Any YouTuber wants to make money from their content, including their Shorts. These vids often take a lot less effort to create. This means YouTube Shorts monetization could be a great way to make easy money.
But is getting good ad revenue really that simple? Read our guide to Shorts payments, and we’ll answer all your questions.

Can You Make Money From YouTube Shorts?
Yes, YouTube Partners can make money by uploading YouTube Shorts. However, the revenue is usually much lower than that of a typical longer video. The site counts a view right away for monetization purposes. This means viewers don’t need to watch your whole Short.
The money that all Shorts generate goes into a specific Creator Pool. YouTube pays you for the percentage of total Shorts views your content gets. This will likely be a small percentage. On top of this, YouTube takes 55% of the Pool. Some money will also go toward music licensing.
This revenue-sharing model is sure to make someone think twice about monetizing their Shorts. However, there are still ways to make bank with these shorter videos. Learning how to monetize YouTube Shorts can pay off — assuming you have the right strategy.
Is YouTube Shorts Monetization Worth It?
Ultimately, enabling ads helps your Shorts make money. It might not be a huge amount, but you can still see plenty of benefits. Here’s why you should start collecting YouTube Shorts revenue:
- Shorts get lots of views: Short vids often get a lot of traction. According to TikTok exec Kris Boger, Gen Z’s low attention span makes short-form videos especially popular.
- Content is quick to produce: Seasoned creators can come up with great ideas and pull them off within hours. You won’t need to spend months on a single video essay.
- No major downsides: Even if you wonder, “How much does YouTube Shorts pay?” you might as well enable ads. Monetizing your Shorts is better than making them for free.
- Boost your longer videos: Many users choose to share Shorts that promote long-form videos. This format could give you two payments from just one piece of content.
- Doesn’t need to be flashy: You don’t need to have extremely high production quality to keep people’s attention. With shorter videos, you’ll make money even on a budget.
- Can use licensed music: You’ll have to give some money away to music publishers. However, this could be a good investment if the latest YT trend uses a catchy song.

How Much Does YouTube Shorts Pay?
The exact amount is hard to pin down. YouTube works it out by calculating the percentage of views you get from all of your Shorts. This means how much you get from one month to the next could be very different. Longer videos will base your payments more on raw view numbers.
However, several sites suggest that Shorts pay around $0.01-0.06 for every 1,000 views. This is your YouTube Shorts RPM or revenue per 1000. You also must remember that YT takes 55% of this money for their own profits. However, this will still be the case with your longer videos.
For example, if your Shorts earn 0.01% of all Shorts views, you’ll get 0.01% of the Pool. If this is $1,000, then $550 will go to YouTube.
If you use any licensed tracks, this cut goes to publishers before the revenue reaches the Pool. Under Shorts ad revenue sharing, you always get 45% of the money your Shorts earn.

How To Monetize YouTube Shorts
Setting up your Shorts for ad revenue is pretty simple. You’ll need to become a YouTube Partner first. This gives you the ability to monetize your content in any format. Here’s what you’ll need to do to become a Partner:
- Read up on YouTube’s monetization policies.
- Turn on Google’s two-factor authentication.
- Open the YouTube Studio website (or app).
- Click Earn on either the left or bottom menu.
- Tap Apply Now, then set up your AdSense.
- Wait for Google to review your application.
In addition to following these steps, you also have to meet certain YouTube Shorts monetization requirements. This means you must have 1,000+ subscribers. On top of this, you’ll need 4,000+ public watch hours from the last year. This is the combined total watch-time across your content.
However, you can substitute these watch hours with 10 million public Shorts views from the past 90 days.
Can you make money from YouTube Shorts in other ways, though? Absolutely. You could set up a brand deal, for example. You’ll then make money by promoting products via your Shorts. This could be a flat fee or through providing affiliate links.
If you’re popular in your niche, affiliate marketing could be more lucrative than YouTube’s ads.
When Will YouTube Shorts Be Monetized?
For official ad monetization, you’ll need to hit YouTube’s Partner requirements. There aren’t any shortcuts around this. The views must be public. Your watch hours must also come from videos that aren’t private, unlisted, or deleted. Shorts also don’t count toward your watch hours.
You can’t use bot views to meet the thresholds. On top of this, your content must be original. It’s okay to use licensed music. However, simply reuploading clips from movies or shows won’t help you get more views. In fact, this risks a copyright strike.
It may take a few months to get your first payment. If you earn $1,000 in September, you’ll likely get it toward the end of October. YouTube also has a $100 minimum withdrawal amount.

Do YouTube Shorts Make Money With Music?
Yes. You’ll still get money when you use licensed tracks. However, some of your revenue will go to the publishers. Plenty of Shorts and TikTok trends use popular songs. They might require you to lip-sync along to the song, for example.
This means short-form video content is often more likely to use licensed music. If YouTube were to cut monetization from musical Shorts entirely, this could spark a huge backlash. It’s not clear how much goes to the publishers. This depends on the song and the amount of it that you use.
To make sure you get the most money, don’t overuse licensed music. If it’s just for a background track, find royalty-free options. These are available in virtually any genre. You’ll then get to keep more of the money you make.
Meeting the YouTube Shorts Monetization Requirements
It takes a lot of time to meet YouTube’s Partner criteria. You can’t expect 1,000 new subscribers overnight, even if you make great videos. But do YouTube Shorts make money without this? No, unfortunately. You have to slowly build your page and naturally get the required views or hours.
Buying views and subscribers can help. However, you should always avoid bot services. These won’t give you long-term engagement. YouTube might even punish your account and delete the bots, making this a waste of money. The site won’t count these toward your YT Partner goals.
Content creators must put a lot of work into their videos. This may mean mixing Shorts and long vids together in their strategy. For example, using your Shorts to build an audience for long-form content. If one side of your channel does well, YouTube’s algorithm will boost its other half.

Can I Monetize YouTube Shorts Without 1,000 Subscribers?
Currently, you can’t access YouTube’s Partner program without 1,000 subs. You can only place ads between videos if you’re a partner. However, you can still find ways to monetize your vids.
It’s hard to get a brand partner with barely any subscribers. But, if you’re in a tight niche and get good views, you can still close a deal. They’ll likely stick with affiliate links — these only pay you when people click on them. You can still be a nano influencer, even with just 100 subscribers.
You could also set up a Patreon profile. Even with few fans, some people may like your content enough to donate a monthly fee.

Does TikTok Beat How Much YouTube Shorts Pay For 1,000 Views?
There are, again, many variables at play here. But the consensus seems to be that TikTok pays $0.02-0.04 per 1,000 views. This means the lows are higher — but the highs are lower. If you’re only making around $0.01 for 1,000 views on YouTube, consider switching to TikTok.
It might also be worth sharing the same content on both sites. After all, you’ll get two revenue streams from one video. However, you should still take the time to make vids suiting each site in particular. YouTube-specific content will do better than simply reposting TikToks.
Some sites (including Instagram) actually punish videos with visible TikTok logos. YouTube may do the same in the future. Use a watermark-free TikTok downloader to repost your video without any worries.
YouTube Video vs. YouTube Shorts RPM
Shorts and longer videos earn money at different rates. In fact, long-form YouTube videos often make more per 1,000 views. Estimates vary, but it seems to be $0.01-0.03 per view. This is why it’s worth using Shorts to boost your longer videos.
With how much YouTube Shorts pay for 1,000 views, long-form vids are a lot more lucrative. But they usually require a lot more effort. Some creators will spend weeks or months on each video. However, Shorts being under 60 seconds makes it easier for this format to get more views.

Boosting Your YouTube Shorts Revenue
With the right strategy, you can maximize how much money each Short makes. Sometimes, it’s just a case of getting more views. Here’s how to get more from your Shorts:
- Use less music: Only use licensed music when it’s the crux of your video. Using it more than you need to means you’ll be throwing ad revenue away.
- Check YT guidelines: If any of your Shorts violate YouTube’s rules, they won’t earn money. Follow the site’s terms, and you’ll keep more of what you make.
- Use YouTube SEO: Add relevant hashtags to the Short and say your keywords out loud. This helps the site figure out who would want to watch your video.
- Don’t buy bots: It can be tempting to buy bot views and earn more money. But YouTube will notice this and punish your account for rigging their algorithm.
- Set up a brand deal: With Shorts being so popular, brands now see their potential. You can get in touch with sponsors to promote their products and become an influencer.
- Invest in real views: Buying real views is an investment in your Short. This pushes it to more casual scrollers. You’ll then see a big boost in engagement.
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YouTube Shorts monetization may take a lot of views to really pay off. But it’s still a good way of passively earning money from simple videos. With Goread.io, you can even buy extra views to help these videos along.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many views do I need on YouTube Shorts to make $100?
You might need between 1,670,000 and 10,000,000 views on your Shorts to earn $100. This is the minimum amount of money you need to withdraw from YouTube.
Can I monetize YouTube Shorts without 1,000 subscribers but a lot of views?
Many people watch Shorts without checking their creators. They usually just scroll to the next vid. However, you can only monetize your Shorts with 1,000 subs.
When will YouTube Shorts be monetized at higher rates?
There’s no clear sign of YouTube changing its ad rates in the future. If they aren’t paying what you need, it’s worth taking sponsorships. Switching to longer videos might also help.
Can every country monetize Shorts?
No. Many countries don’t let creators monetize their vids for ads. Views from Albania, Moldova, Venezuela, and Rwanda, for example, won’t count toward your rates.