We all know and love our OG Youtubers. But a new wave of fresh content creators is currently joining this platform and YouTube Shorts are the new TikTok.
For a long time, making money with YouTube Shorts was very challenging. They’re nothing like long-form videos, which you can monetize in four steps:
Join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
Post lengthy videos.
Turn on monetization for the videos.
Collect advertising revenue.
But now the good part: Starting February 1, 2023, the platform will open up revenue sharing for Shorts ads! Yes you heard right.
That means you can finally make money from the ads people view on their Shorts Feed. YouTube states that "from the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45% of the revenue, distributed based on their share of total Shorts views."
But what if you're not in the YPP yet? YouTube just expanded access to the program to include Shorts creators so that's definitely good news. Now you can meet EITHER of these requirements to apply for the YPP:
Get 1,000 YouTube subscribers + 4,000 hours of watch time in the last 12 months.
Get 1,000 YouTube subscribers + 10 million public YouTube Shorts views within 90 days.
That last option (1,000 subscribers + 10 million Shorts views) is the newest option the platform opened up to join the YPP. And once you're in, you'll have access to several monetization tools, including ad revenue on long-form videos, Channel Memberships etc.
These updates are rolling out slowly, so don't worry if your account doesn't show the option yet. In general here is a timeline for Shorts monetization:
October 2022: From this point and beyond, YouTube Shorts views will count toward the 10 million you need for the YPP. *yay*
Mid-January 2023: Creators who've earned 1,000 subscribers+ 10 million Shorts views (in 90 days) can officially become eligible for the YPP.
February 1, 2023: Revenue sharing for Shorts ads will begin, and you can start making money from short, vertical videos — assuming you've been accepted into the YPP. This is brand new information and a true game changer!
But how do I make money from YouTube Shorts TODAY?
One way to do that is through the $100 million Shorts Fund. We talked about this topic in on of our Instagram posts if you're interested.
This is something YouTube announced in 2021, and the platform has promised to reward creators with a monthly “bonus” coming directly from that fund. The bonuses range from $100-$10,000, but the exact amount depends on your Shorts performance in the previous month. Now the bad news: The YouTube Shorts bonus will go away in 2023.
As mentioned before, YouTube creators will make money from ads in the Shorts Feed beginning next year. So, the last round of Shorts bonuses will go out this February (to be paid in March).
Until then, here are the requirements for receiving a Shorts bonus:
Post an original YouTube Short every 180 days (not a TikTok video, for instance).
Be at least 13 years old or the age of maturity in your country.
Follow YouTube’s Community Guidelines and monetization policies.
Live in an eligible country.
Once you meet those requirements, you’re in the running to receive a Shorts bonus. If you're selected, YouTube will contact you within the first week of the month, and you'll have until the 25th of that same month to claim your bonus.
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