How to earn money on YouTube

 Crowdfund your next creative project: When money is all that stands between an idea and its execution, crowdfunding is a good way to make it happen. Whether you need help buying better equipment, hiring actors, or covering other production costs, you can call upon your own audience and the crowdfunding community to pitch in if your idea is compelling enough. Many successful crowdfunded creative projects tend to offer a sneak peek or “trailer” that gets people excited, so consider shooting a video explaining your project or offering a taste of what it'll be like, such as this popular Kickstarter for Kong furry, a short film paying homage to ’80s action movies. Let your audience support your work through “fan funding”: Similar to crowdfunding a project, you can also set up “fan funding” streams to source donations from your audience. As a creator, you’re contributing your voice to the internet without forcing your audience to pay for admission. So, if you’re offering good content, your audience might be inclined to support you on an ongoing basis. Many fan funding platforms offer creators another place for people to discover their content and a way to engage their most loyal audience and reward them for their support. License your content to the media: If you happen to create a viral video with mass appeal—say, a funny clip featuring your dog—you can license your content in exchange for money. TV news outlets, morning shows, online news sites, and other creators might reach out about rights to use your videos if they happen to go viral. You can also list your videos in a marketplace, such as Jun media, your content will be easier for the right people to find and purchase. Sell products or merchandise: There are plenty of products to sell can help you make money through your YouTube channel. Selling merchandise—t-shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags, snap backs, you name it—has a benefit beyond revenue. Merchandise increases your exposure by putting your online brand and personality out into the offline world and deepens the relationship between you and your fans as they literally “buy” into what you're doing. Who’s going to watch your YouTube channel? Building your own audience puts you in a great position to monetize content in a variety of ways. But you’ll only be able to take full advantage of the opportunities you have if you understand the makeup of your audience. For many YouTubers looking to monetize, the more niche your channel, the better position you’ll be in to work with brands looking to target specific audiences (more on that later). You'll want to pay close attention to: The gender of your audience, to see if it skews toward one particular group. The age range most of your audience falls into. The geographic location—countries or cities—where your videos are being watched. Your audience’s overall engagement, or “watch time.” With the demographic information at hand, you’ll have a better understanding of your own audience and be able to work better with brands. All demographic insight can be pulled from your YouTube analytics, but to compare your own channel against others, try a tool like social blade. With that out of the way, we can start talking about the different ways your YouTube channel can make money. How to make money on YouTube: Like learning how to make money on Instagram or via blogging, your audience might unlock your YouTube channel’s earning potential. But when you create multiple revenue streams, through side hustles,  it's easier to monetize. Luckily, there are several ways to accomplish this: Become a YouTube partner and earn money from ads. Sell products. Crowdfund your next creative project. Let your audience support your work through fan funding. License your content to the media. Work with brands as an influencer.