Make money with YouTube

YouTube monetization looks simple: you publish videos, YouTube shows ads, and you earn a share of the revenue. In practice, it depends on your eligibility, audience quality, and the type of content you produce.

How does monetization work on YouTube?

YouTube monetization runs through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Once you’re accepted, your videos can show ads and you earn a share of the revenue via Google AdSense—this is native monetization.

These are pre-roll, mid-roll, or banner ads automatically inserted according to YouTube’s rules. You don’t have to sell anything or negotiate, but you must meet specific criteria and follow strict publishing policies.

Requirements to be eligible

To join YPP, here are the minimum requirements (France, 2026):

• Have 1,000 subscribers
• Reach 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months
• Follow monetization policies and have no active strikes
• Enable two-step verification

Note: YouTube can still refuse a channel even if you meet these numbers—especially if the content is considered unoriginal, heavily reused, or borderline.

How much can you make on YouTube?

CPM (cost per thousand monetized views) varies widely depending on:

• Audience country (the US, Canada, and Germany often have higher CPMs)
• Channel niche (finance, tech, and real estate tend to be higher; humor, lifestyle, and vlogs tend to be lower)
• Click-through rate, seasonality, video format, and watch time

Many creators report earnings from about $0.80 to $7 per 1,000 views—sometimes more in certain niches.

Keep in mind: not all views are monetized. Only views where an ad is actually served count, so monetized views are usually lower than total views.

Product placements: an essential add-on

As your audience grows, brands may offer product placements. You’re paid to feature a product or service in your videos.

Unlike YouTube ads, you set your rates (or negotiate them). These deals can range from a few dozen to several thousand euros, depending on your niche, influence, and negotiation skills.

Downside: it takes time (briefs, approvals, back-and-forth), requires strong brand positioning, and can hurt perceived authenticity if poorly integrated.

Happew: an alternative or a useful extension

YouTube is powerful, but demanding: longer video production, strict requirements, and monetization that can be slow to activate.

Solutions like Happew let you offer fans free unlockable content—no subscriptions or payments—through an interactive grid system. Fans watch an ad to try to unlock content (image, text, video), and you earn instantly, from your first posts.

Happew doesn’t replace YouTube: it pairs well with a channel to publish bonuses, share lighter content, and diversify income without complexity.

• Share more personal or shorter content
• Extend a YouTube video with exclusive bonuses
• Diversify income without major extra workload
• No account required for fans, and monetization starts at sign-up

Happew monetization typically ranges from $2 to $8 depending on the period with the Common monetization plan, and up to $20 with the Private plan.

Conclusion

Making money on YouTube is possible, but it takes time, consistency, and a real content strategy. Native monetization (AdSense) is reliable but often slow to unlock. Product placements offer more freedom but require reputation and negotiation.

Tools like Happew can complement these earnings with simpler, more direct content and fewer technical constraints. For creators, diversifying channels is often the best strategy.