Since the roll-out, many creators have earned massive views and subscribers from YouTube Shorts. But of course, there’s a catch. For the millions of views and hundreds of subscribers earned, revenue for YouTube Shorts, in most cases, seems to hover around just a few dollars. Zero dollars, even.

, for example. In nearly 60 days of posting YouTube Shorts, this channel with 25K subscribers told us they'd gained:

Super London Cars achieved this feat by posting Shorts of expensive supercars, such as this 

Ferrari LaFerrari parking too close to a Porsche GT2 RS. The 32-second video has more than a million views.

Despite this success, Super London Cars haven't reached the 4,000 Watch Time hours needed to monetize their channel. Instead, their YouTube analytics show a mere 918 public Watch hours - and those are the only hours that count toward monetization. That’s about 0.54% of the total Watch Time hours (170K) Super London Cars has earned.

Does that signal the end for this creator? More specifically, will this channel 

 (YPP) and monetize its content? We can’t say for sure, but we can definitely help you avoid this monetization pitfall.

Regular Watch Time on YouTube vs. Shorts Watch Time

Before we dig into the data, we’d like to applaud Super London Cars for seizing the growth opportunities YouTube Shorts can bring. This creator exponentially grew their channel in a short amount of time, which isn’t easy.

In the old days of YouTube, that would be enough to qualify for channel monetization. But here’s the modern-day catch: 

Videos played from the Stories and Short videos shelf don't count toward YouTube’s monetization requirements.

For a visual explanation of what this means, watch our latest video, "How to Fail at YouTube Monetization."

, where you watch a video determines how its Watch Time is calculated. For example, if you watch a video through the standard YouTube player in the mobile app, that video earns 1 

 YouTube view. The Watch Time you earn there will count toward monetization. 

However, if you watch that same video through the Stories and Short video shelf, the video earns 1 

 view. When content is viewed this way, its Watch Time doesn't count toward channel monetization.

How to Check Your Analytics For YouTube Shorts Watch Time

 you’re earning with both YouTube Shorts and regular content? Log in to your account on desktop and follow these steps:

You should automatically end up on the Overview tab, where a large graph of your views, Watch Time, subscribers, and estimated revenue are displayed. Navigate directly below this graph and click 

Next, you’ll see some advanced analytics. At the top of the page, click 

This will show you, at the channel level, how many YouTube Shorts views you’re getting. The Watch Time is also displayed for each traffic source.

Here’s what our graph looks like for the 

Immediately, you can disregard the Watch Time from Shorts because we know those don't count toward monetization. 

You will, however, count the Watch Time from every other traffic source that counts toward monetization. Change the date range on your graph to capture your entire video history, then add up the number of Watch Time hours from the sources pictured below. 

The number you get should almost match YouTube’s number of public Watch hours for your channel.

When we expand our graph, the vidIQ Shorts channel has 241 public Watch hours and those count toward monetization. It’ll take a while, but we should eventually reach the 4,000 hours of Watch Time needed to apply to the YPP.

The Strange Watch Time Analytics of Super London Cars

Now that you’ve seen our Shorts analytics, it's time to compare these numbers to the Super London Cars channel. It has way more subscribers, millions of more views, and a massive amount of Watch Time. But somehow, Super London Car is only 700 hours closer to monetization than we are. Clearly, the numbers don't add up.

When you look at the traffic sources for Super London Cars, things get even more confusing. The channel is earning almost all of its Watch Time from YouTube Shorts, but there are still thousands of hours coming from suggested videos and browse features. 

These hours alone should be more than enough to take Super London Cars over YouTube’s monetization threshold. So what’s happening here?

Well, we have three possible explanations, none of them good ones:

There’s a glitch in the YouTube analytics, and the Super London Cars creator needs to contact YouTube to get it fixed and apply for monetization.

YouTube changed its policies so that Watch Time from 

 video under 60 seconds won’t count toward monetization. But there are no public updates to support that.

Traffic source analytics aren't accurate enough to tell us when views are coming from YouTube Shorts or the regular YouTube player.

YouTube Shorts are new and probably weren’t created for widespread monetization. If you want to make more money on YouTube, creating short videos under 60 seconds isn’t the answer - at least not today.

Instead, put that energy into the long-form content on your main channel. Make sure you’ve fully optimized your channel to include featured playlists, a channel banner, banner links, a profile icon, and irresistible thumbnails. You’ll earn more Watch Time when people watch videos through the regular YouTube player, so cover your bases there first.

Once you’ve done that, invest in a separate YouTube Shorts channel. Make sure there’s cross-promotion between your main channel and the channel you use for short, punchy videos. When you create a Short that gets featured on the Stories and Short videos shelf, there’s a chance viewers will visit your Shorts channel. If you've set up a featured channels section beforehand, your main channel will be advertised there.

For now, that’s all you can do. Use your main channel for primary monetization, then harness the exposure from YouTube Shorts to grow both channels organically.


YouTube channel stats showing 24.3K subscribers and 169.8K watch hours with monetization icon

Not all content on YouTube will help you quickly monetize your channel, YouTube Shorts especially. To win at monetization, here's what you need to know about Watch Time hours and how they're recorded.

How To Win at YouTube Monetization

It's inevitable that while filming a video, many creators let slip a curse word or two. But somehow, by the grace of YouTube, many of them won't go on to experience widespread demonetization because of it. These creators continue to stay on YouTube’s good side, which means they can display ads on their videos and continue earning AdSense revenue.

Other creators haven’t been so lucky. They’ve uploaded videos that include profanity, then watched those videos get demonetized, and wondered where they went wrong.

Clearly, an important rule was either ignored by these creators or lost in translation. If some creators can get away with cursing while others can’t, where does YouTube draw the line?

, but it’s an explanation with several interpretations. Depending on which words you say, YouTube may restrict the advertisements on your video or ban them altogether.

 use “adult” words to express yourself? Here’s YouTube’s stance on profanity.

Before you let those curse words fly, consider this warning from YouTube’s 

“Content that contains frequent uses of strong profanity or vulgarity throughout the video may not be suitable for advertising. Occasional use of profanity (such as in music videos) won’t necessarily result in your video being unsuitable for advertising.”

As you can see, a video with strong profanity is at risk of demonetization. If you use strong expletives frequently, the likelihood of earning little to no money increases.

But which words can creators say and what is considered strong profanity?

There are a few different categories of inappropriate language on YouTube. But to keep things simple, just know that 

, such as “hell” and “damn” are less risky. YouTube says you can enable ads on videos containing those words, so no worries there.

However, swear words that are lewd and insulting 

 result in demonetization. So avoid dropping frequent F-bombs, racial slurs, and other derogatory phrases. That’s the kind of language many advertisers want to avoid, and using it will affect your revenue.

What You Say at the Beginning of a Video Matters

Last year, YouTube clarified the most important things to know about profanity and how it affects monetization. In a video from 

, the team revealed that how often profanity occurs at the beginning of a video is a key factor.

For more information, watch the video below:

Top Tip: It’s best to avoid profanity, as that’s the only way to follow YouTube’s guidelines flawlessly. But if you have to say some risky words - especially if they’re crucial to the main idea - save them for later in the video.

Profanity on YouTube: Is Demonetization The Only Consequence?

If you’ve read YouTube’s Community Guidelines, you won’t be surprised to learn that demonetization is just one consequence of swearing on YouTube. When you mix lewd, dehumanizing words with content that incites violence against specific groups of people, that’s a serious offense.

 should avoid it. The only exception is when the creator’s intent is to educate viewers on a certain subject, as in the documentaries you’d watch on TV.

This is an important distinction because if YouTube thinks a creator has bad intentions, their video(s) could be removed from the platform. And if that creator keeps violating the rules, YouTube has the right to terminate their channel.

Our advice is to always play it safe. You have permission from YouTube to use mild language, but the platform changes its rules all the time. If you can avoid swearing at all, that’ll keep your channel monetized and in good standing for years to come.

Pop art woman with red hair grimacing and angry symbols in speech bubble above head

Can you swear in a YouTube video and still earn AdSense revenue? Well, that depends on which words you want to say...

Can You Swear on YouTube and Still Make Money?

 that surprised many creators. Starting November 18th 2020, the platform is placing ads on 

, YouTube can make money from your content - at least until you’re eligible for ad revenue sharing.

But gaining this eligibility is one of the hardest parts of the journey. It can take years to reach the milestones needed - which are 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of channel Watch Time - to get accepted into the YPP and monetize videos with ads.

How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel - A Beginner's Guide

These rules have been in place for three years, so YouTube’s new update adds an interesting twist to the ecosystem. Right now, creators undoubtedly have questions about the future of video monetization.

To shed some light, we filmed an FAQ answering creators’ top concerns. In the video below, you’ll learn the details of YouTube’s monetization update, plus tips for diversifying your income beyond ad revenue.

But for an update this big, sometimes you need to read the information and absorb the details until they make sense. So here’s our written FAQ, which should help you navigate one of YouTube’s biggest changes.

Question - If YouTube monetizes your content, does that mean you're automatically in the YouTube Partner Program? Or conversely, does getting accepted become harder?

The answer to both of these questions is no. The requirements haven't changed, so you still need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 of Watch time to apply to the YPP.

The biggest change is that before you reach those requirements, YouTube has the right to place ads on your videos because you agreed to its 

. But that doesn’t mean joining the YPP will be easier or harder for creators.

How many non-monetized videos will YouTube place ads on?

This is a guess, but probably not many. We don't think YouTube or its advertisers want to risk putting ads on videos with so few views. Channels that aren’t in the YPP don’t have large viewerships, so that feels like a risk not worth taking.

Also, YouTube stated that it would slowly place ads on a limited number of videos. To back this up, Rob Wilson, our YouTuber-in-residence, asked creators if they’d seen ads on channels they knew weren’t in the YPP.  Not many have, so perhaps only a small amount of non-monetized videos are receiving ads.

Will YouTube start monetizing videos that have been demonetized?

If YouTube wants to monetize content smaller creators can’t, the next logical step is to monetize their defunded videos, right?

No, it doesn't work that way. Demonetized videos have that status for a reason, one of which is violating YouTube's advertiser-friendly guidelines. If YouTube wanted to monetize defunded content, it would have to break its own rules in the process.

When creators join the YouTube Partner Program, will the platform issue back payments for videos it prematurely monetized?

For example, let's say YouTube starts to monetize your content, but you're still working toward monetization. By February 2021, you finally reach the necessary requirements and apply for the YPP. When you’re accepted, will you receive three months of back-pay from the revenue YouTube collected while monetizing your content?

The simple and unfortunate answer is no. YouTube will take 100% of the revenue, and you won’t earn any money until you’re in the YPP. Once that happens, the revenue is split between you and YouTube (55% for you, 45% for YouTube).

How will monetized channels be affected by YouTube’s terms of service update?

Realistically, YouTube monetizing content that wasn't monetized in the past doesn't impact smaller creators too much. They weren't earning money anyway, and they have the opportunity to change that by joining the YPP.

But will YouTube’s update negatively impact monetized channels? The answer comes down to supply and demand.

If there's more inventory (videos) available for advertisers to place ads on, they have more choosing power. Instead of picking a monetized channel, they may decide to advertise on a channel that isn't monetized. In that case, YouTube gets all of the profit and both channels lose a money-making opportunity.

But is that going to happen? It's impossible to say yes or no right now. 

Will creators be able to choose when and where ads appear in a video?

If you have a non-monetized channel, what happens if YouTube places mid-rolls ads on your video? Will it destroy the viewing experience of your content, especially if you post ASMR videos, music, or anything that’s best consumed without interruption?

In one example, we spoke to a creator who received a 

 That means some of the content in the video belonged to another creator, and to recoup the loss in revenue, YouTube’s Content ID system placed an ad on the video to help pay the original creator. When YouTube chose a specific ad placement/type, it wasn’t a mid-roll ad interrupting the bulk of the video.

Admittedly, this is a sample size of one video. But when it comes to YouTube placing ads on your behalf, will they avoid placing ads in the middle of a video? Perhaps, but we need clarification from YouTube to be sure.

If you have a monetized channel, you don’t have to worry about this. Anyone in the YPP has complete control over which videos they monetize, what type of ads appear, and where they go on a video’s timeline. 

How can creators diversify their income streams?

By now, you’re probably realizing how unpredictable ad revenue is becoming. YouTube and its advertisers control 99% of that mechanism, including the amount of money you can earn.

To be clear, YouTube’s monetization update shouldn’t impact the ad revenue creators receive. But at the same time, you never want to bet on one stream of income supporting you forever.

This is where you have to put on your business hat and take advantage of the extra ways to earn on YouTube, such as:

These revenue streams give you more control of your financial future. So it’s in your best interest to attract more subscribers, increase your channel’s Watch Time, and get into the YPP. 

That’s the first step to unlocking YouTube’s extra monetization tools and one of many steps to building a career on the platform.

Man thinking with YouTube and dollar icons and text "More Ads Less Cash?!" on blue background

If YouTube runs ads on non-monetized channels, how will creators be affected? In this FAQ, we answer that question and share tips for diversifying your income.

YouTube's Monetization Update: FAQ's for Creators

YouTube just updated its terms of service, particularly the policies around the 

, channel monetization, and advertising. On November 18, the platform announced it would start placing ads on videos from non-monetized channels.

In the updated terms of service document, YouTube describes this as its ‘right to monetize’. Here’s an excerpt from the platform’s 

“Starting today we’ll begin slowly rolling out ads on a limited number of videos from channels not in the YouTube Partner Program. This means as a creator that’s not in YPP, you may see ads on some of your videos. 

Since you’re not currently in YPP, you won’t receive a share of the revenue from these ads, though you’ll still have the opportunity to apply for YPP as you normally would once you meet the eligibility requirements

. You can always check your progress toward eligibility on the monetization tab in YouTube Studio.”

As soon as we heard the news, we filmed a video expressing our thoughts and what this update means for creators. To best prepare for YouTube’s new monetization strategy, give it a watch below:

Despite YouTube’s shocking update, we don't think the platform is going to plaster ads all over the place. Instead, YouTube said it would place ads on a 

 number of videos. If history is any indication of a typical YouTube test, perhaps 5-10% of the platform’s content will be affected.

Nevertheless, YouTube updating its terms of service is significant. If the test goes well, we may see 100% of content monetized on the platform. 

That’s just a guess, though, and a far-reaching one at that. For today, here’s what every creator needs to know about the update.

YouTube’s ecosystem has three major stakeholders - those who create content, those who watch that content, and those who want to sell things to viewers by paying for advertising space on creators' content.

Every time YouTube makes a change to its platform, policies, or service, that balance begins to shift. 

By rolling out ads on non-monetized channels, this latest update shifts more power to YouTube's advertisers. They’ll have a wider selection of channels to choose from when it comes to ad placements - all while annoying users with more ads and infuriating creators who won’t get any of the ad revenue.

Advertisers will make more money, but the stakeholder that stands to earn the most is YouTube. More ads will be shown to viewers, and the platform will likely keep 100% of the revenue.

We aren’t business development experts or economists, so we’re absorbing this news as the average creator would. And to us, it feels like YouTube is making an assertive, legacy-building cash grab.

The Pros and Cons of YouTube’s Monetization Update

YouTube typically shares advertising revenue with its creators, so some of them may be dreading the platform’s new direction. However, there's a silver lining in any challenge, and here are two of the biggest:

There’s a conspiracy theory that monetized videos are more discoverable on YouTube. If you believe in that, then hey - maybe you’ll get more views and reach the YPP requirements faster.

On a serious note, watching YouTube monetize your content is validating. If one of your videos gets selected, maybe you’d have a decent shot at being accepted to YPP in the future.

YouTube gives creators a platform of 2 billion users to grow their channels and make money from their content. That used to happen for free but not anymore. Like it or not, YouTube may use your content to make money at your expense.

For creators who are already monetized, the pitfalls are steep. If advertisers have more options of where to place their ads, they could choose any video - and not yours. For example, if a smaller creator attracts potential customers better, they may receive the ads you’d normally get. But the creator won't earn any revenue, so of course, YouTube wins again.

Beyond the pros and cons, YouTube’s monetization update raises an important question: 

If YouTube decides to place ads on your videos, and you can't monetize them, can you even agree to what type of ads appear on your content?

When a creator enters the YPP, they gain the power to restrict certain ads from their channel - things like alcohol consumption or gambling. Or, they can decide they don’t want ads appearing on their content at all.

For creators who aren’t monetized, we can only imagine they don’t have the same level of control under this new update, and that feels...wrong.

First, we should face the basic facts about YouTube’s new update:

There may be more advertisements on YouTube videos in the future. However, viewers are already accustomed to this and will probably keep watching their favorite creators.

YouTube is going to profit from your content, even if you aren’t allowed to monetize it. 

But consider this: As an unmonetized channel, you weren't going to earn money from those videos anyway.

We have to remember that YouTube is still rented real estate on the Internet. The platform has the right to do whatever it wants, and we can decide whether or not we want to log into the app each day.

The most important thing to remember is this: You still have the potential to start a YouTube channel, upload a video, and reach potentially billions of users. No matter how the ads are distributed, that’s not going to change any time soon.

YouTube monetization question with dollar sign and play button icons on blue background

YouTube has announced it's going to place ads on some unmonetized channels - but it will keep 100% of the revenue share.

YouTube Will Run Ads On Some Unmonetized Channels, But Those Creators Won't Benefit

YouTube monetization application process showing the YouTube Partner Program interface

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve reached the two important milestones you need to 

Now that you’ve reached those goals, it’s time to take the next step. 

Keep reading for a comprehensive guide on how to apply to the YouTube Partner Program and start making money online.

1. How to Apply to the YouTube Partner Program

If you want to earn revenue from ads run against your content, you'll need to apply to the 

. Luckily, you can do that via your YouTube Studio; just follow the steps below to start the process:

On the YouTube homepage, click your profile icon and select ‘

Find the left navigation bar and click ‘

If you need real-time guidance, watch our latest video about how to apply to YPP:

The monetization page will track your progress toward reaching

Once you've met the requirements, you'll see this glorious blue ‘apply now’ button:

Click it, and you'll be asked to complete the following three steps:

Set up and connect a Google AdSense account to your channel.

Wait for YouTube to review your channel and inform you of its decision.

But before you do any of this, you need to take care of one crucial thing.

2. Check the Location Settings on Your Channel

The first step of applying to YPP is checking your 

Basically, you need to make sure your channel is set to the right country so your application is processed smoothly.

A few weeks ago, we applied to monetize a Russian language channel. We'd previously set the channel’s country to Russia, but of course, this doesn't apply to the monetization aspects of the channel.

If you need to change the country listed on your channel, you can do that via the settings menu in the YouTube Studio, as shown below:

YouTube channel location settings menu for monetization application

3. Review YouTube’s Terms and Guidelines

The next step in applying to YPP is carefully reviewing the terms of the program. Essentially, you are entering a business contract where both you and YouTube have responsibilities to make the partnership work.

If you’re under 18, get a parent or legal guardian to go through the application with you. This is extremely important because if you try to do the application alone, you’ll eventually get stuck in later steps (such as creating an AdSense account).

Next up, be aware that the documents YouTube presents you with don’t cover everything you need to know. There’s a collection of YouTube policies and guidelines, and you may agree to them 

To cover your bases, you should definitely watch this overview of YouTube’s community guidelines, and if you can, take the entire video course from the 

 (the platform you’ll get paid through)

To get paid by YouTube, you have to create a 

. When you connect this account to your channel, YouTube will send earned revenue from your AdSense account to your bank account.

Return to YouTube’s monetization page (click your profile icon on the YouTube homepage > YouTube Studio > Monetization).

Navigate to step two of the YPP application, which is setting up a Google AdSense account. Click ‘

For security reasons, you’ll be prompted to log in to your Google account. After you do that, you’ll be asked whether you currently have an AdSense account. If you’re creating a new one, follow all of the on-screen instructions.

If you already have an AdSense account, all you have to do is confirm that to move forward. You'll be asked to sign in to the account and connect your current AdSense account to your YouTube channel by clicking ‘

You may temporarily land on an AdSense page that wants to redirect you back to the monetization page. Go ahead and click ‘

And that’s it! You've successfully applied to the YouTube Partner Program, and now you just need to wait for YouTube’s decision.

Prepare for the YouTube Monetization Review Process

So, exactly how long will YouTube take to review your application? According to YouTube’s 

, the official answer is ‘about one month.’ 

Read the platform’s statement below for more details:

YouTube Partner Program review process timeline information

Despite this waiting period, most creators get an answer much quicker. That was certainly true in our case when we monetized the 

This Is how long the whole process takes on YouTube

Important Facts About YouTube Monetization

Once you’ve met the requirements for YPP, the application process isn’t too painful. 

However, there are some things to be aware of before and after your channel gets monetized, such as:

If your channel was rejected from YPP, you haven't 'failed' forever. You can reapply in 30 days, which is enough time to fix any problems on your channel.

When it comes to AdSense revenue, you’ll earn 55% of all advertising profits while YouTube takes the other 45%.

 is a 70-30 split. You’ll get 70% while YouTube keeps 30%.

You need to make at least $100 before YouTube sends funds to your bank account, and it takes up to 60 days for that money to arrive.

YouTube doesn’t deduct local taxes from your revenue, but your revenue is most likely taxable. We highly recommend speaking to a tax expert in your region for guidance.

Now you know all the important details about applying to YPP and monetizing your channel. We wish you a speedy application, and as always, more views and subscribers!

YouTube offers more ways to earn money now. These options go beyond standard AdSense revenue. Check them out to help you monetize your YouTube channel:

 Creators who qualify can share ad revenue from the Shorts Feed. Accept the Shorts module in YouTube Studio to join.

 Link your store to YouTube. With 1,000 subscribers, you can promote your own products. If you meet all requirements, you may also earn by promoting other brands.

 Viewers can buy one-time animations and highlighted comments. This shows extra support for your videos.

 When Premium members watch your content, you earn a share of their subscription fee based on watch time.

After you join the YouTube Partner Program, review the terms in YouTube Studio. Each option has its own rules and revenue model. They are great additions if you want to learn how to apply for YouTube monetization in different ways.

Ready to monetize your YouTube channel? Follow our complete guide on how to make money through the YouTube Partner Program and start earning.

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