How to Monetize YouTube Videos?

Today’s A-listers are not traditional “stars” like actors, musicians, directors, or producers. In our day and age, self-made celebrities are the real stars! YouTubers, TikTokers, Instagram models, and Twitter sensations can influence millions of followers by creating entertaining, engaging, educational, original, or shocking content online. If you want to be an internet star by attracting a big audience or just monetizing your already-popular content, this guide is for you! Keep reading to learn how to monetize your YouTube channel.

Browse royalty free music for YouTube
Snapmuse Published: Oct 21, 2021 Updated: Jul 17, 2023 6 min read

Monetizing YouTube

It takes time and effort to start a YouTube channel, attract an audience and create unique content so it is only natural to desire some monetary rewards. Thankfully, monetizing YouTube through the YouTube Partner Program is very easy once your channel applies to monetization criteria. 

If you are a part of the social media creator business for some time now, you probably know that YouTube strongly encourages original content. This means that sharing unoriginal or stolen content, content with no additional value, and copyright strikes on YouTube will make you ineligible for monetization. To avoid copyright claims, you should always make sure to use royalty free music in your YouTube videos.

What is more, even if you’ve been monetizing your content for a while, damaging your channel’s originality by starting to upload such types of videos can result in demonetization. So, does this mean reaction videos on YouTube are not eligible for monetization? No, it is the exact opposite as they have the additional spark youtube is looking for! 

Taking a clip from another video, whether that be a TV show, a movie, or a music video, and simply sharing it will do no good even if your video or YouTube shorts goes viral. But worry not because this is when the magic of putting additional value comes into the picture! 

Even if you don’t feel ready to show your face or share your niche with the world just yet, try adding your own contribution with voiceover commentaries that reflect your own opinion, research, or narration on the matter for additional value. Regardless, brainstorming YouTube channel ideas to find your niche and creating original content is essential if you are aiming for long-term results in your monetization journey. 

Now, let’s talk about what other qualifications you will need to join the YouTube Partner Program and enable monetization: 

  • Having 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours over the past 12 months or 1,000 subscribers and 10 million YouTube Shorts views over the past 3 months
  • Living in a country where YouTube Partner Program is available
  • Making sure your existing content does not go against YouTube Community Guidelines
  • Having a Google AdSense account and connecting it to your YouTube channel 
  • And lastly, enabling two-step-verification for your Google account

If you don’t fit the criteria just yet, worry not. You can click on the “Notify Me When I’m Eligible” button on the monetization tab on YouTube Studio so that you can start making money off of your channel as soon as you are eligible.

How to Monetize YouTube Videos?

How to Enable Monetization on YouTube?

Uploading your original and interesting videos on YouTube does not entail getting payments since YouTube content is not monetized by default. First, you need to enable monetization in your account settings by following the steps below:

  1. Sign in to your YouTube account.
  2. Go to the Account Details page through the icon on the top right corner.
  3. Switch to YouTube Studio.
  4. Find Other Features on the left menu and select Monetization.
  5. Carefully read the terms and conditions of the YouTube Partner Program before agreeing.
  6. If you have a Google AdSense account, connect it to your channel. If you don’t, create a new one.

You are all set! Once your account has been reviewed by YouTube, you will be part of the YouTube Partner Program and start your monetization adventure.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for high-quality YouTube background music downloads,  you can browse our extensive royalty-free music and sound effects library to find the perfect song that will fit just right into your upcoming creative project!

How Long Does It Take to Get Monetized on YouTube?

After you complete the application steps, you will need to wait for a while before getting monetized as YouTube carefully reviews each application. Luckily, it does not take too long. The official waiting period is 30 days but often YouTube replies to your application much sooner than that.

If your application is denied, you have to wait 30 days before reapplying. That is why you need to be very careful with the content on your YouTube channel. Using copyrighted songs in your videos is a violation of YouTube Community Guidelines and if you have copyright strikes, your YouTube Partner Program application will be denied.

Highest-earning YouTubers pay great attention to copyright issues in order to avoid experiencing monetization problems. Most of them opt for using YouTube non-copyright music in their videos.

The good news is, from cinematic background music and music for fashion videos to ambient intro music for YouTube, our dynamic royalty-free music library at Snapmuse has every type of music you need across all genres, moods, and usage areas!

Royalty Free Songs for YouTube Videos

If you want to monetize your YouTube channel, you should make sure that you don’t breach YouTube’s terms and conditions. That is why you should avoid using copyrighted material in your content.

Whether you are looking for vlog music no copyright free download or upbeat instrumental music for your content, with over 50 different usage areas, our high-quality royalty-free music library offers thousands of background songs for YouTube. 

Browse our library today to find the right song that will resonate with your brand’s creative vision and bring your content to life!

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