YouTube raises subscriber, view threshold for Partner Program monetization

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After a tumultuous 2017, YouTube is making yet another change to its guidelines surrounding channel monetization and advertiser approval. In posts to its Advertiser and Creator blogs, YouTube details how it's changing the threshold for monetization through its YouTube Partner Program (YPP), from 10,000 lifetime views to 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months. That means that small creators who already passed the previous 10,000 lifetime view milestone, but not the new goals, will be removed from the YouTube Partner Program starting February 20 and will be unable to monetize their videos in that manner.

Further Reading YouTube finally hands down punishment to creator for posting dead body video As of yesterday, any channels that newly apply for YPP will have to pass this new threshold in order to monetize videos. On its Creators blog, YouTube explains that the new required milestones "will allow us to significantly improve our ability to identify creators who contribute positively to the community and help drive more ad revenue to them (and away from bad actors). These higher standards will also help us prevent potentially inappropriate videos from monetizing which can hurt revenue for everyone."

The company made a point of noting the types of channels that will be affected by the new rules. "Though these changes will affect a significant number of channels, 99 percent of those affected were making less than $100 per year in the last year, with 90 percent earning less than $2.50 in the last month. Any of the channels who no longer meet this threshold will be paid what they've already earned based on our AdSense policies."

Once a creator that applied to be part of YPP meets the new guidelines, the channel will be automatically evaluated "under strict criteria." YouTube will check if the channel complies with its Community Guidelines or if it has many instances of strikes, spam, or abuse flags. YouTube didn't lay out how it will evaluate all the channels looking to be part of YPP, but it will likely use a mix of the newly hired 10,000 human moderators and AI software already in place to monitor the website.

In addition, YouTube will also start to "manually review" all Google Preferred channels. This is Google's top-tier advertising program that many of the most popular YouTubers are a part of, allowing them to get paid more thanks to Google charging more for the ads that appear on those videos. "Ads will only run on videos that have been verified to meet our ad-friendly guidelines," YouTube writes on its Advertiser blog—meaning that the most popular creators will be under more scrutiny from YouTube, and it's possible that they will face more demonetization than they ever have before.

"One of YouTube's core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel, and while our policies will evolve over time, our commitment to that value remains," YouTube notes in its Creator blog post.

While that may be true, the many changes implemented over the past year have made it much harder for new creators to succeed on YouTube (when success means making money). The new 1,000 subscriber/4,000 hours of watch time threshold will be difficult to reach for those who have only just started a channel, especially with mysteries of YouTube's algorithm dictating which videos get pushed in front of users' eyeballs.

Further Reading Big US companies pull YouTube ads after extremist content sparks uncertainty The company posted an arguably more accurate sentiment on its Advertiser blog: "It's been clear over the last few months that we need the right requirements and better signals to identify the channels that have earned the right to run ads."

Making money from advertisements run on your channel is a privilege and one that some big YouTubers have recently taken advantage of. YouTube dealt with the ad-pocalypse and the Pewdiepie controversy this time last year, and it recently pulled Logan Paul from Google Preferred after he posted a video of a dead body on his channel, one that has over 15 million subscribers.

While YouTube is still an open door for all budding creators, the website's prime goal is to make money off of advertisements. Google and YouTube have the right to set as many rules as they want for those who want to make money off of their videos since those videos, first and foremost, make money for Google. We likely won't see many changes affecting mid- and top-tier channels come February 20, but some small YouTubers who have yet to pass the new milestones will have to work even harder to make money again from the YouTube Partner Program.

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How to Start Vlogging on YouTube for Money

It used to be that only a few select "star" actors had the opportunity to appear on television. Since the advent of YouTube in 2005 and vlogging (video blogging) just about anyone can become a household name via video.

Today there are more people watching video content on YouTube than any TV network. Viewers watch 1 billion hours daily. YouTube videos are produced in 91 countries and can be found in 80 different languages.

If you enjoy appearing behind the camera and sharing tips and information, a vlog channel of your own is a great choice, says Iker Calderón, director of MPN Fenomeno Studios at LBI Media (Liberman Broadcasting): "YouTube is a platform that allows you the opportunity to be creative, experiment with content and create a community."

The sky is just about the limit when it comes to the type of content you can create, adds Marko Saric, owner of HowToMakeMyBlog.com.

"YouTube is a huge platform where just about any topic, no matter how niche it is, has an audience," Saric said.

Steps to Working for YouTube as a Vlogger

Starting a vlog on YouTube is an exciting adventure. Before you take a shot at the vlogger life, there are a few important tasks to undertake. Follow this guide to your vlogging setup, and you'll be on your way to creating a popular vlog.

Watch other Vloggers

Viewing other vlogs will show you what popular vloggers are doing and help you narrow in on the type of vlog channel you want to produce. Watching a variety of vlogs will illustrate what tactics are effective in sharing information via video and getting viewers.

"My first recommendation is to watch hours of other vloggers on YouTube in order to learn how to use the platform and how the trends move," Calderón said. "Watching many hours of different vloggers will show you what they're doing and how they're doing it."

Choose a Vlogging Topic/Theme

If you want your vlog to be popular, it's necessary to commit for the long haul. Choose a topic that you want to talk about on an indefinite basis. For instance, if you decide to vlog about cats, are you a cat lover? Will you still be interested in the topic of collecting antiques 100 vlogs from now?

Rather than vlog about a particular favorite topic, some vloggers choose to discuss a variety of topics. If you do this, it's still necessary to tie the vlogs together with some sort of theme. For instance, your own quirky take on each of the topics. This approach will only work if your vlog style remains the same with each video and you say pithy things about each subject.

"You can also come up with a vlog topic by considering the audience you're targeting," Saric said. "Who are they? What questions do they want answered? What issues do they want to solve? When you know more details on the audience you want to reach, you can start thinking of the best content to create."

Get Vlogging Setup Equipment

Once you're ready to start vlogging, you'll need the right equipment. You can vlog using your smartphone or laptop, but if you want a higher quality vlog, it's necessary to invest in a vlogging camera. This is important if your vlog has special considerations. For example, if your vlog is action-based, you'll need a camera designed to shoot motion.

As the vlog editor, you can start out with a vlog software for editing on your camera or laptop and later progress to a more sophisticated editing software.

Film Your Vlog

In order to create a vlog that becomes popular, you'll need to create something compelling that people want to watch.

"Anyone can vlog, but if you want to be successful, you need to know how to tell a story," Calderón said. "I've seen hundreds of videos with no real stories – nothing to engage me to keep watching the video. You want people to keep watching."

It's necessary to make vlogs alluring, Saric agreed.

"There is no love at first sight on YouTube with viewers," he said. "You really need to deliver some value to people in order for them to actually spend their time watching your vlog. The value can be anything real people want, be it informational, educational and entertaining."

"Unless you're a celebrity, you need to produce helpful content," added Aby Moore, a blogging strategist and founder of YouBabyMeMummy.com. "Aim for content that answers the questions people have. Such tutorial, how-to content is so important and will help you build an audience."

Additionally, when filming your vlog, be natural about it, Moore advised.

"It's really important to be yourself on video, because it's the only way you're going to truly connect with your audience," she said. "It's going to take some practice, but it will be worth it. Lean into your quirks – those things that make you different. That will be what people remember about you."

At the end of the vlog, make sure to ask viewers to like, comment and share the video and subscribe to your channel.

Upload Your Video

It's easy to upload your video. If you don't yet have a YouTube account, sign up for one. Then log in and click the "upload" button. As the video uploads, you will see the progress bar. This lets you know what percentage is uploaded and how long to completion. The time required for upload depends on the length of the video, its quality and your internet speed.

While your video is uploading, check your privacy settings. Generally you'll want to make the video public. Also add in necessary information such as the vlog episode title, description of the vlog and tags. You will have the opportunity to choose a thumbnail for the video. Aim for choosing a thumbnail that is eye-catching.

Since viewers tend to discover most YouTube videos via search, it's important that you pay special attention to the keywords you input during setup, Moore said.

"Choosing the right keywords and including the keywords in the vlog title, description and tags is so important, because these elements help potential viewers find your videos," she said.

Be Patient with the Process

Yes, there are very successful YouTubers with popular vlogs. Keep in mind that they didn't become popular overnight. For many, it took a lot of patience and hard work to get substantial views and attention. Keep this in mind as you build up your audience.

"It's important to become a vlogger on YouTube for the right reason," Calderón said. "Don't start vlogging because you want to become famous and make a lot of money. Make vlogs because you love creating content and enjoy every little aspect of the process, including editing and promoting the vlog. If you're good at vlogging, the money will come later."

Have patience as your vlog gains popularity, Calderón said: "It will take time for your channel to gain followers and for your vlogs to get comments. When you have negative comments from people disliking your vlogs, don't take it personal or engage with them. Only interact with viewers who have positive comments."

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Cardi B’s Striking “Money” Video Blasts Past 4 Million Views; Song Enjoys Sales Gain

Nearly two full months after releasing the song, Cardi B shared the eagerly anticipated music video for "Money."

Rich with striking visuals, the fierce video is predictably attracting solid opening day interest. As of press time at 10:25PM ET Friday (about eight hours after the premiere), the video boasts 4.3 million YouTube views.

The video is also igniting interest in the audio. The song, which was below the Top 10 prior to the video release, now occupies the #7 slot on the all-genre US iTunes sales chart.

Watch the new video below:

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How to Make Money on YouTube

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Today, the digital series has amassed nearly 47 million views on YouTube, plus 57 million on Facebook, and allowed Preksta and Wootton to quit their day jobs. They diversify the money made from YouTub...

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