One of the most crucial steps of being a YouTuber is monetizing your content. Although most content creators are passionate about their videos, it’s impossible to view YouTube as a full-time job without monetization.
The best way to get monetized is through the YouTube Partner Program. While it is possible to make money off the platform without being a partner, especially if you’re verified on YouTube, the partner program is still your best option.
So, let’s take a look at what this program is, why you should be interested in it, and how you could join.
Table of Contents
What Is the YouTube Partner Program?
As more and more creators arose from YouTube, an issue started. There was no way to distinguish between casual users of the platform and creators who looked at YouTube as a job. So, the platform came up with a solution.
YouTube Partner Program was the platform’s way of recognizing professional vs. casual users. The idea is that you move on from a YouTube user to a YouTube partner. You are now bringing revenue for this platform.
Since you’re bringing revenue to YouTube, the platform will bring revenue to you. YouTube makes money from your content and shares a portion of that profit with you. This profit is mostly made from ad revenue.
To clarify, any money you make from sponsors is 100% yours. The shared profit section is only related to ad revenue. 55% of the ad revenue made from your YouTube video is yours, and 45% of it goes to Google.
This 55% is only possible if you have applied to and successfully joined the YouTube Partner Program. Otherwise, 100% of the ad revenue goes to Google. So, other than ad revenue, why join the YouTube Partner Program?
The Benefits of Joining the YouTube Partner Program
There are quite a few benefits to joining the YPP. The most important one is the profit made from ads, but there are other reasons as well.
1. Monetization and Ad Revenue
As we already mentioned, being a YouTube partner is the only way to make money from ads on your video. You have the option of getting sponsorships and setting up a Patreon to make money from YouTube, but none of those give you access to ad revenue.
2. Better Support
Historically, creators have been dissatisfied with YouTube’s support. The platform tended to prioritize companies they worked with or their own safety against copyright issues over creators. One of the biggest reasons behind this was the difficulty of contacting YouTube.
So, the partner program came with a dedicated ‘Creator Support Team,’ which is different from the normal support options you have as a non-partner. All-around is more helpful, and almost 24/7 support is only available to YouTube partners.
3. Access to Exclusive Resources
YouTub provides its partners with exclusive resources such as educational materials, workshops, and YouTube spaces. If you’re a mid-size creator with big ideas but small resources, having access to these partner privileges can be very helpful.
4. More Features
Certain features are available after your partnership is established. The most important one is the Copyright match tool. This feature allows you to copyright claim people who are using your content with or without credit.
5. Community Tools
Last but not least is the ability to communicate with your community through your channel. Community posts, polls, and exclusive subscriber content are only available to users who have successfully established a partnership.
Now that you know why you should apply for the YouTube partner program, let’s take a look at how you can gain this position.
How to Join the YouTube Partner Program?
There are two parts to joining the YPP. First, you must have all the YouTube partner program requirements, and then you need to be eligible for the position. Let’s start with everything you need:
Requirements
There are a few basic requirements for any channel, regardless of subscribers or watch time. These things include:
1. Monetization Policies
You must be following YouTube’s channel monetization policies. These policies include original content and not generally risky themes. For more information, you can check out YouTube’s full article on monetization policies.
2. Region/Country
YouTube’s partnership isn’t available globally. The list of eligible countries is available right here. Bear in mind that this list can change at times. For example, Russia was previously on this list but was taken off due to the current situation.
3. No Active Community Guideline Strikes
Each time you go against YouTube’s community guidelines, you receive a strike. At the time of applying for partnership, your channel must not have any active strikes.
4. AdSense Account
You must either have an AdSense account linked to your YouTube account or be ready to set one up. Getting partnered without having an account ready will severely delay your monetization process.
5. Verification
Being verified on YouTube is also necessary for partnership. The verification in question here is the two-step verification that only proves you are a person and not the verification that gives you the badge.
Eligibility
After you make sure your channel has all the requirements, you need to make sure your channel is eligible. The eligibility traits are different. These include:
- At least 1,000 subscribers. (Learn how to get more subscribers on YouTube)
- 4,000 valid hours of watch time in the last 12 months.
- Or 10 million public short views.
The Application process
Once your channel is eligible and you have all the requirements, you can apply for the YouTube partner program by:
- Going to your YouTube Studio.
- Click on ‘Earn’.
- Select ‘Apply now’
- Click start and set up your AdSense account.
And that’s it! YouTube will check your account quickly, and if everything is correct, you will be accepted into the YouTube partner program.
Conclusion
There are many benefits to being a YouTube partner. This program allows you to experience something akin to a stable job while still sticking to your passion for making videos. If you’re planning to continue down the road of content creation, joining the YouTube partner program can be a great step.
FAQs
1. What Can I Do If My YPP Application Gets Rejected?
If you’re sure that your account is eligible and meets all the requirements, then you can appeal this rejection. You have 21 days to appeal this decision, and you can reapply for partnership after 30 days as well.
2. How Much Money Do 1k Subscribers Make?
The monthly income of someone with 1k subscribers is between $50 to $100. While this amount can vary depending on things like sponsorships, views, and more, the general average income is less than $100.
3. Does YouTube Pay You For Shorts?
This question is a bit more complicated. While it is possible to make money from YouTube shorts, it isn’t near the same monetization you get from long-form videos. You can make anywhere from $0.01 to $0.06 per 1000 views.
