Chapter 1: New Monetization Features for Small Creators

Are you potentially missing out on earnings?

YouTube is stepping up to assist smaller content creators in boosting their income. This week, the platform revealed an expansion of the YouTube Partner Program by easing the criteria for specific monetization capabilities. The new guidelines apply to channels that meet the following criteria: a minimum of 500 subscribers, at least 3 uploads within the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million views on Shorts.

Credit: Canva Pro

Once your channel reaches this benchmark, you’ll gain access to various monetization options, including:

• Channel Memberships
• Super Chat
• Super Stickers
• Super Thanks
• YouTube Shopping (to promote your own products)

YouTube has begun implementing these new monetization tools for channels in regions like the US, UK, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea. However, they have not specified when these features will be available globally, only mentioning that they intend to expand the program gradually.

While this update offers significant opportunities for smaller creators seeking additional ways to monetize their content, it’s important to note that the requirements for ad revenue sharing remain unchanged. This means that to qualify for ad revenue, you still need to have at least 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours on long-form videos or 10 million views on Shorts.

Screenshot from YouTube announcement.

An interesting observation is that many of the updated monetization features are typically utilized during live streams (e.g., Super Chat, Super Thanks). Is this an indication that YouTube may prioritize live-stream content in the future?

If you’re a smaller creator who hasn’t yet met the conventional monetization criteria, do these changes excite you? Or do you feel they won't significantly affect your income as a creator? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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Chapter 2: Exploring Additional Revenue Strategies

The first video titled "10 Ways to Make Money as a Small Content Creator" provides valuable insights into diverse strategies that creators can adopt to enhance their earnings.

The second video, "How I Make Money With My YouTube Channel," shares personal experiences and tips on monetizing a YouTube channel effectively.