Introduction Make Money on YouTube
If you’ve searched online about how to make money on YouTube in 2025, you’re not alone. YouTube has over 2.7 billion users globally, and people have never consumed more content online than right now, so YouTube is more than just a video-sharing platform; it has become one of the most powerful platforms for creators to generate real, long-term revenue.
But let’s get real, what worked for you in 2020 or 2023 will very likely not work in 2025. It’s no secret that in the past two years, YouTube’s monetization policies, updates, types of ad incentives, and viewing/user behaviors have changed. And we now have new monetization features that didn’t exist at the time of this writing, like expanded Shorts revenue sharing, AI-generated content creation, and new features connecting YouTube creators to brands through YouTube Shopping.
Whether you’re just starting and want to create a YouTube channel for the first time, or your a creator who wants to monetize as much as possible, by determining the best way to make money on YouTube in 2025, it will absolutely require you to pay close attention to the new trends, tools and sources of income.
In this article, we will explore the most effective and most current ways that creators are generating revenue on YouTube today, and how you can do the same.
Reasons YouTube is Still a Viable Income Source in 2025
If you’ve been thinking, “Is YouTube even worth my time anymore?” I would tell you to stop thinking that and just know that it is unequivocally worth it. Even with TikTok, Instagram Reels, and other competition, the best way to make money on YouTube in 2025 continues to exceed the alternatives — here is the reasoning behind that.
- Large and Growing Audience
YouTube boasts over 2.7 billion active users, and viewing times are climbing higher than ever. There are more people spending more time on video than ever before, it is only a matter of time until all niches are saturated with regular (and growing) demand. - Varied Monetization Avenues
YouTube is more generous than most other platforms when it comes to the variety of ways you can make money. You can make money through AdSense, channel memberships, Super Thanks, Shorts bonuses, countless sponsored content, and you can even run affiliate links from your channel and links to your merch store! This level of control over a creator’s own income source is unrivaled.
- Niche Creators are Proving to be Profitable
Niche channels are outperforming general content in 2025. Creators in finance, health, tech, education, productivity, etc. are the ones with the best RPM (Revenue Per Mille) and are making the best way to make money on YouTube in 2025 a great opportunity for experts and educators. - Enhanced analytics and creator tools
YouTube Studio upgrades are continuing with more intelligent analytics, tracking real-time performance and monetization metrics, and better opportunities for monetization. Each of these tools is designed to help creators see what works and what they can do to improve at scale. - New monetization for YouTube Shorts
YouTube has invested heavily in Shorts, and 2025 represents inflection point with real revenue-sharing now in place. Short-form creators can make money over and over – not just go viral. - Long-form content value (Evergreen Traffic)
In stark contrast to other platforms (ie quickly fading timelines), videos when uploaded to YouTube, will continue to receive views — and money — for months or even years. That long-term, compound visibility is one of the significant reasons why properly monetizing your online business on YouTube in 2025 is through evergreen, valuable content. - To summarize, YouTube will be one of the most effective ways to monetize your content online. Long-form tutorial videos or short Youtube Shorts, there is a huge untapped gap waiting to be filled by creators who understand how to play the game in the context of Youtube in 2025.
YouTube Partner Program (AdSense Monetization)
When people think of making money on YouTube, AdSense is the first model that springs to mind. And in 2025, it is still one of the most well-used and easily accessible ways to earn — but is it the best way to earn on YouTube in 2025?
Let’s take a closer look.
What Is the YouTube Partner Program?
The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) allows creators to earn income from ads shown on their videos. When your channel starts to pull in revenue from the program, you can earn income from:
Display ads
Skippable and non-skippable video ads
Shorts feed ads (which is new in 2023 and improved in 2025)
YouTube Premium ad revenue (from subscribers that are watching your content)
Monetization Requirements in 2025
There are two paths to becoming a YouTube Partner in 2025. You need to achieve one or the other.
Affiliate Marketing on YouTube
YouTube has evolved into one of the most efficient methods to generate passive income via affiliate marketing online. With billions of users subscribing and watching YouTube videos, creators have a large enough platform to promote products and earn a commission, and if you are curious about how to get started, this article will break it down step-by-step.
What is Affiliate Marketing on Youtube?
Affiliate marketing is when you promote products or services and earn commissions when someone purchases through your unique link. In Youtube affiliate marketing, you will create videos that will include links to your affiliate products in the description or comments.
Why YouTube?
Here’s why YouTube is an effective option for affiliate marketing:
Videos convert; visual content sells. Consumers prefer to see a product in motion before purchasing.
Trust factor; viewers trust real humans over ads.
Evergreen content; a good YouTube video can generate commissions for years.
No website needed; you can start generating income with just a YouTube channel.
How to Kickstart Affiliate Marketing on YouTube
Choose Your Niche
Choose a single topic that you are passionate about (technology, fitness, fashion, gaming, etc). Focusing on a niche helps develop a loyal following.
Join Affiliate Programs
Become involved with programs like
Amazon Associates
ShareASale
CJ Affiliate
Partner programs from brands individually.
Select the Right Products
Provide promotion of products that your viewers will find valuable. Be authentic and review products that you actually enjoy.
Create Valuable Content:
Your videos could include:
Product reviews
Comparison videos
Tutorials
“Top 5” or “Best of” lists
You want to include the affiliate links in the video description and in the video itself..
Optimize Your Videos
Optimizing your videos involves keyword stuffing in your title, description, and tags. Example:
Title: “Best Budget Microphones for YouTube | Affiliate Marketing on YouTube”
Every time your video is searched for, the title and provided keywords will help your video show up.
Brand Deals & Sponsored Content
If you’re a content producer, brand deals and sponsored content can help you monetize your audience. Companies would love to work with influencers and creators to promote their products—and they will pay for it, too.
In this guide, we are going to explain what brand deals and sponsored content are, how to get brand deals, and how to structure these deals properly.
What are Brand Deals and Sponsored Content?
Brand deals are when a company pays you to promote their product or service. This can be a one-off deal or an ongoing partnership.
Sponsored content is the actual video, post, or mention featuring the brand.
For example:
A tech company pays a YouTuber to do a review on their new headphones. The review video is sponsored content, and the payment and project deliverables are the brand deal.
Why are brands paying content creators?
Because it works! Creators have loyal and engaged audiences. A shoutout from a trusted YouTuber or Instagrammer can result in actual sales.
Benefits for brands:
Authentic promotion
Access to curated niche audiences
Better ROI than traditional advertising
How do I get brand deals?
You don’t need millions of followers – brands are looking more for engagement, audience fit, and the quality of their content.
Here’s how to get started:
Build a personal brand. Pick a niche (fitness, gaming, fashion, tech, etc.) and stay consistent.
Grow your engagement. Brands want creators with loyal fans who like, comment and share.
Create a media kit. Keep it simple – a PDF with your bio, stats, audience demographics/insights, previous collaborations, and your rates.
One; reach out yourself, or two; be discovered!
- Email brand directly (make to keep it clear and professional)
- Sign up for platforms like:
AspireIQ
Influencer.co
Upfluence
BrandSnob.
Channel Memberships and Patreon
If you are a content creator and twenty-five dollars is nothing to you, you may be interested in the consistency of income that Channel Memberships and Patreon deliver. Unlike advertisements and sponsorships, Channel Memberships and Patreon allow your fans to support you directly with a monthly subscription. Channel Memberships and Patreon create an additional reliable source of income allowing you the freedom to express your creativity while turning a profit.
What are Channel Memberships and Patreon?
Channel Memberships are a feature on YouTube that allows viewers to pay you a monthly fee (with a $1.99 minimum) in exchange for special perks like badges, emojis, or exclusive content. Members of community pay you monthly for creating awesome content —They become invested in your creative journey!
Patreon is an outside source for creators to offer membership tiers to fans in exchange for certain benefits. Fans (called “patrons”) can pay for membership tiers to subscribe to support you while also receiving certain benefits.
Why Channel Memberships and Patreon?
Consistent as monthly income from fans that want to support you authentically.
Creative freedom. You can play less reliance on ads or the latest algorithmic changes and spend more time with you community creating.
As close to zero barriers in regards to creating a community with loyal fans…especially with exclusive “behind the scenes” content.
Channel Memberships and Patreon also rewards your most engaged viewers while also helping you build a business from your creative work!How to Enable Channel Memberships
To Enable Memberships on YouTube:
YouTube requirements:
- 1,000+ subscribers
- Must be in the YouTube Partner Program
- Go to YouTube Studio and click on Monetization > Memberships
- Set up membership tiers and include some tangible benefits (ex: early access, shout-outs, members-only videos, etc.)
- Promote these memberships in your videos and community tab
How to Launch a Great Patreon
- Building a Patreon Page
- Write a clear introduction
- Add your tier options (ex: $3, $10, $25 per month)
- Add perks for each hanging tier. Intermittent perks are valuable, such as:
- Bonus content
- Livestream events
- Downloads
- Direct access to you, etc.
- Share it Everywhere
- Mention your Patreon page in your YouTube videos, bios, and other social media
- Add a link to your YouTube description which should be a quick clickable space for them to see
- Keep patrons engaged by delivering what you promise.
How do you choose?
Use Channel Memberships if your audience is primarily based on YouTube.
Use Patreon if you’re looking for flexibility and offer additional content outside of YouTube (podcasts, art, etc.).
Use both if it fits your overall brand and audience well.
Tips to Grow Supporters:
- Provide actual value (not just very small perks)
- Be active with your members/patrons
- Thank your supporters in your content!
- Provide behind the scenes or personal content that feels exclusive
In Conclusion
Channel Memberships and Patreon are two powerful tools to help you earn directly from your audience, while also helping you build a stronger community. Whether you’re a YouTube creator, artist, podcaster, or educator, both can provide you a recurring income stream based on real fan support.
Super Chats, Super Stickers & Live Streaming
YouTube is about more than just uploading videos; it’s a live streaming platform that is an effective live monetization option for creators utilizing Super Chats, Super Stickers & Live Streaming.
If you are building a genuine audience, this guide will help with understanding how to monetize that attention.
What are Super Chats & Super Stickers?
Super Chats: During a live stream, viewers can pay to highlight their message in the chat. Super Chats stay pinned for longer as the cost increases and show up higher in the chat feed as they cost more.
Super Stickers: Animated images that fans can buy and send during the live stream to support you and stand out in the chat.
How does live streaming allow for more monetization opportunities to your channel?
Live streaming allows for real-time interaction with your audience, builds trust, increases engagement, and opens up a variety of opportunistic monetization features such as:
Super Chats
Super Stickers
Channel Membership shout-outs
Direct product mentions
Donations or external tips
How to Turn on Super Chats & Super Stickers
In order to utilize Super Chats and Super Stickers, you will need to:
- Be a member of the YouTube Partner Program
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Live in an eligible country.
- Go to Monetization > Supers in YouTube Studio.
- Toggle on Super Chat and Super Stickers.
Once you enable these features, they will automatically start appearing in your live streams.
What To Consider for Successful Live Streaming
If you want to maximize Super Chats, Super Stickers & Live Streaming, consider these suggestions:
Engagement
Read out the Super Chats you receive and answer them live on the stream. The more people you acknowledge and thank, the more people are encouraged to leave Super Chats.
Theme or Topic
Streams with a clear direction (Q&As, tutorials, gaming, news) tend to earn more engagement.
Scheduling
You should always let your viewers know when your stream is taking place, so as many people as possible can tune in.
Equipment
Using high-quality video and audio make a difference. Making your stream as enjoyable as possible enables your audience to stick around for longer.
Gratitude
You’ll want to thank people for their donations or their Super Stickers. They are supporting you, and the more you thank them, the more likely they are to come back and donate in the future.
How Much Can you Make?
Monetization potential varies based on your audience and their engagement with you as a creator. Super Chats range from $1 to $500/ message so if your content is engaging, educational, interesting, or entertaining, your viewers will be more likely to pay to interact with you!
Keep in mind that YouTube takes 30%, so be sure to price and plan your engagements accordingly.
In Closing
Super Chats, Super Stickers & Live Streaming are more than just fun features. They are ways to earn real-time money while simultaneously creating a deeper relationship with your audience. If your streams are consistent, interactive and provide value, these tools can be a great source of income.
Selling Merchandise (YouTube Merch Shelf + other sites)
Selling merchandise is the right answer if you are a content creator looking to grow, build your brand, and/or gain some extra income on the side (i.e., YouTube Merch Shelf + other platforms). Merchandise (think branded T-shirts, mugs, and stickers) provides help to evolve your content and business into extra interaction, and a niche.
This guide will take you step by step on how to get started with selling and help you do it effectively and efficiently – on all platforms even YouTube (and whatever other places you want to sell).
Why It Works for Content Creators
Loyal fans want to help you succeed. Wearing, using, or displaying your merchandise is a tangible way to support your content as they showcase it.
Branding opportunity. Merchandise creates your own identity or branding whilst placing significance on your most faithful followers to sell themselves on the content performing ambassadors.
Passive income. Once your merchandise is set up, you have opportunities to make sales 24/7 with virtually no maintenance and or effort.
What is the YouTube Merch Shelf?
The YouTube Merch Shelf serves as an underwriting service that allows eligible creators to sell items directly under the video while providing exposure for the channel.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.