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HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA YOUTUBE

Can YouTubers Control Which Ads Are Shown?

Can YouTubers Control Which Ads Are Shown? 6

Yes, YouTubers can control some parts of which ads appear on their content, but they cannot hand-pick every ad shown on their videos.

That is the short version. The useful version is knowing exactly what creators can control, what YouTube controls automatically, and where people get confused between ad formats, ad categories, sensitive-topic blocks, and advertiser selection.

This guide breaks that down properly, so you know what is possible in YouTube Studio, what is not, and what creators should focus on if they want better monetisation without chasing myths.

Why trust this guide?

I am not writing this as an outsider. I am a YouTube Certified Expert. I have coached 500+ clients, built and grown multiple channels, earned six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, built a personal audience of 100k+, and spent years working across YouTube strategy, SEO, retention, metadata, channel systems, and monetisation.

Questions like this matter because monetisation myths waste a lot of creator energy. If you think you can manually choose perfect ads for every video, you will focus on the wrong lever. If you think you have no control at all, you miss tools YouTube does actually give you.

If you want the wider monetisation picture as well, read What Percentage of YouTubers Make Money?. If you want help applying any of this to your own channel, you can book a discovery call.

Quick answer: can YouTubers control which ads are shown?

Partly. YouTubers can control some ad settings, such as ad formats, mid-roll placement, and blocking certain ad categories or advertiser URLs, but YouTube still chooses which ads are actually served through its ad systems.

So the honest answer is yes, but only up to a point.

YouTube’s own Help pages make this pretty clear. When you monetise a channel, ads on your video are automatically chosen based on context such as your video metadata and whether the content is advertiser-friendly. At the same time, creators can still manage certain controls inside YouTube Studio.

What creators can control

This is the part people often overlook. Creators do have some meaningful levers.

Control area Can creators influence it? How much control?
Ad formats Yes Creators can choose which ad formats to allow on monetised videos
Mid-roll placement Yes Creators can manage and edit mid-roll positions on longer videos
Sensitive ad categories Yes Creators can block or allow certain sensitive categories
General ad categories Yes, to a degree Creators can block some general categories
Specific advertiser URLs Yes, to a degree Creators can block certain advertiser URLs in available controls
Exact ad selection for each viewer No YouTube serves ads automatically

YouTube Help confirms creators can block certain ads from appearing on or next to their content using blocking controls in YouTube Studio. It also says creators can choose ad formats and manage mid-roll ad breaks on monetised videos.

What YouTube controls automatically

This is the line that matters most: YouTube still decides what specific ad gets served to a specific viewer.

Creators are not sitting there hand-picking Nike for one viewer, Adobe for another, and Grammarly for someone else. Ads are served through YouTube’s ad systems, auctions, Google Ad Manager, and other YouTube-sold sources. YouTube says ads on monetised videos are automatically chosen based on context like your video metadata and whether the content is advertiser-friendly.

Creators are not sitting there hand-picking Nike for one viewer, Adobe for another, and Grammarly for someone else. Ads are served through YouTube’s ad systems, auctions, Google Ad Manager, and other YouTube-sold sources. YouTube says ads on monetised videos are automatically chosen based on context like your video metadata and whether the content is advertiser-friendly. https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7438625 

Plain English version: you can shape the playing field, but you cannot personally hand-pick every ad that appears.

That is why the cleanest answer is “partial control, not total control”.

Ad categories and sensitive-topic blocks

One of the clearest forms of ad control creators do have is category-level blocking.

If there are certain types of ads you do not want appearing next to your content for personal, business, or brand reasons, YouTube allows creators to block some categories, including sensitive ones, inside YouTube Studio.

Type of control What it does Why it matters
Sensitive categories Lets creators block ads from selected sensitive categories Useful for brand alignment and channel comfort
General categories Lets creators block some broader ad categories Helps reduce mismatched advertiser themes
Updates in Studio Changes may take time to reflect Useful to know if you do not see an instant change

This is especially useful if you have a family-friendly brand, strong personal values, or a niche where certain categories would feel wildly off-brand.

Can you block specific advertisers?

To a degree, yes.

Historically, creators and publishers have had access to advertiser URL blocking controls in the broader Google ads ecosystem, and YouTube support material has referenced these controls for YouTube-hosted monetisation as well. The practical takeaway is that creators can have some limited advertiser-level blocking options, but this is still not the same thing as curating every ad partner one by one.

So again, the right mental model is not “I can choose exactly who advertises on my videos”. It is “I can exclude some things I do not want”.

Can YouTubers choose ad formats?

Yes. This is one of the most direct forms of control creators have.

YouTube’s upload and monetisation guidance says that creators in the YouTube Partner Programme can choose advertising formats for their monetised videos. YouTube also supports multiple formats such as skippable in-stream, non-skippable, bumper, and other watch-page ad inventory.

Question Best answer
Can creators choose whether monetisation is on? Yes
Can creators choose some ad formats? Yes
Can creators choose the exact brand shown to each viewer? No
Can creators block some ad categories? Yes

Can YouTubers control where mid-roll ads appear?

Yes, and this is often more strategically important than people realise.

YouTube Help says creators can manage and edit mid-roll ad slots on longer videos in YouTube Studio. There are multiple ways to place mid-roll ad breaks, including automatic and manual approaches.

Why this matters: mid-roll control can affect viewer experience, retention, and revenue far more than obsessing over which exact advertiser appears.

If you place mid-rolls badly, you can damage watch time and annoy viewers. If you place them sensibly, you can improve monetisation without trashing the viewing experience.

Fresh official facts worth knowing

This topic gets much clearer when you anchor it to official documentation instead of creator myths.

Fact Why it matters Source
YouTube says ads on monetised videos are automatically chosen based on context like metadata and advertiser-friendliness Confirms creators do not hand-pick every ad YouTube Help
YouTube says creators can block certain ads using blocking controls in Studio Confirms creators do have some real control YouTube Help
YouTube says creators can choose advertising formats and manage mid-rolls Shows practical levers inside monetisation settings YouTube Help
YouTube supports sensitive ad category blocking and changes may take up to 24 hours to reflect Useful for expectation setting YouTube Help

What this means for real monetisation strategy

If you are a creator, the right takeaway is not “I need to obsess over every advertiser”. The smarter takeaway is this:

  • Use the controls YouTube gives you for formats, categories, and mid-rolls.
  • Do not assume you can hand-pick every ad.
  • Focus on advertiser-friendly, watchable content if you want better monetisation outcomes.
  • Protect viewer experience, because retention still matters more than trying to micromanage the ad auction.

This is one reason creator earnings are better understood through RPM and the wider revenue system than through one ad event or one advertiser. If you want to widen the picture, read Do YouTubers Get Paid If You Have YouTube Premium?, Do YouTubers Get Paid More If I Watch the Whole Ad?, and Do YouTubers Get Paid If I Use AdBlock?.

Video pick: RPM vs CPM on YouTube

This is useful here because ad control questions make more sense when you understand the bigger revenue picture rather than one isolated ad event.

Tools that genuinely help you manage monetisation more intelligently

The old tools section needed a full rebuild. Tools should support a strategy, not pretend to replace one. These are the ones I would actually recommend first because they are relevant, trustworthy, and already supported by useful content on this site.

Tool Best for Why it earns a place here Best next step
YouTube Studio Monetisation settings, ad formats, mid-rolls, and analytics This is where nearly all meaningful creator-side ad control actually happens Learn how to read the right signals
vidIQ Topic research and search-led growth Useful because strong topics and audience fit influence monetisation far more than chasing individual advertisers Try vidIQ or read my vidIQ review
TubeBuddy Publishing workflow and optimisation support Helpful when your bigger issue is execution consistency rather than ad settings themselves Try TubeBuddy or read my TubeBuddy review
StreamYard Live formats and diversified monetisation Useful because many creators are healthier when they do not rely on watch-page ads alone Try StreamYard or read my StreamYard review
Syllaby Content planning and consistency Useful when your real bottleneck is publishing enough good content to create monetisation opportunities Try Syllaby or read my Syllaby review

Which tool should you pick first?

  • Start with YouTube Studio if you want real control over ad formats, category blocking, and mid-roll placement.
  • Use vidIQ or TubeBuddy if your bigger issue is content performance rather than settings.
  • Use StreamYard if you want a broader income mix that does not rely only on ads.
  • Use Syllaby if consistency is the bottleneck.

What I would do if I wanted healthier ad revenue

  1. Use YouTube Studio to set sensible ad formats and category blocks.
  2. Review mid-roll placement on longer videos.
  3. Focus on advertiser-friendly, high-retention content.
  4. Build a wider monetisation mix beyond ads.
  5. Stop trying to micromanage the exact ad auction outcome.

Final thoughts

If you came here for the fast answer, here it is again: yes, YouTubers can control some parts of which ads are shown, but not every specific ad.

Creators can influence formats, category blocks, some exclusions, and mid-roll placement. But YouTube still serves ads automatically through its ad systems based on context, suitability, and demand.

The smart move is not to chase total control. The smart move is to use the controls you do have, protect viewer experience, and build a channel that monetises well across the bigger system.

If you want help building that kind of channel, start with Who Is Alan Spicer?, read how I help creators and brands grow, or book a discovery call.

Frequently asked questions

Can YouTubers control which ads are shown on their videos?

Partly. Creators can control some settings like ad formats, mid-rolls, and some blocked categories, but YouTube still chooses the actual ads served to viewers.

Can YouTubers block certain ads?

Yes. YouTube provides blocking controls for certain ad categories and sensitive categories in Studio.

Can YouTubers choose the exact brand shown in ads?

No, not on a viewer-by-viewer basis. YouTube serves ads automatically through its own systems.

Can YouTubers choose ad formats?

Yes. Creators in the YouTube Partner Programme can manage monetisation and choose certain ad formats for eligible videos.

Can YouTubers control mid-roll ads?

Yes. Creators can manage and edit mid-roll ad breaks on longer videos in YouTube Studio.

Can creators block political or sensitive ads?

In many cases, yes. YouTube provides sensitive category blocking controls for creators in Studio.

Do blocked category changes happen instantly?

Not always. YouTube says changes can take time to reflect, sometimes up to around 24 hours.

What matters more than trying to control every ad?

Content quality, retention, advertiser-friendly topics, sensible mid-roll placement, and a wider monetisation mix matter more in practice.

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DEEP DIVE ARTICLE HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

What Percentage of YouTubers Make Money?

What Percentage of YouTubers Make Money?

Most YouTube channels never make meaningful money. That sounds blunt, but it is the truth. The upside is that this number is often misunderstood because YouTube contains millions of abandoned, inactive, experimental, and half-started channels that were never really built as businesses in the first place.

If you are asking what percentage of YouTubers make money, you are really asking a more useful question underneath it: how realistic is it to build a channel that earns anything at all, and what separates the channels that do from the ones that never get there?

This guide answers that properly. We will cover the short version Google can quote, the longer version humans actually need, what counts as “making money”, how YouTube monetisation works now, why so few channels earn meaningful income, which tools are genuinely worth using, and what to do if you want to beat the odds.

Why trust this guide?

I am not writing this as an outsider. I am a YouTube Certified Expert. I have coached 500+ clients, built and grown multiple channels, earned six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, built a personal audience of 100k+, and spent years working across YouTube strategy, SEO, retention, metadata, channel systems, and monetisation.

If you want the wider strategy picture as well, read The Definitive Guide to Growing on YouTube. If you want to think more globally about audience reach and monetisation potential across markets, also read the top languages on YouTube, because language choice can affect discoverability, audience size, advertiser demand, and long-term income ceiling.

If you want help applying any of this to your own channel, you can book a discovery call.

Quick answer: What percentage of YouTubers make money?

A practical rule-of-thumb answer is that around 0.25% of YouTube channels make money through YouTube’s built-in monetisation systems at any meaningful level.

Still, that figure should be treated as an estimate rather than a precise figure for the live platform-wide number.

That is the version most people are really looking for. It preserves the core point: only a very small percentage of channels ever reach meaningful earnings.

The more accurate version is this: most YouTube channels make nothing; a minority make some money; and only a small fraction generate high income. YouTube does not publish a live public percentage for “all channels that currently earn meaningful money”, so any exact number is always an estimate built from public thresholds, historic channel-distribution research, and practical market reality.

So yes, keeping around 0.25% near the top makes sense for query match and snippet protection. The upgrade is not to delete it. The upgrade is to frame it more clearly, defend it more effectively, and immediately explain the caveat.

Snippet answer for the exact query

What percentage of YouTubers make money? A sensible estimate is around 0.25% if you mean channels earning meaningful money directly through YouTube monetisation features. However, the true live figure changes over time and is not published by YouTube as a precise public metric.

Question Best short answer Important caveat
What percentage of YouTubers make money? Around 0.25% Useful as a rule-of-thumb, not a perfectly current live count
What percentage makes meaningful money? Very small Most channels never reach monetisation thresholds or useful scale
What percentage makes a full-time income? Smaller still Full-time creator income usually depends on multiple revenue streams

What counts as “making money” on YouTube?

This is where most articles fall over. They count any income at all as proof that a creator “makes money”. Technically, that is true. Practically, it is not very helpful.

If a channel earns enough to buy a sandwich once a month, that is not a business. So it helps to split YouTube earnings into clearer buckets.

Level What it usually means What it feels like in real life
Incidental income Low or irregular earnings A nice surprise, but not dependable
Meaningful side income Regular monthly earnings with clear upside Can fund tools, gear, software, travel, or part of your bills
Part-time creator income Enough to justify workflow and reinvestment Starts acting like a small business
Full-time creator income Diversified revenue with salary-level reliability Usually built on more than ads alone

Key point: when creators talk about “making money on YouTube”, they often mean all revenue connected to the audience that YouTube helps them build, not just AdSense. That can include affiliate links, sponsorships, digital products, memberships, coaching, consulting, email funnels, lead generation, and ecommerce.

This is also why topic, niche, and audience geography matter so much. A channel publishing in a widely used language may have a larger audience ceiling, while a channel in a tighter niche or region may have stronger buying intent. If you are weighing audience size against competition, my guide to the top languages on YouTube adds another useful layer to this conversation.

For direct platform income, also read How Do YouTubers Receive Their Money?, The Top Ways to Monetise Your YouTube Channel, and How to Get Super Chat on YouTube.

How YouTube monetisation works now

YouTube monetisation is no longer a single giant switch you only reach at one milestone. It is now better understood as a tiered system.

Monetisation stage Subscriber threshold Activity threshold What it can unlock
Earlier YPP access 500 subscribers 3 public uploads in 90 days, plus 3,000 watch hours in 12 months, or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days Fan funding and selected shopping features in eligible regions
Full ad revenue access 1,000 subscribers 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days Ads, YouTube Premium revenue share, wider direct monetisation options

You can see the current thresholds in YouTube’s official documentation here: expanded YouTube Partner Programme overview and YouTube Partner Programme overview and eligibility.

If you want to understand the earning mechanics behind specific viewer behaviours, I also have related breakdowns on whether YouTubers get paid if you have YouTube Premium, whether YouTubers get paid more if you watch the whole ad, whether creators can control which ads are shown, what happens if viewers use AdBlock, and whether old videos still make money.

If your immediate goal is hitting those thresholds, read How to Get 1,000 Subscribers and 4,000 Hours Watch Time.

How many YouTubers actually make money?

Here is the honest version: no public source gives a perfect live count of all monetised channels earning meaningful money. Older articles often quote total channel numbers and old subscriber brackets, then present the answer as if it is exact. It is not.

What we can say with confidence is this:

  • Most channels never reach even the first serious monetisation threshold.
  • Being eligible for monetisation is not the same thing as earning useful money.
  • The number of channels earning a full-time income is much smaller again.
  • Many channels counted in broad “total channel” figures are inactive, abandoned, or not serious creator businesses.

That is why the old answer worked as a hook but needed to be upgraded into an article. The figure itself is useful, but the page should now do more than shock the reader. It should help them understand why the percentage is low, what the modern thresholds are, and how to move into the fraction that actually earns.

Plain English version: use 0.25% as the fast answer, then explain that the practical shape of the market matters more than fake precision. Most channels earn nothing. A smaller group earn a bit. A much smaller group builds a dependable side income. A tiny slice builds serious creator businesses.

Fresh stats and facts worth injecting into this topic

If you want this page to feel current, useful, and stronger for readers and search engines, it helps to add platform context rather than just repeating one old estimate.

Stat or fact Why it matters Source
YouTube says it paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies in the past four years Shows YouTube is a real creator economy, but the money is not evenly distributed YouTube CEO blog, 2026
YouTube says its US ecosystem contributed $55 billion to GDP and supported 490,000+ full-time jobs in 2024 Shows platform impact and business gravity around creators, editors, agencies, and services YouTube CEO blog, 2026
YouTube’s earlier YPP tier starts at 500 subscribers Important because some older articles still present 1,000 subscribers as the only monetisation entry point YouTube Help
Full ad revenue still usually starts at 1,000 subscribers plus watch time or Shorts thresholds Important because being “in YPP” and being fully ad monetised are not identical things YouTube Help
YouTube has 2.58 billion users globally, according to recent industry reporting Shows the platform is massive, but a huge audience does not mean easy money for individual channels Exploding Topics
Over half of creators in one 2025 earnings report earned under $15,000 annually Useful wider creator-economy context showing how hard sustainable creator income can be Influencer Marketing Hub

The reason I like this section is that it adds depth without damaging the main answer. It keeps the old query intent, but makes the page much more useful for adjacent searches like is YouTube still worth it, how many creators actually earn money, how hard is it to make money on YouTube, and how much do small YouTubers earn.

If you want even more earning-specific data points, I also cover how much money 1 million YouTube views make, ways to make money using your computer, and the wider how to make money online category.

Why is the percentage so low?

There are a few big reasons.

1. The barrier to starting is tiny

It is almost free to start a channel. That is great for accessibility, but it also means millions of channels exist with no real strategy, no publishing plan, and no monetisation path.

2. Most creators quit before compounding starts

The first 10 to 30 videos often teach you more than they reward you. A lot of creators stop during the awkward phase where the channel is still finding audience fit and learning what works.

3. People chase views before they build a business model

Views matter, but only if they connect to revenue. Ads, affiliates, leads, digital products, consulting, sponsors, and memberships all need intent and trust behind them.

4. Packaging is usually the first bottleneck

Weak titles and thumbnails kill channels faster than camera quality ever will. This is one of the most common problems I see when auditing channels. Even small presentation tweaks can change how your content is perceived, clicked, and shared. For a tiny but useful example of how formatting can improve engagement and readability in community interactions, see how to bold YouTube comments, use strikethrough, italics, and emojis.

5. Retention decides whether growth compounds

If people click and leave quickly, YouTube gets the signal that the promise was weak, misleading, or poorly delivered. That limits future distribution and long-term earnings.

Problem What it does to the channel Why it hurts money
Weak thumbnails and titles Fewer clicks Lower reach means lower watch time and lower revenue potential
Poor intros and structure Retention drops early Less distribution and weaker monetisation signals
No niche clarity Audience confusion Harder to build trust, repeat viewership, and relevant offers
No monetisation plan Traffic goes nowhere Even decent views produce weak business results
Inconsistency Compounding never starts The channel never reaches monetisation scale

Realistic YouTube income tiers

These are not promises. They are a saner way to think about YouTube earnings than the usual hype.

Channel stage Typical reality Main focus Best revenue bets
Pre-monetised No direct YouTube income yet Audience fit, consistency, watch time, search-friendly topics Email capture, affiliates, lead generation groundwork
Early monetised Some ad revenue, usually small Improve RPM, click-through rate, and retention Ads, affiliates, simple digital offers
Growing authority channel Meaningful but variable income Diversify revenue and build returning viewers Ads, sponsors, affiliates, products, memberships
Business-grade creator More predictable revenue Systemise production, funnels, and monetisation Ads plus strong off-platform monetisation

Subscriber count alone is not enough. A smaller channel with strong buyer intent, better affiliate fit, stronger business offers, or higher-value topics can out-earn a much larger channel in a weaker niche.

This is one reason technical quality is only part of the puzzle. Uploading in 4K, choosing the right bitrate, and understanding performance diagnostics can help the viewing experience, but they do not automatically create revenue. For that side of YouTube, see Should I Upload 4K to YouTube?, The Best Bitrate for YouTube, and YouTube Stats for Nerds Explained.

The real money is often beyond AdSense

If you only look at YouTube ads, you miss the more interesting part of the creator business model.

Many of the healthiest creator businesses use YouTube as the top of funnel, not the entire business. One video can earn through multiple layers:

  • Ad revenue
  • Affiliate links
  • Sponsorships
  • Consulting or coaching enquiries
  • Courses and digital products
  • Memberships
  • Live stream income
  • Owned services or ecommerce

Why smaller channels can still win: they do not rely on a single income stream.

That same logic also applies to edge-case formats. For example, music creators asking how to make money doing covers on YouTube face a different revenue puzzle from a software reviewer, livestreamer, or educational creator. The monetisation path always depends on the format, rights, audience intent, and business model behind the videos.

Video pick: How to make money on YouTube without AdSense

This matters here because the strongest YouTube businesses rarely depend on ads alone.

How to beat the odds and actually make money on YouTube

  1. Choose a niche with clear audience intent.
  2. Build around searchable, clickable problems.
  3. Design the title and thumbnail before you film.
  4. Deliver value quickly and hold attention.
  5. Study retention and click-through rate in YouTube Studio.
  6. Add a sensible monetisation path early.
  7. Treat the channel like a system, not a random pile of uploads.

If this is where you need help, here is what a YouTube consultant actually does, and you can also book a discovery call.

One of the bigger levers creators often miss is that reach and revenue often expand when you think beyond a single audience segment. Language strategy, technical execution, monetisation structure, and evergreen content can all work together rather than sitting in separate silos.

Video pick: Why most YouTubers do not make money

This directly supports the core topic and helps reinforce the main argument for both readers and search intent.

Video pick: RPM vs CPM on YouTube

This is useful because two channels with similar views can earn wildly different amounts.

Tools that genuinely help you get started on YouTube

The old tools section needed a full rebuild. Tools should support a strategy, not pretend to replace one. These are the ones I would actually recommend first because they are relevant, trustworthy, and already supported by useful content on this site.

Tool Best for Why it earns a place here Best next step
YouTube Studio Analytics and decision-making Your first and most important growth tool. This is where click-through rate, retention, traffic sources, returning viewers, and monetisation signals live. Learn how to read the right signals
vidIQ Topic research and search-led growth Useful for topic discovery, keyword support, optimisation prompts, and planning decisions when used with judgement. Try vidIQ or read my vidIQ review
TubeBuddy Workflow, bulk updates, publishing support Helpful if you want practical process support and efficient channel management without pretending it will magically grow the channel for you. Try TubeBuddy or read my TubeBuddy review
StreamYard Live streaming, interviews, webinars, browser-based creation Great for creators who want reliable streaming and recording without a technical headache. Try StreamYard or read my StreamYard review
Gyre Pro Evergreen livestream loops and always-on distribution Especially interesting for creators with evergreen libraries, music, ambience, tutorials, podcasts, or archive-led content strategies. Read my Gyre Pro review and Gyre Pro vs OBS guide
Syllaby Content planning, ideation, and scripting support Useful when your bottleneck is staying consistent, structuring ideas, and turning expertise into repeatable content plans. Try Syllaby or read my Syllaby review

If you want to keep digging, start with the YouTube tools hub, the YouTube equipment for beginners guide, the wider YouTube growth pillar, or the top languages on YouTube if you want to think more strategically about audience scale and global discoverability.

Which tool should you pick first?

  • If you are new, start with YouTube Studio and either vidIQ or TubeBuddy.
  • If live content matters, add StreamYard.
  • If you have evergreen content that can work as looping streams, consider Gyre Pro.
  • If your problem is idea generation and consistency, look at Syllaby.
  • If your thumbnails and topics are weak, fix those before buying more gear.

Related reading on YouTube money, ads, quality, and audience growth

People also ask

Do most YouTubers make any money at all?

No. Most YouTube channels either never reach monetisation thresholds or never turn that access into meaningful income.

Can a small YouTube channel make money?

Yes. Small channels can still earn through affiliate links, consulting, lead generation, digital products, memberships, and fan support, especially in high-intent niches.

How many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube?

Some monetisation features now start at 500 subscribers in eligible regions, but full ad revenue usually still requires 1,000 subscribers plus watch time or Shorts thresholds.

How much do small YouTubers make?

It varies massively. Some earn almost nothing. Others earn meaningful side income from smart affiliates, niche expertise, services, or direct audience demand even before ads become significant.

Is it harder to make money on YouTube now?

It is more competitive, yes, but also more mature. There are more monetisation options, more tools, and better analytics than there used to be. The channels that win tend to be better packaged, more useful, and more systematic.

Can you make money on YouTube without showing your face?

Yes, if the content format works without a face and still holds attention. Tutorials, explainers, ambience, automation-supported evergreen loops, case studies, and certain niche educational formats can all work.

Do YouTube Shorts pay well?

Shorts can contribute to growth and monetisation, but the revenue model differs from that of long-form content. They can help, but they are not an automatic shortcut to a reliable income.

What is better for making money: YouTube or blogging?

Neither is automatically better. The best choice depends on your audience, niche, production style, and business model. In many cases, the smartest move is to use both together.

What I would do if I were starting from zero today

  1. Pick a niche where audience intent is obvious.
  2. Map 20 to 30 videos around beginner questions, pain points, comparisons, myths, and mistakes.
  3. Build titles and thumbnails before filming.
  4. Publish consistently long enough to gather real data.
  5. Use YouTube Studio to study what viewers clicked and where they dropped off.
  6. Add one monetisation path early, such as affiliate links, leads, or a service offer.
  7. Keep refining the system rather than chasing random viral ideas.

Final thoughts

If you came here hoping for a single neat percentage, the best quick answer is still around 0.25%. That is useful, memorable, and still directionally right for meaningful direct YouTube monetisation.

But the better answer is bigger than that. Most YouTube channels make nothing; a minority make some money; only a small fraction generate high income. That is not because success is impossible. It is because most channels never get focused enough, consistent enough, or strategic enough for compounding to kick in.

You do not need millions of subscribers to make YouTube worth it. You need a channel built on demand, trust, strong packaging, decent retention, and a monetisation model that fits the audience.

That is the difference between uploading videos and building a creator business.

If you want help building the second one, start with Who Is Alan Spicer?, read how I help creators and brands grow, or book a discovery call.

How many YouTubers make money stats infographic

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of YouTubers are monetised?

A useful rule-of-thumb answer is around 0.25% if you mean channels earning meaningful money directly through YouTube monetisation, but YouTube does not publish a perfect live count for this.

What percentage of YouTubers make a full-time income?

Smaller still. Full-time creator income is much rarer than basic monetisation because it usually requires more views, a better monetisation fit, and multiple revenue streams.

Can you make money on YouTube before 1,000 subscribers?

Sometimes, yes. Earlier YPP access can start at 500 subscribers in eligible regions, and off-platform income, such as affiliates, leads, or services, can start earlier.

How much money does 1,000 subscribers make on YouTube?

There is no fixed amount. Subscriber count alone does not determine revenue. Niche, audience location, view volume, video length, retention, and monetisation strategy matter far more.

What type of YouTube channel makes the most money?

Higher-value niches such as finance, business, software, education, and buyer-intent content often monetise better on a per-view basis than broad entertainment, but execution still matters.

Is YouTube still worth starting?

Yes, if you are willing to treat it as a long-term asset rather than a quick win. The competition is higher, but the monetisation options and creator infrastructure are stronger than ever.

What is the best first tool for a new YouTuber?

YouTube Studio. After that, add a support tool like vidIQ or TubeBuddy based on whether your bigger bottleneck is research, workflow, or optimisation support.

Is YouTube monetisation only about AdSense?

No. Many of the strongest creator businesses combine ads with affiliates, sponsors, products, memberships, services, and audience-led offers.

Categories
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE NEWS SOCIAL MEDIA YOUTUBE

You Can FINALLY Monetize YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts Monetization is HERE! [Huge New York Times Leak]

YouTube Shorts monetization is finally coming in 2023. A New York Times leak has hinted that YouTube Shorts will finally be added to the YouTube Partner Programme and creators will get a 45/10/45 split on all revenue with 10% going to musicians and 45% going to the platform.

Starting in early 2023, Shorts-focused creators can apply to YPP by meeting a threshold of 1,000 subscribers and 10M Shorts views over 90 days. These new partners will enjoy all the benefits our program offers, including the various ways to make money like ads on long-form and Fan Funding.

We also want to support creators who are even earlier in their YouTube journey, from gamers showing off their speed runs to trendsetting DIY makeup tutorials. A new level of YPP with lower requirements will offer earlier access to Fan Funding features like Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Channel Memberships. To reward creators across a range of formats, we’ll have paths for long-form, Shorts and Live creators to join this new tier in 2023. Stay tuned for more details.

To be clear, nothing will change with our existing criteria—creators can still apply to YPP when they reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. But these changes reflect the diversity of our growing creator community. Creators can choose the one option that best fits their channel while we maintain the same level of brand safety for advertisers. You can learn more here.

What are YouTube Shorts?

You might be reading this and wondering “what the hell is a YouTube Short?”, but don’t worry, we’re going to fill you in.

YouTube Shorts are essentially YouTube’s answer to Instagram and Facebook Stories. They are short videos—less than 60 seconds to be precise—that are intended for continuous consumption. In essence, YouTube wants viewers to sit and watch several Shorts one after the other, with the ultimate aim being to keep those viewers on the website for longer.

Many of us will happily sit through a 10-15 minute video, and if YouTube can put the right Shorts in front of a viewer, that 10-15 minute window could see them viewing 15-30 Shorts (many Shorts are much less than 60 seconds). These videos are primarily made for mobile viewing, something that is evident when you look at the portrait aspect ratio.

While regular YouTube is the kind of experience you can set up in front of your computer or laptop head off down the rabbit hole, YouTube Shorts is more of a “kill five minutes at the bus stop” kind of experience.

Why make YouTube Shorts?

You have been on the YouTube platform for years and you have always been told to stick to horizontal rather than “ugly looking vertical£ videos – why start making vertical videos now?

YouTube wants to win the new young creator demographic away from TikTok and to do that they are pushing the feature very hard to viewers.

Your videos could show up under the first suggested video on the mobile app giving you a large boost of views. Adopt it early and you could see great results before EVERYONE uses it! Make eye catching relevant videos and you could get featured against established large youtube channels.

Imagine if you could be one of the first people on YouTube all those years ago. Or one of the first people to grow an audience on Twitter and Instagram… this is your chance at a fresh new medium, but this time its supercharged by YouTube!

Even YouTube is exited about the tool

Get discovered: Every month, 2 billion viewers come to YouTube to laugh, learn and connect. Creators have built entire businesses on YouTube, and we want to enable the next generation of mobile creators to also grow a community on YouTube with Shorts.

I have been testing YouTube shorts and seen huge jumps in views even when the channel has only 65 subscribers!

Can YouTube beat TikTok?

Where Can I See YouTube Shorts?

YouTube shorts are currently curated by YouTube and displayed under videos on the mobile app.

It has its own shelf that you can swap through and the youtube shorts normally match the topic of the main video above – for example if you are watching a tech tips video you might see tech related short stories.

What is YouTube Shorts sizes? ratio?

The standard aspect ratio for YouTube Shorts 9:16. YouTube may add more padding for optimal viewing. The padding is white by default, and dark grey when Dark theme is turned on.

Recommended resolution & aspect ratios for YouTube Shorts.

For 9:16 youtube shorts aspect ratio, encode at these resolutions:

2160p: 2160×3840
1440p: 1440×2560
1080p: 1080×1920
720p: 720×1280
480p: 480×854
360p: 360×640
240p: 240×426

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YouTube Face Partner Program Issues Day 1 – Monetization Broken & #YouTubePartnerCulling #YTPP #YPP

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YouTube Face YouTube Partner Program Issues – Monetization Broken & #YouTubePartnerCulling // YouTube are reporting issues with its new YouTube Partnership Program roll out. Monetization broke, money trapped, features not working and people are not happy. Channel monetization reviews have been delays for weeks and in some cases people have been demonetized even when over the threshold.

Is you YouTube adsense money trapped? Use this link and close the account – goo.gl/2onpt6

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TIPS & TRICKS VIDEO YOUTUBE

How To Make Money On YouTube Without Adsense – No YouTube Partner Program #YPP

How To Make Money On YouTube Without Adsense - No YouTube Partner Program #YPP

🔴 How To Make Money on YouTube Without Adsense – No YouTube Partner Program Monetization #YPP [CHAT & Q&A]

Losing YouTube Monetization? Being removed from the YouTube Partner Program? Make money without youtube adverts. You can make money on YouTube without YouTube Monetization. You can make passive income online without adsense. Make money online with YouTube.

Affiliate Marketing, Amazon Marketing, Referrals, Merchandise, Products and Services.

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HOW TO MAKE A YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBE LINK – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vqJOAl7i10
HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR CHANNEL – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMECVXXKsko
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MORE YOUTUBE CHANGES – NEWS FROM YOUTUBE CEO Susan Wojcicki [REACTION – CHAT & Q&A]

MORE YOUTUBE CHANGES - NEWS FROM YOUTUBE CEO Susan Wojcicki [REACTION - CHAT & Q&A]

🔴 MORE YOUTUBE 2018 CHANGES — NEWS FROM YOUTUBE CEO [CHAT & Q&A] — New YouTube changes from YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Policies, YouTube Future Goals, and YouTube’s Priorities for 2018. YouTube Famebit, Creator Blog, NewFeaturess, YouTube Reels, YouTube Community Tab and more.

RELEVANT BLOG LINKS
https://youtube-creators.googleblog.com/2018/02/my-five-priorities-for-creators-in-2018_1.html
https://youtube-creators.googleblog.com/2018/01/additional-changes-to-youtube-partner.html