The latest data shows from Statista shows that as of 2024, YouTube is the most popular video platform in the world, with 2.5 billion monthly users.
In fact, data from CompariTech indicates that YouTube is now the second biggest search engine overall, behind only Google.
One of the best things about video websites like YouTube is that they're completely open to new content creators. Anyone can start their own channel, make any kind of content they want, and then try to make money from it on the platform. Today, YouTube has become one of the biggest platforms for making money online.
A lot of people think the only way to make good money on YouTube is by having a huge audience and getting advertisers to work with you directly. And it's true, the YouTube stars making the big bucks usually have channels with millions of subscribers. But the reality is, you can still make decent money on YouTube even if your channel is much smaller – like under 10,000 subscribers.
The trick is to work with "partner programs" or "media networks." Basically, they act as the middleman between you and the advertisers. They handle all the complicated business stuff so you can just focus on making your videos. And they're willing to work with smaller channels that might not be able to get ads on their own.
In this article, we're going to dive into the details of how these media network partnerships work, and how you as a YouTube creator can use them to start earning real money – even if you're just starting out with a small following.
What is a partner program and what are they like?
A partner program helps content creators make money by connecting them with advertisers. It makes it easier for advertisers to find partners and for creators to earn money from ads. Partner programs are one of the easiest ways to monetize your online content.
On YouTube, there are two types of partner programs:
- Official YouTube partner program i.e. AdSense
- Unofficial YouTube partner programs i.e. Media Networks
Requirements for AdSense
Before you can start making money with AdSense, your channel needs to meet these requirements:
- 1,000 subscribers: Your channel must have at least 1,000 subscribers.
- 4,000 hours of viewing: Your videos must have been watched for at least 4,000 hours in the past year.
- Two-Factor authentication: Your account needs to have two-factor authentication enabled.
- Follow Google rules: You must comply with all Google rules and policies.
- Advanced YouTube features: You need access to advanced YouTube features.
- No Strikes: Your account should not have any valid strikes.
Once enrolled in AdSense, you can start earning money from your content. Payment depends on the number of ad clicks and views. Ads are automatically added to your videos, so all you need to do is keep making high-quality content and stay active on your channel.
How to join the official YouTube partner program
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to join the official YouTube Partner Program:
- Go to the YouTube home page and click on the account icon.
- Click on the "YouTube Studio" button.
- Go to the “Monetization” tab. You’ll see if your channel meets the requirements to start monetizing. If it does, click on the “Apply Now” button.
- A page for monetization registration will open. Fill out several forms and click on "Start" in the first step. You’ll see a license agreement. Read it carefully before accepting it, as it contains important information.
- At the second stage, you will need to connect your YouTube channel to Google AdSense. If you don’t have an AdSense account, you can register one right away. In the second step, you’ll need to connect your YouTube channel to Google AdSense. If you don’t have an AdSense account, you can register one right away.
- After registering an AdSense account and connecting it to your channel, you’ll need to wait for approval from Google. You’ll be notified of the decision within a month.
If Google approves your monetization, you’ll become a YouTube partner. You can then decide if you want to stick with Google AdSense or use other third party media networks.
Here are some pros and cons of Google Adsense to consider:
Pros of AdSense
- No middlemen: You get all the money you earn.
- Automation: Everything is automated; you don’t need to set anything up.
Cons of AdSense
- Priority support: Big channels get priority support; newcomers get very little help.
- Income disruption: One strike can stop your income for 6 months.
- Generic ads: Ads are not tailored to your channel, so they might not be relevant to your audience.
- Minimum payout: You need at least $100 in your AdSense balance to withdraw money.
So when should you use AdSense? Use AdSense if you’re ready to handle your own promotion, deal with strikes, fight for copyrights, and invest a lot of money in promotion. If you want an easier way, consider media networks.
What are media networks and how to join them as a content creator
Media networks, also known as multichannel networks (MCNs), are alternatives to AdSense. They act as a middleman between you, the content creator, and advertisers, and they take a small percentage of your earnings. Here’s what media networks do:
- They analyze your audience and show ads that match their interests.
- They offer consultations and audits for new channels and help with cross-promotion within their network.
- They act as a go-between for you and YouTube, helping with technical support if you get strikes on your channel.
- They assist in unblocking your channel if it gets blocked by mistake.
- They protect your channel's copyrights using systems like ContentID and Aegis.
- As long as you follow the media network’s rules, your monetization doesn’t get disabled.
Example scenario:
Imagine you’ve been using YouTube's official music library for six months. It has 3,000 tracks, but only 25-30 of them fit your style. Your viewers start complaining about hearing the same music in every video. You decide to use a track you found online to mix things up. An hour after you upload the video, you get a copyright strike, and your monetization is disabled for 6 months. To remove the strike, you need to prove that you have permission to use the music. If you don’t, the strike stays.
Now, let’s say you joined a media network as soon as you hit 1,000 subscribers. They give you access to a music library with 25,000 tracks that you can use without worrying about copyrights. If you get a copyright strike for using music from this library, the media network managers will handle it. They’ll contact YouTube’s support with the necessary documents, and the strike will be removed in a few days. Your monetization stays on.
To join a media network, follow these steps:
- Connect your account to Google AdSense.
- Check the requirements of the media network you’re interested in.
- Submit an application on their website.
If you meet their requirements, you’ll be accepted.
7 Best YouTube Media Networks to Join to in 2024
We've put together a list of 8 popular YouTube media networks. These networks are frequently chosen because they have a track record of success, official partnerships with YouTube, and useful technical features.
AIR
The AIR media network has been around since 2010. Over 14 years, it has grown to 3,138 partners in 44 countries and works with 217 global brands like Nike and Apple. AIR helps 31 million content creators to monetize their audiences, including popular channels like Wylsacom, Igromaniya, and Alena Venum.
Advantages of joining AIR:
- Helps get copyright strikes removed and protects your content using systems like ContentID.
- Provides a personal account with detailed analytics.
- Has its own payment system, AIR Pay, that supports cryptocurrencies and 155 currencies.
- Offers training programs for beginners.
- Provides support from dedicated specialists.
- Assigns a personal manager to each partner.
- Offers a library of 60,000 free-to-use tracks.
- Helps promote your content through "similar video" recommendations.
Disadvantages of joining AIR:
- AIR can take up to a month to review applications, while other networks do this in just a few days.
- It can be challenging for new creators to get accepted into this program.
Requirements to join AIR:
- 1,500 subscribers
- At least 3 videos
- 5,000 hours of watch time per year
- Linked AdSense account
- Compliance with YouTube's policies
Payment structure: AIR pays creators 70% of the revenue, taking 30% for themselves. There's no set rate per 1,000 views, but creators can earn up to 90% of the revenue if their channel reaches 1 million subscribers.
ScaleLab
ScaleLab was launched in 2013 and has since worked with big-name channels like MrBeast and Jake Paul. The income creators can earn from ScaleLab's partner program depends on the specific manager they work with. Some managers distribute income in a 65/35 ratio in favor of the creator, while others only take a 10% cut.
Advantages of joining ScaleLab:
- They offer three large music libraries that creators can use in their videos for free.
- Content creators get access to a VidiQ Pro license, which is a tool that can help with video promotion and optimization.
- Creators can use the OutroMaker application to easily create professional-looking outro segments for their videos.
Disadvantages of joining ScaleLab:
- The payments creators receive may be lower compared to other media networks.
- The terms and conditions can be inconsistent and vary depending on the manager you work with.
Requirements to join:
- You need to have more than 2,500 subscribers on your YouTube channel.
- Your videos should have at least 10,000 total views.
- You must have AdSense enabled on your channel to monetize your videos.
- Your content must be original and not engage in any deceptive or misleading practices. ScaleLab does not accept "gray hat" channels.
Payment structure: ScaleLab quotes rates of $1-3 per 1000 views, but depending on the advertiser, this can reach up to $7 per 1000 views.
LetsOn
The LetsOn network devotes a lot of attention to helping channels grow. If a creator is having trouble producing quality content, Lets On will get involved in all stages of the video creation process, from scripting to editing the final product.
Advantages of joining LetsOn:
- They offer professional assistance from specialists in all areas of content production.
- They have their own music library that creators can use in their videos.
- They provide technical support to assist with any issues that may arise.
- Each creator is assigned a personal manager to help guide them.
- They offer copyright protection for creators' videos.
- They have a referral link system to help bring in new partners.
Disadvantages of joining LetsOn:
- To sign a contract with them, you need to provide personal data and information.
- They charge a 10% commission in addition to the revenue split.
- Creators must maintain an average of at least 3,000 views per day on their channel.
Requirements to join LetsOn:
- Your content must be relevant and original.
- You need to have at least 1,000 subscribers.
- Your videos should get at least 3,000 views per day on average.
- Your content must not violate any laws, copyrights, or YouTube's policies.
- You must not be connected to any other YouTube partner program.
Payment structure: LetsOn splits revenue with creators in a 75/25 ratio, with the larger share going to the creator. Channels with over 1 million subscribers can negotiate a 90/10 ratio.
QuizGroup
QuizGroup is one of the oldest YouTube networks, having launched in 2010. They helped PewDiePie become the most popular content creator in the world. Today, QuizGroup helps over 15,000 channels.
Advantages of joining QuizGroup:
- Creators get to keep 80% of the advertising revenue generated from their videos.
- They offer a content ID system to help protect creators' videos from copyright infringement.
- They have a large music library that creators can use in their videos for free.
- They can help remove copyright strikes from creators' channels.
- The application process to join is relatively easy compared to other networks.
Disadvantages of joining QuizGroup:
- Their contract term is 3 years, which is much longer than the 1-month contracts offered by many other networks.
Requirements to join QuizGroup:
- You need to have at least 10 subscribers on your YouTube channel.
- Your videos should have at least 10,000 total views.
- You must have AdSense monetization enabled on your channel.
Payment structure: QuizGroup splits revenue with creators in an 80/20 ratio, with the creator getting the larger share.
Freedom
The Freedom network is particularly well-suited for gaming channels due to its unique features that are not offered by other networks.
Advantages of joining Freedom:
- Creators can request payouts every week, rather than waiting for a monthly payment.
- They have a music library with over 50,000 tracks that creators can use in their videos.
- Gaming channels can get access to early releases of games on Steam.
- They offer an "Aegis" system for copyright protection of creators' content.
- Creators have the ability to connect directly with senior management at Freedom.
- They have their own community of over 80,000 users that creators can engage with.
Disadvantages of joining Freedom:
- They charge a relatively high commission compared to some other networks.
Requirements to join Freedom:
- Your channel must comply with Google AdSense's requirements and policies.
- You need to have at least 1,000 total views on your channel.
Payment structure: Freedom takes a 40% cut of the revenue generated from creators' videos. However, they claim that their average rate per 1,000 views is 10% higher than what YouTube typically pays.
Yoola
Yoola is one of the largest media networks on YouTube, supporting content creators, musicians, and brands. Popular creators such as Utopia Show currently work with Yoola.
Advantages of joining Yoola:
- They have a technical support team available to assist creators 24/7.
- They offer assistance with channel development, including consultations, channel audits, and recommendations for growth.
- They provide copyright protection for creators' content via the Content ID system.
- Creators get access to advertisements from some of the world's largest brands and advertisers.
- They can help creators expand their presence on other social media platforms beyond YouTube.
- They have a music library with over 35,000 tracks that creators can use.
- Creators get a 20% discount on the VidiQ service for optimizing and promoting their videos.
Disadvantages of joining Yoola:
- Their requirements are quite strict, making it difficult for new or small creators to join the network.
Requirements to join Yoola:
- You must have an active AdSense account with monetization enabled.
- You need to have at least 2,000 subscribers on your channel.
- You must have uploaded at least 4 videos to your channel.
- Your channel should have at least 10,000 total views and have been active in the last 30 days.
- Your content must comply with YouTube's policies and respect all copyrights.
Payment structure: Yoola claims that creators can earn a minimum of $100 per month. They split revenue with creators in a 70/30 ratio. Channels with over 1 million subscribers can qualify for a more favorable 80/20 split.
BuzzMyVideos
BuzzMyVideos was founded in 2011 by Paola Marinone and Bengu Atamer, who previously worked at YouTube. The network focuses on helping new creators reach their first 10,000 to 100,000 subscribers.
Advantages of joining BuzzMyVideos:
- They conduct a detailed audit of your channel when you apply to join, providing valuable insights.
- They offer content protection through the Content ID system.
- They can help creators make professional-looking video thumbnails in collaboration with their team.
- They provide assistance with promoting and growing your channel.
Disadvantages of joining BuzzMyVideos:
- They charge a relatively high commission compared to some other networks.
- Their technical support team can be slow to respond, taking 2-3 days or more to reply to inquiries.
Payment structure: BuzzMyVideos splits revenue with creators in a 65/35 ratio, with the network taking the larger share. They state that this commission can be reduced, but do not provide specific details on how to achieve this.
Conclusion
If you're just starting out on YouTube, joining a multichannel network can be a big help. These networks assist newbies with promoting and protecting their content. Plus, they allow you to make a pretty good income even if you only have around 10,000 subscribers.
There are loads of networks to choose from, so if the ones mentioned in the article don't seem like a good fit, no worries – you've got plenty of other options. Sure, the networks take a cut of your earnings, but the support they provide in creating, promoting, and safeguarding your content makes it totally worth it in my opinion.
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