Can you monetize games on YouTube?

YouTube has become an essential platform to many content creators. It's also one of the biggest video-sharing sites in the world and its users upload over four billion hours of footage every month. Gaming accounts for about 10% of all user uploaded clips. According to data from 2015 (which covers 2014), there were around 30 million unique viewers watching these videos which equate to roughly 100 minutes per viewer each day! That’s huge potential if it could generate revenue or even just ad space. But how does this work exactly? Let's take a look at what constitutes copyright infringement when sharing gameplay videos on YouTube.

This isn't meant to replace any official channels with actual permissions as we're trying to give creators some insight into what they need to know before posting their own videos. The following information was gathered by looking through Google Search results for "play game" and using other sources such as Reddit threads. Please note that I'm not a lawyer so don't try anything illegal without consulting your local laws first. Also keep in mind that most of these rules only refer to US law since YouTube is based out of California. If you live outside the United States please check your respective countries' laws on uploading videos online.

Is gameplay copyrighted?

As mentioned earlier, copyrighting gameplay refers to protecting the creative elements used in making the final product. In general, things like characters, props, locations, etc., fall under copyright protection. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, fair use allows people make derivative works from existing artworks. What falls under fair use varies depending on where you live, but generally speaking, you may have more leeway than you think. You should read up on fair use and talk to a lawyer who specializes in intellectual property rights.

If you're going to infringe upon anyone's copyrights then you'd best get permission first. Unfortunately, getting permission doesn't come easy. Not everyone will grant you access to their original material unless you're producing something of value to them. That being said, the easiest way to find someone to license your content would be to search for relevant subreddits and forums. There are entire communities dedicated to finding royalty free images, music, animations, and other assets that you can copy freely.

Are gameplay videos legal?

We've established that gameplay can potentially violate copyright, but let's say you want to post a clip anyway. Can you legally share gameplay videos on Youtube? Well...it depends.  When it comes to gameplay itself, no. Copyright infringement occurs because you didn't obtain proper written consent from whoever owns the right to distribute that particular piece. As long as you're not profiting off of another person's creativity, you won't run afoul of any laws.

However, if you plan to record yourself playing a video game, that changes everything. If you're creating new artwork while recording your actions, you'll still need to ask permission from the creator(s) of whatever game you're playing. Otherwise, any video recorded with prerecorded footage or computer graphics wouldn't require permission either. However, if you're doing something similar to stock footage already available online, you probably don't need permission anymore.

The same goes for editing tools. Most editors now create content without having to worry about obtaining proper licenses. Even though you technically shouldn't, it's worth asking whether the editor has obtained the necessary permissions beforehand. Just remember that if you intend to profit off of someone else's hard work, you might end up facing stiff penalties down the road.

Finally, if you're lucky enough to stumble across a public domain asset, you can repurpose it however you see fit. Public domain assets include old films, books, maps, etc., which means you can pretty much rip those files at will. Check out our article explaining what public domains are and why they exist.

How do you monetise the gaming industry?

Once again, there are two major ways to go about generating income from the gaming industry. One method involves selling ads against videos. Many companies offer sponsorships for certain types of videos or pay creators directly through services like Patreon. Of course, both methods require prior approval and distribution agreements.

Another less conventional option is affiliate marketing. Companies often employ this strategy by offering products related to video topics. Content creators can earn money simply by directing traffic towards the company's website. Depending on your niche, you could reach thousands of buyers daily if done correctly.

For example, let's say you produce gameplay videos and you notice players interested in buying specific items within them. Instead of sending them straight to Amazon to buy those goods, you direct them to vendor websites instead. Vendors sell digital downloads via platforms like Steam, Origin, Battle.net, PSN, Xbox Live, etc. Once you link up with vendors, you can receive commissions whenever customers purchase downloadable content through them.

Of course, affiliate marketing takes time to set up properly and requires a lot of effort to maintain. Therefore, it's harder to scale compared to advertising schemes. On top of that, competition is fierce especially if you're targeting smaller markets. Unless you're extremely skilled, you probably won't succeed here.

You might wonder why anyone would choose affiliate marketing over traditional advertising. After all, affiliates usually make far fewer sales due to lower conversion rates. Affiliates also tend to struggle with tracking conversions accurately, which makes managing campaigns difficult. Despite these drawbacks, this kind of arrangement offers higher payout percentages while giving advertisers more control over campaign budgets. Since you retain full ownership of your media, you can promote any competitor you wish including ones sponsored by larger corporations.

Can a gaming channel be monetised?

In theory yes. Like almost anything else, there are limits. When it comes to monetizing your channel, you must decide whether you're willing to put in the extra legwork required to attract big brands and advertisers. To help streamline this process, consider hiring a professional agency. They handle the back office tasks so you can focus on making high quality content.

On the flip side, you can always start small. Offer sponsorship deals to community members and encourage interaction between viewers. Eventually, you can transition into bigger partnerships once you prove your popularity.

What happens next?

Now that you know the basics of monetizing gaming videos, it's time to put it into practice. Whether you're planning to host streams or publish your own creations, you should familiarize yourself with local regulations regarding streaming content. Then continue exploring this vast and growing market further.

YouTube has been around for over 10 years and it has grown to become one of the largest video sites in the world. The site allows anyone with an account to post content, including users who want to have fun by uploading funny pranks or other types of short-form entertainment videos. Since its inception, however, YouTube has also evolved into much more than just being a place where people watch cat videos. In fact, many channels like PewDiePie (over 4 million subscribers) and Philip DeFranco (1.2 million subs), both well known YouTuber personalities, make millions from their channel subscriptions alone. They've all built audiences based off their entertaining commentary and personality through vlogs, reaction clips, and even live streams.  The question now becomes whether or not this method will work for game streamers as well. Can you really build up your audience watching gameplay footage without any sort of commentary attached? Or does that mean if someone watches a video of me playing Grand Theft Auto V they'll expect some sort of review?

In order to answer these questions we need to first take a look at how YouTubers generally get paid. As mentioned above, most major YouTuber personalities earn revenue from ad income, subscription fees, sponsorships, merchandise sales, etc. It's important to note that while there are exceptions, most big name YouTubers tend to only receive money when their viewers spend actual money on something. For example, let's say a YouTuber receives $10 per subscriber each month and then sells merchandise worth $100. If he had 500k subscribers he would be making roughly $5 million dollars per year. Now imagine that same person selling 100 pairs of shoes for $20 each which equals $2000 total profit. He still makes approximately $4.9m per year, but his earnings were actually higher because he made those extra few thousand bucks from merchandising.  This means that monetizing with ads is usually very difficult since advertisers won't pay to advertise on content that doesn't generate immediate purchases. That leaves us with two options - either create original content outside of YouTube entirely which could hurt our chances of getting views/subscribers, or use YouTube's Partner Program which requires submitting videos before receiving payment, thus limiting our exposure to potential advertisers.

So what about players? Well, unlike YouTubers, gamers don't typically have large established followings that allow them to charge fans for additional services. We're lucky enough today that Twitch exists, but back in 2010 when it was founded Justin.tv was already a platform for streaming online multiplayer games. While Twitch may not be able to claim credit for creating the concept of livestreaming, it certainly did help drive mainstream adoption of the practice. When Twitch launched, gamers started using the service to broadcast themselves playing games like Call Of Duty 3, League Of Legends, Minecraft, Team Fortress 2, and others. However, this model isn't sustainable long term so eventually Twitch pivoted away from broadcasting solely to providing a homebase for communities centered around certain titles. Most notable among these was CurseTV, a website dedicated to hosting community run tournaments for Starcraft II, World Of Warcraft, Diablo III, Heroes Of Newerth, and Path Of Exile. At the time of writing CurseTV claims to host "Over 20 tournament leagues" across several different platforms.

While none of these websites offer direct financial compensation to participants, they do provide opportunities for amateur competitive gamers to gain recognition within their respective scenes. But should players be entitled to monetary rewards too? Let's explore the legality behind this next.

Can I monetize GTA 5 videos?

One of the biggest news stories coming out of E3 2013 was the announcement of Grand Theft Auto Online, a free-to-play title that lets players play along side thousands of real human players via PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. One day after the release Rockstar Games announced that they'd be offering GTA$1000 microtransaction currency called Tickets to every player who signed up during launch week. Players could purchase tickets for GTA$50 apiece, but once purchased they couldn't be refunded unless they sold them for GTA$500 or less. After backlash from fans, the company removed these restrictions shortly afterwards. With all the controversy surrounding micro transactions, maybe players shouldn't be surprised that YouTube creators trying to make a quick buck haven't received approval to share in this kind of reward.

But why exactly is that? According to a recent update from Phil Spencer, head honcho for Microsoft Studios' bungie studios subsidiary 343 industries, publishers might reconsider allowing monetized content featuring characters from their own franchises if developers choose to distribute such material. So perhaps GTA Online publisher Electronic Arts felt threatened by the possibility of amateurs competing against professional professionals at no cost.

Can I upload GTA 5 gameplay on YouTube?

If you read my previous article looking at the legalities related to streaming games then you know that legally speaking it probably wouldn't matter if you uploaded gameplay footage directly onto YouTube. What's strange here is that despite the lack of permission or support from official sources, thousands of YouTubers continue to publish gameplay videos of titles like Battlefield 4, Dragon Age: Origins, Fallout: NV, Far Cry IV, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor, and others. How is this possible? Because according to Google's Terms of Service, copyright law doesn't extend to gameplay recordings.

Here's the relevant section copied straight from Google's ToS:

You agree that Content submitted to the Services shall remain Your sole responsibility until such time as you submit it to the applicable public database or file sharing application....Your submissions may also appear in search results pages displaying user-generated content...Google reserves the right to refuse, edit, move or delete entries found infringing upon third party rights, copyrights or trademarks, or otherwise violating the guidelines set forth herein.

For comparison purposes, consider this excerpt from Facebook's ToS:

By posting User Content on or through [Facebook], you grant us worldwide, non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual and fully sublicensable license(s) to process, adapt, modify, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform and distribute such User Content and to translate and deliver it to end users...We protect your privacy by enabling you to control access to your personal information, and by requiring consent prior to collection, use and disclosure of your personal data.

As you can see, whereas Facebook grants itself broad usage rights to everything posted on the social network regardless of source, YouTube specifically states that it owns anything submitted to the site. Which brings us to another interesting point: what happens if you upload copyrighted material to YouTube without authorization? Does that constitute copyright infringement?

What happens if you upload copyrighted material to YouTube without authorization? Does that constitute copyright infringement?

To find the answer to that last question we turn to the DMCA notice system. Under Section 512 of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act ("DCMA") owners of intellectual property rights have the ability to send takedown notices to web hosts and ISPs to remove allegedly infringing materials hosted on their networks. Although the DMCA originally focused primarily on removing pirated media files from servers, the US Department of Justice expanded the definition of "infringement" under the act to include virtually any type of unauthorized distribution of digital products.  Accordingly, if a creator posts a clip from a movie or TV show on YouTube, the owner of the underlying copyrights can demand removal.

Unfortunately, there's little recourse available to creators who violate the DMCA. Take the case of Joe Kington, a prominent YouTuber who published a series titled "Joe Exotic Exposed," a documentary following convicted sex offender Joe Exotic. Shortly thereafter Joe sent YouTube a DMCA request demanding the entire series be taken down due to alleged violations of federal laws regarding child pornography and obscenity. Despite the obvious nature of the subject matter, Joe failed to produce evidence supporting his allegations, nor was he aware that under the DMCA takedown procedure YouTube must respond within three days. By the deadline Joe simply withdrew his requests, effectively giving YouTube free rein to decide what happened next.  After investigating further, YouTube decided to keep the series alive but limit access to adult material.

This highlights an inherent issue with DMCA takedown procedures - if the holder of the copyright fails to prove that the content infringes upon their rights, the burden rests upon the accused to demonstrate innocence. And in cases involving DMCA requests, innocent parties have relatively limited resources to defend their interests. Creators hoping to avoid losing potentially valuable advertising revenue or having their accounts terminated due to repeated complaints should tread carefully when publishing copyrighted materials.

Of course, if you prefer to forego worrying about issues like this yourself, you can always hire a lawyer specializing in IP protection to handle your needs.

Finally, remember that while content ownership is technically the domain of the creator, you can retain full licensing authority over the way that content is distributed. This includes distributing your own creations to other devices like iOS apps and Android APKs. Just make sure that whatever you release complies with local laws pertaining to the sale of software, particularly things like trademark issues.

Let's wrap this up with a final thought. Shouldn't everyone involved in producing creative works deserve fair remuneration for their efforts? Yes! Unfortunately, if you make great art nobody wants to buy it. Unless you happen to be Picasso.

Is gameplay allowed on YouTube?

I'm not sure if there's an official term for this yet, but it seems to be happening more and more these days: YouTubers will record themselves playing video games in order to make money off their content. And now that YouTube has announced its latest initiative -- monetizing live streaming with Partner Program -- we're going to talk about how game streamers should go about doing so responsibly.

As always, our goal here isn't to preach against anyone who wants to use YouTube as a platform for making extra income or getting famous (that would be your job), but rather to help those of us who want to get started creating quality content for people to enjoy without having any ulterior motives. We hope you find what you need below!

Can I monetize playing games?

If you've been watching social media lately, then chances are good that you have seen someone post "Let me play" videos before. What they usually say after recording a few minutes worth of footage is something like, "Hey guys, I just finished [game name] for 30 seconds," followed by some kind of vague description of the experience. Then they'll finish up their clip saying, "...but let me know what you think!" At least, that was the case when I first saw them. Nowadays, however, many users seem to be posting clips where they start the game, jump around aimlessly, shoot at things, wait 2 hours while the game loads, and finally give viewers a quick rundown of everything that happened during that time period. The only problem is that most of these players fail to mention whether or not they were actually earning anything from their efforts.

This trend may be a result of the recent change to live streams' monetization rules. In March 2013, Google updated its Content ID system to allow publishers to identify copyrighted material uploaded to sites such as YouTube. As a result, all live-streaming services including Twitch began implementing stricter guidelines regarding what could and couldn't be broadcasted within their platforms. One of the biggest changes made was that broadcasters must receive payment whenever a viewer watches a clip longer than 15 minutes. If you don't feel comfortable disclosing that information, though, consider using one of these free tools to automatically add labels to your uploads.

But even if you decide to continue uploading unlisted clips, the next question is whether or not YouTube allows you to earn money from broadcasts featuring video games. Unfortunately, if you look at the original announcement about the new policy update, it says nothing specific about allowing earnings from gaming content. However, according to a statement posted on Reddit, YouTube apparently does still welcome live gameplay from channels which disclose that they received compensation for their participation. So if you're willing to take the risk, you shouldn't run into too much trouble.

So what happens if you try to launch a channel with the sole purpose of broadcasting games and it gets shut down because of copyright infringement? Well, as long as you didn't lie about receiving monetary rewards, you haven't done anything wrong. But keep in mind that you can lose your Live Streamer status entirely if enough copyright holders report your videos. That said, even if you end up losing your account, you won't necessarily lose access to your previously recorded videos.

In short, yes, you can definitely monetize your gameplay on YouTube. Just remember that you'll need to disclose any compensation you received unless you legitimately earned the right to keep whatever benefits came along with it.  And if you ever find yourself being reported for copyright violations, rest assured that other users will likely be reporting your clips also.

Can you monetize gaming?

The above section explained how you can monetize your gameplay on YouTube, but what about monetizing actual games? Is it possible to turn your favorite titles into cash cows? While it might sound impossible at first glance, thanks to programs such as Steam Greenlight, plenty of developers are able to put out playable versions of their projects for consumers to download and test. With Valve's recently introduced Early Access program, developers can offer unfinished products to eager fans for $19.99 per month in exchange for feedback and support. Some major franchises, such as Minecraft, have expanded their reach through crowdfunding campaigns in addition to traditional publishing methods.

Of course, none of these options involve directly profiting off sales. Instead, they rely heavily upon word-of-mouth marketing and brand recognition. Still, if you're looking to create a dedicated fanbase for your own work, why not see if you can develop similar tactics and leverage them toward selling copies of your games instead of merely giving away copies for free?

It takes dedication, passion, and hard work to build a successful indie developer. Thankfully, it doesn't mean you have to spend years working towards success. Take advantage of resources available online to learn about the inner workings of independent development, pitch ideas to investors, and promote your product among potential customers. Once you've got a solid plan under way, you can focus on producing high-quality products that provide value to your audience.

A great example of a well-received title launched in this manner is Terraria, created by Dave Cox. After spending over two years developing his idea for an open world sandbox adventure/survival simulator, he released the final version of his project last year. Since launching, the game has garnered millions of downloads and positive reviews from critics across the board.

How do gamers monetize?

Some gamers choose to sell digital codes to unlock certain features within their chosen titles. Others opt to sell merchandise related to their hobbies. For instance, Magic: The Gathering collectibles often fetch higher prices than cards from the same series. Even better, collectors tend to purchase items that they believe will become rarer and harder to come by. By following this strategy, you can set yourself apart from your competitors by establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

Another method involves setting up shop somewhere else and offering exclusive deals and promotions exclusively to followers via email list signup forms or promotional links. Of course, if you already have a large number of subscribers, you probably wouldn't notice much difference between sending emails to existing members versus adding new ones anyway.

Finally, another option is to simply charge others for access to premium content. This approach offers the added bonus of helping to pay for hosting costs since you don't have to worry quite as much about maintaining subscriber lists. Most importantly, however, charging for premium offerings gives you control over exactly who receives access to your goods.

An interesting thing to note about charging for special perks is that you don't really need to produce tangible products in order to profit off of them. Think about it: How many times have you purchased a movie ticket based solely on the recommendation of friends? Or perhaps you'd buy tickets to shows or sporting events just because you wanted to watch with a group of people whom you knew liked attending particular events together. Why stop there? Imagine purchasing concert tickets based on recommendations from someone whose taste in music aligns with yours, or buying food at restaurants based on advice from coworkers. It sounds crazy, but it works.  Just ensure that you have a reliable source of income, a decent amount of disposable funds saved up, and lots of patience.

While the aforementioned examples mostly revolve around physical purchases, video games are becoming increasingly prevalent on auction websites such as eBay. When used properly, both of these strategies can prove profitable.

Can I monetize GTA gameplay on YouTube?

You betcha. A lot of aspiring YouTubers are turning to the Grand Theft Auto franchise for inspiration. The reason behind this is simple: GTA V, the fifth installment of the wildly popular series, was one of the best reviewed games released in 2012. Naturally, a floodgate opened up for newcomers wanting to show off their skills and gain fame with their talents.

One example is Vinny Guadagnino, otherwise known as TmarTn. His channel covers everything from cooking tips to car repair tutorials, but he's especially proud of his Let Me Play - GTA 5 videos. He boasts over 1 million subscribers and thousands of views every day. Another user named Jazza Dega, also known as JzDeggas, posts Let Me Plays of several different titles. He hasn't reached anywhere near the popularity level of Tmtrtn, but he's picked up a fair share of loyal patrons nonetheless. Also worth mentioning is James Frew, who goes by the handle MrGameOverZ. Like Jzdeggas, he focuses primarily on showing off playthroughs of multiple titles.  He currently has almost 100,000 subscribers and averages 300k+ unique impressions each week.

These three individuals are far from alone, either. Plenty of other notable personalities can be found throughout the comment sections of Let Me Plays videos. Many of these commentators are avid gamers who love sharing their thoughts on upcoming releases and discussing topics pertaining to the industry at large.  They range from established names like TotalBiscuit and Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw, to newer faces such as Daniel Keem and KSI. All of these men regularly contribute to discussions surrounding current trends, news stories, and general opinions about the state of modern gaming.  Many of these comments eventually evolve into full-fledged debates, leaving watchers entertained and amazed by the diversity of perspectives expressed.