If you’re a content creator, then you might be aware that YouTube has been hard at work evolving and expanding its YouTube Partner Programme (YPP). The main element of this is opening up access to monetization on YouTube with YouTube Shorts, including revenue sharing on ads.
What does it mean for creators? We’re going to talk you through the YouTube Shorts monetization requirements for 2023, including how many subscribers you need, and how YouTube and TikTok monetization compare. With Shorts boasting 30 billion daily views and 1.5 billion users flocking to short-form content every month, will YouTube be the hottest creator platform in 2023? Read on to find out.
Is YouTube Shorts Monetized?
The rise of TikTok (by early 2022, it was the most downloaded app in the world), has prompted other platforms such as Instagram and YouTube to create their own versions of short-form video formats in order to compete.
Shorts is the YouTube short video format. Historically, there’s only been one way to enter YouTube’s Partner Programme – you needed 1000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours within the last year. However, the changes to YouTube Shorts opportunities came in on 1st February 2023, with new eligibility thresholds for fan funding introduced with the aim of helping creators to make deeper connections with their fans and, crucially, make money earlier in their creator journeys.
Before this change, you couldn’t make money on YouTube Shorts except via the YouTube Shorts Monetization Fund, which rewarded the platform’s top creators; however, the new advertising venue sharing model will be available for most creators, having replaced the Monetization Fund.
Now, in Shorts, ads run between videos in the Shorts Feed. Every month, revenue from these ads will be added together and used to reward Shorts creators and help to cover the costs of music licensing.
In addition to the ads, YouTube announced:
‘We’re also launching Super Thanks for Shorts in beta to thousands of creators, with a complete rollout expected next year. Viewers can show their appreciation for their favorite Shorts, and creators can interact with their fans through purchased, highlighted Super Thanks comments.’
What Are the YouTube Shorts Requirements for Monetization?
When it comes to how many subscribers you need to monetize YouTube Shorts, to be eligible for the programme, creators must have 1000 subscribers and meet certain view requirements – these are:
- 10 million eligible public Shorts views in the last 90 days
- Or 4,000 valid public watch hours on long-form videos
YouTube rules for monetization also state that your content must follow YouTube’s originality policy – meaning it must be yours, and not anyone else’s.
If you meet the criteria, you can activate ads and earn 45% of the allocated ad revenue on your Shorts videos (the remainder of the revenue goes to YouTube.)
How to Turn On Monetization on YouTube Shorts
If you’re in the YouTube Partner Programme, you can find the Shorts monetization agreement in the ‘Earn’ tab in YouTube Studio. Select ‘Get started’ under ‘Shorts feed ads’ and accept the terms.
To view your Shorts earnings and performance, you can go to the ‘Revenue’ tab in YouTube Studio Analytics, which will show your daily estimated revenue and views by content type.
The ‘How you make money’ card will give you a more detailed view of your earnings across Shorts, video, and live content.
How Much Do YouTube Shorts Ads Pay?
How much do YouTube Shorts make? As with any question about how much money you can make from YouTube, it’s a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ answer.
Go behind the scenes with this video to see where to find how much you’re earning from Shorts:
So far, Shorts has only offered one main income opportunity for video creators: The YouTube Shorts Fund, which paid out $100 million to creators in 2021 and 2022. Depending on the engagement on their Shorts, creators could see bonuses anywhere between $100 and $10,000.
The new monetization model will see all ad revenue from Shorts added together on a monthly basis; creators will see payouts proportional to their share of total Shorts views.
How much does 100k views on YouTube Shorts pay? Reports say that YouTubers earn, on average around $0.01 per 1000 views (long-form videos can pay up to multiple dollars.)
This video offers a more detailed explainer on potential earnings from YouTube Shorts:
A YouTube spokesperson quoted by CNBC.com said, ‘As we all invest in Shorts, we expect creator earnings to continue to grow. With Shorts ad revenue sharing, we’re committed to building a long-term partnership where creators can directly share in the platform’s success.’
Why Can’t I Monetize My YouTube Shorts?
There are a few things that’ll stop you from monetizing your YouTube Shorts. As above, if you’ve reposted someone else’s content, from a TV show clip to another creator’s content, you won’t see any revenue from it.
Plus, if you’ve inflated your views with automated clicks or bots, those videos won’t be eligible for monetization either.
Note that if you’ve been paid from the Shorts fund in the past, it doesn’t automatically qualify you for Shorts monetization. Plus, your previous YouTube shorts views won’t count for monetization under the new requirements.
What’s Next From YouTube?
On the official YouTube blog in January 2023, the team announced that:
‘We also want to support creators who are even earlier in their YouTube journey, from gamers showing off their speed runs to trendsetting DIY makeup tutorials. A new level of YPP with lower requirements will offer earlier access to Fan Funding features like Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Channel Memberships. To reward creators across a range of formats, we’ll have paths for long-form, Shorts and Live creators to join this new tier in 2023. Stay tuned for more details.’
YouTube vs TikTok
How does YouTube Shorts’ monetization compare with TikTok’s?
- As explained above, YouTube Shorts uses a pool-based model where earnings generated by ads are combined and paid out based on a creator’s share of the total number of views
- TikTok’s Creator Fund pays eligible creators based on their performance and engagement metrics, with no restriction on the type of content supported by the fund
To be eligible for monetization on TikTok, you need to have more than 10,000 followers and over 10,000 authentic views in the last 30 days.
The amount of money a creator can earn on TikTok depends on several factors, such as the number of views, the authenticity of the views, level of engagement and whether the content adheres to the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. According to reports, TikTok will pay out between $20 and $40 for every one million views a creator gets.
The TikTok Creator Fund’s total amount changes daily, determined by the number of videos posted by the community that day. CNBC.com flagged that the company has pledged to grow the Creator Fund from $200 million to $1 billion over the next three years.
If you’re deciding whether to post on TikTok or YouTube, consider that TikTok’s user base is younger (the majority of users are under 30), whilst YouTube has a more diverse user base, across all age groups.
TikTok have also recently launched a new model for longer videos. The Creativity Program Beta is aimed at rewarding creators who post videos longer than a minute – this is a separate fund targeting established creators, promising higher rewards to attract and retain top content creators (it’s currently invite-only).
Victor Potrel, Vice President of Content Distribution at The Soul Publishing, said to Metro.co.uk that, ‘YouTube has certainly been setting the industry standard for monetization for years, and it’s great to see them follow suit with short-form content. Each platform is unique and provides a specific value to its viewers, creators, and advertisers. We expect that major players will increasingly focus on ways to support the creator economy, which is a good thing for the industry.’
As for his advice on how to make money from YouTube Shorts, Potrel revealed that, ‘for more established creators, it will be a straightforward process, although for them to capitalise on the popularity of short-form content it will require agility and the ability to work within multiple content formats to stay on top of viewers’ trends… First and foremost, creators need to focus on creating engaging content while simultaneously embracing new platform tools, whether they help drive reach, engagement, or monetization.’
Maximise Your YouTube Earnings
Whether you’re creating YouTube Shorts or longer content on the platform, we’ve got plenty of advice to share, from where YouTubers get their music to a beginner’s guide to YouTube image sizes and creating a successful YouTube channel. The best female YouTubers and Japanese YouTube stars will provide further inspiration for your journey as a creator.
One of the best ways to stand out on YouTube? Use music that’s unique. We have masses of music to license for digital entertainment and branded content. We’ve got dedicated playlists and new releases every fortnight to help you choose the ideal track.
Need Music for Your Project?
At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!
