You’re scrolling on your phone, watching your favorite creator unbox something cool or pull off an insane gaming move, and that little thought pops into your head… “Wait a minute… I could totally do this.” And guess what? You’re 100% right. But knowing how to make money with YouTube videos isn’t some magic trick or lottery win. It’s a skill. Right now, teens just like you are turning their passion for gaming, fashion, comedy, or literally *anything* into actual, real money. And no, you don’t need a fancy camera or a studio. I was shocked myself when I dug into the real stories! This isn’t a fantasy; it’s a practical goal. We are about to break down EVERYTHING, step-by-step: how to start from zero as a beginner, the truth about the YouTube Partner Program, what those view counts actually mean for your wallet, and how to get paid with YouTube Shorts. We’ll even cover how to earn an income on YouTube without ever showing your face. So, let’s get into the only guide you’ll need.
Last updated: June 2025
How to make money on YouTube for beginners
Alright, so that you’re hyped and ready to head. AMAZING! But that first step can feel like status at the lowest of a huge mountain. Don’t worry. Every creator you appearance up to commenced precisely where you are now: with an concept. The absolute first factor you want to do is find your niche. This is your channel’s whole vibe. What do you love speakme approximately? Is it rating every flavor of Takis? Is it your adventure getting to know to skateboard? Is it deep-diving into bizarre movie theories? Your niche tells human beings what to anticipate and why they should break that subscribe button. A great starting point is this ultimate guide for teens getting started on YouTube.
Finding Your Niche (and Sticking With It)
You don’t want to be a seasoned, you simply want to be passionate. That power is what visitors connect with! Your niche may be extraordinary-unique, like “constructing tiny homes in The Sims,” or a chunk broader, like “my lifestyles as a high college artist.” Here’s a quick take a look at: can you brainstorm 20 extraordinary video thoughts for this subject matter proper now? If thoughts are flowing, you are onto something. If you are stuck after three, maybe assume again. It’s like that TikTok meme with the kombucha female going “Well… Is it high-quality?” You’re doing that, but in your channel’s destiny. Finding a unique angle on a popular topic is a super manner to monetize your channel.
The Only Gear You Actually Need
Think you need a camera that costs thousands? Nope. The phone in your pocket right now is a content-creating powerhouse. Seriously. It shoots incredible video, and it’s all you need to start. But here’s the real secret, the one thing you SHOULD focus on: audio. Think about it… you’ll watch a video that’s a little shaky, but if it sounds like the person is talking through a tin can in a hurricane? You’re GONE. A simple lavalier microphone that clips to your shirt can be found online for under $20 and will make you sound 100 times more professional. Good lighting is your other best friend, and sunlight from a window is free! These small things make a huge difference in crafting quality content.
YouTube Partner Program: The Official Way to Get Paid
This is the main quest in your YouTube journey: getting into the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). This is what allows YouTube to place ads on your videos, and in turn, pay you. It’s the primary way creators get that sweet, sweet ad revenue. Unlocking the YPP is a huge milestone that opens the door to consistent YouTube earnings. But there are specific requirements you have to hit first. They’re designed to make sure you’re a serious creator who is consistently uploading quality content. Understanding this program is fundamental to learning how to make money from home on YouTube.
The YPP Requirements: Your First Big Goal
To apply for the YPP, you need to hit two targets. The current requirements are: 1,000 subscribers AND 4,000 hours of public watch time on your long-form videos in the past 365 days. Four. Thousand. Hours. I know, that sounds insane! But let’s break it down. If you make a 10-minute video and 200 people watch it all the way through, that’s 2,000 minutes of watch time, which is over 33 hours… from just ONE video. If you consistently post videos that keep people engaged, those hours add up way faster than you’d think. The goal isn’t just to get clicks; it’s to get people to stay and watch.
Age Limits and Rules (Super Important for Teens!)
Okay, pay attention, because this is critical. To have your own Google AdSense account, which is what YouTube uses to pay you, you MUST be 18 years old. But—and this is a big but—that does NOT mean you have to wait! If you’re between 13 and 17, you can still absolutely monetize your channel. You just need to have a parent or legal guardian link your channel to *their* AdSense account. This means you need to have an open conversation with them. Show them this article! Explain that it’s a real, legitimate way to earn money and that you need their help to do it safely and legally. This is a team effort!
How much money do you make on youtube with 1,000 subscribers?
This is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? The straightforward answer is: you make $0 from the subscribers themselves. A subscriber is a fan who wants to see your future content, but they don’t directly pay you. Hitting 1,000 subscribers is the key that unlocks the door to the YouTube Partner Program, but your income comes from the *views* you get after that. So, once you’re in the YPP, a channel with 1,000 highly engaged subscribers who watch every video can actually earn more than a channel with 20,000 subscribers who aren’t that interested. It’s all about the community, not just the count.
How to earn money from YouTube views (And Why It’s Not Just About Views)
So, if subscribers don’t pay you, views do, right? Kind of. You get paid when a viewer watches an ad on your video. The amount you get paid is measured in something called RPM, or “Revenue Per Mille.” Mille means a thousand in Latin, so RPM is your total revenue per 1,000 video views. Your RPM is the single most important metric for understanding your YouTube income. And here’s the kicker: every channel’s RPM is different. It can range from less than $1 to over $30. It’s the core of figuring out how to make money with youtube videos.
Why such a huge difference? Two main reasons: your niche and your audience’s location. A creator making videos about personal finance will have a super high RPM because advertisers like banks and investment apps will pay BIG money to get in front of that audience. A creator making prank videos will likely have a much lower RPM. Similarly, a viewer in the United States is generally worth more to advertisers than a viewer in many other countries. A realistic RPM for a new teen creator in a gaming or lifestyle niche might be around $3-$7. Knowing how much money you can really make helps set realistic goals.
How to earn money from YouTube Shorts
Don’t have the patience for long videos? YouTube Shorts are your playground. These under-60-second vertical videos are EXPLODING right now. The algorithm is designed to help new creators go viral, so you can get a crazy number of views even if you’re just starting out. It’s like getting a ticket to the “For You” page lottery. Earning from Shorts is different from long-form videos. Instead of getting ad revenue from individual videos, you get a share of the YouTube Shorts Fund. YouTube pools all the money from ads that run between Shorts and distributes it to creators based on their percentage of the total views that month. So if your Shorts pop off, you get a bigger slice of the pie. It’s a great way to build an audience fast.
How to make money on YouTube without making videos (Yes, really!)
Feeling a little camera-shy? Or maybe you just love the editing part of creating? Good news! There are entire genres of hugely successful channels where the creator never shows their face or records their own footage. This is a totally valid way to approach learning how to make money with youtube videos. The most common types are compilation, commentary, or ambient channels. Think “Top 10 Scariest Gaming Moments,” “Funniest Cat Videos of May,” or “8 Hours of Rain Sounds for Studying.”
But—and this is a big one—you can’t just steal other people’s content. That’s called copyright infringement. You need to create *transformative* work. This means you must add your own creative input. This could be by adding funny commentary, insightful analysis, or by skillfully editing clips together in a new and interesting way. You must also use footage that is either licensed for reuse (like Creative Commons material) or falls under Fair Use guidelines. It’s more of an editor’s or curator’s job than a filmer’s, but it’s a huge opportunity.
Beyond Ads: More Monetization Streams
Relying only on ad revenue is like trying to sit on a one-legged stool. It’s wobbly! The smartest creators, and the ones who make a real living, build multiple streams of income. Think of ad revenue as just one of your income streams. The more you have, the more stable your earnings will be. The best part? Many of these methods can be used *before* you even qualify for the YPP. As this Techsmith article explains, diversifying your income is one of the most effective strategies.
Affiliate Marketing: Your First Dollar
This is probably the easiest way to earn your first dollar online. You simply recommend a product you already use and love, and if someone buys it through your unique link, you get a commission. Let’s say you have a tech channel. You can join the Amazon Associates program and get affiliate links for your keyboard, mouse, and microphone. Put those links in your video description. When a viewer thinks, “Ooh, I like that keyboard,” and buys it through your link, you earn a percentage of that sale. It feels genuine because you’re just sharing what you already use.
Selling Merch: Build Your Brand
Have a cool catchphrase or an inside joke with your community? Put it on a t-shirt! Selling merch is an awesome way to let your biggest fans support you and get something cool in return. And don’t worry, you don’t need to fill your garage with boxes of hoodies. Services like Printful or Sellfy are “print-on-demand.” You upload a design, and they handle all the printing and shipping for you, only making a product when someone orders it. It’s a zero-risk way to start building your brand beyond just videos.
Brand Deals: The Big Leagues
A brand deal, or sponsorship, is when a company pays you to feature their product in a video. And you don’t need millions of subscribers to get one! In fact, many brands now prefer to work with “micro-influencers” — creators with smaller, but super-engaged, niche audiences. A company that sells vegan snacks would much rather partner with a creator with 5,000 dedicated vegan followers than a generic channel with 100,000 random viewers. You can start by reaching out to small brands you genuinely love and offering them a partnership.
| Monetization Method | Effort Level | Income Potential | Best For… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad Revenue (YPP) | High (Long-term consistency needed) | Passive & Scalable | Channels with consistent views. |
| Affiliate Marketing | Low to Medium | Low to High (Very scalable) | Review, tutorial, and gear-focused channels. |
| Selling Merch | Medium (Design & promotion) | Moderate | Channels with a strong community identity. |
| Brand Deals | Medium to High (Outreach & negotiation) | High | Creators with a dedicated niche audience. |
Staying Safe: A Teen Creator’s Guide
Let’s get real for a minute. Being on the internet is awesome, but your safety is ALWAYS the #1 priority. This is non-negotiable. Protect your personal information like it’s a dragon’s treasure. Never share your full name, your school, your exact address, or anything that could pinpoint your location. You can be a public figure without making your private life public. When it comes to comments, you’ll get so much love, and it’s the best feeling in the world! But you’ll also get trolls. It’s just a fact of internet life. The secret? Don’t engage. Don’t feed them. Just block, delete, and focus on the amazing community you’re building. And always, always keep your parents in the loop on your journey to make money online from home; they’re your best defense and biggest supporters.
Conclusion
So, that’s the blueprint. Learning how to make money with YouTube videos is a real, achievable goal for any teen with a passion and a smartphone. It’s not about luck; it’s about finding your niche, being consistent, understanding how the system works, and building a community. From chasing those 4,000 watch hours to launching your first piece of merch, every step is part of an incredible journey. The most important thing you can do is start. Stop dreaming about it and start doing it. Your future audience is out there waiting for you.
What are you waiting for? Let us know what kind of channel you want to start in the comments below! And be sure to share this article on TikTok or with a friend who needs to see it. Let’s get creating!
For the latest tips and platform updates, make sure you keep checking back with us at our main site. The online world moves fast, and we’ll help you stay ahead of the game!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many views do you need to get money in YouTube?
You don’t earn money based on a specific number of views alone. To begin earning, you must first be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which requires 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. After acceptance, you earn from ads on your videos. So, you need monetized views, not just any views, to start making money.
2. How many views on YouTube do you need to make $2000 a month?
This completely depends on your channel’s RPM (Revenue Per Mille/1,000 views). If your RPM is $4, you would need 500,000 monetized views in a month to earn $2,000. However, if your channel is in a high-value niche like finance and has an RPM of $15, you would only need around 134,000 views. It varies wildly between creators.
3. How much does YouTube pay per 1000 views?
The payment per 1,000 views (RPM) varies greatly, typically from $1 to over $20. Factors include your content niche (gaming vs. business), the geographic location of your viewers (viewers from the US/UK often have higher ad rates), and the time of year. There isn’t a single, fixed rate; it’s unique to each channel and its audience.
4. How can a beginner earn money from YouTube?
A beginner’s primary goal should be meeting the YPP requirements (1k subs, 4k watch hours). In the meantime, you can start earning through affiliate marketing by recommending products you love in your video descriptions. Once you have a small but loyal audience, you can also explore creating your own simple digital products or print-on-demand merchandise.
