Let’s go over the requirements to monetize your YouTube videos.
Here’s what you need know to make money with YouTube and what was changed in 2018.
This article covers the following:
Google requirements for YouTubers
The new requirements since 2018
YouTube’s response to criticism
Why YouTube made these changes
What happened to partners registered before 2018?
How to reach the minimum requirements
How to submit an application to join the Partner Program
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Google requirements for YouTubers
Many people have found success on the web with their YouTube channels. Sometimes a video gone viral was enough to earn those who published it thousands of dollars. Things have changed since the beginning of 2018, because new rules imposed by YouTube make it much more difficult to monetize your videos. To activate monetization on your channel you need to join the YouTube Partner Program. Before 2018 the only requirement was to have totaled 10,000 views, but, as I previously stated the requirements have now changed and have become more difficult.
The requirements since 2018
Starting January 16, 2018 as we all know, YouTube terms have changed, thereby requiring 4,000 hours of view time in the last 12 months and 1,000 subscribers to request application of your channel to the YouTube Partner Program. Before 2018 only 10,000 views were sufficient, which could have been achieved over several years and it wasn’t necessary for a channel to have subscribers. Basically it was enough to have published one video (even a few seconds long) and that this video had been viewed at least 10,000 times. Now, instead, it is necessary that the channel first has a minimum of 1,000 subscribers (to achieve this requirement small YouTube channels often help each other by exchanging views to reach this goal). But having many subscribers is not enough. It is also necessary that a channel has totaled at least 4,000 hours of viewed video time in the last 12 months. And if a channel goes below the 4,000-hour threshold in the last year, it will no longer be able to show ads on its videos and thus make money. However, these new rules allow a minimum of flexibility, so if a monetized channel had a temporary drop (for example if the number of subscribers falls one day to 999 and then goes back to 1,000 the next day), YouTube will overlook it’s right to remove it from the Partner Program.
YouTube’s response to criticism
In 2018 their platform’s new requirements received several criticisms, especially from small channels that were excluded from the Partner Program and were no longer able to monetize their videos. While YouTube had admitted that there were many channels involved, it also made it known that the new requirements would not particularly affect those who made YouTube their source of income. It was also pointed out that 99% of the affected channels totaled less than $ 100 in the previous year and that 90% earned less than $ 2.50 in the previous month. The calculation of how much you can earn on YouTube is quite complex and depends on several factors. With our calculation we can approximate that you earn about 1 euro for every 1,000 views. As a result it is only a loss of a few pennies for those who can not get many views.
Why YouTube made these changes
2017 was a year full of criticism for YouTube, coming from many angles, but the biggest complaint was the one voiced by the advertisers, who had complained that they could not properly filter the creator videos on which their ads were being published. As a result, there was the possibility that the company would see their ad published on a video whose content is contrary to the company’s philosophy or contrary to the company itself, such as inappropriate content, resulting in negative compensation for the advertisers.
YouTube knows that advertisers are the most important part of their platform because they are the ones who bring money into the programs’s coffers and into the pockets of content creators. Without advertisers there would be nothing to monetize, and without monetization, the most important creators would abandon YouTube to look elsewhere. In past years YouTube has been criticized and many accusations have been made about spreading misinformation, malicious videos for children, harassing content and other violent videos. One of the latest videos that caused a lot of criticism was one of the vlogger Logan Paul who portrayed the body of a person who had taken his own life. Such videos make advertisers lose confidence in YouTube’s ability to control and moderate content. Since it is virtually impossible to check every video uploaded on the platform, Google has decided to adopt stricter rules and a new set of tools to improve things. In addition to making the channel revenue program more restrictive, it is introducing a three-level eligibility system to allow advertisers to choose the level of content on which ads can be placed. Also for Google Preferred videos there will be a team of human moderators who will review the videos before they can be monetized, real people will evaluate videos to verify that they meet the platform guidelines before placing ads.
What happened to partners registered before 2018?
There was bad news for those who were already registered with the YouTube Partner Program before 2018 because the new rules became effective immediately and retroactively for them as well on February 20, 2018. Channels that had already joined the partner program but who did not comply with the February 20, 2018 new criteria were automatically removed but can continue to use some unique features for creators (view table). To be re-admitted they will also have to reach 4,000 hours of view time in the last 12 months and have at least 1,000 subscribers. Once the minimum requirements have been met, they will have to resubmit the application to join the partner program again.
How to reach the minimum requirements
The success of a channel depends essentially on the quality of it’s content. In order to help anyone who wishes to succeed on the platform, YouTube provides the YouTube Creators website where you can find guides to create original and quality content. To reach the minimum number of subscribers, in addition to the usual methods of promotion between friends, family and acquaintances, small channels can try to help each other by exchanging subscriptions among themselves. To reach 4,000 hours of view time, the best advice is to create videos of a certain length, at least ten minutes. It can then be useful to ask friends, acquaintances and those who have already subscribed to the channel to actively support you by playing your video (even in the background) while multitasking. Another trick to increase the number of subscribers is to use the so-called “Live Subscription-Exchange” a.k.a. live streams where users exchange subscriptions to their channels. YouTube also allows you to monitor the number of views obtained in one day when using their Live streams.
How to submit an application to join the Partner Program
Once the requirements to join the Partner Program have been met, you can apply through YouTube. The application is the same for both new channels and for channels who were already part of the partner program but were removed on February 20th because they did not meet the minimum requirements.
How to apply:
- Log in to your YouTube account,
- go to Creator Studio,
- select Channel,
- select Status and features,
- in the Monetization section click on the Activate button.
You will then follow the steps to accept the terms of the program, link an AdSense account and choose the type of video ads. All you need to do once this is done, is wait for YouTube to review and accept.
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