YouTube is constantly evolving to provide more opportunities for creators to earn money and connect with their fans. In this blog post, we will highlight some of the latest updates and features that YouTube has introduced to help creators grow their businesses and reach new audiences.
More Ways to Join the YouTube Partner Program
The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is a way for creators to share in the revenue and earn money from their content. Since its launch in 2007, YPP has enabled millions of creators to build successful businesses of their own with employees and full-fledged operations. Over the past three years, YouTube has paid creators, artists, and media companies over $50B.
But YouTube knows that not every creator has the same goals or needs. That’s why they are expanding their partner program, meaning more creators and artists will have the opportunity to make money on YouTube across different creative formats.
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 their program offers, including the various ways to make money like ads on long-form and Fan Funding.
YouTube also wants 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, YouTube will have paths for long-form, Shorts, and Live creators to join this new tier in 2023.
More ways to connect with fans and earn money
Fan Funding is a way for creators to build deeper connections with their fans and earn money from their support. YouTube now offers 10 ways for their over 2M partners to make money with Fan Funding. But they’re not done. Here are some of the latest features and updates that YouTube has introduced to help creators connect with their fans and earn money:
Channel Memberships: This feature allows creators to build a fan club where they can connect with and reward their most loyal viewers with access to members-only perks. YouTube recently launched memberships gifting, which lets fans gift memberships to other viewers on the same channel. This can help creators grow their membership base and foster a sense of community among their fans.
Super Chat & Stickers: This feature enables creators to earn and engage in real-time with their live-stream viewers. Fans can purchase Super Chats or Super Stickers to get their messages highlighted and pinned in the chat. YouTube recently added more options for fans to customize their Super Chats and Super Stickers, such as choosing different colors, fonts, and animations.
Super Thanks: This feature is a simple way for fans to show appreciation for creators’ content on video-on-demand and Shorts. Fans can purchase Super Thanks animations that appear on the video page and in the comment section. YouTube recently expanded this feature to more countries and languages, as well as added more price points for fans to choose from.
More ways to sell products and services
YouTube is also experimenting with new ways for creators to sell products and services directly on their channels. Some of the features that YouTube is testing or rolling out include:
Shopping Shelf: This feature allows creators to showcase products from select e-commerce platforms on their video pages. Fans can browse and buy products without leaving YouTube. YouTube is currently testing this feature with a limited number of channels in the US.
Brand Connect: This feature helps creators find and work with brands that want to sponsor their content. Creators can use Brand Connect tools to measure the performance of their sponsored videos and get paid directly by YouTube. YouTube recently added more categories for creators to choose from when setting up their Brand Connect profile, such as gaming, beauty, fashion, food and more.
Ticketing: This feature enables creators who host live events or concerts to sell tickets directly on their channel. Fans can purchase tickets from select ticketing partners without leaving YouTube. YouTube is currently working with more ticketing partners to expand this feature globally.
These are just some of the ways that YouTube is empowering creators to earn money and grow their businesses on their platform. YouTube is committed to supporting the next wave of creative entrepreneurs and rewarding them for their creativity.