How Much Money Can You Make on YouTube? A-to-Z Guide

You’ve probably wondered, how much money you can make on YouTube. 

It’s one of the most profitable platforms out there, but there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. 

Mid-tier YouTubers can make anywhere from $2,000 to over $50,000 a month, depending on their content, audience size, and engagement levels. 

But don’t be scared by those factors. 

Even smaller channels can make a steady income—around $1,000 to $2,000 per month with just 10,000 subscribers.

And you can also start making money on YouTube before you hit 1,000 subscribers. How?

That’s what I’ll tell you in this guide. I’ll show you the different revenue streams available, how to tap into them, and the realistic steps you need to take to start earning on YouTube.‍

How YouTube Pays Creators?

YouTube pays creators through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) once they meet eligibility requirements:

Eligibility

• Building a subscriber base of at least 1,000 followers

• Accumulating 4,000 valid public watch hours within the past 12 months, or achieving 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days

• Creating and maintaining an active AdSense account to receive payments

• Following YouTube's monetization policies and community guidelines.

Payment Structure 

YouTube processes payments through AdSense on a monthly basis, but only after reaching a minimum threshold of $100 in earnings.

Most creators can expect to earn between $0.01 to $0.03 per view on average, though this is a simplified metric. 

The actual earnings can vary significantly based on the aforementioned factors and the specific revenue streams a creator utilizes.

Payment Methods

Creators can choose from various payment methods once they reach the payment threshold. Options include:

• Direct Deposit (Bank account)

• Wire Transfer

• Check

• PayPal

• Credit Card / Debit Card

Key Revenue Streams on YouTube

Remember when everyone said you needed viral videos to make money? That's outdated. 

If you’re using different revenue streams rather than relying on AdSense only, you can earn more even with fewer views.

Here are the different ways you can make money on YouTube:

Ad Revenue

Ad revenue is the most well-known way YouTubers make money.

YouTube pays creators based on how many people watch ads placed on their videos. The amount a creator earns depends on your niche, video length, viewer demographics, and ad engagement. 

To be eligible for ad revenue, you must first join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Once you’re part of YPP, YouTube places ads on your videos, either before, during, or after playback. 

Ads can also appear as banners or pop-ups during video content.  As viewers watch these ads, creators earn money, with YouTube taking a 45% cut of ad revenue.

The remaining 55% goes to the creator. Consider MrBeast, one of the most successful YouTubers, who generates millions from ad revenue.

His videos, often featuring challenges and philanthropic giveaways, bring in millions of views, meaning he can earn tens of thousands of dollars per video from ads alone.

For smaller creators, ad revenue may be modest, especially if your channel is just starting out. For example, a video with 100,000 views could potentially earn between $200 and $500. 

The exact amount you make depends on:

• Topic (Business: $20-50 per 1,000 views)

• Location (US viewers pay more than international)

• Watch time (Longer watches = more ads = more money)

• Season (November/December rates double)

Affiliate Marketing

Most new YouTubers make the same mistake I did - waiting for ad revenue before making money. After five years of running channels, I've learned that affiliate marketing is often more profitable than ads, even for small channels.

But what’s affiliate marketing and how to do it on YouTube?

Affiliate marketing involves promoting third-party products or services in your videos, with affiliate links that pay you a commission for every sale made through your link. 

Affiliate marketers typically place links in the video description or within the video itself. Creators can sign up for affiliate programs from brands or platforms like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, or CommisonJunction. 

After joining these programs, you get unique affiliate links for products you endorse. 

When viewers purchase through your link, you earn a commission, which can range from a few percent to over 50% depending on the product or service.

Marques Brownlee, a tech YouTuber, earns significant income from affiliate marketing. 

For example, if he reviews a smartphone and links to the product, viewers can click through and purchase the phone, and Marques earns a percentage of the sale.

Affiliate marketing can be quite profitable, especially for niche creators. 

Smaller channels might earn a few hundred dollars a month if they consistently promote products and generate sales.

Larger channels with dedicated audiences, like Linus Tech Tips, can generate thousands of dollars per month through affiliate links.

A single successful product review could net $1,000 or more, depending on the product and the affiliate commission.

For a detailed guide on YouTube affiliate marketing, check out our complete blog that covers everything you need to earn money through affiliate marketing.

Merchandise and Product Sales

Selling merchandise is another way to get monetized on YouTube. 

Creators can design and sell branded products, such as clothing, mugs, phone cases, and more, either through YouTube’s built-in merchandise shelf. 

To start selling merchandise, creators need to be part of the YPP, which requires at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.

Once approved, YouTube allows creators to integrate a Merchandise Shelf on their channel, where fans can browse and purchase merchandise directly from the platform. 

The shelf can be added under videos, on the channel store page, or even within live streams.

Merchandise Shelf under video:

Merchandise Shelf on live streams:

Merchandise Shelf on the channel’s store page:

Creators can design their merch—be it branded clothing, accessories, or custom products. 

Using platforms such as Streamlabs, Teespring, or Spreadshop, you can easily set up a store that connects directly to their YouTube channel. 

These platforms handle the production, shipping, and customer service all on their own so you don’t need to handle them yourself. 

On Merch Shelf, you can curate and showcase up to 30 items. Products can be arranged based on popularity or new releases, and creators can update the selection anytime. 

You can earn anywhere from $5 to $50 per product sold, depending on the price and profit margin. With a large and dedicated fanbase, selling products can bring in a significant amount of money. 

For example, a creator with 100,000 subscribers could potentially sell 500 shirts per month at $20 profit each, bringing in $10,000 monthly in merchandise revenue.

Super Chats, Memberships, and Donations

Fan donations and interactive features like Super Chats and Channel Memberships offer creators a way to earn money directly from their audience. 

These features are especially popular during live streams or community-based content.

Super Chats allow viewers to donate money during live streams in exchange for their messages being highlighted in the chat. 

Channel Memberships lets fans pay a monthly subscription for exclusive content, custom emojis, and badges. 

Additionally, creators can receive Donations through Patreon or directly via PayPal, giving fans a way to support creators outside of the YouTube platform.

The income from Super Chats and memberships can vary greatly depending on audience size and engagement. 

For smaller creators, Super Chats might bring in $50 to $100 per stream. Bigger creators can make thousands per stream. 

Jacksepticeye, a YouTube gamer, has made millions from fan donations and memberships. 

During his live streams, fans regularly send Super Chats, and many have signed up for his Channel Memberships. 

This has created an additional revenue stream on top of ad revenue and product sales.

Selling Courses or Digital Products

Many YouTubers turn their expertise into profit by selling online courses or digital products. 

This is a great way to capitalize on your knowledge and audience, offering valuable content that can be sold multiple times.

Creators with specialized knowledge in a particular field like graphic design, photography, or language learning can create and sell online courses or eBooks. 

Teachable or Udemy make it easy to create and sell courses. 

You can also sell digital products like presets, templates, or exclusive video content via your websites or Gumroad.

The earning potential for courses and digital products can be substantial. 

A well-marketed course could generate anywhere from $500 to $20,000 in a single launch, depending on the price and number of sales. 

Small creators could earn a few hundred dollars per month, while established creators can make tens of thousands monthly if their courses gain traction.

Roberto Blake, a YouTube creator who helps content creators grow their channels, has built a successful business selling online courses.

Similarly, Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income earns a substantial amount from his online courses on entrepreneurship.

If you’re camera-shy but still want to make money on YouTube, check our guide on faceless YouTube channel ideas.

Top Factors that Influence YouTube Earnings

Several factors can determine how much money you can earn on YouTube. 

From the niche you choose to the size of your audience, each aspect plays an important role in your overall revenue.

Niche Selection

The niche you choose for your YouTube channel can greatly impact how much you earn. 

Some niches are more profitable than others due to higher ad rates, larger audiences, or the demand for specific content.

For instance, finance, technology, and business-related channels tend to earn more per 1,000 views due to the high-value nature of their target audience.

This is because advertisers are willing to pay a premium to reach people in these demographics, who are more likely to make high-ticket purchases.

Therefore, for these niches, you could earn $5 to $10 per 1,000 views if your content is well-targeted. 

On the other hand, general entertainment or vlogging channels may earn lower ad rates, as the audience tends to be broader and less targeted. Thus the earnings in them may range from $1 to $3 per 1,000 views. 

Choosing a high-value niche is a strategic move for creators looking to maximize ad revenue and attract lucrative sponsorship deals.

Below is the list of profitable YouTube niches with their potential income based on CPM (Cost Per Mille) rates.

Audience Demographics

The demographics of your audience, such as age, gender, location, and interests, have a direct impact on how much you can earn on YouTube.

Advertisers pay more to reach certain demographics that suit their products or services.

For example, if your audience consists mostly of professionals or high-income earners, advertisers targeting this demographic will likely pay more for ad space. 

The same goes for channels with an audience located in countries with higher purchasing power, such as the United States, Canada, or Europe. 

For example, creators with a predominantly U.S.-based audience can expect higher ad rates, around $4 to $10 per 1,000 views. 

In contrast, audiences from countries like India may see lower ad rates, ranging from $0.10 to $0.30 per 1,000 views.

Additionally, the age group you cater to matters—brands in industries like tech, gaming, and fashion are eager to target younger, tech-savvy consumers.

Understanding and catering to your audience's demographics can help you secure better-paying opportunities, both from ads and sponsorships.

Video Performance

The more engaged viewers are with your content, the more likely YouTube is to promote it, resulting in increased views and ad revenue. 

High-performing videos with longer watch times and better CTRs will show up in YouTube’s recommended videos, giving you more visibility and higher ad revenue. 

Additionally, videos with high engagement, such as likes, shares, and comments, signal to YouTube that your content is valuable, prompting the algorithm to distribute it to a wider audience.

For a video that performs well (over 1 million views), creators can earn around $3000, depending on engagement and the types of ads displayed. 

Videos with lower performance might earn significantly less, but if your content regularly performs well, you can expect consistent revenue.

Channel Size

Channel size, or the number of subscribers and views you have, is directly correlated with how much money you can make on YouTube.

The more subscribers you have, the more views your videos are likely to get, which translates to higher ad revenue. 

Channels with larger subscriber bases also tend to get more sponsorship offers, as brands prefer to partner with creators who have a substantial reach.

Additionally, bigger channels often have higher video output, which leads to more monetizable content. For channels with fewer subscribers, earning potential may be limited. 

However, as your channel grows and you hit milestones like 1 million subscribers, the revenue potential increases. 

A smaller channel having 10k subscribers might earn around $500 to $2,000 per month but a channel with 1 million or more subscribers can easily earn $10,000 or more per month, depending on engagement, ad rates, and sponsorships.

Real Examples

YouTube isn't a platform just for big brands. Many smaller creators have found success and turned their channels into profitable ventures.

Sarah’s Day – Health and Wellness Success

Sarah’s Day, a fitness and health YouTuber with over 1.5 million subscribers, has successfully turned her channel into a full-time business.

She primarily earns through affiliate marketing and product sales, offering fitness guides, clothing, and health supplements. 

Her content focuses on holistic health, fitness routines, and nutrition tips, which go to heart with her dedicated audience. 

With her engaged community, Sarah's Adsense earnings are between $300 to $6000 per month. But you know, AdSense earnings are small comparable to other revenue streams. So, she’ll be making around $20K-$50K each month.

NikkieTutorials – Beauty Influencer Triumph

NikkieTutorials, a beauty and makeup YouTuber with over 14 million subscribers, has diversified her income streams through brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, and product sales.

Collaborating with brands like Maybelline and launching her own makeup line, Nikkie generates significant revenue. 

Her content, including makeup tutorials, reviews, and beauty challenges, drives high engagement and she is potentially earning between $2.8k-$45.2k per month just through Adsense.

Simply Quinoa – Healthy Living and Cooking

Simply Quinoa, a health-focused cooking channel with over 500K subscribers, has carved out a successful niche by combining recipes with wellness tips.

The channel earns primarily through affiliate marketing by recommending health products. 

It also generates income from brand partnerships and selling its own digital products.

The content, which focuses on healthy, easy-to-make meals, attracts a dedicated audience looking for nutritious food options, leading to strong engagement. 

Through YouTube ads, Simply Quinoa likely brings in $600+ per month, and the success of affiliate links and product collaborations is not disclosed yet.

The Domestic Geek – Cooking Channel Success

The Domestic Geek, a cooking channel with 2 million subscribers, focuses on easy-to-make, healthy recipes. 

Through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and selling kitchen-related merchandise, the channel generates a steady income.

Content that provides clear, practical recipes has led to a high level of audience engagement. And because of this channels like The Domestic Geek could earn over $1000 per month with just ads.

Costs of Running a YouTube Channel

Running a YouTube channel involves more than just creating content. 

Yes, it can be a profitable business, but there are several costs associated with building and maintaining your channel.

Below is the breakdown of these costs and a solution to overcome them.

Equipment Costs

One of the primary expenses for YouTubers is purchasing the right equipment. 

The quality of your videos plays a significant role in attracting viewers, so investing in good gear is important. The basic equipment you’ll need includes:

• Camera: A good quality camera is necessary for recording high-definition videos. Many creators start with their smartphone cameras, investing in a DSLR or mirrorless camera can improve the production quality. Good options like the Sony ZV-E10 II or Panasonic Lumix S5II cost between $1200 to $15,000.
  
  
• Microphone: Clear audio is just as important as high-quality video. An external microphone, like the Rode VideoMic or Blue Yeti, ranges from $50 to $200.
  
  
• Lighting: Proper lighting makes your videos professional. Softbox lights or ring lights can cost between $50 to $200, depending on the type and setup.
  
  
• Tripod and Stabilizer: A sturdy tripod is essential for stable shots. Basic tripods start at $30, but higher-end models can cost over $100. If you plan on filming while moving, a stabilizer can help with smooth video shots, costing around $100.

Software and Editing Tools

Editing is a huge part of content creation. You’ll need software to cut, trim, and enhance your videos. 

There are free options: iMovie for beginners, but many creators opt for professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. 

These programs typically cost $20 to $50 per month for a subscription, or a one-time fee of around $300 to $400 for Final Cut Pro.

For thumbnail creation and graphic design, Canva or Adobe Photoshop may be necessary. 

Canva offers a free version, but the Pro version costs $55 per year. Photoshop’s subscription is around $23 per month.

Marketing and Promotion

To grow your channel, you'll need to invest in marketing. 

Although organic growth is important, you may want to pay for YouTube ads or social media ads to drive traffic to your videos. 

Budgeting around $300 to $1500 per month for ads can help increase your reach. 

Additionally, spending money on YouTube growth tools—TubeBuddy or VidIQ (around $3 to $17 per month) can help optimize your videos and attract more viewers.

Miscellaneous Costs

Other costs might include:

• Website/Domain: If you want to sell products, have a blog, or just manage your content outside of YouTube, you may need to buy a domain and hosting. Expect to spend around $50 to $150 annually.

• Outsourcing: As your channel grows, you may hire others to help with tasks like video editing, graphic design, or social media management. Outsourcing can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 per hour, depending on the task.

How Zebracat Can Help Reduce Costs?

If you’re looking to drastically cut down on your production costs, Zebracat is the solution. 

This video creation platform can help you create viral videos 10X faster and easier—all without needing advanced editing skills. 

By converting text or audio into playful videos with AI avatars, voices, and visuals, you can reduce your production time and expenses by up to 70%.

Zebracat helps you quickly create professional-quality AI videos for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. 

Whether you're looking to create video ads, faceless social media content, or blog-to-video posts, Zebracat’s AI editing tools and customizable features can help you save money and effort. 

You no longer need to invest in expensive equipment or time-consuming software.

Here’s a video explaining how you can use Zebracat to make viral videos.

How to Maximize Your YouTube Earnings?

Maximizing your YouTube earnings needs strategic planning, valuable content, and using multiple revenue streams. 

These are the specific steps you can take, backed by statistics, to increase your earnings on YouTube.

Create Consistently High-Quality Content

Consistency is of the utmost importance. 

Channels that upload videos regularly, either long or short, are more likely to attract subscribers and build a loyal audience. 

YouTube statistics show that creators who post multiple times per week have significantly higher subscriber growth. 

Videos that are over 10 minutes long also tend to generate higher earnings because they allow YouTube to place more ads throughout the video.

Nick Nimmin, a YouTube creator who helps other creators grow their channels, uploads multiple videos each week. 

His consistent, high-quality content on YouTube growth strategies has enabled him to build a dedicated following and generate ad revenue between $80 to $1300 per month from YouTube alone.

Diversify Your Revenue Streams

Don’t rely solely on ad revenue—check other monetization options including. Do affiliate marketing. Promote products in your videos and earn a commission when viewers buy through your links.

You can sell branded merchandise directly on your channel using YouTube's Merchandise Shelf. Plus use Super Chats and Channel Memberships to monetize your community and increase earnings.

Partner with brands for sponsored videos even if you have a faceless YouTube channel. In exchange for promoting their products, you can earn a flat fee or a share of the profits.

Leverage SEO to Grow Your Channel

Optimizing your content for search is highly important.

YouTube receives more than 2 billion logged-in monthly users, and to stand out, your videos must be discoverable. 

Keep in mind that YouTube's search algorithm focuses on one thing above all: solving viewer problems. Here’s how to do it:

• Answer the search intent in your first 30 seconds. If someone searches "how to make crispy pizza," don't start with a story. Show them exactly what makes pizza crispy.

• Write your title twice - first for humans, then for SEO. "Why Your Sourdough Won't Rise (Beginner's Fix)" works better than "Best Sourdough Troubleshooting Guide 2024."

• Place your exact target keyword in these spots:

1. The first line of the description
2. Video file name before uploading
3. Spoken in the first 30 seconds
4. Custom closed captions

• Create timestamps for longer videos. YouTube now shows these in search results, giving you more real estate. Mark key moments people search for.

• Target "comparison" and "problem" searches. Videos like "AirPods vs Galaxy Buds" or "Fix AirPods Not Connecting" rank faster than general reviews.

• Match your thumbnail text to common search phrases. If people search "pizza dough too sticky," use those exact words in your thumbnail.

• Look at the "People Also Ask" boxes on Google and YouTube autocomplete. These questions reveal exactly what your audience is searching for.

Collaborate with Other Creators

Collaboration can be a powerful tool to increase exposure and revenue. By working with other creators, you gain access to their audiences which will increase your subscriber count and viewership. 

You can collaborate by doing guest appearances on each other’s channels, creating joint videos, or promoting each other’s content in your videos

Shopify reports that nano-influencers (fewer than 10,000 followers) have a 2.53% engagement rate, which is much higher than that of mega-influencers, who typically average around 0.92%.

The Highest-Paid YouTube Stars

Below is the list of highest-paid YouTube stars with some of them with the most-watched YouTube video of all time.

The Bottom Line  

When it comes to making money on YouTube, the possibilities are endless. With the right strategy and dedication, anyone can make his/her YouTube channel a profitable venture.

However, creating content and managing these YouTube revenue streams can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially for creators who are just starting out.

This is where Zebracat helps. 

By automating video creation and editing, Zebracat helps you produce high-quality, likable content 10X faster—without the need for any editing skills. 

It converts prompts, scripts, blogs, and even audio with human-like voiceovers, avatars, appealing visuals, transitions, effects and music with just a few clicks and boosts your production cost by up to 70%.

So if you want to maximize your earnings through a YouTube channel, Zebracat is the perfect tool to get you there faster and more efficiently.

Sign up today and join over 50,000 creators who are already using AI to optimize their video creation.

FAQs

How long does it take to start making money on YouTube?

It depends. If you’re doing affiliate marketing, you may start earning in the first week. But for AdSense, it takes time. New channels typically take 6-8 months to reach YouTube's monetization requirements.

Here’s how you can speed up this process:

• Create videos answering specific questions in your niche. "How to Fix a Leaky Faucet" gets more views than "Plumbing Tips" because it solves an immediate problem people are searching for.

• Post 2-3 shorter videos (4-7 minutes) weekly rather than one long video. More uploads mean more chances to appear in search and suggestions, speeding up subscriber growth. (Check out our guide on YouTube Shorts ideas)

• Jump on trending discussions smartly. When big tech channels debate iPhone vs Android, create a balanced video comparing specific features. People actively search for different viewpoints during heated debates, giving smaller channels a chance to get found.

Once approved, linking your AdSense account takes 2-3 days to process. But remember - smart creators don't wait for ads. They start with affiliate links, brand deals, or digital products from day one.

Can I Make Money on YouTube Without Ads?

Many creators earn more from non-ad sources than advertisements. Sponsorships for channels with 10,000-50,000 subscribers range from $500-2,000 per video. Affiliate marketing through video descriptions can generate $200-1,000 monthly even for smaller channels.

Channel memberships become available at 1,000 subscribers, letting creators earn $4.99-49.99 monthly per member. Super Chat earnings during live streams average $50-200 per stream for channels with engaged audiences of 5,000+ subscribers.

Merchandise sales through YouTube's built-in system typically convert at 1-2% of monthly viewers. A channel with 50,000 monthly views might sell 50-100 items, generating $500-1,500 in profit.

What's the Average Income for Beginner YouTubers?

First-year YouTubers meeting monetization requirements typically earn $100-500 monthly from ads alone. This increases to $500-2,000 monthly in year two as channels create enough content.

How Much Does YouTube Take from Super Chats?

YouTube takes 30% of Super Chat revenue. From a $100 Super Chat, creators receive $70. This rate stays consistent regardless of amount or frequency. For example, ten $10 Super Chats ($100 total) would result in the same $70 creator earnings as one $100 Super Chat.