Nowadays people want to know everything in a short time or they do not have time to watch long videos, they want to enjoy short videos. You can also earn money by taking advantage of this fact. YouTube shorts have become very popular, people who want to become famous can also earn money through this.
In this, you can also make your travel viral, you can also show your daily activities, you can also show any special talent of yours and you can also earn money from it. In this, if you are shy towards the camera, then you can also make fun videos.
Here are five proven ways to earn from YouTube Shorts, whether you’re just starting or already growing your channel.
1. YouTube Shorts Bonus (Shorts Fund)
To encourage the growth of short-form content, YouTube introduced the YouTube Shorts Fund—a $100 million initiative that rewarded creators between 2021 and 2023. While YouTube is now shifting toward ad revenue sharing, this bonus program has provided an extra incentive for creators who consistently publish original and high-performing Shorts.
🤑 How It Works:
Each month, YouTube reviews the top-performing Shorts across the platform and selects thousands of creators for a cash bonus. The reward can range from $100 to $10,000, depending on viewership, engagement, and region.
✅ Who’s Eligible:
- You do not need to be in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
- Your content must comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines and copyright policies.
- Only original content is considered—reused clips or videos with watermarks (like TikToks) are not eligible.
If you regularly post engaging, viral Shorts that follow the rules, you could be chosen for a bonus—even without monetization enabled on your channel.
2. Ad Revenue Sharing on Shorts Feed
In February 2023, YouTube introduced a revenue-sharing model that allows YouTubers to earn money based on their consistent videos, performance, and views.
How it works
These ads now run between Shorts and YouTube collects all of this revenue. YouTube distributes this revenue to its Shorts creators based on total viewership.
To be eligible:
- You must be part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
- The latest requirements to join are:
- At least 500 subscribers.
- At least 3 million Shorts views in the past 90 days.
After joining the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you’ll begin earning a portion of the ad revenue from your Shorts—creating a sustainable and scalable source of income.
3. Brand Sponsorships and Paid Promotions
Nowadays people are watching shorts a lot and the reach is also very high, so if someone wants to reach out to people with their product or service, YouTube Shorts is a successful way. If your shorts target a niche (travel, beauty, fitness, food or tech etc..) then the related product or service people will approach you themselves or you can also approach them and create a paid content for them.
How to get sponsorships:
You can contact companies directly through email or other social media
Influencer marketing platforms ka use karo jaise:
- Famebit by YouTube
- BrandConnect
- Grapevine or Influencity
You can earn anywhere from $50 to several thousands dollars for company sponsored shorts, depending on your channel’s niche and reach. Always disclose promotions per YouTube’s policies.
4. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an easy way to earn money from YouTube Shorts. In this, you have to add a link of a product or service and whoever clicks on this link and purchases it, you get a commission.
Example: Suppose you make a video of 30 seconds or 1 minute and add your Amazon affiliate link video related to that topic in it. If viewers click on that link and purchase that product or service then you will get some percentage of that sale.
Best affiliate programs for creators:
- Amazon Associates
- ShareASale
- Impact
- ClickBank
Tip: Focus on products related to your content niche and make sure your call to action is clear. Even small commissions can add up with viral Shorts.
5. Promote Other Income Streams
Sometimes, YouTube Shorts acts as a powerful funnel to drive traffic to your other income sources. This strategy is especially useful if you sell digital products or offer services.
Examples:
- Drive viewers to your online course, ebook, or coaching website.
- Promote your Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee page for fan donations.
- Link to your merchandise store or print-on-demand products.
- Send traffic to a full-length video with more monetization options.
Since Shorts grab attention quickly, they can help increase visibility for products or platforms you control directly.
Final thought
Making money from YouTube Shorts is not just a game of luck. For this, you have to find a good niche, upload videos consistently with good content, and understand your audience. Whether your goal is affiliate sales, ad revenue or brand deal, you keep posting regularly by trying different methods, who knows which shorts will go viral and become a breakout moment.
For more ways to earn, check out our other articles in the ‘Earn Money’ section.
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