How YouTubers Earn Money through Viral Videos?

February 16, 2024
how youtubers earn money

Quick Summary

  • Uncover the mechanisms of YouTube payments to content creators. Explore the various avenues through which YouTubers can earn money for their engaging and viral content.
  • Get inspired by exploring examples of India’s highest-paid YouTubers. 
  • Learn how to monetise your YouTube channel effectively. This section provides insights into the strategies and steps to turn your creative efforts into a source of income.
  • Explore multiple income streams on YouTube, from channel memberships to sponsored content and affiliate partnerships.
  • Delve into the YouTube Partner Program and understand key metrics like RPM (Revenue per Mille) and CPM (Cost per Mille). Gain insights into how these metrics impact your earnings as a YouTuber.
  • Unlock the secrets to creating viral videos on YouTube. This section provides tips and strategies to increase your video’s visibility and engagement.

Table of Contents

Many people think about how YouTubers earn money. Have you ever wondered how to earn from YouTube? What is the YouTube earning system and YouTube earning criteria?

There are over 2.1bn YouTube subscribers in the world. Simultaneously, more than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. These figures show that YouTube is the best way to earn money.

The most common way to make easy money on video platforms is through advertising revenue. But this is not the only way.

In this post, we will discuss how YouTubers earn money and how to monetize YouTuber channels for budding YouTubers.

Earnings of Highest-Paying YouTubers

If you are wondering how YouTubers make money and how much they earn from the leading video platform. Then here is the list of the top 10 YouTubers and their earnings.

Name Of the Channel

Youtuber’s name

Subscribers

Average Views

Monthly Earning (INR)

Channel Type

Channel Started

CarryMinati

Ajey Nagar

37.4 M

3.4 M

16 Lakhs +

Roasting, comedy and gaming, songs

2009

Total Gaming

Ajay

34 M

578.1K

8 to 15 lakhs +

PC and mobile gaming

2018

Round 2 hell

Nazim Ahmed, Zayn Saifi, and Wasim Ahmad

28.1 M

291K

10 to 15 Lakhs

Comedy

2015

BB ki Vines

Bhuvan Bham

25.6 M

489.3k

25 Lakhs +

Comedy

2015

Amit Bhadana

Amit Bhadana

24.3 M

13.4 M

47 crores

Comedy

2012

Technical Guruji

 

Gaurav Chaudhary

22.7 M

121.7K

326 crores

Technology

2015

Nisha Madhulika

Nisha Madhulika

13.2 M

8 M

33 crores

Food

2011

Ashish Chanchlani

Ashish Chanchlan

28.9 M

26.8 M

29 crores

Comedy

2014

Sandeep Maheshwari

Sandeep Maheshwari

26.3 M

2.4 M

22 crores

Motivational

2012

Harsh Beniwal

 

Harsh Beniwal

15.1 M

2.2 M

16 crores

Comedy

2015

YouTube Income in India

In the YouTube income calculator given below, you can calculate how much you can earn from views.

Video Views

Estimated Daily Earnings

1K

INR 100-200

10K

INR 200-500

100K

INR 2000-5000

1M

INR 7000-30000

150M

INR 150000-600000

How to Earn from YouTube?

If you want to learn how to earn money from YouTube, then here are the following ways to get you started.

  • You must first research and select your niche.
  • After that, know your audience so you can create the content accordingly.
  • Once you know your audience, study your competition so that you can create content that sets you apart from them.
  • The final thing you must do is start your YouTube channel page, create content, and start earning.

Related: 10 Ideas for YouTube Channel

How to Monetize a YouTube Channel

The primary requirement is to create a YouTube channel. Once the channel is created, the question of how to monetize a YouTube channel.

Here are few ways which can help you to generate income from YouTube.

YouTube Partner Program

Those seeking special features on this social platform should join the YouTube Partner Program. Creating an Adsense account can lead to earnings via views from the video.

The perks of these features include access to multiple income streams, ads, super chats, and memberships. These are the many different sources and ways to earn a YouTube income.

To start with YouTube Partner Program, you need to follow these steps:

  • Create an Adsense account for the content creator (YouTube provides guidelines to do so).
  • Every monetization has its own rules and requirements. Meet all the YouTube Partner Program requirements. To join the program, creators need 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours a year.
  • You must follow YouTube earning criteria to obtain ad revenue. One must be 18 years old and the content should be user- and advertiser-friendly.

Channel Memberships

You can also sell subscriptions to your channel to your subscribers as a YouTuber. When selling channel memberships, subscribers pay the content creator an additional fee to view exclusive content.

But you can sell channel membership only if you are 18 or 18+ and have 30000 subscribers on your channel.

On YouTube, you can find a membership tab under monetization from where you can control:

  • Total number of subscribed members including cancelled members.
  • An active and inactive number of subscribed members.
  • Income generated from the previous billing period.
  • Cancellation feedback that is provided by users.

YouTube Premium Revenue

Creators can now earn a share of the revenue when users watch videos from their channel under YouTube’s premium policy. If the user has a YouTube Premium membership, this will automatically entitle creators to a portion of the subscriber’s subscription fee.

Here are some facts about YouTube’s premium revenue:

  • All videos from content creators will also be available on YouTube Premium without any ads.
  • The content creator does not need to make any additional payment to get YouTube premium revenue.
  • Downloaded videos are also eligible for watch time revenue generation which will increase views and ultimately increase revenue.
earn in six figures

Sell Your Merchandise

If you are in doubt about how to monetize your YouTube channel, here’s the answer. One can sell merchandise using this platform. Many Youtubers are making money by selling their T-shirts and other goodies.

The influencers make their product, and with the help of YouTube, they can easily promote the products they want to sell.

If you are also thinking about how YouTubers earn money, these are some ways by which one can easily promote the products.

  • Creators determined to sell merch must devise a unique presentation before designing their products. Many YouTubers like MrBeast promote their drinks via YouTube.
  • Creating an online shop allows one to easily paste the shop link in posted videos.
  • After creating the online web page, one should enable the YouTube partner merchandise shelf. This feature allows creators to sell their desired merchandise through YouTube.
  • Whenever a creator uploads a new video, they must ensure they are promoting their merchandise. When promoting the merch, they should mention the name of their shop and website. Creators can also make YouTube groups to share product information and receive orders in one place.
  • Always add a ‘thank you’ note and describe the products’ positive aspects.

Create Sponsored Content

Are you looking for an easy way of making YouTube Income? Here is the answer: you can do it by creating sponsored content. One can contact the brand directly and ask them to advertise their product. If the channel has videos with a target audience similar to the brand, they will ask the creator to do the branding.

If you want to target such a branding partner, then these pointers can help you:

  • The initial task is to find a suitable brand partner who is suitable for the channel. This sounds easy, but they will thoroughly check the YouTube content and check for any disturbing videos. If the videos are in their interest, then they will accept.
  • Sign a contract and make a deal with them.
  • Now the creator should be transparent about the advertising. It should comply with the AdSense guidelines and YouTube guidelines.

Become an Affiliate Partner

If you are still thinking about how YouTubers make money, here is another easy and trending way. If the creator believes in their audience, they should become an affiliate partner.

In an affiliate partnership, the partner hosts the link to products on a website on their channel. If anyone clicks that link and purchases the product, the partner earns a part of the revenue. The link’s motive is to encourage the subscribers to check out the link.

Many sites invest in affiliate marketing. Some of these include Amazon and Rei.

Related: Affiliate Marketing in India

Live stream

One of the best ways how YouTubers earn money these days is by live streaming on YouTube. A creator can host live streaming or shows, and the viewers can transfer money to them in real-time by using the super chat feature on youtube (a replaced version of Fan Funding).

  • This feature is only eligible for those who are youtube partners.
  • Each super chat, along with the amount and the sender’s name, gets highlighted in the chat section.

Crowdfunding

Creators can also use crowdfunding, known as sponsorships.

  • First, the creator should set their goals. YouTube provides a complete list of pre-approved crowdfunding sites.
  • Explain the campaign in detail, let the audience know, and create an atmosphere of suspense. Ask the viewers to help the creator by donating whatever they can.
  • YouTube is not the only place where the creator can crowdfund. One can take this to another level by going outdoors to spread awareness about the campaign offline.

Licensing

If a video goes viral, then every social media outlet and every other creator will want the video to be shown to their subscriber. Nowadays, creators can license their videos. So, if anyone else shares their video, the original creator can benefit from the revenue.

It is one of the best YouTube income sources. Here are some best practices:

  • Always keep your profile updated. You never know who may reach out to you to collaborate.
  • Check for the current trend and make videos accordingly. If a video becomes viral, one can easily make a lot of money out of it.

YouTube Partner Program

YouTube pays its creators primarily through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), allowing eligible creators to monetize their content while giving them access to resources, features and programs provided by YouTube. This program opens up the gateway to monetization, letting you turn your YouTube channel into a potential source of income. YouTube creators in the company’s Partner Program can earn money in a bunch of different ways — through advertising, subscriptions, donations, live-streaming features, and YouTube Premium revenue.

The program is designed by YouTube to allow content creators to monetize their videos on the platform. Through the YPP, creators can earn money from ads displayed on their videos, access various monetization features, and potentially participate in other revenue streams offered by YouTube.

1. Follow all of YouTube’s Policies and Guidelines: Adherence to YouTube’s community guidelines, terms of service, copyright laws, and all other policies is crucial. Violations of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the YPP.

2. Live in a Country or Region Where the YouTube Partner Program is Available: The YouTube Partner Program must be available in your country or region. YouTube periodically expands the availability of the program to additional locations.

3. Comply with AdSense Policies: You need to have an AdSense account linked to your YouTube account. AdSense is the program through which YouTube pays content creators. Ensure that your AdSense account complies with all of AdSense’s policies.

4. Have More Than 4,000 Valid Public Watch Hours in the Last 12 Months: Your videos need to have accumulated at least 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months. Valid watch hours exclude private, unlisted, and deleted videos.

5. Have More Than 1,000 Subscribers: Your YouTube channel must have more than 1,000 subscribers.

How Creators can Track their Revenue in YPP?

As a content creator, you should focus on maximizing RPM (Revenue Per Mille) but at the same time, keep an eye on CPM (Cost Per Mille) to ensure ad quality and user experience.

Revenue Per Mille:

RPM is an all-compassing metric. It represents the estimated revenue a content creator earns per one thousand video views. It includes not just ads but channel memberships, Super Chats, and even YouTube Premium revenue. This gives creators an accurate representation of how much money they make on YouTube after YouTube takes its cut. RPM is a creator-focused metric, to help content creator better understand the revenue earned for 1000 views on their content. 

Cost Per Mille:

CPM is an advertiser-focused metric and is solely focused on ad revenue. Cost per mille refers to the money an advertiser pays for every 1,000 times their advertisement is displayed. An ad impression is recorded each time the ad is shown to a user. Advertisers use CPM to calculate the cost of running an ad campaign.

How to Create Viral Content on YouTube

If you are thinking about how YouTubers earn money, the answer is by creating viral videos.

Here are a few tips for creating viral content and earning money through it:

How to create viral content on YouTube

Do the Research

The first thing required is a solid plan. Therefore, you need to first set a goal. Once you set the goal, find out what your audience prefers and what content they like. Check out the viral content of your competitors and then use these answers to start your campaign.

Know your Audience

The key to create great content is by understanding the tastes of the audience. You should also understand the demographics and always research what your audience is looking for.

Be Different

The reason why people like viral content is because it is unique and original in some or the other way. Therefore, you need to ensure that your content is authentic and entertaining if you want to make it viral.

Make Engaging Video

Your content should be engaging from the start to the end of the video. It should convey a clear message and should motivate your viewers to look forward to your following videos.

Get the Best Visuals

Visual content is more appealing as it is easily consumable. Along with conveying the message, it is essential to keep them engaged. Thus, you need to be creative with visuals to get your video viral.

Make Promotional Plan

You need a great plan for promoting your video or content. Make a proper strategy or hire a firm to do this for you.

Measure your Success

It is crucial to track your progress so that you can make the alterations in the next video you share. You should track how often people share your videos, how many likes you get and at what time is best to post videos, etc.

Choosing a popular niche will help you to get more views. The table below shows the categories that get more views on YouTube.

Category

CPM Rates Approx.

Comedy

INR 750

Educational

INR 800

Technology

INR 600

Roasting

INR 750

Cooking

INR 200

Gaming

INR 120

Music

INR 800

Lifestyle

INR 300

Travel

INR 200

Tutorials

INR 500

Also Read: Passive Income Ideas in India

YouTube Income in India

This was all about some of the best YouTubers, their earnings, and how YouTube earning system works. There are different ways of making money through YouTube, essentially, you must identify the right niche for yourself and create content that differentiates you from your competition and is relevant to your target audience. In the beginning, you need to show dedication and patience. But after some time, you can earn well from it.

Another easy way to make money online is to become a Chegg expert. Here, you can earn money helping students from all over the world with their doubts. The best part is that you can work whenever and wherever is most convenient for you and choose your own working hours.

Looking to add a few bucks to your monthly income? Learn how to do that with our guide on Passive Income.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many views do you need on YouTube to make money?

To become eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, one should have at least 1000 subscribers and around 4000 watch hours in the last 12 months. So, this is the first step in how YouTubers earn money.

How much YouTube pays in India depends on your geographical location and the time you are going to invest in it. But after 1000 views YouTube will pay you up to INR 500.

How do the YouTubers get paid?

First, to receive money, one should have an Adsense account; when your account reaches a threshold value of 100$, the creator will receive their money. Also, as mentioned above, you should first fulfill their eligibility criteria to make money.

Once you meet the eligibility criterion, you get paid for the views and the clicks per ad on your account through a bank deposit every month.

Does YouTube pay monthly?

Yes, YouTubers are paid monthly. Usually, YouTubers are paid through a monthly direct deposit monthly on the 21st of every month. If 21st falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment will be made on the first business day following the 21st of that month. So, you expect a monthly payment from your YouTube earning.

How much does a YouTuber with 1 million subscribers make?

The average YouTube Income for those with a minimum of 1 million subscribers is $60,000 annually. The best thing is that if one has a video with one or more advertisements and 1 million views, it can pay a YouTuber around $2,000-$3,000. But your money will be transferred to the account only after it reaches INR 7000.

Can a beginner make money on YouTube?

If you are wondering how YouTubers earn money and can a beginner earn on YouTube. So yes, a beginner can make money on YouTube.

But as a beginner content creator, you need to put in a lot of effort. You can upload multiple videos and get minimum views on each of your videos. The more views and subscribers, the more your earnings will increase.

To read more related articles, click here.

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