Let’s discuss the YouTube monetization requirements and the process. How do you apply? What are the steps that you need to go through? What are the requirements and how long does it take?

I’m going to take you to a new channel that I’m starting and show you exactly where you have to go to get ready to apply. With a new channel, you can ask to be notified when to apply even though you don’t have any subscribers and no watch hours yet. Here’s how.

Go to your YouTube studio. On the left, click on monetization.

Even though I haven’t met the monetization requirements yet, I can say “notify me when I’m eligible”.

Right now I have zero subscribers and zero watch hours. To qualify to get monetized you need 1000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Sometimes when you go in to check your hours, it shows in minutes.

So just know, 4,000 hours times 60 minutes is 240,000 minutes. So jot that down or just keep doing the math. So that was my first goal for my channel.

You Have To Maintain Your Qualification

There’s one key thing that I want to point out here. You have to maintain those 1000 subscribers and those 4,000 watch hours every 12 months.

So let’s say you get five or even 10,000 subscribers. And after a couple years, you stop putting new videos out. Plus, your existing videos will probably start to get outdated eventually. So, they’ll start getting less and less views.

Even if you have good topics that people are searching, other people are making new videos and people tend to go to those newer videos. And when new videos come out, people are trying to rank on that first page.

This is just going to keep pushing you down. So if you go under 4,000 hours in a year, you’ll lose your monetization. Therefore, you need to understand that this is not something where you create a thousand videos, put them on YouTube and walk away. Yes, you might keep making money after you stop, but eventually you might drop under 4,000 hours. And at that point you lose your monetization.

But for now, you want to ask YouTube to notify you when you qualify for monetization. Therefore, even if you’re not paying attention, YouTube will send you an email when you qualify.

You Need To Apply After You Get The Notification Email

When you receive that email it just means you’re now ready to apply. It’s really important not to misunderstand that. I remember while I was waiting to get notified, every once in a while, YouTube would send me an encouraging email saying, “You’re doing great. You’re getting more subscribers. You’re getting more watch time. Keep working”. It was really nice.

But then one day I got the notice that said “you’re eligible”. Well, I didn’t know that I had to go back in and actually apply. So, for about 3 weeks I wondered whether I had been accepted.

So I really want to stress to you that once you get that notification email, you have to go into your channel and actually apply to be monetized. Assumedly, you’ll get your subscribers first and then the watch hours will follow.

However, I have seen cases were people have only created 2 or 3 videos and one of them has gone viral. So, they’ll rake up the watch hours really quickly but then have to wait for the subscribers.

How To Apply For Monetization

Once you’re ready to apply, you’ll see a screen pop up with 3 different steps to go through as follows:

1. You have to review all the terms for the YouTube partners program. It’s important to abide by these rules because YouTube can shut you down if you don’t. Remember, if you’re under 18, you have to have permission from a parent.

2. Set up an Adsense account. This is where your money will come from. Basically, you’re telling Google where to send the money that you earn from YouTube advertising.

3. Wait for the review. YouTube will tell you that it could take up to 3 months to get reviewed. Just be patient and let them do their thing. For me, it only took 2 weeks to get approved after I applied.

How Long Does It Take To Get Monetized

One of the things people ask is, “how long does this take?” For me, it took a year. I have asked other people and on average, it can take people anywhere from six months to a year.

Some people even take two years. It really depends on the niche you’re in. Plus, it depends on how many videos you’re making and the quality. And, if it’s something people are searching for.

When you first start your new channel, you have to choose your niche. And, it should be something that you’re passionate about. But, make sure you do your research to ensure that people are looking for what you’re going to be talking about.

For example, let’s say you’re really passionate about dogs and making homemade treats. So, you go ahead and share recipes for the different treats that you make. But, you don’t get a lot of views. It could be that that’s not something that dog people are interested in.

Maybe, they’re more interested in how to train their dog or how to breed dogs. So, research what people are asking and focus on that. This is because when you’re new to YouTube, the only way your videos will be found is by people searching for an answer to a problem.

However, once you’ve been around for a while, you can just create a video with your face on it and no title and people will watch it. If you have 400,000 or 500,000 subscribers, they’re going to watch every video you produce.

How Much Money Can You Make?

Another good question is, “how much money can you make?”. I have created a video about this where I show you exactly how much I’ve made over a certain period of time. You can watch it here.

Let me quickly explain to you about RPM and CPM. This was not something I understood in the beginning. Looking at just one video I uploaded last week, it currently has 46 views and it made $6.28 in a week.

Remember, I’m still a small channel and am not yet getting thousands and thousands of views. Right now, I have about 2,700 subscribers.

But what if I had 100 videos that only made $6.28 a week. That’s $628 for the week! So it adds up if you just keep creating new videos.

Let’s look at another video that I created about solo ads. To advertise in this niche, it costs $160.80 per 1000 impressions. I get 55% of that amount. So for 1000 views, I would receive $136.61.

So for this video or niche, the advertiser pay around $160. This is the CPM. What I earn is called the RPM or revenue per 1000 impressions.

Advertisers Pay Different Rates In Different Niches

Now, not all CPMs are that high. Therefore, this is something that you want to pay attention to. The ad fees might not be as high in the niche that you choose.

I spoke to another YouTuber a couple of weeks ago who had 30,000 subscribers. However, this person was only making around $100 a month. So, if you’re getting a lot of views but not much money, that’s probably why. There is no set amount of money that you make per the amount of views you get.

When you first start creating videos, you’re going to be working for free. But, I think it’s good that Youtube requires you to have a minimum of 1000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. This ensures that you’re serious about your business.

Remember, when you first set up your channel, to hit that button that says “notify me when I’m eligible” so that you get notified when to apply for monetization.

I hope you get there quickly, but don’t be discouraged if it takes you a year. Just keep monitoring your watch time and your subscribers. And if it’s growing, don’t be discouraged. Everybody has a different journey. Just because your journey might take longer, it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to be more profitable.

So just remember that too. Just because somebody gets there fast, it doesn’t mean they’re going to stay there. So, take your time and get there at your own pace and don’t give up.

You’ve Got This!