How to Make Money on YouTube in 2026

In 2026, you can make money on YouTube through six main routes: YPP ad revenue, YouTube fan funding, sponsorships, affiliate commissions, your own products, and direct follower payments. YPP has audience thresholds, while sponsorships, external affiliate links, product sales, and direct payments can work before you qualify for YouTube monetization.

This guide explains who pays you, which methods require YouTube Partner Program eligibility, and which can work at any channel size. These methods are not mutually exclusive: you can combine revenue sources so your income does not depend entirely on views, advertisers, or one platform.

How does the YouTube Partner Program pay you?

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) lets eligible creators receive a share of the advertising revenue generated by their content. To qualify for full ad-revenue access, a channel needs 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days (YouTube’s official eligibility requirements).

YouTube pays eligible creators 55% of net Watch Page advertising revenue for long-form video (YouTube revenue-share documentation). For Shorts, creators receive 45% of the revenue allocated to them from the Creator Pool (YouTube Shorts monetization documentation).

YouTube states there is no guarantee of a specific revenue amount, or of any payment at all, under the Partner Program agreement, so no fixed payment-per-view rate exists. Actual earnings vary with factors such as ad demand, audience location, content category, watch time, and the proportion of views that can be monetized. Any quoted “$X per 1,000 views” amount should therefore be treated as an estimate rather than a guaranteed YouTube rate — for a closer look at typical Shorts payouts specifically, see what Shorts creators actually earn.

To apply, open the Earn tab in YouTube Studio, select Apply Now, accept the YPP terms, and connect an AdSense for YouTube account. YouTube says automated systems and human reviewers assess the channel as a whole, with a decision "typically in about 1 month" after the threshold is met, and warns that higher-than-usual application volume can add delays.

Applicants must also have Two-Step Verification turned on, advanced features access, no active Community Guidelines strikes, and an active channel (YouTube Partner Program overview). If an application is rejected, YouTube allows an appeal within 21 days or a new application after 30 days; after more than one rejection, the reapplication period is 90 days.

YouTube also offers an earlier fan funding tier at 500 subscribers. It requires three public uploads in the previous 90 days and either 3,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 3 million valid public Shorts views in 90 days; it can unlock features such as Super Thanks and channel memberships but not Watch Page or Shorts ad revenue (YouTube’s fan funding eligibility page).

For all current thresholds and revenue-share figures, see how much YouTube pays and what the requirements actually are.

What is the YouTube Shopping affiliate program?

Eligible YPP creators can tag products in videos, Shorts, and livestreams through the YouTube Shopping affiliate program. Viewers can browse tagged products from the watch page, complete purchases on the retailer’s website, and generate a commission for the creator when a purchase qualifies.

As of August 2026, the program is available to eligible creators in 14 countries, including the United States, Brazil, India, Japan, and Mexico. Each merchant sets its own commission rate, which creators can see when selecting products; YouTube says it is temporarily passing through 100% of affiliate commissions to creators as an incentive and notes that this arrangement may change (YouTube Shopping affiliate program overview).

YouTube Shopping is different from placing an external Amazon Associates, software-referral, or retailer affiliate link in a description. Shopping tags require YouTube eligibility, while external affiliate programs set their own participation requirements and operate independently of YPP.

Which fan funding features does YouTube offer?

Creators who qualify for YouTube’s 500-subscriber fan funding tier may gain access to several built-in payment features:

• Super Thanks: A viewer makes a one-time payment on an eligible video.
• Super Chat and Super Stickers: A viewer pays to highlight a message or sticker during an eligible livestream.
• Channel memberships: A viewer pays monthly for creator-defined perks such as badges, emojis, posts, or members-only content.

Super Thanks and Super Chat are one-time transactions. Channel memberships are recurring and generally require an ongoing schedule of member benefits for as long as people remain subscribed.

All three methods operate within YouTube and depend on YouTube’s eligibility, availability, and policy requirements. They are therefore different from off-platform payment methods that do not check a channel’s YPP status.

Which income methods work without YouTube ad monetization?

Brand sponsorships, external affiliate links, product sales, and direct follower payments do not require YPP membership. Each brand, retailer, affiliate program, commerce provider, or payment platform can still impose its own terms.

Brand deals and sponsorships

A brand deal pays you to mention or feature a product through a dedicated video, integrated segment, demonstration, or brief shoutout, typically priced as a flat per-video fee, a CPM-based rate tied to views, or a multi-video package rather than a single industry-standard number. There is no universal sponsorship rate: pricing depends on factors such as niche, audience fit, expected reach, format, usage rights, exclusivity, and the amount of work required, so treat any generic “$X per 1,000 followers” figure you see elsewhere as an unverified estimate rather than a sourced rate.

A concise media kit can help brands evaluate your channel. Include your niche, audience size, engagement information, available formats, and relevant examples. Before accepting a deal, define the deliverables, revision limits, publishing date, usage rights, exclusivity period, payment schedule, and disclosure obligations.

YouTube requires creators to identify videos containing paid product placements, sponsorships, or endorsements by selecting the paid-promotion declaration (YouTube’s paid-promotion policy). In the United States, the FTC revised its Endorsement Guides in June 2023 and requires that material connections be disclosed clearly and conspicuously in the video itself, not only in the description, because viewers could otherwise miss a description-only disclosure (FTC Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers).

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing pays a commission when a viewer completes a qualifying action through your tracked link. It is particularly relevant to reviews, tutorials, comparisons, and “gear I use” videos because those formats already help viewers evaluate products.

External affiliate links do not depend on YPP, but every affiliate program controls its own application rules, commission rates, attribution windows, eligible transactions, and payment terms. The FTC treats an affiliate link as a material connection requiring clear, conspicuous disclosure near the link or in the video itself, not buried in a general description (FTC Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers).

Selling your own products

You can sell physical merchandise or digital products such as presets, templates, guides, and courses. Digital products can be delivered repeatedly without physical inventory, while physical products require manufacturing, inventory, shipping, or a print-on-demand provider. With a Brillay Custom Work listing, you can publish what you will make and the delivery time before the deliverable exists, then make each order for the individual viewer who paid rather than sending every buyer the same file.

Selling your own product gives you control over pricing and the customer offer, but gross revenue is not the same as profit. Whichever checkout provider you use will charge its own processing fee — Stripe's typical US online-card rate, for example, is approximately 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards — so factor production, hosting, payment processing, refunds, customer support, taxes, shipping, and marketplace fees into any comparison with a personalized service.

Direct follower payments

Direct follower payments let viewers pay for a defined interaction, request, or form of support. Unlike YPP features, an off-platform payment page does not need to use YouTube’s subscriber or watch-time eligibility checks.

This works when viewers already ask for feedback, reviews, commissions, or advice: turn one repeated request into a fixed-price offer, such as a $25 portfolio review with one clearly defined delivery. The offer should explain exactly what the follower receives, what it costs, and when applicable, how long delivery will take. See how Brillay structures these offers, with no subscriber minimum, in the Brillay section below.

What can you do before you qualify for YPP?

If your channel has fewer than 1,000 subscribers, lacks the required watch time, or cannot join YPP for another reason, you can still pursue:

• Brand deals negotiated directly with companies
• External affiliate programs
• Digital or physical product sales
• One-time direct follower payments

These methods do not check your YPP status, although individual companies and platforms may have their own rules. For tactics designed specifically for small channels, see how to make money on YouTube under 1,000 subscribers.

At 500 subscribers, eligible channels can add YouTube’s fan funding tools. At 1,000 subscribers with the required watch hours or Shorts views, eligible channels can apply for full YPP ad monetization. For a full breakdown of what each subscriber milestone unlocks, see how many subscribers you actually need to earn on YouTube.

How can viewers pay you directly through Brillay?

If followers already ask questions, request personalized content, or want to support your work, Brillay gives them a separate page where they can pay for one-time offers you list and share in your YouTube description, About section, or pinned comment.

No monthly fee, you only pay a small platform fee when you get paid. 8% platform fee when a follower pays for work, 5% platform fee on tips and goals. Card processing is separate. For Custom Work, followers pay as guests, no account needed; you set the price and delivery time, and followers pay before you start. (Brillay pricing)

Connect your bank through Stripe and receive Brillay payouts in any of 41 supported countries (how Brillay works). Stripe’s processing charge is separate from Brillay’s fee; typical US online-card pricing is approximately 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards, with different pricing possible for international or manually entered cards.

A Brillay page can include:

• Paid Questions: Paid Questions let a follower pay upfront to ask one private question, and you send one written reply on your own time — no live call or scheduling.
• Personalized Videos: Personalized Videos let a follower pay upfront for one personalized video for themselves or someone they care about: you set the price and the delivery time, then record it on your schedule.
• Custom Work: Commissions and small custom work — such as a review, mini audit, or feedback — with the price and delivery time written down.
• Tips: Tips let followers send a one-time thank-you, with nothing for you to deliver and no membership for them to join.
• Goals: A Goal is one named goal with a progress bar: followers make one-time contributions and every contribution is yours whether or not the goal is reached — no deadline unless you set one, and nothing to ship.
• Brand Collaboration Inquiries: Brand Collaboration Inquiries is a “Work with Me” form on your Brillay page that collects a brand’s budget, timeline, and deliverables into a separate brand inbox.

The creator directs followers to a Brillay page, and the request and payment happen there.

Brillay gives followers a one-time option beside recurring YouTube channel memberships and one-time Super Thanks, with no membership to join.

Placement and wording affect whether viewers notice the offer.

How do the YouTube income methods compare?

YPP and fan funding thresholds come from YouTube’s YPP eligibility requirements, YouTube’s revenue-share documentation, YouTube Shorts monetization documentation, and YouTube’s fan funding eligibility page; the Brillay row is sourced to Brillay pricing.

YouTube’s native monetization features have platform eligibility requirements. Off-platform methods do not require YPP, but the relevant brand, affiliate network, store, or payment provider may impose separate terms.

Which income method fits your channel’s stage?

A practical sequence is to begin with methods that do not require YouTube eligibility, add fan funding after reaching the 500-subscriber tier, and apply for ad revenue once the full YPP requirements are met. Brand opportunities may arrive before or after these milestones because each company evaluates creators according to its own campaign needs.

The methods can run together. Ad revenue depends partly on views and advertising demand, sponsorships depend on brand budgets and audience fit, and direct payments depend on viewers choosing to buy or contribute.

Which methods fit different types of YouTube content?

• Tutorials, reviews, and equipment channels: External affiliate links and YouTube Shopping tags can connect product demonstrations with relevant purchases.
• Advice, coaching, and expertise channels: Paid questions and clearly defined custom work can turn recurring audience requests into one-time offers.
• Entertainment and personality channels: Sponsorships, tips, and personalized videos can fit audiences primarily interested in the creator.
• Project-based channels: Project goals can give viewers a specific album, film, product, or other goal to help fund.
• Educational and resource channels: Templates, guides, courses, and other digital products can extend the material covered in videos.

These are starting points rather than exclusive categories. A tutorial channel can accept tips, an entertainment channel can use affiliate links, and an expertise channel can combine paid questions with sponsorships.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make money on YouTube without 1,000 subscribers?

Yes. Full YPP ad revenue requires 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days (YouTube’s official eligibility requirements), but external affiliate links, products, sponsorships, and direct follower payments do not require YPP. Individual brands, programs, and platforms may apply their own eligibility rules.

How much does YouTube pay per view?

YouTube does not publish a fixed per-view rate. Eligible creators receive 55% of net Watch Page advertising revenue for long-form videos (YouTube revenue-share documentation) and 45% of their allocated Shorts Creator Pool revenue. Earnings per view vary with audience, ad demand, content, watch time, and monetized playback activity.

Do YouTube sponsorships and affiliate links require disclosure?

Yes. YouTube requires creators to declare paid promotions by selecting its paid-promotion setting (YouTube’s paid-promotion policy). In the United States, the FTC's Endorsement Guides, revised June 2023, also require clear and conspicuous disclosure of material connections, including payments, free products, or affiliate commissions (FTC Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers). Other countries and regions may impose their own requirements.

Is a YouTube channel membership better than Brillay?

They serve different payment patterns. A YouTube channel membership is a recurring monthly subscription with ongoing perks. Brillay supports one-time payments through Paid Questions, Tips, Custom Work, Personalized Videos, and Goals. A creator can use both.

Brillay is one option among several for direct follower payments, alongside built-in YouTube features like Super Thanks and channel memberships once you reach the 500-subscriber tier; the right mix depends on your channel size and audience. Ready to give your viewers a way to pay you directly? Start setting up your Brillay page — it's free, and there's no subscriber minimum.