Going into 2024, YouTube Shorts monetization is offering huge income potential to creators.Â
These days, Shorts is one of the hottest features on YouTube. Currently, Shorts boasts over 70 billion daily views, with 1.5 billion users flocking to short-form content every month.
For video creators, Shorts initially just offered one main income opportunity: The YouTube Shorts Fund, which paid out $100M to creators in 2021 and 2022. Depending on engagement on their Shorts, creators could see bonuses anywhere between $100 and $10,000.Â
In 2023, YouTube Shorts monetization changed. YouTube is not just tweaking the Shorts algorithm, but also its Partner Program, and now shares revenue on Shorts as well.Â
Here’s all you need to know.
Contents
Joining the Partner Program With Shorts
First off, YouTube allows Shorts creators to join its Partner Program.Â
So far, creators had to have 1,000 subscribers, plus either 4,000 valid public watch hours over the past 12 months or 10 million public Shorts views over the last 90 days.
As you’ll see farther down, though, the platform also added a lower YPP tier with reduced entrance thresholds.
Fan Funding Features
Another way that YouTube creators in general and Shorts creators in particular can earn money on YouTube in 2024 is with the Fan Funding features.Â
Getting a share of ad revenue is no longer the only way to make money with the YouTube Partner Program. Features such as Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, and channel memberships allow viewers to directly contribute to creators. Of course, YouTube is keen on keeping fans – and their spending – on the platform, rather than losing out to the host of tipping platforms out there.
So far, these Fan Funding features have only been available to members of the Partner Program.
YouTube has, however, added a new, lower tier for the Partner Program. Getting a share of Premium subscriptions and ad revenue is still locked behind the higher thresholds, but with the following numbers, you can access the fan funding features.Â
The new tier is not yet available everywhere, and Shorts are again counted differently. You need:Â
- 500 subs
- 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days
- either 3K public watch hours over the last year or 3 million public Shorts views over the last 90 days
By joining the YPP sooner and with lower numbers, rookie creators can start earning an income from their content, even if they don’t qualify to join the ad revenue share program yet.
Revenue Sharing for YouTube Shorts: Replacing the Shorts Fund
Then, there’s the big one. YouTube has revenue sharing for Shorts. This lets creators earn a regular income from short-form content on the platform, just like with regular video. They no longer have to speculate on Shorts Fund payouts.
How does this work?
In the Shorts Feed, ads now play between clips, and creators will get a cut of the revenue on these ads.Â
According to YouTube, all ad revenue from Shorts will be added together on a monthly basis. This sum will then be used to cover music licensing costs and to pay YouTubers. Creators will see payouts proportional to their share of total Shorts views. That share stays the same, no matter if they license music in their clips or not. This also makes it easier for Shorts editors, as there is less need to rely on royalty-free music libraries only.
Harnessing Creator Music for Short- and Long-Form Content
Finally, one major change in YouTube’s monetization policy since the launch of Shorts is Creator Music. This goes for both short- and long-form content.
For a long time, creators were unable to monetize content that included licensed tracks. YouTube has since rolled out Creator Music, a feature in YouTube Studio to give users access to a catalog of tracks to use in long-form content. And still make money from it.Â
According to the latest information, creators will be able to purchase an affordable license to use certain tracks. Or they’ll be able to opt for a revenue sharing model, in which the musical artist gets part of their videos’ earnings. Â
Final Thoughts: YouTube Shorts Monetization Going in 2024
With short-form content currently the most viral feature on the platform, YouTube has rolled out a number of changes to make Shorts a creator staple.Â
YouTubers can now harness Shorts to join the Partner Program, access Fan Funding, and earn a regular income from ad revenues on the Shorts Feed.Â
The bottom line? Shorts will pay off long-term.
Yes. Throughout 2021-22, YouTube paid successful Shorts creators from its $100M Shorts Fund. Since 2023, revenue sharing and Fan Funding are also available for Shorts.Â
Creator Music is a new catalog YouTube launched to give creators access to licensed tracks to use in their long-form content. YouTubers can either buy a license or opt for a revenue-sharing model.Â
Initially, Shorts creators got paid from YouTube’s Shorts Fund if their clips were particularly successful. Today, they’ll be receiving a share of the ad revenue on the Shorts Feed instead. Plus, Super Thanks for Shorts and other fan funding features are available.Â
