Have you ever wondered how to start a YouTube channel and make money? Keep reading because we’re giving you the full scoop on how to get started!
It’s no secret that YouTube is an insanely popular website, with billions of hours of content watched every day. It’s also become a steady source of income for tens of thousands of YouTubers.
But while starting a YouTube channel is easy, making money with your videos takes work, time, and dedication. There are no shortcuts or magic hacks that will get you millions of views overnight.
That said, anyone can build a successful YouTube channel; you just need the idea, creativity, and drive to make it happen.
With time, persistence, and these strategies, your videos can garner thousands of views every day! To that end, here’s how to start a YouTube channel and make money.
In this post, I’m sharing all you need to know about how to start a YouTube channel and make money through diverse revenue sources.
How to start a YouTube channel
The first step is to decide on a niche for your YouTube videos.
Ask yourself what you’re passionate about and make sure the idea is unique enough that it would interest others as well. Topics that perform particularly well on YouTube are gaming, cooking, reviews, fitness, and travel – but don’t be afraid to get creative!
Next, decide on a name for your channel. Choose it carefully so that it reflects the quality of your content to potential viewers.
Optimize your channel by completing your profile. Upload images for the channel icon (profile picture), channel art, and the banner image visitors see when they visit your channel homepage.
The next step is to verify your YouTube account, enabling you to post longer videos and create official playlists. To verify your account, go to settings from your dashboard and click on “view additional features.” Next, click the “verify” button and follow the instructions to verify your account with your phone.
Once you have your channel all set up, you’re ready to start uploading videos! (There are many valuable resources online to help with this step.) For example, knowing how to use YouTube Studio is a must.
How to build a YouTube following
Before you can get into monetization strategies, you need to start building an audience on YouTube.
The most important thing is to upload consistently and be patient; it takes time for people to find your channel.
Aside from that, there are several strategies you can try to grow your audience.
Create a video series
One good strategy is to focus on a series of videos instead of just one. This helps you build a following and keeps your audience interested in what you will post next.
Create playlists
You can also optimize your videos for YouTube by developing playlists. Playlists make it easy for viewers to find related content on your channel.
For example, if you start a cooking channel, you could upload your chicken recipes to one playlist. This will allow people to find your videos easily by searching for specific keywords.
Use the playlist settings to mark the box that says “set as official series for this playlist.”
This option signals to YouTube that the videos are connected when they recommend what to watch next.
Collaborate with other YouTubers
Another way to build your subscriber list is by creating playlists and collaborations with other YouTubers. Look at your favorite channels and see what they’re doing to gain a following.
For example, if you’re passionate about video games, look for an existing YouTube gamer with the same audience as you and contact them about collaborating.
Leave call-to-actions
Make sure that every video has a call-to-action to subscribe to your YouTube channel. When viewers subscribe, YouTube will recommend your content and notify them when you upload a new video.
Leverage other social media platforms
Also, don’t forget about other platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter (X)!
If you share your videos on all your other social media accounts, you can gain more exposure.
Leverage email marketing
No matter what your business is, you should be using email marketing to communicate with your audience regularly. With each newsletter you send out, you can include links to your newest videos.
To get started, first, pick an email marketing provider, like Kit, Constant Contact, or Substack. Most email marketing providers offer free plans to people just getting started, so in many cases, you won’t need to pay a fee until you’ve reached a certain level of subscribers.
Next, add a sign-up link for your email newsletter on your YouTube profile and in the description of your videos. Then, decide on a schedule for your email communication and send messages with links to your videos.
How to monetize your YouTube channel
Once your YouTube channel has a steady following, the next step is to monetize!
There are several different ways that YouTube content creators can make money with their videos.
Here’s a breakdown of the most popular methods.
1. Run ads with the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)
The YouTube Partner Program is essential for how to start a YouTube channel and make money, so you’ll need to get familiar with it.
You must first apply to the YouTube Partner Program to take advantage of most monetization methods on YouTube.
To qualify as a YouTube partner, you must have a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours on your content in the last 12 months or 10 million short video views in the last 90 days. Your content must also meet YouTube’s community guidelines and live in a country where YPP is available.
To do this, go to the YouTube partner page and complete the application. YouTube will review your application and contact you about becoming a partner; if you fit the criteria, you can start earning money immediately.
Once you become a YouTube partner, you can sign up for a Google AdSense account and insert Google ads into your videos. You’ll earn money from the ad revenue every time someone watches or clicks on one of those advertisements.
With YouTube, you don’t get to choose the advertisements that run on your channel, but you can control the category and frequency of ads. You’ll want to balance the number of ads you run with a good user experience. Too many ads and viewers may stop watching, too few, and you don’t make enough money, find a happy medium.
Another way you can increase your earnings with the YPP is through YouTube Premium. YouTube Premium is a paid monthly subscription that users can purchase for an ad-free watching experience. If a user watches your video and they pay for YouTube Premium, you’ll earn a percentage of that revenue.
2. Sell merch with YouTube Shopping
YouTube Shopping is a monetization method for YouTubers with at least 500 subscribers and 3,000 watch hours. This feature allows you to connect your shop (Shopify, Spreadshirt, Spring, Wix, and others) to make money by selling merchandise, like T-shirts that bear images of your brand or the most popular video topics.
Merchandise can excite people about sharing your brand, and the more exposure it gets, the more money you’ll make!
3. Make money with YouTube Supers
Supers are paid priority chat messages that viewers can pay for during a YouTube live chat. When you receive a Super Chat, Super Stickers, or Super Thanks, you’ll earn a percentage of the Super that was given. Fans giving the Supers determine the amount they want to give, as little as $1 and as much as $500, and based on the amount, how long their message will be displayed. To use this method of monetization, you will need to have at least 500 subscribers and 3,000 watch hours.
4. Offer Channel Memberships
Another monetization method that has the eligibility requirements of 500 subscribers and 3,000 watch hours is Channel Memberships. With this program, creators can offer a tiered subscription directly on their channel – think Patreon without ever leaving the app!
Purchasers can access exclusive content and perks by signing up with their favorite creators. They even get specialty badges on their profile when they become a member.
To apply for Channel Memberships, creators must make content geared for adults, not children.
How much you can earn with Channel Memerbships will depend on how much you charge and how many subscribers you have. YouTube takes a 30% fee for each sign-up, so if you charge $10 for a subscription, YouTube will take $3, leaving you with $7 in profit.
5. Use YouTube BrandConnect
YouTube BrandConnect is for creators who meet the eligibility criteria for the YPP. Once you meet the eligibility criteria, turn on YouTube BrandConnect in your YouTube Studio under the Earn tab and accept the BrandConnect Module agreement. Having this option turned on allows brands to discover you and potentially approach you for branded content campaigns.
Offers from brands will appear directly in your YouTube Studio dashboard and will contain the monetary offer, an overview of the campaign, a summary of deliverables, product info, and brand info. You’ll also be able to accept, decline, and sometimes negotiate the terms of the deal in your dashboard. For a more detailed rundown of YouTube BrandConnect, check out this post from Creator Hero.
6. Sell affiliate products
If you create an informational YouTube video that is useful for people to watch, you can sell the products they need to buy. For instance, a makeup tutorial, recipe-making, a product review, or furniture refurbishing… you get the idea.
You can make money on those recommendations by placing affiliate links in your description box below each video.
Amazon Associates is perhaps the most common affiliate program and is a great place to start; everyone knows and trusts Amazon! You can also find products and services to promote on sites like Impact.
One of the perks of this strategy is you can use affiliate links even before you’ve become a YouTube Partner. Just make sure to include the appropriate disclosures in compliance with FTC guidelines. If you’re new to affiliate marketing, here are some tips for getting started.
7. Promote a Patreon account
You can solicit monthly or one-time donations from your YouTube audience through Patreon. This website is dedicated to helping content creators monetize their channels.
It’s the best place for your existing audience to support you in exchange for exclusive perks and content. For example, many YouTubers offer tiered memberships that give Patreon fans access to bonus, “behind-the-scenes” content.
Fan funding through Patreon is another great way to get premium, high-quality content made to entertain your existing subscribers and grow your audience!
8. Find sponsorship opportunities
As your channel grows, you can also begin to feature sponsored videos. Of course, you’ll need a decent following to get paid for these types of placements.
You can find sponsorship opportunities by looking at similar YouTube channels in your industry or reaching out to businesses directly. If you need help landing sponsorships, this post has some good tips for landing sponsorships with a small following.
Alternatively, you can utilize sites like IZEA or Content BLVD that specialize in connecting medium-to-small YouTube channels with brands.
9. Offer consulting or freelance services
You can use your YouTube channel to establish your expertise in a specific niche and sell your consulting or freelance services.
One way to get your viewer’s interest is to create a video that explains how to solve a problem or achieve a goal related to your niche. For example, if you’re a fitness coach, you could create a video discussing dieters’ top mistakes and then mention your coaching services at the end.
Then, you can add a link in the video description box that leads to your website with a list of your services.
10. Cross-post videos
As you create YouTube videos, consider other platforms where you could repost and reach a wider audience.
Facebook reels are easy to upload and are eligible for bonus compensation through Reels Play.
Instagram no longer offers payouts for reel content, though you can monetize them through sponsored videos or by creating shoppable reels with affiliates.
TikTok has a creator fund and affiliate opportunities with TikTok Shop.
Flip is a newish shopping review platform where you can make money reviewing products and posting video content.
Finally, consider starting a blog to cross-post your YouTube videos; this can act as a great landing page for your brand and drive more traffic to your channel through SEO-driven content.
11. Create UGC
While growing your subscriber count on YouTube, you can create UGC (user-generated content) for brands. The great thing about creating UGC is that you don’t need a huge following to make money. With this sort of content, you’ll create video content for brands, usually reviews, that they will use on their social media profiles. In most cases, you don’t even have to post the UGC on your channels.
Since you’re already creating content for YouTube and have a portfolio of work to show off, you can sign up with some agencies or pitch your favorite brands about creating UGC for them.
To get started, sign up with:
Final words on starting a YouTube channel
Many want to know how to start a YouTube channel and make money for more than just a hobby – for a long-term career.
YouTube is an excellent way to make money while helping and entertaining people.
However, building a successful YouTube channel takes time and patience; keep in mind that it may be many months before you achieve the following you need to start making serious money off of YouTube.
However, if you are dedicated to consistently producing quality content and are willing to learn new strategies along the way, YouTube can be a very lucrative and rewarding pursuit!
Check out this post for more ways to make money as a content creator.
Originally published October 8, 2021. Content updated in February 2024.
