How do you earn money as an artist on YouTube in 2024?

This blog post will examine the essentials for earning money on YouTube as an artist. We'll also discuss how independent artists can promote their work, monetize their social media, and take advantage of YouTube's Partner Programs to generate revenue.    

With a worldwide monthly user base of 2.6 billion, YouTube offers independent artists a considerable opportunity to earn money, connect with fans, and stream via YouTube Music. Curious to learn more? Let’s dive in. 

What is YouTube Music?   

YouTube Music is a streaming service founded in 2015 that replaced Google's original music platform, Google Play Music. YouTube Music is similar to any other digital streaming platform (DSP), such as Spotify or Apple Music. These DSPs offer users ad-free music with audio-only streaming and the option to listen offline once downloaded.   

As an independent artist, you can distribute your tracks on any DSP, including YouTube Music, through a digital distributor. By doing so, you reach a broader audience and earn music royalties based on the number of streams your tracks receive.  

Usually, a digital distributor collects and pays out your master royalties. If you sign to a record label, the label will collect and distribute your master royalties. This service usually comes at a price either via commission or fees. To digitally distribute your music free of charge, check out  Winamp for Creators.  

Independent artists should join a copyright collection society to receive their copyright royalties. Use a service such as Bridger to collect your copyright royalties entirely for free. 

How much money can I make on YouTube Music?   

Artists on YouTube Music reportedly earn $0.0008 per stream, meaning they need 125,000 streams to earn $1,000.  

Now, we understand that this is a considerable amount of streams needed. Because of this, we recommend heavily promoting your music on social media. From social media, you can redirect your fans towards the DSPs (such as YouTube Music) that host your work.  

Streaming is generally not the primary source of revenue for most independent artists. Still, artists can earn royalties when another creator uses their music on YouTube or YouTube Music. To receive these royalties, you must request a YouTube Content ID when you upload your tracks. 

Once your Content ID is added, both platforms (YouTube and YouTube Music) will scan videos to find where your work has been used and automatically pay you. This can be a long process due to the sheer volume of videos hosted on YouTube.     

What is the YouTube Partner Program?  

YouTube is an excellent platform for independent artists to show their talents to a targeted audience, especially niche artists. Once an artist on YouTube reaches 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 hours of watching or 10 million short-form video views, they can quickly start monetizing their account via the YouTube Partner Program.  

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) offers artists multiple ways to earn money through ads, channel memberships, or sponsorships. Joining YouTube's Partner Programs diversifies your income on a single platform once you meet the required subscription and/or view criteria mentioned above.  

How do you join YouTube's Partner Program?   

1. Sign in on YouTube

2. Navigate to your 'YouTube Studio'

3. Go to 'Earn'

4. Here you will see whether you meet the eligibility criteria.

5. If you meet the criteria, follow the steps to apply!

While the exact payment per ad viewed may vary between advertisers, Influencer Marketing Hub estimated that channel owners typically receive between $0.10 to $0.30 per view, with an average of $0.18 per view.  

Remember payments are based on ad views, not video views. As a result, while you can earn around $18 per 1,000 ad views, you will only earn approximately $3-5 per 1,000 video views.  

What type of advertising exists on YouTube?

Usually, brands will match their advertisements with creators' audiences. If a brand is targeting a specific demographic or location, it will place ads on videos with an aligned fanbase of viewers.  

Multiple ad types can be shown before, during, or after your videos. These YouTube ad types include:  

• In-Stream Ads: In-Stream ads occur before, during, or after a video. They can either be skippable (usually after 5 seconds) or non-skippable.

• Bumper Ads: Bumper ads are short, non-skippable ads that appear before a video begins.

• Overlay Ads: Overlay ads are small, slightly transparent ads that appear at the bottom of a video screen. Viewers can easily click away these ads.

• Midroll Ads: Midroll ads appear during a video and can be either skippable or non-skippable. These ad types typically occur on videos longer than 8 minutes.  

Though you cannot directly control shown ads, you can remove certain categories of ads in your Ad Preferences.  

How do you earn money on YouTube via Brand Sponsorships?  

For independent artists looking to secure sponsorships, partner with brands that align with your artistic vision and/or personality. Why should artists partner with aligned brands? The companies you sponsor will influence your artist branding and perception. Prioritize your authenticity to keep your listeners engaged with you as an artist.  

Even if you have fewer subscribers or views, sponsorships can still be a potential monetization opportunity. Many times, the size of your subscriber and viewer base is less important than the frequency with which your audience interacts with your content.  

This is because greater engagement means a greater likelihood that your followers are qualified leads—i.e., they're more likely to the products you advertise. Thus, if you have an engaged (but small) following, brands may still be interested in sponsoring you.  

What kind of YouTube sponsorships exist?  

There are three types of YouTube sponsorships available for artists and creators:   

Product Sponsorship   

Product Sponsorship is when you receive free items in exchange for featuring or reviewing them in your videos. This may involve featuring a new production software, microphone, or other tool that you use to make your music.  

Product sponsorship is a great way to inadvertently make money—that is, 'making' money by saving on the items you'd typically need to purchase for music composition. 

Affiliate Sponsorship    

Affiliate sponsorship is when you promote a company's product by providing a unique shopping link. Each click on your link means you earn a commission from the sales. The more link clicks you encourage, the more revenue you earn.  

A great way of starting out with affiliate sponsorships is to think of the brands you already use (and like) when making music. Ask yourself, would you feel comfortable promoting their products on your channel? Do their services or products align with your artist branding?  

Companies such as Squarespace, Skillshare, and HelloFresh typically partner with YouTubers to promote their products via affiliate links. Maybe you created your website on Squarespace, or perhaps you are taking a production class on Skillshare. If you have an engaged following and quality content, reach out to companies for affiliate opportunities. 

Paid Sponsorship   

With paid sponsorship, you receive both payment and free items. This is more likely to happen when you have a larger following since companies will pay for exposure to a large audience.  

If you are already part of the YouTube Partner Program and live in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom, you find partnerships by joining YouTube Brand Connect. YouTube's Brand Connect works like a networking platform, connecting companies and creators interested in sponsorship.