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YOUTUBE

Do YouTubers Get Paid If You Download Their Video?

There’s a common misconception that YouTubers are paid for the number of downloads a video gets. The reality is a bit more complicated.

YouTube’s monetization system is structured around views and advertisements, not downloads.

Let’s dive deeper into this topic and dispel any lingering confusion.

How Are YouTubers Paid?

At its core, YouTube’s payment model primarily relies on advertisements and views, not downloads. It’s also important to note that not all views are created equal.

  1. Ad Revenue: This is the primary source of income for most YouTubers. Advertisements that appear before, during, or after a video are what generate income. The YouTuber is paid a share of the advertising revenue from these ads. This payment is usually calculated based on Cost Per Mille (CPM), meaning the cost per thousand views. The average CPM varies between countries and genres, but as of 2021, it ranged from $0.25 to $4.00 in the United States.The niche in which a YouTube channel operates can significantly influence the CPM rates. The rates vary based on audience demographic, engagement, and demand from advertisers.Here’s a rough estimation of average CPM rates across various popular YouTube niches:
    YouTube Niche Average CPM Rates
    Tech $4.00 – $6.00
    Finance $8.00 – $12.00
    Gaming $2.00 – $4.00
    Beauty and Fashion $3.00 – $6.00
    DIY and Crafts $2.00 – $4.00
    Health and Wellness $5.00 – $7.00
    Food and Cooking $3.00 – $5.00
    Travel and Lifestyle $2.00 – $4.00
    Education $4.00 – $7.00
    Entertainment and Comedy $2.00 – $4.00

    It’s important to note that these are rough estimates and actual rates can vary significantly. Factors such as viewer location, viewer age, and seasonality also play a role in determining CPM rates. Moreover, these rates are subject to change as market dynamics evolve.

  2. YouTube Premium: This is a subscription service offered by YouTube. It allows users to watch ad-free videos, access YouTube Originals, and play videos in the background. When a YouTube Premium member watches a video, the creator is paid out of the subscription fee. This income depends on the total watch time by YouTube Premium members.YouTube Premium revenue is split between all the creators a subscriber watches in a given month, based on the watch time. So, it’s hard to give concrete figures for individual channels, but we can certainly share a rough understanding of how the funds are divided.Please note, the following percentages are approximate, and actual percentages may vary:
    YouTube Premium Revenue Breakdown Approximate Percentage
    YouTube’s Share 45%
    Creators’ Share 55%

    YouTube usually takes approximately 45% of the total revenue as their share, leaving around 55% to be distributed among creators. The portion a particular YouTuber receives is calculated based on the amount of watch time they generated among YouTube Premium viewers.

    For instance, if a user watches one YouTuber A for 20 hours and another YouTuber B for 10 hours in a month, YouTuber A will receive twice the share of YouTube Premium revenue compared to YouTuber B from this particular user’s subscription fee.

  3. Channel Memberships and Super Chat: These are features that allow fans to directly support their favourite YouTubers. Channel Memberships allow fans to pay a monthly fee for special perks, while Super Chat lets viewers pay to have their messages highlighted during a live chat.YouTube also enables creators to earn through features like Memberships and Super Chat. These features allow fans to directly support their favourite creators. Here’s a breakdown of how much creators earn from these revenue streams:
    Revenue Stream Fees and Splits
    YouTube Memberships 70% to Creator, 30% to YouTube
    Super Chat 70% to Creator, 30% to YouTube

    For YouTube Memberships, creators receive 70% of the membership fee after local sales tax is deducted. The rest goes to YouTube. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, there were three default price points: $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99 per month, but these prices can be adjusted based on the creator’s preference and local currency.

    Super Chat, on the other hand, allows viewers to pay to have their messages highlighted during a live chat. The fee breakdown is the same as Memberships – creators receive 70% and YouTube takes 30%.

    Remember, these splits apply after any local sales tax and, in the case of iOS purchases, after the app store’s transaction fee is deducted. This can significantly affect the net revenue a creator receives. As a result, the actual earnings for a creator might vary significantly based on several factors, including their location and the platforms their viewers are using to purchase memberships or send Super Chats.

  4. Merchandise Shelf: This feature allows YouTubers to showcase their official merchandise right on YouTube.
  5. Brand Partnerships: Many YouTubers also earn money through sponsorships and partnerships with brands.

The following table illustrates the most common revenue streams and their average rates:

Revenue Stream Average Rates
Ad Revenue (CPM) $0.25 – $4.00
YouTube Premium Varies
Channel Memberships $4.99, $9.99, $24.99 per month
Super Chat Varies
Merchandise Shelf Varies
Brand Partnerships Varies

Please note these rates are just averages and actual rates may vary greatly depending on numerous factors such as the YouTuber’s audience size, engagement, location, and video content.

So, What Happens If You Download a Video?

When a user downloads a video, it doesn’t directly contribute to a YouTuber’s income. The YouTuber gets paid when a viewer watches the video on YouTube’s platform, not when it’s downloaded. Downloading a video often means viewing it offline, which bypasses YouTube’s ad-serving platform and therefore generates no ad revenue for the YouTuber.

It’s worth noting that downloading YouTube videos for offline viewing without explicit permission from the creator is against YouTube’s terms of service. YouTube does provide an option for offline viewing through YouTube Premium, but this doesn’t involve downloading the video in the conventional sense. These views do count towards the total views and generate revenue for the creator.

Conclusion

In summary, YouTubers are not directly paid for video downloads. Instead, they earn money through ad revenue, channel memberships, Super Chat, the Merchandise Shelf, brand partnerships, and YouTube Premium views.

Downloading a video without explicit permission could potentially harm a YouTuber’s income, as it bypasses the revenue they could earn from ads.

Supporting your favourite YouTubers by watching their videos on the platform is the best way to ensure they get paid for their hard work.

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BUSINESS TIPS DEEP DIVE ARTICLE MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA

How To Increase YouTube Video CPM – Make More Money On YouTube

– Anyone that’s serious on YouTube and making a business wants to know how to increase YouTube Video CPM income, improve their CPM, improve the adverts that get placed against your content. I’ve got a few tips for you…

How To Increase YouTube Video CPM - Make More Money On YouTube

If you’ve been creating content on YouTube for any length of time, you may now be monetized. The rollercaster that is YouTube CPM Rates can be a wild ride. The CPM rate is based on the things that are on your channel and it can seem frustrating that you have x amount of pounds per thousand views and somebody else gets many, many more. But, there are a few things that you can do to tweak this.

Evaluate The Existing Content On Your YouTube Channel

Have a look at your analytics. There will be some videos that have done much better than other videos. Pick through those. Have a look at your top five, top ten and see what themes may be occurring in those videos. Are those top ten videos mostly how-tos? Are those top ten videos mostly talking about a set product or service or game? Are they a certain length? Do they appeal to a certain demographic? Are they a specific niche? Are they put in a specific playlist?

Once you’ve figured out the clear front runners in your content, make more of that type of video to increase your chances of success.

In my case – I recently started to add business and money to my channel, as it gets a higher Cost Per Mille (CPM) compared to my normal YouTube Tutorials. It would behoove me more to go and make more business stuff, more business themed, more business titled, more business tagged because these are proven winners for my channel that get a proven track record of additional watchtime or a specific types of advert served against it. For example, Tai Lopez, who possibly spends a fortune trying to sell his e-course online (you know those bullshit ads where he’s stood in front of a mansion or in front of a fast car). He might be throwing 20, 30, 40 bucks at an advert that could hit your audience demographic – whilst he’s not gonna spend that kinda money if it’s against toys.

To increase your YouTube Channel CPM rate, make sure that you’re replicating the stuff that you know gets a higher CPM. I don’t mean neglect the ones that have a lower CPM, but understand the difference between the two.

Make Longer YouTube Videos – Double Your Video CPM Rate With Mid Rolls

CPM on YouTube is based on the advert served, how often and the video. Now If you’re lucky, and to increase YouTube Video CPM, adverts can play at the start, at the end and if you have a 10 minute video, they can also be placed in the middle of your YouTube video (YouTube Mid Rolls).

A case in point is Shane Dawson. Last year he dominated with his docu-series format. Each episode was over an hour long – like giant TV show. This gave him the advantage that he could add an advert every 15 minutes and it didn’t seem forced or tacky.

Now, if you imagine for every thousand views of that advert he got $5 – then the video that gets millions of views would do well for him. BUT, if he adds 3-4 mid roll adverts as well instead of $5 per 1000 advertisement displayed he can increase YouTube Video CPM 300-400% simply by adding midrolls into the longer video format. That’s the way to bump that video CPM because not only can you put one at the start, he could put multiple in the middle, he could put one at the end.

You’ll get more watchtime which might be an indicator to advertisers that people watch for longer, are more engaged and that video is very specific ’cause it’s 10 minutes of a very specific topic, so they could put specific adverts in. So, if you’re talking about how to rip apart a laptop and put it back together, advertisers could put adverts in and here, buy this part, here, buy a laptop from here, here’s Dixons, here’s PC World.

Pick Your Niche Carefully to Increase YouTube Video CPM

This is a lesson I learned, in the hardest possible sense, over the years. In the past I have managed channels that have had millions, millions of views. Those videos are in the entertainment sector. The problem with that is the entertainment sector can get thousands of views much more easily if you tweak it properly because you can pander to the topics, you can pander to the trends, the funny news, the weirdness, that kinda thing. But, that also means that you’ll get slightly lower or in some case, rock bottom CPMs.

Why? Because the topic might be inappropriate or the topic might be overexposed. So, therefore, there’s so many people talking about that, that the advertiser can bid less to get more traffic.

On the other side, let’s say you’re creating tutorials on how to create YouTube videos or educating people on business. This is a slightly harder, smaller niche. This kind of direct topic focus can attract a specific audience, an audience that other people may want to tap into, and can increase YouTube Video CPM. I have made video in the past where I talk about how to start a business.

In that video, I talk about how to start your own business. So, if you’re an accountant or if you’re some kind of business guru or some kind of e-book salesmen or anything that’s vaguely business related, insurance, etc etc – you might be tempted to advertise against that video. And, as you can imagine, the difference between someone trying to sell kids toys vs life insurance, real estate, e-learning masterclasses or anything like that – completely different market and potentially much higher CPMs.

Specific niches have better premiums. I’ve noticed with some of my clients that if you talk about money, you have a much higher CPM than over less business focused niches.

How To Increase YouTube Video CPM - Make More Money On YouTube 1

Cut Out The Swearing to Increase YouTube Video CPM

A bit of mild swearing, is not a huge problem. But, if you’re effing and jeffing all of the time, you can either be flagged as inappropriate or the algorithm kind of hears it, kind of sees it and certain advertisers will maybe stir away from you which means that they might be the higher paying ones or that means that you get one or two less adverts per hundred views, per thousand views which means you get less per thousand view CPM.

There is a rumor that if you avoid it in the first three minutes or so, or the first 30% of your video, then maybe, you’re kind of exempt from this, but I would advise that if truly your focus is in maximizing your CPM, either bleep it or avoid it entirely. I understand more than anybody how easy it is to just slip a swear out.

I’m born in Kent. I’m a council estate kid. That’s dragged his way up, effing and jeffing is like a second language to me. It’s ingrained and it’s very hard to stop. Try and curb it and it might help your pocket and you’ll feel a little better for it at the end of the month, at least on camera. Just be wary that swearing in youtube videos might hurt your bank balance.

How To Increase YouTube Video CPM - Make More Money On YouTube 2

Make Money Blogging YouTube Videos

This blog right here is proof that blogging YouTube videos can help raise awareness, bring in more eyeballs and even increase YouTube Video CPM in the long run.

Along side your very long article teaching people how to increase YouTube Video CPM you could place adverts from AdSense. This builds up a picture of behaviour within the mind of Google about your audience and helps them track or suggest your content to more and more relevant people.

I can also give you affiliate options or niche article oportunities you may not have considered before. If you’re talking about real estate, you could link to other articles, videos or affiliate links. People are still buying banner ads. People are still buying pop-ups. Yes, it may be part of the “old web world”, but it’s still equally as relevant. There’s still an audience that would prefer to read articles with visual aid whether it comes through pictures or video then specifically directly only watch your video.

You can always transcribe your videos. Turn them into blogs and then that way people could read three or fours pages of you talking that you fluffed up with nice content, infographics, and then you get double the income.

For more info on boosting your income using affiliate links, I’ve got a video here.

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BUSINESS TIPS MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO YOUTUBE

How To Increase Your CPM Adsense Earnings

There are many tweaks you can make to your YouTube videos to increase your YouTube CPM.

When looking to increase your YouTube CPM consider the niche you are in. Some industries will pay a premium for advertising and attention. Avoid swearing. Videos that are over 10 minutes in length can have mid roll adverts to boosts its earning potential. Most importantly consider your video’s SEO.

YouTube adverts can earn you a little extra money on the side, but did you know it can be affected by what you talk about, how many adverts you show and what niche you are in?!

Evaluate your existing videos

Dive into your channel analytics and look at what currently gets you your best CPM (cost per thousand views). This will help you understand what topics on youtube channel make you the best money and attract the best adverts. You can then double down on those topics, making more of them to boost overall CPM income.

Make Longer Videos

You can increase YouTube CPM by adding more adverts into longer videos.

Videos over 10 minutes long on YouTube can have adverts at the start, the end and as many as you want in the middle called “mid-rolls”.

These can help multiply the money you can make from a single video. Imagine you get $5 per 1000 views for 1 advert and you add 4 more, that is 5x$5 so $25 per 1000 views, a huge jump in CPM rate.

Difference Niches Have Different CPM Rates

This is a lesson I learnt myself the hard way.

You could have an entertainment channel with a broad audience getting millions of views but if your niche is not advertiser friendly, or is too broad it might have a hugely negative effect on the overall CPM of your content.

However, if you target set niches you can boost your income.

Business, Money, Entrepreneurship, Real Estate and other “high end” niches attract higher paid adverts and therefore higher CPMs. Kids content, pranks, jokes, etc offer a wider reach but normally means easier to buy ads against as there are so many people making that content and less valuable transactions connected to it.

So consider the niche you are in if you want to increase YouTube CPM and boost your Adsense income.

How To Increase YouTube Video CPM - Make More Money On YouTube 1

Stop Swearing! – Yes this myth is true!

YouTube will listen and transcribe your content and there is statistics that show your channel and video income can and will be negatively affected by cussing/swearing.

When advertisers select what channel “buckets” they want to spend money on, you swearing might make you “less desirable” vs someone who has identical content with more family friendly language in their videos.

How To Start A Blog with No Money

Make Money Blogging

If you have your content why not blog those videos onto a website and link that to adsense to maximize the income.

I have 500ish videos on my channel and over time I have been slowly adding them to my website blog.

This can help build search traffic, drive more people to the video and your channel but also gives you a chance to serve more adverts to the viewers. This means not only can you get in-video adverts but banner ads as well.