The YouTube Shorts Fund monetization is a massive $100M initiative by YouTube, enabling Creators to be eligible to monetize their content! This initiative is the first in line for YouTube to come up with a sustainable monetization model for Shorts.
If their content can prove itself among the most viral clips on Shorts, Creators from select countries can get a piece of the proverbial $100M pie. You don’t have to be part of the YouTube Partner Program, which means if you’re a veteran YouTuber or just starting out, you’re eligible!
Today, we’re going to jump into the nitty gritty of YouTube Shorts. We’ll talk about what Shorts are, how to make them and how to qualify for the YouTube Shorts Fund monetization!
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YouTube Shorts
Shorts is the answer to the short-form vertical slice of life videos. Started by Snapchat and made viral by TikTok, Instagram’s answer is Shorts. Making Shorts is easy, all you need is a YouTube account!
How to make a Short
Open your YouTube app, press the + button at the bottom and you’ll see the option to create a Short. Once this is done, you can either shoot directly from the camera to create a 15-second Short, or you can choose a video from your camera roll.
Both offer their own pros and cons; shooting directly from the camera offers more flexibility, whereas adding a video from your camera roll gives you the option to shoot your video with a high quality camera, edit and then add to your gallery.
You can then add music (which is where YouTube Music‘s integration really shines), text and even filters to your video. Once you’re done, all that’s left is to add a caption and your Short is ready to be uploaded!
How does YouTube Shorts monetization work?
The system behind YouTube Shorts monetization can be a bit intricate. The avenues for monetization include:
- Revenue sharing from ads on YouTube Shorts.
- Revenue sharing from YouTube Premium subscriptions specifically for Shorts.
- Utilizing YouTube Shopping.
- Receiving fan funding through YouTube.
YouTube initially introduced Shorts monetization through the YouTube Shorts fund in 2021. This fund, totaling $100 million, aimed to incentivize the adoption of the Shorts format by rewarding creators who produced the most engaging content.
It was always intended as a temporary solution while YouTube developed a more sustainable model for monetizing Shorts. The Shorts fund was phased out upon the launch of the Shorts ad revenue sharing model in February 2023.
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How to monetize your YouTube Shorts
Now that you’ve entered the world of YouTube Shorts, the next thing to do is to monetize your content. The platform has been aimed at the next-gen of content creators who can tell compelling, bite-sized stories with a mobile-first approach. With our fast paced live, short-form content is king, and Shorts is aiming to dethrone TikTok when it comes to this medium.
That being said, once you’ve ticked all the boxes, how do you monetize your Shorts?
Longform YouTube videos were always monetization friendly, as long as your content did not break copyright. They provided lots of monetization opportunities through ads, primarily pre-roll ads, popup ads, mid-roll ads and post-roll ads.
Shorts work a bit differently, especially since the video length is shorter than long-form YouTube videos. Ads would appear between creator videos rather than during the videos, which would make tracking ad revenue to specific creators difficult.
The YouTube Shorts Fund is the answer to this. YouTube says, “Anyone is eligible to participate in the fund simply by creating unique Shorts that delight the YouTube community.” So the goal is simple, create extremely original and entertaining Shorts to be eligible!
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YouTube Shorts Monetization FAQs
Shorts monetization is a fairly straightforward endeavor, but we’ve put together a simple FAQ which will answer most (if not all) of your questions regarding the topic. To begin, you need to have at least one Short posted during the last 180 days on your channel.
How do I qualify for YouTube Shorts?
YouTube has pledged to work on a monthly model where they will reach out to Creators with the most engagement and views. If you’re one of those Creators, you will be rewarded between $100 to $10,000 depending on the Shorts’ performance!
If you don’t make it one month, YouTube evaluates Shorts on a monthly basis. This means you can always get your rewards down the road!
How will YouTube contact me regarding my reward?
Once you qualify, you will be contacted by email/YouTube app notification during the first week of the following month. The notification will include instructions on how to claim your reward. Bear in mind, you will need an Adsense account in order to receive your payment. Once you’re done, your money will arrive by the end of the month!
What are things that could disqualify me?
There is one catch though. YouTube has indicated that content must be original to qualify for the Fund. Videos reposted from other apps, or a TikTok watermark will most likely disqualify your channel from receiving rewards.
The Shorts Fund is not available in my country. What gives?
YouTube has said that for now, only 10 countries are eligible for YouTube Shorts Fund payments. These include the U.S., U.K., Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia and South Africa. The company plans to expand eligibility to more countries in due course.
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Conclusion
YouTube Shorts Fund monetization is an ideal way forward for those starting out. Those who subscribe to your channel through your Shorts, will count towards your total subscribers for monetizing your channel! This means you can even win Creator Awards, making it a dual opportunity for monetization!
Another important aspect to consider is how to prevent copyright infringement on YouTube. If you’re unsure of how to accomplish this, reading this article could prove to be useful for you: How to Avoid Copyright on YouTube.
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With these handy tips for YouTube Shorts Fund monetization, you should be well on your way to monetize your Shorts. Good luck!
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