Top 15 genius ways to make money on YouTube

For many, making money on YouTube is the dream. After all, YouTubers appear to have a great life and the adoration of their fans to bask in. And since creating a YouTube channel is easier than ever, there’s no harm in thinking big and aiming high.

But, while creating a YouTube channel is simple, turning it into a cash machine isn’t as straightforward. You may earn your first hundred dollars by selling something or landing a sponsorship deal, but maximizing earnings requires understanding all your options before you dive in.

We’ve created this article to walk you through all of the information that you’ll need to know if you want to know how to make money on YouTube. At the end of this article, you’ll know the different ways to make money on YouTube, and you’ll be able to grow your own business with one of the biggest Internet platforms in the world.

Do You Get Paid for Uploading Videos on YouTube?

YouTube doesn’t pay creators for uploading videos on YouTube. Also, the videos aren’t monetized by default. In order to start earning money on YouTube, you have to enable monetization from your account settings. YouTube gives you the option to join its Partner Program or have your videos featured on YouTube Premium.

Top 15 genius ways to make money on YouTube

Make Money From YouTube

1. Lightroom presets

It seems that nowadays, Lightroom presets, or simply collections of photo edit settings bundled into a single click, are the bread and butter of many digital creators. And we don’t blame them – presets really do make a great passive income source.

Let’s say you’re a photographer. You’ve often been complimented on your unique photography style and creative flair, and it looks like people wish to learn from you.

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2. Lead Viewers to Your Products

It doesn’t matter whether you’re already running an e-commerce business, or you’re just looking to learn how to make money from YouTube, it’s a great idea to promote your products on your channel. You can promote the items in both your videos and your descriptions — it’s a great way to generate more traffic to your website.

If you haven’t already set up your store, you can use Shopify to set up your own store with ease. Once you’ve got your store up and running, you can sell products that make sense to promote to your audience, be it merch, products that you’ve mentioned in your videos, or just items that you think your viewers will be interested in. If you’re exploring how to make money from YouTube, this is a great opportunity.

3. Become a YouTube Influencer

With influencer marketing on the rise, there’s a big opportunity for you as a creator to get in on the action.

But where do you start? According to YouTube marketing expert and influencer Brendan Gahan, creators should establish a flat fee by taking the number of views their videos typically receive and multiplying it by 15 cents per view.

Digital marketing agency WebFX listed the following figures for how much YouTube influencers can expect to earn:

• $20,000 per video for a creator with a million subscribers
• $2,000 per video for a creator with 100,000 subscribers
• $200 per video for a creator with 10,000 subscribers

4. Wallpapers

What do you do if you’re a photographer and have LOTS of unused photographs just taking up space on your hard drive?

Publish them on stock image sites, sure. But you can also pick out the best ones and sell them as high-quality wallpapers for smartphones and desktops.

Paul Sydow is a photographer from Germany, and besides vlogging on YouTube about photography and selling Lightroom presets, he also offers urban wallpapers.

5. Overlays  

An overlay is another type of digital goodie to sell and help you earn a living on YouTube if you’re in the visual and graphic arts. Basically, overlays are images or textures that photographers can add to their images as an additional layer using an editing program.

Some of the most common types of overlays are sky overlays, sun flares, flowers, falling snow, bokeh lights, and the list goes on and on.

6. Graphics

If you’re a freelance graphic designer or working for a company in-house, you probably already know that what your clients consider good graphic design does not always correspond with what you’d like to create yourself.

Instead of suppressing your inspiration, turn it into an extra source of passive income by selling the graphics that are not chosen by your clients in your own online shop. Inform your YouTube followers about your designs via vlogs – just like Aleo Designs does.

7. Nutrition plans

Being healthy and fit is often a challenge many strive to achieve. And the statistics prove it – according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, the $30 billion health and fitness industry in the U.S. has been growing by at least 3-4% annually for the last ten years. What’s more – there are no signs of this industry slowing down anytime soon.

So, if you’re somebody who’s a certified nutrition specialist whose advice could help others, or if you simply have a successful weight loss story to share, go for it!

8. Monetize Live Streams via Super Chat

Super Chat is a popular new way to make money from YouTube. The feature lets your audience buy chat messages that stand out and, in certain instances, pin them to the top of the comments section of a live stream. So, when you go live on YouTube, you can use Super Chat to monetize your stream.

YouTube monetization rates for Super Chat range from $1 to $500, and the company takes a 30% cut from the revenue. For anyone wondering how to make money from YouTube Super Chat, the key is to organize and promote live streams.

9. Endorse Affiliate Products in Your Videos 

Businesses are well aware of the potential that YouTube channels with a large following have, and they’re always looking to exploit this to grow their own business.

Once you’ve garnered a substantial following on the platform, you’ll likely experience businesses reaching out to you and requesting you to promote their products in exchange for cash. Consider becoming an affiliate of these brands and including product placements in your videos. You can also sign up for popular affiliate programs to expand your affiliate network.

10. Magic tricks

Have you ever thought that your childhood dream of making magic could help you pay rent? Your mom says no, but your heart says yes – and you should trust it!

Modern-day magicians are smart and versatile – they constantly create new ways to entertain people with their magic. One such method is – turning magic tricks into digital goods and selling them online.

11. Get Featured on YouTube Premium

How do you make money on YouTube besides running channel advertisements?  YouTube Premium is the answer.

YouTube Premium is a paid membership service that enables people to watch ad-free videos. Creators don’t have to do anything, as they’ll automatically get a second revenue stream when YouTube Premium members play their videos.

As with YouTube monetization rules for advertising-based revenue, most of the revenue generated via Premium membership fees will go to creators.

12. Vocals

That’s right – you can sell your own voice to help you make money. If you’re a musician or a YouTuber with pipes, your vocals can be turned into digital goods that producers can use in their songs as lead or background vocals, vocal chops, and additional choruses.

13. Your own product line

If you’re into a specific type of product and enjoy vlogging about them on your YouTube channel, why not start your own product line? Beauty products, food items, homemade goodies – whatever floats your boat!

14. Join the YouTube Partner Program

If you’ve been wondering how to make money from YouTube, then it’s essential that you’re aware of the YouTube partner program and how it works. YouTube content creators won’t be able to monetize any of their videos until they’ve been accepted into the YouTube partner program.

When your YouTube channel has 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public views, it’ll be reviewed to join the Partner program. This means that you won’t be able to generate any revenue until you’ve hit these numbers, so it’s essential to continue creating content and increasing your channel’s reach. You can apply for monetization once you meet the program’s criteria.

15. Offer Channel Memberships

When your YouTube channel gets more than 30,000 subscribers, you can add another income stream by leveraging channel memberships. This is where fans pay $4.99 a month for a membership package that includes perks like early access to videos, members-only live chat, exclusive emojis, and more. Members will be highlighted in comments, live chat, and the Community tab through special members-only badges.

Ready to make money on YouTube?

And there you have it! A handful of digital goods to sell that will help you turn YouTube into your favorite source of income. Try one or two of these suggestions and see where they take you.