YouTube Shorts is a new short-form video format on YouTube that allows creators to upload brief videos up to 60 seconds long. Shorts videos have become hugely popular, with over 15 billion daily views as of March 2021. For creators, Shorts represents a new potential revenue stream in addition to the money they can earn from regular YouTube videos. However, the YouTube Shorts monetization options are still limited compared to traditional YouTube videos. Here’s an overview of how much money you can make from YouTube Shorts currently.
YouTube Shorts Ad Revenue Sharing Program
In February 2022, YouTube announced a new Shorts revenue sharing program. This program allows Shorts creators to earn a cut of the ad revenue from Shorts content. Here’s how it works:
- YouTube sets aside a pool of money each month specifically for Shorts creators
- The amount each creator earns is determined by their share of total Shorts views for that month
- To be eligible, creators must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days
YouTube has not revealed what the exact revenue share percentage is. However, they have said that the amount paid out will vary each month based on overall viewer engagement with Shorts as well as the pool size.
Early reports seem to indicate pretty small payouts so far, especially when split across multiple creators. For example, one YouTuber with over 763,000 subscribers shared that they earned just $60 from 5.7 million Shorts views in March 2022.
However, this revenue sharing program is still new and payouts may increase over time as YouTube allocates more money towards Shorts and the platform continues growing. While individual payouts look small for now, it’s at least a good sign that YouTube is starting to monetize Shorts.
YouTube Partner Program
In addition to the Shorts bonus program, creators can also earn ad revenue from Shorts videos through the standard YouTube Partner Program. This program allows you to monetize regular YouTube videos by running ads and earning a cut of the revenue.
To qualify for the YouTube Partner Program:
- You need at least 1,000 subscribers
- You need at least 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
- You must adhere to all YouTube monetization policies
Once you’re in the Partner Program, you can enable monetization on eligible Shorts videos. Then you’ll earn 55% of the ad revenue those Shorts generate.
Shorts have the potential to earn solid income through the Partner Program. For example, a Short with 50 million views could generate $100,000+ at a $2 RPM. However, getting huge viewership on Shorts is not easy without already having a large following.
YouTube Super Thanks
YouTube Super Thanks allows viewers to tip creators between $2-$50 during a Shorts video. As the creator, you keep 100% of the Super Thanks revenue.
To enable Super Thanks:
- You must be in the YouTube Partner Program
- Have at least 50,000 subscribers
- Super Thanks must be enabled on your channel
The amounts earned from Super Thanks will vary greatly depending on viewership and how often fans tip. Top creators could potentially earn hundreds or thousands per month. But for smaller channels, Super Thanks income will likely be minimal.
YouTube Channel Memberships
YouTube Channel Memberships allow viewers to pay a monthly fee (between $1-$100 per month) to get exclusive access to extra channel perks offered by the creator. This provides another potential revenue stream from Shorts.
To enable Memberships:
- You need at least 30,000 subscribers
- Memberships must be enabled for your channel
- You must set up membership perks and tiers
The income from Memberships depends on how many paying members you have and the tier pricing levels. Top creators can easily earn over $100,000 per year from channel memberships alone.
YouTube Brand Sponsorships
One more way YouTubers earn money is through sponsorships and brand partnerships. Essentially, brands pay creators to promote products or services in their videos.
Shorts creators can leverage their large follower bases for lucrative sponsorships too. For example, a creator could easily charge $10,000+ to make a 60-second branded Short promoting a product.
The trick is building a big enough audience that brands want to work with you. Typically you’ll need at least 100,000 followers before sponsorships are a viable income stream.
YouTube Merchandise
Selling branded merchandise is another profitable revenue stream for top YouTubers. Things like t-shirts, hoodies, mugs and other items with your YouTube channel logo allow fans to rep their favorite creator.
Merch can be a passive income generator since fans are constantly buying and wearing branded items. Profit margins can be very high if you sell through an on-demand service like Teespring rather than holding inventory.
While merchandise has always been popular, Shorts gives creators a new channel to advertise and sell merch directly to their highly engaged audience. Even small amounts of merch sales can add up over thousands of customers.
YouTube AdSense on Main Channel
Since most creators post Shorts to their existing YouTube channels, the ad revenue from their regular long-form videos also needs to be factored in.
For YouTubers who already have a large subscriber base and high viewership, their main channel revenue from AdSense is likely much larger than what they’re earning directly from Shorts.
Posting viral Shorts is a great way to cross-promote a creator’s main channel. So the indirect impact on long-form revenue shouldn’t be overlooked.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate programs allow YouTubers to earn commission by promoting products from other companies. Common examples include Amazon associates, mobile apps, VPNs, or other services.
Creators can include affiliate links in their Shorts video descriptions to make additional money when viewers click and make a purchase. Affiliate income can really add up over thousands of clicks and sales.
The key is finding affiliate programs that are relevant to your niche and audience. For example, a cooking creator could share kitchen gadget links.
YouTube Shorts Fund
In addition to revenue sharing, YouTube has allocated a $100 million YouTube Shorts Fund for 2021-2022. The goal is to reward creators for their contributions in helping Shorts grow.
YouTube is distributing the fund through various contests and bonus programs. For example, creators can earn a bonuses of $100-$10,000 for videos that include certain hashtags, themes, or content.
These special contests provide another way for creators to monetize their Shorts beyond justViews. However, the fund is temporary and bonuses are awarded selectively, not as a recurring income source.
Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs)
Multi-channel networks (MCNs) are companies that affiliate with multiple YouTube channels. MCNs can assist creators with monetization, brand deals, copyright, and cross-promotion.
By joining an MCN, Shorts creators may be able to access higher CPM rates and better monetization options. However, MCNs take a cut of your revenue, usually around 30%.
Large MCNs also have relationships with major brands that smaller creators may not be able to access alone. Overall, joining an MCN can be beneficial for earning more money from Shorts if you don’t want to manage partnerships yourself.
How Much Do Top Shorts Creators Earn?
It’s tricky to estimate exactly how much top creators are earning from Shorts right now, since revenue data is limited. However, examining earnings from traditional YouTube channels can provide some clues.
For example, MrBeast, who has over 100 million subscribers, reportedly earned $54 million from his main channel in 2021. Even if a fraction of that revenue came from Shorts, it would still be life-changing money.
The following table shows estimated earnings for big YouTube channels that actively use Shorts based on their subscriber counts:
| YouTuber | Subscribers | Estimated Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| MrBeast | 106M | $50M-$60M |
| Zach King | 87.8M | $40M-$50M |
| Jelly | 47.6M | $20M-$30M |
| Kallmekris | 26.1M | $10M-$15M |
Keep in mind these are very rough estimates based on the creators’ subscriber counts and industry average CPM rates. Their actual income could be higher or lower. But it gives a sense of the large amounts top personalities likely earn from Shorts and their overall channels.
Typical Shorts Earnings for Smaller Creators
For creators just getting started, Shorts income will be much lower at first. Here are some typical earning ranges small creators have reported:
- $100-$500 per month (10,000 – 100,000 subscribers)
- $500-$2,000 per month (100,000 – 500,000 subscribers)
- $2,000-$5,000 per month (500,000 – 1 million subscribers)
These numbers assume creators are monetizing through multiple options like ad revenue share, affiliate links, sponsorships, etc. Relying on just one income source will result in lower earnings.
While $100 per month from Shorts won’t pay the bills alone, it’s a nice supplemental income stream. And earnings have the potential to scale up as your audience grows. Consistency and patience are key.
How to Maximize Your Shorts Earnings
Here are some tips to help maximize your earning potential on YouTube Shorts:
- Focus on high quality over quantity. Viral shorts drive more revenue than spamming low-quality uploads.
- Enable as many monetization options as possible – ad share, affiliate links, channel memberships, etc.
- Drive viewers to your main channel and full length videos for maximum ad revenue.
- Partner with brands relevant to your niche for sponsorships.
- Promote merch within your Shorts and channel for passive sales.
- Join an MCN if you need help accessing partnerships and sponsorships.
- Analyze performance data to optimize your content strategy and earning potential.
YouTube Shorts Monetization Requirements
Here’s a quick recap of the key subscriber and viewership requirements needed to monetize YouTube Shorts:
- 1,000 subscribers – To join YouTube Partner Program
- 10 million Shorts views (90 days) – For YouTube Shorts Fund bonus eligibility
- 30,000 subscribers – To enable channel memberships
- 50,000 subscribers – For Super Thanks tipping feature
- 100,000+ subscribers – When brand sponsorships become viable
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do you get for 1 million YouTube Shorts views?
Exactly how much money 1 million Shorts views earns depends on many factors like ad rates, viewership country, audience engagement, etc. But most creators report earning somewhere around $1,000 – $3,000 per million views currently.
Do YouTube Shorts pay you?
Yes, there are a few ways creators can now earn money from YouTube Shorts, including the Shorts ad revenue sharing program, YouTube Partner Program ads, Super Thanks tips, etc. However, monetization options are still limited compared to traditional YouTube videos.
Is there a minimum view requirement for YouTube Shorts monetization?
There is no universal minimum view requirement to earn money from Shorts. However, to join the Partner Program you need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours (which works out to over 100,000 views). More views will lead to higher earnings.
What is the #Shorts bonus?
YouTube is offering creators a bonus of up to $10,000 for videos using the #Shorts hashtag as part of its $100M creator fund. This is a temporary bonus program to incentivize creators to test out Shorts.
How many views do you need to get paid on Shorts?
There is no official threshold for the minimum number of Shorts views required before you can earn money. However, you need at least 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views in 90 days to qualify for the main ad revenue sharing program.
The Future of Shorts Monetization
YouTube Shorts is still in the very early stages of opening up monetization options for creators. The platform likely has a long runway ahead in terms of introducing more ways for creators to earn money.
YouTube will need to find the right balance between offering revenue share and incentives, while also keeping the Shorts experience fun and authentic. There is also room for new innovations like interactive video ads, branded filters, and integrated shopping.
For creators, now is the time to start establishing your presence on Shorts and learning best practices. Even if direct monetization seems limited today, building a loyal audience will pay off hugely as YouTube expands the program. Consistency and patience will be key to reaping the long-term benefits.
Conclusion
YouTube Shorts opens up an entirely new content and money-making opportunity for creators. While Shorts revenue is still small for most, the program is rapidly evolving. Top creators with viral Shorts can already earn decent income through ad sharing, sponsorships, and bonuses.
For new creators, focusing on quality content and viewer growth is key. Building an engaged audience now will provide a solid foundation for maximizing earnings down the road as monetization expands.
With over 15 billion daily views and growing, Shorts has incredible momentum that will likely make it very lucrative long-term. Savvy creators would be wise to get onboard this new format and become pioneers in the space.