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On February 1, 2023, YouTube launched a new feature for short-form content creators that would shake up the social media landscape: YouTube Shorts monetization. This means that through the YouTube Partner Program, creators can monetize their YouTube Shorts via YouTube sharing a portion of their ad revenue it receives specifically from its Shorts feed among eligible creators.
TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook Reels should look out. Why? YouTube has always been the media giant, and it clearly is not going to go out without putting itself in the short-form content ring and letting the best social media platform win.
Unsure about which platform to use for your short-form content? We broke it down for you right here!
What is a YouTube Short?
YouTube Shorts are YouTube’s response to the popularization of short-form content. Specifically, YouTube’s response to TikTok is that TikTok is the social media platform that started the short-form social media craze. With YouTube Shorts, you can create content anywhere between two to 60 seconds and have it featured on your YouTube channel. Better yet, you can include these Shorts in playlists.
Like other short-form content platforms, YouTube Shorts may include different effects, font overlays, greenscreen usage, and more that can be found and used inside the YouTube app or on the desktop site.
After recording your content, editing Shorts is similar to platforms like TikTok. You can select a sound to overlap your recording and include a voiceover. At this time, Shorts editing does not include stickers without their own editing software in-app/on their desktop site. This lack of a feature, despite Shorts having been launched in March 2021, feels like an oversight that needs to be implemented.
Like YouTube’s long-form content, YouTube Shorts can have both a title and a description, though only the title is shown clearly in the Shorts feed. However, you need to click on the three dots in the upper right hand corner of the video window to view the description.
You can also both like or dislike YouTube Shorts just like you can on YouTube’s longer videos. At first glance, this seems like it could possibly be harmful to creators. Still, because YouTube’s Creator Studio’s analytics are so in-depth, this gives creators a better idea of what content is definitely working with their audience and what content might be a flop.
Into long-form content? How about REALLY long-form content? Let’s talk about YouTube video essays over here!
How do I Monetize my YouTube Shorts?
You must become eligible for the YouTube Partner Program to monetize your YouTube Shorts. To be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, a channel must have turned on 2-step Verification on their account and follow all YouTube Community Guidelines; a channel will immediately become ineligible for the YouTube Partner Program if it has any active strikes.
Additionally, if a creator is only or mostly publishing Shorts on their channel, they must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 10 million public Shorts views in the past 90 days. Once a creator has submitted their YouTube Partner Program application, YouTube will ensure that their channel follows YouTube’s channel monetization policies.
If a channel has already reached the requirements for the YouTube Partner Program through long-form content, however, the channel will be prompted via the YouTube Creator Studio’s “Earn” tab if they would like to turn on monetization for their YouTube Shorts as well since they had already been earning from their long-form content; that channel will not have to reach the requirement of 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days to monetize their Shorts.
Read about the most liked YouTube video and how it kept the audience engaged!
Why Should I Post YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are the industry’s best-kept secret, a hidden gem that, once found, immediately allows your channel performance to skyrocket. YouTube Shorts alone, on a platform that had its start with long-form content, garnered 30 million views a day.
Because Shorts are exactly what they sound like–short-form content–they allow channels to create a lot more content quicker. This allows channels to get more views, likes, and subscribers faster than a channel creating long-form content alone would gain. Shorts give you an easy way to grow your YouTube channel and keep your audience engaged while you can work hard on your long-form passion project.
Short-form content also promotes more audience interaction with the creator in that content suggestions from the audience can be easily integrated into Shorts because of how quickly Shorts productions tend to be and/or can be. Shorts don’t have to have an incredibly high production value. Thankfully, Shorts only have to be engaging and relatable to your audience for them to keep watching and not immediately swipe away.
Short-form stream of consciousness is in, and long-form scripted content is out! Read about the downfall of scripted content here!
How Does YouTube Shorts Monetization Work?
While YouTube’s long-form content uses a revenue-sharing model, YouTube Shorts monetization uses an ad-revenue sharing model.
YouTube Shorts monetization is different in that the revenue from the ads appearing between each Short in the Shorts feed will be pooled together. Then a portion of the total ad-revenue will be allocated to a “creator pool” based on views and music usage. The revenue from the creator pool then gets reallocated to creators that have YouTube Shorts monetization turned on based on their share of total views.
According to YouTube, Shorts monetizing creators will keep 45% of their allocated revenue. Additionally, YouTube notes that this model for YouTube Shorts monetization rewards all creator contributions to the Shorts experience, not just Shorts with an ad next to them, meaning all Shorts that you post matter, no matter if it’s the lucky Short next to an ad or not!
Here’s a breakdown of why social media influencers are the key to ensuring your marketing campaign succeeds!
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