How Do You Make Money on YouTube? 7 Ways That Actually Pay in 2026

Almost everyone who starts a channel asks the same thing: how do you actually make money on YouTube? The short version is that YouTube pays you a share of the ads shown on your videos, but ads are only one of seven ways creators earn. Some need the Partner Program, some do not. Here is each one, what it needs, roughly what it pays, and the order most channels unlock them in.

1. Ad revenue (the YouTube Partner Program)

This is what most people mean by "getting paid by YouTube". Once your channel is accepted into the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), ads run on your videos and you keep 55% of the ad revenue from long videos. Advertisers pay per 1,000 ad views (CPM), and what you keep per 1,000 video views is called RPM. For most channels that is somewhere between $1 and $10 per 1,000 views, with finance, business and tech at the top.

What you need to get into the Partner Program

YouTube now has two levels. The first unlocks fan funding and Shopping, the second unlocks ad revenue. Both also need 2-Step Verification, no active Community Guidelines strikes, a linked AdSense account and a channel in a supported country.

Not sure how close you are? The free monetization checker shows what is left for your channel, under both the current rules and the 2027 rules.

2. YouTube Shorts revenue

Shorts are paid differently. Ads run between Shorts in the feed, the money goes into a shared pool, and creators keep 45% of their share. It pays far less per view than long videos, usually a few cents per 1,000 views, so most creators use Shorts to grow and long videos to earn.

3. Channel memberships

Viewers pay a monthly fee for perks like badges, emojis, members-only videos or early access. Memberships unlock at the fan funding level. A small, loyal audience can earn more from memberships than from ads, especially in education, gaming and commentary.

4. Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks

During live streams and premieres, viewers can pay to pin a message (Super Chat) or send an animated sticker (Super Stickers). On regular videos and Shorts they can send a tip with Super Thanks. Live creators often earn a large part of their income this way.

5. YouTube Shopping and affiliate links

With YouTube Shopping you can tag products in your videos and earn a commission when viewers buy, or sell your own merch from your channel. Outside YouTube's own tools, almost every channel can add affiliate links (Amazon and others) in the description from day one, with no subscriber minimum.

6. Sponsorships and brand deals

Brands pay creators to mention or review their product. For many mid-size channels this pays more than ads. Pricing is usually set per video, and a common starting point is a flat fee based on the views a typical video gets. Sponsors care about a clear niche and an engaged audience more than raw subscriber counts.

7. Selling your own products or services

Courses, templates, coaching, presets, e-books or physical products. This is where the largest channels make most of their money, because they keep almost all of it. It needs trust first, which is why it usually comes after a channel has a steady audience.

Which ways need monetization, and which do not

How long does it take to start making money?

Affiliate links and sponsors can start any time, but ad revenue only starts after the Partner Program. Most new channels take many months to reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours, and many never get there. From February 2027 the watch-hour target doubles to 8,000, so that wait gets longer for anyone who is not in yet.

That is why some creators skip the waiting stage and start with a channel that is already monetized, then put their own content on it. If you go that route, buy only where ownership is transferred to your own Google account and you can check the channel before paying.