Have you ever thought about how much total content is watched on YouTube every day? The answer is 1 billion hours, and that is a really huge number, so this makes How to make money on YouTube in 2025 a common question.
This is an incredible amount of time, and that is where money goes: money follows. We have found out that YouTube has paid more than $70 billion to the creators throughout the years, which is more than any other platform combined.
However, YouTube monetization is not only about ads. There are so many possibilities that we mention here.
In this guide, you will learn the secret monetization tactics that most creators won’t tell you, so stay with us to know more.
8 Secret Monetization Tactics You Haven’t Heard
Besides the usual ad revenue, smart creators are accessing less obvious money streams that can, in fact, double their YouTube earnings and make more money on YouTube.
1. Use Shorts to Funnel Traffic to Long Videos
Shorts are now one of the main ways to bring more people to watch a creator’s longer content.
To do so, I make short 30 60 second videos radically different from my full videos, and I finish it with a catchy line as “watch the full tutorial in my channel.”
Such a move has been instrumental in the growth of the number of views of long-form videos of creators by literally twofold. The secret is to produce Shorts that are useful but still make the audience ask for more.
Don’t forget to link your main channel in the Shorts caption and put a finishing screen with a link to your monetized content.
2. Add Affiliate Links in Pinned Comments
Even if descriptions are cluttered, pinned comments are still very visible. I put my most profitable affiliate links in pinned comments, which has led to my Instagram money-making method conversion rates going up by 27%.
Products that solve problems that are stated in your video are the best ones to sell. On top of that, the use of link shorteners is a great way to know which videos are the most affiliate sales generators, thus allowing you to optimize your content strategy for the highest conversions.
3. Offer Consulting or Coaching Services
What you know is really helpful. After people kept asking for advice, I began to provide 30-minute consulting calls at $75 each. It has turned into my top profit revenue stream.
Set up an easy appointment page and talk a little about your services in the videos. The majority of the well-known YouTubers made more from coaching than from ads.
The need for individualized help in making money as an influencer is ongoing, particularly from business clients.
4. Create a Paid Community on YouTube
Exclusive communities are the source of nonstop income. By creating a private Discord server where I offer premium content, direct access, and member networking for $10 monthly, I achieved this result.
Such communities deepen the relationship with your most loyal fans. Besides that, they are a nice source of ideas for new content.
These platforms, namely Patreon, Circle, and Discord, are great places for hosting such communities, and the retention rate in these groups is, as a rule, more than 70%.
5. Use SEO to Rank for Low-Competition Keywords
Where most people just aim at trending topics, I pinpoint particular low competition keywords that have a dedicated group of searchers. With the help of tools such as TubeBuddy, I find the words that have a fair number of searches but are lacking in quality videos.
To give you an instance, rather than aiming at “how to make money on YouTube,” I aim at “how to monetize educational content on YouTube.”
Consequently, this tactic allows fresh videos to get their rankings fast and thereby pull in the users who are most interested.
6. Monetize with Digital Templates or Tools
Create and offer digital assets that go hand in hand with your content. I made spreadsheets, presets, and templates that users can buy to execute my advice more quickly.
These digital products have very few upkeep costs, and still, they bring in passive income. Moreover, they give you the power to be seen as a leader in your niche.
Instruments that enable the audience to get the identical outcomes as we mentioned in how to make money on TikTok tutorials are the ones that sell exceptionally well.
7. Use Live streams for Super Chat Income
With Super Chat and channel memberships, livestreams bring in money right away. I have a weekly livestream planned on my channel where I do a Q&A session with the audience, which is a great way to get people involved.
In the course of these sessions, users often resort to Super Chat in order to have their questions answered first. Furthermore, livestreams create a tighter bond with the community and also increase the time that people spend watching the channel.
There are a few creators who make a huge amount of money, like several thousand, per each of their livestreams as a result of this kind of direct viewer support.
8. Partner with Micro-Brands for Sponsorships
Don’t just sit waiting for big brands to come your way.
Why not connect with the small companies in your niche? What I found is that micro brands usually offer almost the same rates as big brands, but with less strict requirements and conditions. Also, they are usually more friendly towards smaller channels.
Find the brands using the most popular YouTube tags in your niche, and contact them directly. Such partnerships often result in long-term relationships and stable income without having to compete for major sponsorships.
Is YouTube Still a Good Way to Make Money in 2025?
By the year 2025, YouTube is going to be one of the main sources of money-making through content. Despite the rising competition, YouTube is still the best money maker for video creators as it has handed an eye-popping $70 billion to creators during the 2021 2023 period.
Why YouTube keeps being a platform worth a try, and what are the prerequisites for a successful start?
Why YouTube is Still Profitable
As of 2025, YouTube’s revenue-sharing model is still the most impressive one out there. The platform shares more than half of advertising and subscription revenue directly with creators, which is a great way to open the door to anyone who wants to make a business out of it.
YouTube is currently the second-largest source of content creation funding and paid more than $32 billion to partners worldwide in 2024.
Besides ads, the platform has nine different monetization methods, such as channel memberships, Super Chats, and merchandise shelves.
The average YouTube CPM for creators is around $15.34; however, it depends on the niche and location. Interestingly enough, the best performing countries for YouTube RPM are the USA with $10.26 and Australia with $7.67 per thousand views.
How YouTube Compares to Other Platforms
In a study of 1,500 creators with revenue streams, YouTube was cited as the leading platform for making money by 28.6% of the respondents. The second position was held by TikTok with 18.3%.
The reason for this dominance is essentially the long-standing YouTube Partner Program, which was introduced in May 2007.
| Platform | Revenue Split | Main Monetization | Requirements |
| YouTube | 55% to creator (long-form) | Ad revenue, memberships | 1,000 subs + 4,000 watch hours |
| TikTok | Creator Fund model | Brand deals, creator fund | Varies by region |
| No direct ad share | Sponsored content | No formal threshold | |
| 55% to the creator | In-stream ads | 10,000 followers |
It is beyond question that YouTube has the most detailed monetization scheme, with half of the earnings going to creators making long-form content and 45% of the revenue being shared with Shorts creators.
As opposed to other platforms’ limited-duration creator funds, YouTube’s revenue-sharing program is a continuous, growing source of income.
What Beginners Need to Know
- Early entry (fan features): 500 subscribers + 3 public uploads in the last 90 days and either 3,000 public watch hours (last 12 months) or 3 million valid Shorts views (last 90 days). Gives access to Super Thanks, memberships, etc.
- Full YPP (ads + all features): 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 public watch hours (last 12 months) or 10 million valid Shorts views (last 90 days), allows ad revenue sharing.
- What counts / notes: Shorts feed watch time is not included in the 4,000 long-form watch hours; YouTube verifies uploads, channel theme, and policy compliance.
- Earnings benchmark: Common estimates put creator earnings at around ~$18 per 1,000 ad views (~$0.018 per ad view); however, the reported ranges vary significantly by niche and region (some sources show $5, $15+ per 1,000 ad views).
- Quick tips: focus on regular uploads, increase long-form watch hours (even if you have Shorts), monitor RPM in YouTube Studio, and allow your income to be not only one source (sponsorships, products, memberships).
How to Make Money on YouTube for Beginners
Simply filming and uploading videos won’t do the trick if you want to start a successful YouTube channel. It takes a lot of planning and knowledge of the audience.
While figuring out ways to make money through YouTube, newbie creators should definitely have a step-by-step plan that isn’t all business but shows some savvy, too.
Start with a Clear Niche
Choosing the correct niche is a key factor in the success of a monetization venture. The phrase “riches are in the niches” can not be more accurate than for YouTube in 2025.
Money-making channels usually revolve around particular topics where the creators’ passion, audience demand, and monetization potential coexist.
Think about these high CPM niches:
| Niche | Average CPM |
| Personal finance & investing | $10 – $36+ |
| Insurance & related advice | $10 – $30+ |
| Real estate & property | $8 – $25 |
| Tech (SaaS / B2B software/enterprise) | $8 – $20+ |
| Make-money-online / affiliate marketing / digital marketing | $10 – $22+ |
| Legal / law advice | $8 – $25 |
| Health (medical, weight-loss, supplements) | $6 – $20 |
| Automotive (car reviews, finance, insurance) | $5 – $15 |
| Education & online courses | $5 – $20 |
| Home improvement / real-estate adjacent (DIY, renovation) | $5 – $12 |
Obviously, you would want to stay away from areas that are oversaturated. Rather, go “niching down” even deeper, such as concentrating on providing budget tech for students or eco-friendly beauty products.
This method not only makes your content different from others but also allows you to target the needs of the users more precisely.
Understand Your Audience’s Needs
Knowing the exact people who watch your videos can totally change the way you make videos. The YouTube Analytics “Audience” tab is a great source of demographic info about the people who came to your content. Do not forget to:
- Review the breakdown of the audience by month (new, casual, and regular viewers)
- Check out when your viewers are online
- See what devices they use more frequently
- Gender and location of the users
Thus, this information supports you in adjusting content to fit the tastes of your viewers. Check out the videos and channels your audience is watching to find the right partners and the topics that haven’t been covered.
In the end, knowing these habits gives you the power to make content that your target audience will deeply connect with.
Make Solution-Focused YouTube Videos
Make videos that address actual consumer problems efficiently; such videos get higher positions in the search engine, have a longer viewer time, and lead to monetization. Your main goal should be clarity, helpfulness, and originality.
Most effective formats:
- Detailed instructions explain how to perform the task by dividing it into clear, numbered steps and adding timestamps.
- Screencast tutorials display the screen, emphasize the clicks/menus, and explain the actions in a simple manner.
- Scenario walkthroughs represent typical cases and demonstrate the decision points and results.
How to find ideas:
- Type “how to…” in YouTube’s search bar and read the autocomplete suggestions.
- Scan comments, forums, and niche communities for repeated pain points.
Production tips for better results:
- Keep intros short and state the problem immediately.
- Show, don’t just tell — visual demonstrations increase retention.
- Add chapter markers and a clear title/description that includes the problem keyword.
- Stay original: avoid templated or repetitive content to protect channel credibility.
- Focus on helping viewers first — value builds loyalty and long-term revenue.
Monitor analytics, iterate on what works, and prioritize real solutions over chasing every trend.
How to Make Money on YouTube Fast
If you are looking to multiply your YouTube earning capacity, you simply cannot do without tactical optimization.
Expansion of channels has to revolve around three reliable strategies that we mention below.
Focus on Trending but Evergreen Topics
The quickest way to make money from your content is to mix trending topics with evergreen value. A podcast episode, a tutorial, or an in-depth guide usually gets a lot of watch time if the topic stays relevant.
Think about making content that deals with current events in a way that educates people. While producing news–related content, don’t forget to create problem–solving videos that will still be relevant in the future.
For instance, the topics “budget travel hacks” or “passive income methods” get a lot of search traffic consistently, and at the same time, they are still valid. Thus, these videos continue to be seen for a long time after they have been uploaded.
Use Click-Worthy Thumbnails & Titles
Your thumbnail is like a first impression-your time investment here will impact your income directly.
Contrast-rich thumbnails with an obvious subject can double or triple the click-through rate. The glance test is very important-if viewers cannot get your thumbnail in 2 seconds, they will continue scrolling.
| Thumbnail Element | Best Practice |
| Text Length | 2-5 words maximum |
| Focal Points | No more than 3 elements |
| Faces | Close-ups with strong emotions |
Titles should complement thumbnails without repeating the same information. Create curiosity gaps that make viewers feel they must click to satisfy their curiosity.
Post Consistently & Analyze Performance
Three or more weekly postings of a channel will almost 8 times the speed of their views growth compared to those that are uploaded monthly.
Still, quality is necessary; organize a content schedule that you can handle so that the creator’s burnout, which is 79% of content creators, will not be affected.
Try to find out by means of YouTube Analytics what kind of videos bring the highest RPM (Revenue Per Mille). At the very beginning, concentrate on increasing the watch time by making longer videos that will hold the viewers’ interest.
Understanding YouTube Income & Growth
Knowing the exact methods through which YouTube remunerates its creators is the key that leads to lasting revenue.
It is equally important to make excellent content that understands the monetary figures to the extent needed will be a great help in making your money flow to the highest level.
What are RPM & CPM?
RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is the amount of money that you really make per 1,000 views after the part that is taken by YouTube. At the same time, CPM (Cost Per Mille) indicates the amount that advertisers pay before the share of YouTube is taken. As YouTube is retaining 45% of the ad revenue, the creators will get the other 55%. It is very important to distinguish these two things; your CPM can be $10 while your RPM is only $5.50. When it comes to [how to make money on YouTube](most popular YouTube tags), knowing these measurements is one of the ways to have the right money, setting expectations.
How Much Can You Earn Per 1,000 Views?
Creators typically earn $2-$12 per 1,000 views, although this varies dramatically by niche. Equally important, your income depends on which category your content falls under:
| Niche | CPM Rate |
| Making money online | $13.52 |
| Digital marketing | $12.52 |
| Personal finance | $12.00 |
| Education | $9.89 |
MrBeast earns between $3-5 million monthly, showing at the highest level.
How to Increase Your Earnings Over Time
Increase your revenue by enabling all monetization features, such as mid-roll ads. Make content in high CPM areas, such as finance.
After that, concentrate more on lengthy videos (7+ minutes) that can have several ad placements.
The usage of high-value keywords in titles and descriptions not only helps to get more views but also brings advertisers who are willing to pay more for their ads.
Monetization Strategies
YouTube remains the most profitable platform in 2025 by far. Use Shorts to drive traffic to your other channels and then use consulting, affiliate offers, digital products, and memberships to make money beyond what the ads can give you.
Identify a profitable niche, understand your audience, post regularly (regular posters grow 8× faster), and get a higher RPM by having longer videos and several ad slots.
Work your channel as if it were a business: monitor analytics, make changes, and increase your volume.
Where to Start & How to Go Viral
- How fast does content go viral?
Typically, a YouTube long-form video can achieve approximately 2 to 3 million views within 1 to 2 days. Similarly, a short video on YouTube may reach around 2 to 3 million views during 5 to 7 days.
- How many views is considered viral on social media?
Several million views within a week (2M+ is a practical rule of thumb).
- Should I start on YouTube or TikTok?
TikTok fuel is very short and efficient reach, plus trending topics; meanwhile, YouTube is consuming more depth, tutorials, and long-term monetization. Therefore, if it isn’t too much, use both.
- What content is most likely to go viral?
By one of these means: humor, strong emotion, relatability, or surprise. Incorporate a 1–3s hook and try to retain as many viewers as possible.