Quick Answer
To start earning money directly from YouTube, you need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months. Once you reach this threshold, you can apply for YouTube’s Partner Program, which allows channels to monetize their content through advertisements, subscriptions, and channel memberships.
However, the amount you earn per view depends on factors like a video’s watch time, audience retention, etc. Though there’s no definitive view count, most channels need at least tens of thousands of views per month to earn a sustainable income. Building a loyal audience and creating high-quality content leads to higher CPM rates and more long-term revenue.
What are the requirements to monetize a YouTube channel?
To be eligible to earn money directly from YouTube through its Partner Program, channels need to meet these requirements:
- Have at least 1,000 subscribers.
- Reach 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.
- Have a linked AdSense account.
- Comply with all YouTube monetization policies.
These requirements apply to any monetization method, including video ads, channel memberships, Super Chat, and merchandise. Without meeting these thresholds, you cannot earn revenue directly from YouTube.
The reason YouTube set these benchmarks is to ensure that channels have an established, engaged audience before monetizing content. While the exact numbers are somewhat arbitrary, they prevent users from attempting to monetize channels with very low viewership.
Tips to reach the YouTube monetization requirements:
- Create search-friendly titles and descriptions using targeted keywords.
- Make content that keeps viewers watching with good pacing and editing.
- Promote your videos on social media and external sites to maximize views.
- Ask viewers to like, comment, subscribe, and share to help grow your audience.
- Analyze your analytics to see when viewers drop off and improve weaker areas.
Reaching the monetization thresholds takes consistency, optimization, promotion, and most importantly – creating content people want to watch. Patience is key – it can take months to reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours for most channels starting out.
How much money does a YouTuber make per view?
Since YouTube earnings are based on CPM (cost per thousand views), YouTubers don’t directly earn money from each individual view. Instead, the amount earned depends on:
- CPM Rates – This ranges from $0.25 to $10+ based on factors like content type, audience demographics, seasonality, and viewer demand.
- RPM – Stands for revenue per thousand views. YouTubers make between $1 to $5 RPM on average.
- Watch Time – Videos with higher average view duration earn more as they keep viewers watching ads.
- Ad Frequency – How often ads appear during videos. Usually, longer videos can have more ads.
While rates vary widely, here are some averages for YouTube CPM and RPM:
| Content Type | CPM | RPM |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | $2 – $5 | $1 – $3 |
| Comedy | $2 – $7 | $1 – $4 |
| Fashion/Beauty | $4 – $10 | $2 – $5 |
| News/Politics | $10+ | $4 – $6 |
These are broad averages – niches like personal finance or music also tend to get higher rates. Essentially, rates come down to supply and demand between advertisers and audiences.
More views alone don’t automatically translate to higher earnings. Factors like click-through rates on ads also impact how much advertisers will pay. Creating consistent, high-quality content tailored to your niche helps build a loyal audience and leads to better monetization over the long-term.
What’s the minimum amount of views needed to make money?
While YouTube pays out when you’ve earned just $100, most agree you need at least tens of thousands of views per month to earn a sustainable income. Here are some estimates on the minimum views needed:
- 50,000 views per month – Can earn a couple hundred dollars per month. Difficult to earn a living wage with this view range.
- 250,000 views per month – The minimum for around $2,500 per month in income. Still relatively low for a full-time business.
- 500,000 views per month – More comfortable income between $5,000 – $7,500 per month. But requires significant audience growth.
- 1 million views per month – Top YouTubers in this range earn $10,000 – $40,000 per month. Allows for a decent full-time living.
- 10 million+ views per month – Top channels can earn $100,000+ per month. But requires being a major force on the platform.
These are rough estimates that account for the typical RPM rates from the previous section. Earnings also depend heavily on costs like video production, editing tools, staff, and more that eat into profit.
While it’s possible to earn income from 50,000 views, it likely requires supplemental sources like sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and merchandise to earn a full-time living at that range.
How many YouTube views for different subscriber ranges?
The number of views channels get depends heavily on their number of subscribers. Here are some averages:
| Subscribers | Monthly Views |
|---|---|
| 0 – 1,000 | 100 – 5,000 |
| 1,000 – 10,000 | 5,000 – 50,000 |
| 10,000 – 100,000 | 50,000 – 500,000 |
| 100,000 – 1 million | 500,000 – 5 million |
| 1 million + | 5 million+ |
These ranges are broad estimates and depend on factors like upload frequency and viewer loyalty. The averages assume 1-2 videos per week. Daily uploaders see higher viewership.
But in general, growing an audience also grows recurring views as subscribers come back to watch newly uploaded content. Top creators with millions of subscribers can rack up views passively over time.
Tips to get more YouTube views
While reaching thousands of views per month takes significant effort, here are some proven tips:
- Optimize titles, descriptions and tags for SEO using relevant keywords.
- Engage viewers with custom thumbnails and captivating first 10 seconds.
- Promote new uploads on social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- Collaborate with other YouTubers in your niche for cross-promotion.
- Consider paid YouTube ads for an initial boost in views.
- Analyze high-performing videos and double down on what works.
- Publish consistently – aim for 1-2 regular uploads per week minimum.
It also helps to make search-friendly content around topics gaining popularity and trends in your niche. Jumping on trends early on can result in views pouring in.
Interact with your audience in comments and ask questions to spark more viewer engagement. Videos with higher engagement signals tend to get promoted by YouTube.
Key takeaways
- You need 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 watch hours to be eligible for YouTube monetization through the Partner Program.
- Earnings depend on factors like CPM, RPM, audience retention, etc. not just raw views.
- Most channels need 250,000+ views a month to earn a decent full-time income.
- Maximize views with SEO titles, promotions, collaborations, consistent uploading, and analyzing your data.
Getting views on YouTube takes time and optimization. But by providing value to audiences with engaging content, growing a loyal viewership is possible over months and years. Patience and persistence are key. Once you build an audience in a niche, a channel can become a stable source of advertising income.
Conclusion
While YouTube offers creators the opportunity to monetize their channels, simply getting views is not enough to guarantee profits. Earning substantial income from YouTube requires building an audience that engages with and regularly watches your content over the long term.
Optimizing your content for search, promoting videos effectively, and analyzing performance metrics help drive more views. But the key is consistently providing value for a specific niche through high-quality videos. This helps attract loyal, recurring viewership that enjoys your work enough to watch more of it over time.
Channels that build strong connections with their target audience are best positioned to earn sustainable income from YouTube. So rather than chasing views alone, it’s important to focus on serving your niche and making content people wish to watch and share. The views and revenue will follow if you hone your creative skills and keep adapting to audience needs.
With dedication to the craft and commitment to a regular uploading schedule, channels can steadily grow their subscribers and views to reach YouTube’s monetization milestones within their first year. But it requires patience and persistence. Staying mindful of why you started creating videos in the first place helps maintain motivation when growth seems slow. Consistency and providing value pay off over the long run.