YouTube offers several ways for beginners to make money, but the core method is to join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which gives access to monetization features once basic requirements are met[1].
Requirements to Start Earning on YouTube in 2025:
- 500 subscribers
- 3 public videos uploaded in the last 90 days
- Either 3,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months OR 3 million Shorts views in the past 90 days
- Live in a country where YPP is available
- Active AdSense account linked
- Two-step verification enabled on your Google account
- Comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines and Monetization Policies
Meeting these requirements unlocks core features like channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and selected YouTube Shopping tools[1][2][3][4].
How You Can Make Money as a Beginner:
- Fan funding: Earn through channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks—tools that allow your audience to directly support you even before ad revenue eligibility[2][3].
- Product sales: Use YouTube Shopping to tag and sell merchandise or digital products in your videos, unlocking more options as you grow[1][3].
- Ad revenue: To earn a share of ad revenue, you must reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over the past year, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days[1][3][4].
Essential Tips for Beginners:
- Create content you’re passionate about to keep motivated and authentic.
- Upload at least 3 videos every 90 days to stay eligible for YPP entry[2][3].
- Focus on originality and quality to comply with YouTube’s community and copyright rules—avoid using copyrighted material without permission to prevent demonetization[4].
- Promote your videos and engage with viewers to increase your subscribers and watch hours or Shorts views.
- Regularly check your analytics to see what content performs best.