As we live in the world of digital technology today, there are many ways on how we can make money just by creating content online. It only takes our creativity and turns it into a piece of digital content for the viewers to click and see.
You’ve probably looked up on YouTube for some "how-to" videos and seen ads playing before you can watch the actual clip - that is actually (one of the ways) how the YouTubers get paid.
The type of content on YouTube you see today is diverse, some of which include tutorials, entertainment, vlog, review, reaction video, gaming and more! YouTube does not only target adults as the creator, but kids have also become a part of this online video platform to visually share their passion.
But how much do these YouTubers make money from their videos? There is no right answer for this as it depends on several factors such as the number of views, subscribers, sponsorship deals and more.
Getting enough active subscribers and viewers to make money on YouTube is never easy. If you want to know more about how much YouTubers make, keep reading this article as we will briefly explain the basic info that you need to know.
How does YouTube monetization work?
You don’t get paid by YouTube by default just by uploading the videos. In order to start monetizing your content, you would have to enable monetization in your YouTube account setting. From there, you will be given the option to join the YouTube Partners Program or have your videos added to the YouTube Premium list.
You must have probably heard that YouTubers depend a lot on the number of views, but that’s somewhat true and not true - they actually get paid for how many views the ads get.
As for the YouTube Partner Program, it requires you to have at least 1,000 subscribers before you're eligible to monetize your YouTube channel. YouTube doesn't pay for the number of likes on a video. However, the number of likes influences the YouTube algorithm to push your channel forward.
Related: How To File Your Income Tax As A Freelancer
How much do YouTubers make?
Google pays out 68% of ad sale revenue to the YouTubers with Google AdSense. Therefore, for every $100 (RM414~) that an advertiser pays to Google, Google will pay the YouTuber $68 (RM281~). An advertiser typically pays between $0.10 (RM0.40~) to $0.30 (RM1.24~) per view per ad view, which is an average of around $0.18 (RM0.75~) per view.
Considering 15% of viewers will watch enough ads for you to receive payment, a video with 1,000 views will get around 150 ad views. With this, you can estimate to make about $18 for every 1,000 ad views, which totals up to approximately $3 (RM12~) to $5 (RM20~) per 1,000 video views.
The amount of money YouTube will pay may depend on the factors below:
- The number of views
- The number of ad clicks
- Ad quality
- Adblockers
- Video length
What is Google AdSense?
Google AdSense is an advertising program that allows you to run ads on your website, blog, or YouTube videos and get paid when visitors click on them.
Related: 8 Side Jobs for Malaysians to Earn Extra Money During CMCO
How do YouTubers make money?
YouTubers earn money in several ways, including ad views and the YouTube Partner program. But it's also important to understand other options before you get started if you wish to maximise your earnings.
1. Through ad views
Ad payment depends on these two:
- Cost per thousand views (CPM): The viewer must watch at least 30 seconds of the ad or half of the ad on a particularly short video
- Cost per click (CPC): The viewer must click on the ad. Skipped ads don’t receive any payment.
2. YouTube Partner Program (YPP)
One of the most passive ways to make an income through your YouTube channel is to earn money through ad views. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) gives YouTubers access to additional money-making opportunities once they meet the criteria below:
- Have more than 1,000 subscribers
- Exceed 4,000 valid public watch hours over the last year (private, unlisted, or deleted videos don’t count)
- Abide by YouTube’s monetization policies
- To be based in a country or region where the YPP is available
- Have a linked AdSense account
Once a channel meets the requirements, it’s eligible to be reviewed for the YPP. Despite eligibility, the channel must also meet YouTube’s additional policies and guidelines in order to gain approval for the program. If your channel happens to be below the threshold and is inactive for six months, it may be removed from the program.
The YPP allows users to earn money from:
- Advertising income
- Videos watched by YouTube Premium users
- Channel memberships where members pay for perks
- Fans paying to have their messages featured with Super Chat and Super Stickers
- Branded item sales through the merch shelf
3. Paid promotions
Taking advantage of paid promotions, such as sponsorships and endorsements can also be an effective way to generate income.
Certain niches, such as review or tutorial channels often take advantage of paid promotions well, and this is called affiliate marketing.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is the process by which an affiliate earns a commission for marketing another person's or company's products.
Securing paid promotions can be accomplished in different ways. You can reach out to brands with a proposal, or if you become recognised enough in your niche, you may find yourself being approached by the companies themselves.
4. Sell and promote products or services
YouTube can be an ideal platform to market your business, service that you offer and drive traffic to your website. Helpful video content, such as tutorials or Q&As can lead to getting potential customers to your business.
Do it for passion, not for money
Seeing how much some famous YouTubers make their money can influence the way of creating content, but don’t let the money affect the type of content you would want to produce. Becoming a YouTuber doesn’t happen overnight, it takes one’s passion, skills, time and money. Here are some of the things you might need to consider:
1. Finding the right niche
You have to understand that some niches are more profitable than others. For example, gaming has been one of the most lucrative topics searched and watched on YouTube.
Other profitable genres that you see on YouTube include life hacks, product unboxings, product reviews, tutorials, food reviews, lists of top things, news and more. You know your interests best, so find a niche that enables you to create content comfortably without having to feel burdened.
2. Post videos regularly
Wanting to get paid on YouTube means you will have to religiously post the content on schedule. Most YouTubers set fixed days in a week so their subscribers can expect when the content will be published.
3. Learn how to edit
Having good, captivating, engaging and good quality can help your videos stand out. Although not everyone is gifted with video editing skills, you can always invest some time to learn by watching YouTube tutorials on how to edit videos. If editing isn’t your strong suit, you can try hiring a freelance video editor.
4. Have the right tools
Get the best gears such as camera, microphone and lighting equipment will help complement the video you create. Viewers will be more interested in high-quality videos and this way, you will be able to gain more subscribers.
Related: How To Switch Careers During A Pandemic
Back to Blog 
