Ever found yourself deep in a YouTube rabbit hole at 2 AM, watching someone unbox sneakers or absolutely crush a new video game, and thinking… wait a minute… I could totally do that. Well, guess what? You can. The whole idea of learning how to make money with youtube channel isn’t some far-off dream reserved for people with fancy cameras and Hollywood-level editing skills. It’s real, it’s happening right now, and for teenagers just like you, it’s more possible than ever. I was shocked myself when I saw how many creators started with literally just a phone and a good idea. We’re going to break down everything—not the cliché “get rich quick” nonsense, but the actual, practical steps you can take to turn your passion into a paycheck, all while navigating the rules and staying safe. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s get one thing straight. Building a successful channel is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, consistency, and a genuine love for what you’re creating. Think of it like leveling up in a game. You don’t beat the final boss on day one, right? You start with smaller quests, gain experience, and build your skills. Your early videos are your training ground. This is where you find your voice, figure out what your audience loves, and get comfortable in front of the camera (or behind it!). For a more comprehensive look at getting started, check out this ultimate guide for teens on starting a YouTube channel. The key is to just begin and learn as you go.
How can a beginner earn money from YouTube?
So, you’re a total beginner with 0 subscribers and a emblem-new channel. What now? Your first task isn’t always to make cash—it’s to create content material humans want to observe. It sounds apparent, however it is the absolute foundation of the whole thing. Think approximately it: no viewers means no cash. The first step for any novice thinking the way to earn on YouTube is to construct an target market. Forget approximately the cash for a 2nd and focus on the C’s: Content and Community. What are you enthusiastic about? Is it gaming, makeup, e-book opinions, coding tutorials, or humorous skits together with your friends? Your strength and pleasure for the subject will shine through and attract those who share that same hobby. This is your place to begin—your floor zero for building something excellent.
The “Find Your Vibe” Phase: Choosing a Niche
Your “area of interest” is just a elaborate phrase on your channel’s topic. Don’t overthink it! It have to be something you may not get bored of after 3 videos. If you like Minecraft, make Minecraft movies. If you are the cross-to style professional in your friend organization, start a style channel. The greater particular, the higher. Instead of a popular “gaming” channel, what about a “comfy games on Nintendo Switch” channel? This enables YouTube’s set of rules recognize who to show your videos to. Your vibe draws your tribe—so make sure it’s a vibe you like.
Gearing Up (Without Breaking the Bank)
You do NOT need a $2,000 camera to start. Your smartphone is one of the most powerful tools you own. Seriously. Modern phone cameras are incredible. The two things that matter more than camera quality are lighting and sound. Film in front of a window for great, free, natural light. Use the microphone on your headphones for clearer audio. You can find super cheap ring lights and clip-on mics online once you start getting serious, but to begin with? Your phone is your best friend. Focus on creating awesome content, not on having the fanciest gear.
Consistency is Your Superpower
Imagine your favorite TV show only released a new episode randomly every few months. You’d probably lose interest, right? YouTube is the same. You need to post consistently, whether that’s once a week, twice a week, or every two weeks. Pick a schedule you can realistically stick with (school and life come first!) and let your viewers know when to expect new content. This builds anticipation and tells the YouTube algorithm that your channel is active and worth recommending to new people.
YouTube Partner Program
Okay, let’s talk about the big one: The YouTube Partner Program (YPP). This is YouTube’s official program that allows you to run ads on your videos and get a share of the revenue. This is the most common answer to the question of how to make money with youtube channel. Think of it as YouTube saying, “Hey, you’re bringing people to our platform and keeping them here. Here’s a cut of the profits.” Getting into the YPP is a HUGE milestone for any creator and the first major step to monetizing your channel directly through the platform.
The Big Requirements: 1,000 Subs & 4,000 Watch Hours
To get into the YPP, you need to hit two main goals: 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of public watch time within the last 12 months. Let’s break that down. A thousand subscribers means a thousand people have hit that red button to see more of your stuff. Four thousand hours of watch time means people have collectively spent 240,000 minutes watching your videos. It sounds like a lot—and it is—but it’s designed to ensure that channels joining the program are established and have an engaged audience. Wait a moment, don’t let that number scare you! A single 10-minute video that gets 24,000 views would hit the watch time goal on its own.
How to Make Money With YouTube Channel through Ads
Once you’re in the YPP, you can turn on monetization for your videos. This is done through a Google AdSense account. Very important note: You need to be 18 to have your own AdSense account. If you’re under 18, you’ll need a parent or legal guardian to set it up and manage it for you. This is a non-negotiable rule to protect both you and Google. Once it’s set up, YouTube will automatically place ads on your videos (those skippable ones, the little banners, etc.), and you’ll earn a percentage of what the advertiser pays.
How much does YouTube pay per 1000 views?
This is one of the most common questions, but the answer is… it’s complicated. There’s no single, flat rate. Instead, YouTubers talk about “RPM,” which stands for Revenue Per Mille (mille is Latin for thousand). Your RPM is the amount of money you earn for every 1,000 views on your videos, after YouTube takes its cut (which is about 45%). This number can be all over the place. For some channels, it might be $1. For others, it could be $20 or more. It depends on your niche (finance and tech channels often have higher RPMs), the age of your audience, and where they’re watching from (advertisers pay more to reach viewers in countries like the US). So, don’t get too hung up on this specific number—focus on growing your views overall.
How many views do you need to make $1000 a month on YouTube?
Let’s do some quick, hypothetical math. If your channel’s average RPM is $5 (a pretty reasonable average for many niches), you would need to get 200,000 monetized views per month to earn $1,000. That breaks down to about 6,667 views every single day. For a new channel, that’s a massive goal! But this is exactly why it’s SO important to not rely on ad revenue alone. Thinking about how much you can earn is motivating, but the smartest creators diversify their income. The YPP is just one piece of the puzzle—a very important piece, but still just one. The real secret to learning how to make money with youtube channel is creating multiple streams of income.
Beyond the Ads: Smarter Ways to Earn
Relying only on AdSense is like putting all your eggs in one basket. What if ad rates dip one month? What if one of your videos gets demonetized? (It happens!). The real pros—and the teens who are seriously crushing it—build multiple income streams. This is where you can get creative and truly connect with your audience. These methods often pay way more than ads and you don’t always need to be in the YPP to start using them.
Affiliate Marketing: Your First “Sponcon”
Affiliate marketing sounds complicated, but it’s super simple. You recommend a product you genuinely use and love, and you get a special link. When someone clicks your link and makes a purchase, you earn a small commission at no extra cost to them. Are you a gaming channel? Join the Amazon Associates program and link to the keyboard, mouse, and headset you use in your video descriptions. Are you a beauty channel? Many makeup brands have affiliate programs. It’s an authentic way to earn because you’re just sharing what you already use. It’s one of the most genius ways to make money on YouTube that you can start from day one.
Selling Your Own Merch (It’s easier than you think!)
Ever seen a creator with a cool hoodie or t-shirt with their catchphrase on it? That’s merch! And you don’t need a basement full of boxes to do it. Thanks to Print-on-Demand (POD) services like Printful or Teespring, you can upload a design, and they handle everything—the printing, the shipping, the customer service. You just create a cool design and promote it to your audience. This is an awesome way to let your biggest fans support you directly and get something cool in return. Think of the inside jokes or memes from your channel—they would make perfect merch!
Digital Products: Zero Shipping Required
This is a game-changer, especially for educational or tutorial-based channels. A digital product is anything your audience can download. If you run a channel teaching people how to edit videos, you could sell your own custom video presets or transition packs. Have a “study with me” channel? You could design and sell a digital study planner PDF. The best part? You create it once, and you can sell it forever. It’s a fantastic way to monetize your skills, and you can even promote your products on a blog to reach a wider audience.
How to make money on YouTube without making videos
This question pops up a lot, and it’s understandable. People want to know if there’s a shortcut. The most common method here involves creating “faceless” or “cash cow” channels. These are channels where you don’t show your face or use your voice. Instead, they use stock footage, text on screen, and AI voiceovers or royalty-free music to create videos on topics like “Top 10 Scariest Places” or “Motivational Quotes.” While you’re not on camera, make no mistake: this is NOT a passive, no-effort job. You still have to do immense work: researching topics, writing scripts, finding the right footage, editing it all together, and doing SEO. In many ways, it can be even more work than just making money with your own videos.
Safety, Rules, and The Boring (But Important) Stuff
Okay, real talk. When you’re a teen, there are a few extra hurdles, but they are there to PROTECT you. Ignoring them can get your channel deleted. No, really. So let’s cover the stuff that might seem boring but is actually super, super important.
The Parent Talk: Getting Them Onboard
Before you even think about money, you need to talk to your parents or guardians. Be prepared. Don’t just say “I wanna be a YouTuber!” Frame it like you’re starting a small business or an after-school club. Explain what you want to do, how you plan to stay safe online, and how they will need to be involved with things like the AdSense account and taxes. When they see you’ve thought it through responsibly, they’re much more likely to be your biggest supporters.
Understanding YouTube’s Rules (COPPA, Copyright)
YouTube has a lot of rules. Two big ones you need to know are copyright and COPPA.
- Copyright: You can’t just use your favorite Taylor Swift song in the background of your video. That’s a copyright violation and can get your video taken down or your channel a “strike.” Use the music in the YouTube Audio Library—it’s free and safe.
- COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act): This is a US law. You must mark your content correctly as either “Made for Kids” or “Not Made for Kids.” If your content is made for kids (think cartoons, nursery rhymes), you can’t have targeted ads or certain features like comments. Most teen creators will be making content that is “Not Made for Kids,” even if teens are the audience.
Let’s Talk Taxes (Don’t Panic!)
Yes, the money you earn from YouTube is considered income, and yes, you might have to pay taxes on it. Do not panic. This is where your parents come in. In the US, as a dependent, you generally have to file a tax return if your earned income (like from YouTube) is over a certain amount (for 2024, it was $14,600, but this changes). Your parents can help you figure this out. The key is to keep track of your earnings. Think of it as being a real business owner—because you are!
Building a Real Brand (The Secret Sauce)
At the end of the day, the channels that succeed long-term aren’t just collections of random videos; they are brands with communities. The secret sauce is YOU and the connection you build with your viewers. Reply to comments. Ask questions in your videos. Start a Discord server for your fans to hang out. Use other platforms like TikTok and Instagram to share behind-the-scenes content and promote your new videos. This is how you turn casual viewers into true fans—the people who will support your merch drops and cheer you on. Learning how to make money with youtube channel is less about algorithms and more about people.
Monetization Methods Comparison
| Method | Effort Level | Income Potential | Best For (Niche Example) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdSense (YPP) | High (to qualify) | Moderate & Passive | All Niches (Gaming, Lifestyle) |
| Affiliate Marketing | Medium | High & Active | Review Channels (Tech, Beauty) |
| Merchandise (POD) | Medium | Moderate & Active | Channels with a Strong Community |
| Digital Products | High (upfront) | High & Passive | Educational Channels (Coding, Art) |
This table should give you a clear idea of where to start. You don’t have to do everything at once! Maybe start with affiliate links in your descriptions, and once you have a loyal following, you can explore merch. Looking for more ways to make money from home? Check out some general ideas for making money online.
Last updated: June 2025
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Learning how to make money with youtube channel is a real, achievable goal for any teenager with a passion and a willingness to learn. It’s not about finding a secret hack; it’s about putting in the work, creating content you love, and building a genuine connection with an audience. Start with what you have, focus on providing value, and be consistent. The journey will teach you incredible skills—video editing, marketing, public speaking, business management—that are valuable no matter what you end up doing in life. The money is a fantastic bonus, but the experience itself is priceless.
What’s YOUR YouTube channel idea? Drop it in the comments below—I’d love to hear it! And if you know a friend you want to start this journey with, share this article with them on TikTok or Instagram!
Keep an eye on our site for the latest updates on platform rules and new monetization tools. The creator world is always changing, and we’ll be here to keep you in the loop!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many views do you need to get paid on YouTube?
You don’t get paid based on views alone, but on ad interactions that happen during those views. To start getting paid through ads, you must first be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). The main requirements for this are having 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time on your channel within the last 12 months. Once you’re in, the earnings per view can vary greatly.
2. How can a beginner earn money from YouTube?
A beginner’s first focus should be on building an audience, not making money. Start by choosing a niche you’re passionate about, creating consistent, quality content with just your phone, and engaging with your community. Once you meet the YPP requirements (1,000 subs/4,000 watch hours), you can apply for ad revenue. You can also start with affiliate marketing from day one by recommending products you love.
3. How much does YouTube pay per 1000 views?
YouTube doesn’t pay a fixed amount per 1,000 views. Instead, creators earn based on a metric called RPM (Revenue Per Mille), which is your total revenue per 1,000 views. This can range from less than $1 to over $20 depending on your content’s niche, your audience’s location, and the types of ads shown. Finance and technology channels, for example, typically have a higher RPM than entertainment channels.
4. How many views do you need to make $1000 a month on YouTube?
This completely depends on your channel’s RPM. For example, if your RPM is $5, you would need to get 200,000 views in a month to earn $1,000 from ads. If your RPM is only $2, you’d need 500,000 views. This is why creators often diversify their income with affiliate marketing, merchandise, and other methods instead of relying solely on ad revenue from views.
