How to Get Paid on YouTube: An In-Depth Guide for Beginner and Experienced Creators

Have you ever asked yourself "how do YouTubers make money"? With over 2 billion monthly logged-in users in 2022, YouTube has become a viable income source for over 2 million creators globally.

In fact, top channels easily clear over $1 million a year from videos alone thanks to immense viewer reach. And even channels with a modest viewership can out-earn traditional part-time jobs once fully monetized.

This step-by-step guide details exactly how any regular person can start earning money on YouTube, no matter your experience level or audience size. Follow our roadmap to ad revenue, channel memberships, fan funding, reused content, and more.

Let‘s explore all the ways you can get paid directly from YouTube!

I. Overview: How YouTubers Actually Make Money

Before diving in, let‘s establish the key digital payment models that compensate YouTubers for their content, brand sponsorships, and fan loyalty.

YouTube primarily pays creators for the ads running alongside videos. But with immense viewership plus premium tools unlocked at higher subscriptions, top channels make big money through:

• Google AdSense: Direct ads on videos you keep 55% revenue share of

• YouTube Premium: $12/month subscription service splitting revenues based on watch time

• Channel Memberships: Paid $4.99+ subscriptions offering exclusives and perks

• Super Chats & Stickers: Tips and highlighted comments on live streams

• Merchandise Shelf: Built-in store for selling swag directly through YouTube

• Brand Sponsorships: Promotional deals with rates based on subscribers and average views

• Fan Funding: Direct donations through links or platforms like Patreon

The most lucrative creators stack multiple income streams at once. But even at lower view counts, ad share and channel memberships alone can drive strong earnings.

Now let‘s get your channel set up for monetization!

II. Create & Customize Your YouTube Channel

Your first step is to establish a homebase by setting up your basic YouTube channel. This is where all your content lives and where fans will subscribe.

Go to YouTube.com and click "Create a Channel" if starting fresh. If you have a personal Google account already, simply create a new channel attached to your current login.

Channel Setup Checklist

When customizing:

• Pick a niche: Gaming? Comedy? Finance? Stay focused.
• Choose memorable name: Align with niche; branding matters.
• Upload channel art: Use Canva templates to stand out
• Add channel desc with relevant keywords
• Link social accounts to help share videos

Pro Tip: Use TubeBuddy or VidIQ browser extensions to optimize titles, descriptions, tags and more for max search visibility.

III. Produce Quality Videos to Gain Traction

With your shiny new channel, it‘s go time! Effort invested in thoughtful content now pays dividends in eventual earnings.

Set a goal to publish at least 1-2 quality videos per week in the first three months. This gives the YouTube algorithm enough signals to start sharing your content and gauging viewer response.

Here are 5 principles for growth-driving videos: