The A to Z of Getting Monetized on YouTube

Published on 04.07.2026 by Chizoba T

If you want to monetize your social media content in 2026, YouTube is one of the best platforms to do so. With the opportunity to earn from both long-form and short-form content, the platform is popular with creators looking to earn income.

However, if you would like to begin earning on YouTube, you need to understand the YouTube monetization guidelines, including watch hours, subscriber milestones, short views, and compliance with YouTube policies. In this article, we will take you through a step-by-step guide for getting your YouTube channel monetized and provide some little-known tips to increase your YouTube earnings.

Methods of YouTube Monetization

When you get monetized on YouTube, you can earn money through different features such as:

  • Ad revenue. YouTube allows you to earn money through different types of ads on both long-form videos and shorts. However, you need to create quality content as YouTube is now enforcing stricter checks on low-effort videos.
  • Shopping. YouTube lets you create a store where fans can buy your merchandise.
  • Channel memberships. YouTube subscribers can pay monthly to access exclusive content on their channels.
  • Super Thanks. With this method, fans can have their messages highlighted at the top of the video's comment section.
  • Super stickers and super chat. This monetization method allows fans to have their messages featured at the top of the chatbox during the livestream.
  • YouTube Premium revenue. This monetization method allows you to earn a part of the earnings made from the YouTube Premium subscribers

YouTube ad revenue is the primary way YouTubers earn money, but other methods can also help supplement their earnings.

Requirements for YouTube Monetization in 2026

As of early 2026, the requirements to be fully monetized on YouTube are as follows:

  • Have at least 1000 subscribers.
  • Meet a minimum of 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million short views in the previous 90 days.

YouTube also has a lower monetization tier that provides creators with access to fan-funding features, but not to ad revenue. To qualify for this monetization, you need:

  • Have a minimum of 500 subscribers.
  • Have uploaded at least 3 public videos in the previous 90 days.
  • Have reached a minimum of 3000 watch hours across all your videos in the previous 12 months, or have reached 3 million views for shorts in the previous 90 days.

These are the basic requirements for qualifying to apply for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which we will discuss later in these articles. However, note that your application may not be accepted when you hit these milestones. 

There are other YouTube eligibility criteria you need to know. These are:

Be From an Eligible Country

Unlike some things, YouTube monetization isn’t available in every country, even though it's already available in over 120 countries as of early 2026. Therefore, to be monetized, you must reside in a country that supports monetization. You can visit the YouTube list of monetized countries to determine your eligibility before applying. Otherwise, if you live in a country where monetization is not allowed, your application will be automatically rejected.

If you are in a non-eligible country, you can focus on growing your YouTube subscribers and watch time, and on creating content that complies with YouTube policy, so you will be ready for monetization when YouTube expands to your country.

Follow Community Guidelines with No Active Strikes

YouTube is usually very serious about following its community guidelines. If your channel receives three strikes, it will be removed. However, even a single strike can make your channel ineligible for the YPP. If an offense was accidental, you may get a warning, or the issue may be resolved. While you can still get monetized with a warning, several of them can cause a strike.

No matter the size of your channel, you must follow YouTube's community guidelines. When you follow those rules, your channel remains eligible, but ignoring them can cause problems.

Need for Quality and Original Content

Another requirement for YouTube monetization is that you must be making original content without trying to cheat the system. According to YouTube's monetization policy, you need to be creating original, authentic, advertiser-friendly content. If you are posting reused content, this may be against the YouTube policy, including reuploading other creators’ videos, compiling without adding a commentary, or creating a slide show consisting of stock footage without adding any original value.

Add Two-Factor Authentication

Another requirement before you are accepted into the YPP is to add two-factor authentication. This is important because it keeps your account secure and prevents unauthorized access. If your account gets hacked, it will lose monetization, as it will be seen as an advertiser and a policy risk.

Have a Linked Adsense Account

An AdSense account is also a requirement for your YouTube channel to enable you to get paid. The good news is that it is quite straightforward to add and link a YouTube channel in less than 10 minutes.  

Here are the steps for doing that:

  • Create an AdSense account using the Google account you used to open the YouTube channel.
  • Complete tax and identity verification.
  • Add a verified payment method.
  • Link the AdSense account to the channel in the YouTube Studio.

We advise you to ensure the AdSense account is fully set up before you apply for monetization or you may experience delays in approval.

Other Ways of Earning on YouTube

Outside the official YouTube monetization program, you can make money on YouTube using different methods, such as:

Paid Subscriptions and Channel Memberships

YouTube allows creators to make money through channel memberships. In this method, your subscribers can subscribe to a premium service that offers perks such as early access to content or exclusive content. You can also set up a channel membership program using a platform like Patreon.

Affiliate Marketing

Another great way to earn on YouTube is through customized affiliate links that point to specific products creators can promote. When someone buys using your affiliate link, you are paid a part of the sale, providing you with a small but considerably steady revenue source.

To get an affiliate link, you should contact the sponsor directly to join the affiliate program. While this isn't part of the YPP, it's one of the most used methods by creators, who add links to their videos.

Merchandise

Another YouTube monetization method you can consider is selling merchandise either through the YouTube Shopping feature or on other platforms. The sale of merchandise can help supplement your ad revenue earnings. However, you will need to have a dedicated following to buy the products.

Brand Sponsorships

If your YouTube following is large or you have a small but highly engaged audience, brands may be willing to sponsor content on your channels to reach your audience. However, the most important thing when sharing sponsored content is to find a brand that fits your niche and appeals to your target audience. Brand sponsorships are usually paid in a lump sum. In return, you have to mention your products or services in the video, even though the deals can come in various forms.

Top Tips for Increasing YouTube Earnings

Now that you understand how to earn money on YouTube, here are several ways to increase your YouTube earnings.

Repeat What Works

If you are already on YouTube and monetized, you might discover that some videos make more money than others. That indicates that those videos have a higher CPM than the others. Fortunately, YouTube provides CPM insights for each video in YouTube Studio. You can see that by clicking on the Earn icon>watch page ads>My Analytics>How much Advertisers are paying> See more. 

You can scroll down the list of your published videos to see the CPM. To boost your revenue, you will need to create more videos like the ones with a high CPM. Also, make sure you optimize the YouTube videos to boost watch time and ranking.

Create Content for All Ages

If you are creating adult content, it may scare off advertisers. Content that also contains hate speech, controversial topics, violence, drugs, and heavy swearing may be seen as unsuitable for ads, making it hard for you to earn good revenue from them. This is important because the more videos you can put ads on, the higher your earnings will be.

Post Your Own Content or Use a License

If you are accused of stealing another creator's work, you will either have to share the revenue with the creator, be demonetized, or get a strike. Therefore, it is important to avoid using copyrighted materials belonging to someone else, whether in the form of stock photos, music, movies, clips, sound effects, or any other materials you didn't create yourself. If you didn't create the material yourself, make sure you have the license to use it.

Create Content on Evergreen Topics

Many creators focus on hot, trending content because it gives their accounts an instant boost. While this can give your videos an instant boost, it isn't the best way to drive revenue. A good idea is to focus on evergreen content that will get more vibes year-round. You can then leverage YouTube analytics to grow your channel.

In Conclusion

YouTube has arguably the best monetization program. In fact, it's one of the platforms where creators work full-time and earn good revenue. With the different monetization methods on YouTube and a proper understanding of the best way to boost your revenue on YouTube, you can get the most out of YouTube monetization.