Have you ever wondered how top YouTube earners make tons of money every year? YouTube legends Mr. Beast, Jake Paul, and Nastya earn between $20 to $80 million annually. That’s because their earnings come from not one but multiple income streams.
In 2025, there’s more than one way to earn money on YouTube. Earlier, most YouTubers made a share of their revenue from YouTube ads and partner programs. While they are still an integral part of getting paid on YouTube, they’re not the only ones.
Want to know how to make money on YouTube? We’ll show you the best and most effective ways to start earning on YouTube in 2025.
The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is your gateway to getting paid on YouTube. It opens up creators to several money-making possibilities—whether you want to make money from addictive YouTube Shorts or informative, long-form videos.
In the past three years alone, YouTube has paid its creators over $70 billion in revenue. You, too, can be one of them. Once you sign up for this program, there are a ton of revenue options to explore, such as:
Apart from the above revenue streams, you can access several creator tools. We’re talking about YouTube’s creator support and Copyright Match tool, which lets you identify copied videos from your channel. This ensures that only you—and no one else—can make money from your content.
Is joining YPP as easy as they say? Well, yes, so long as you meet the eligibility criteria. First up, get ready for some number crunching and see if your channel hits these milestones:
You must also live in an eligible region to qualify for the program.
Does your channel tick all the boxes? Great. Head over to YouTube Studio to apply for the program. This is also where you’ll see all your earnings at a glance. Once you apply, YouTube tells you whether they’ve accepted you into the program within a month.
In the meantime, check if you qualify for YouTube’s other monetization features. Yes, you got that right. Even without hitting the above milestones, you may be able to start earning on YouTube. Its channel memberships, chat, and shopping features are all open, even if you have 500 subscribers.
Additionally, you must have uploaded at least three pieces of content in the last 90 days. You must also have 3,000 watch hours in the last 12 months (or 3 million views on Shorts in the past 90 days). Here’s a table that breaks down all the elements of the YPP:
Still short on watch hours? Consider a practical solution to buy YouTube watch hours and quickly qualify for monetization.
Monetization Path | Subscriber Eligibility | Watch Hour Eligibility | Shorts Views Eligibility | Other Qualifications |
YouTube Partner Program (YPP) | At least 1,000 | 4,000 hours in the last 12 months, OR -> | 10 million views in the last 90 days | Must live in an eligible region/country |
Alternate Monetization Features | At least 500 | 3,000 hours in the last 12 months OR -> | 3 million in the last 90 days | Must live in an eligible region/countryMinimum three uploads in the past 90 days |
So, you’ve been welcomed into YouTube’s Partner Program—excellent! Now, you can start collecting revenue from your channel’s ads. To do this, you need to create a Google AdSense account from within YouTube Studio. Next, link your account to your YouTube channel and wait for AdSense to approve your application.
Once approved, you can turn on ads on YouTube and start running them. For example, when you make a long-form video, YouTube will display a mix of ads to your viewers. While you can’t control the ads you display, you can decide where to place them—at least for videos eight minutes or longer.
The more content you post, the more ads YouTube will display—maximizing your revenue greatly. Some videos may not generate as much revenue as others, but don’t worry. This is your chance to experiment and see what works best with your audience. You can see your share of earnings in your YouTube Studio under the Revenue tab.
If you’re struggling to meet YouTube’s Partner Program criteria quickly, a proven strategy is to buy YouTube views—kickstarting your channel’s growth and increasing your potential earnings faster
In 2022, tech channel Unbox Therapy became the leading collab creator in the U.S. and Canada with 45 brand collabs. So, if you thought brand collaborations were only for TikTokers and Instagram influencers, that’s not true.
A study shows that brands that collaborate with YouTube creators are 4X better at increasing brand familiarity than celeb collabs. And mind you, they pay big—especially when they realize your channel has a growing, niche audience worth tapping into. If you’re a fledgling channel, you may need to pitch brands to gain sponsorships. But once you gain enough traction, brands will come knocking!
As such, companies will sponsor your videos while you promote their products. Or, they may offer barter deals. For example, if you’re a tech channel, you may receive the latest gadget from a brand in exchange for a shoutout in one of your videos. The bottom line is that brand deals can get you anything from per-sale commissions to free products and hefty payouts. Of course, you must notify your audience about brand sponsorships by checking a box in your video caption.
Now is the time to be bold and get that brand sponsorship! If you’re interested in working with a brand, get in touch with their marketing team. Send them a personalized pitch with the following details:
Be ready for a few initial rejections, but don’t take them to heart. Keep working on your content and send those pitches as your audience grows. Remember, the worst they can say is no.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn passive income from your channel. If you follow MKBHD on YouTube, you know what we’re talking about. The prominent tech reviewer earns millions yearly, with a substantial portion of his earnings coming from affiliate tech links. The best part is that affiliate marketing benefits all involved—you, your audience, and the brand you’re recommending!
This is how it works—you recommend a product or service you’ve tried or know about. If it interests your viewers, they can buy the product through your affiliate link. As a result, you earn a commission from the sale. All you need to do is sign up for the brand’s affiliate program.
Once you’re accepted, you get a special affiliate link for each product. It’s up to you how you want to promote these products in your video—but include the affiliate link in its caption so your viewers can buy from it.
Here are some things to note about YouTube affiliate marketing:
Your audience follows you for your unique content, but guess what? Some followers may be willing to pay a premium to access more exclusive content. That’s why a membership model is a great opportunity to grow your fan base and make more money while at it.
Fans of your channel can sign up for a monthly subscription—as one does with Netflix. In return, you can offer them a range of members-only perks, including:
This is an indicative list, but you can do much more to build a relationship with your paid subscribers. The great thing is that such subscriptions help you generate a fixed monthly income.
Some YouTubers use third-party platforms like Patreon to garner subscriptions. However, YouTube also has an internal channel subscription model for those parts of its partner program. It also offers fan funding features that can get you tips and bonuses.
For example, when streaming live, your viewers can send you money through Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks. In return, YouTube highlights these viewers’ comments in the chat box.
Besides Patreon and YouTube, you can get tips or donations from your fans through funding platforms such as:
A golden rule of fan funding: don’t ask, don’t get. So, don’t shy away from marketing yourself and explicitly asking for donations from viewers who want to support your content.
Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie makes a lion’s share of his income from selling branded merch. You’re probably thinking: Of course, people buy his merch; he’s a literal legend. Who’s going to buy mine? Well, lots of people, especially your followers.
You can sell merch even if you have a small yet engaged community of followers. Just find a product that resonates with your followers and market it in your videos every chance you get. For instance, if you have a yoga channel, you could promote merch such as:
If selling physical products is not feasible, you can easily sell downloadable merch or services such as:
The sky’s the limit as long as you have the drive to sell.
But before you open up your channel to merch goods, here’s what you need to keep in mind:
Being a YouTuber is now a legit profession—and a lucrative one at that. If you’re seeking more ways to earn money off your YouTube channel, we’ve got you.
It’s not just followers and regular viewers looking for viral YouTube content these days. News channels, online outlets, and even other creators may want to showcase your content, especially if it’s trending. And guess what? If they want to use it, they must legally license it from you in exchange for money.
Stay a step ahead and enlist your videos in licensing marketplaces like these:
Want to make your next viral video but don’t have the capital to fuel it? Crowdfund it! Many YouTubers crowdfund their creative projects, whether to cover production costs or start a YouTube series.
Of course, you must first have a concrete project in mind before you ask your audience to pitch in. Next, explain what you’re building and how you plan to go about it. You’d be surprised at how many viewers show interest and contribute to making it happen. Popular crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo allow you to set up funding options easily.
It’s hard to put a number on YouTube revenue, as the figure varies widely. But some experts estimate that there’s a chance to earn anywhere between $30 to $300 monthly from AdSense.
The real deal? Making money on YouTube boils down to a combination of factors, from engagement to niche—and sheer luck. You may have heard stories of overnight success, but these are rare. One thing is non-negotiable, though—you need to put in the work, make smart moves, and stay consistent. While you may not be able to control your earnings directly, you can influence them. Here’s how.
There’s no better time to start earning on YouTube. The platform rewards nascent creators with high payouts so long as they bring the views and audience. Thanks to YouTube’s versatile payment structure, you can also earn from multiple income streams. The earlier you launch your channel, the sooner you’ll start building a community that rewards your efforts. Become an independent creator and start making money from YouTube today!
If you want to earn from long-form videos on YouTube, you need at least 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months. To earn through Shorts, you need at least 10 million views in the last 90 days.
You must be eligible for its partner program to start making money on YouTube. The program mandates you have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours for long-form videos in the last 12 months. For Shorts, you need 10 million views in the last 90 days.
When you’re eligible for YouTube earnings, you can display ads on your channel and earn from them. You can track your ad revenue on YouTube Studio.
Ad revenue is one of the easiest and most popular ways to earn on YouTube. Once you’re eligible, you can display ads on your videos. The more viewers watch your videos (and the ads), the more money you earn.
Beginner YouTubers who meet the basic requirements of YouTube’s Partner Program can earn at least $50 per month. This amount may be higher depending on your channel’s view count. For example, beginner YouTubers with more views and watch hours can earn up to $300.