities.
- Use the YouTube studio Analytics Tab to monitor you channel and know what topics are viewed more or areas you need to improve.