The bite-sized videos on YouTube have risen in popularity ever since the platform introduced this feature to its broad audience. Not only viewers but also creators found delight in creating short-form content – similar to other platforms’ features such as TikTok and Instagram Reels – and increasing numbers naturally brought one question into the spotlight: “Do YouTube Shorts make money?“
YouTube is undoubtedly one of the best spaces, with a large creator pool that offers monetization opportunities. So, the answer is yes, making money with Shorts is possible. However, what matters the most is whether you know how much you can gain from your short-form video. One way to get a reliable answer is to use a money calculator to estimate the video or channel’s money worth.
How Can You Monetize YouTube Shorts?
Once you have a better idea about your content value, you can start focusing on monetizing your short-form video. Like the traditional long-form video monetization, YouTube Shorts can be eligible for income through the YouTube Partner Program. This way, you can utilize various approaches, including revenue sharing to make money, and here is how you can do it effectively:
Monitor Eligibility on the YouTube Partner Program
The first step of YouTube Shorts monetization is eligibility for the YouTube Partner Program – the same as long-form content monetizing creators. This is the milestone for anyone in this creator pool to earn ad revenue and make money through other features of YouTube.
YouTube’s Partner Program requires monetizing creators to have 1,000 subscribers and as well as 4,000 watch hours for long video content in the past year or 10 million YouTube Shorts video views in the past 90 days. As long as you meet these requirements, you can apply to the creator pool of this program and start monetizing your video content.
Monetize YouTube Shorts through Ad Revenue Sharing
The ad revenue sharing model is YouTube’s primary approach to reward creators who have a substantial amount of subscribers and engagement. So, if you have been creating videos on YouTube, you’re probably familiar with this method – you need an AdSense account to earn money. However, the platform uses a new revenue-sharing model to reward Shorts creators.
The ad format of Shorts works differently – Shorts feed ads appearing between various content means more than one creator benefits from this ad revenue. Therefore, the platform gathers the ad revenue in YouTube pools – whether from the shorts feed or the watch page. Then, it moves a portion of the total ad revenue to the creator pool based on views and other factors, such as music usage – which creates the YouTube Shorts ad revenue sharing model. So, you can use this model to earn Shorts revenue.
YouTube Shorts Fund
The Shorts monetization module, creator fund, was designed to encourage channel owners to upload high-quality and engaging short videos and monetize Shorts specifically when they meet the eligibility. However, this feature lasted between 2021 and 2022. As the revenue share monetization model successfully worked, YouTube merged it with the Partner Program in 2023. Therefore, instead of funds, now you need to meet Partner Program requirements to monetize your videos.
YouTube Premium and Channel Memberships
In addition to the Shorts ad revenue sharing, there are other features you can utilize to monetize your YouTube short on the platform. You can enable channel memberships where people can pay to access exclusive content or unedited clips of behind-the-scenes that don’t appear on the usual Shorts feed or buy super stickers. This approach can help you build a loyal audience without dealing with ads.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a beneficial way to earn money on YouTube without depending on the Shorts monetization module. If you have a high amount of subscribers and engagement on videos – which means if you have a loyal audience in a specific niche, you can work with brands as an affiliate and increase your income.
Learn the Value of Your Shorts with a YouTube Money Calculator
After we find the answer to whether YouTube Shorts make money? It’s better to learn if your attempts are worth it.
Using a money calculator, you can get an estimated value for your content and prepare a YouTube strategy to increase your income on the platform. For this reason, it’s essential to choose a reliable site that can provide you with accurate values for YouTube Shorts monetization. If not, you can build a wrong strategy that can damage your video visibility.
Views4You’s Money Calculator is the ultimate tool to estimate the value of both your short and long-form videos. You need to provide them with your YouTube channel URL and metrics such as average daily video views. The calculator will showcase daily, monthly, and even annually estimated earnings – which is a huge benefit for YouTube Shorts creators. Click here for the Money Calculator tool.
FAQs about YouTube Shorts Video Monetization
Here are the frequently asked questions that the article explains:
Can You See If You Are Eligible for Partner Program on YouTube Studio?
Yes, you can check your eligibility status on the left menu. You can also check your engagement metrics on YouTube Analytics.
How Does the Shorts Monetization Module Work?
Unlike long videos where ads appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end, the ads appear while scrolling from one to another on the Shorts feed. Therefore, YouTube gathers the ads’ revenue together and, later, gives a portion to the creator pool.
How Can You Reach a Wider Audience on YouTube?
If you want to reach a wider audience with your short video, you can join trends or use a popular music track to increase your video visibility. You can also consider collaborating with other creators’ content to reach their audience and encourage them to check your channel. You can also work as part of music publishers and provide music services to reach a broader audience.
