YouTube can be a lucrative platform with all the advertising potential that entails, but there are some channels which have had their ability to earn from advertisements blocked by Google or other payment providers. However, before we look at how to turn on YouTube's ads or get paid directly through Google Adsense, let's first take a quick look at what exactly this option does and why it might not work for certain users.
The main reason you may find yourself unable to use YouTube's ad-supported model (or any similar one) is because of something called "monetization." Monetization refers to the process where an online service provider like YouTube places its logo on content creators' video pages, as well as displaying relevant sponsored posts within each video. This way they can show viewers related products or services while also earning money from them through ads placed around the videos. In order to make sure such partnerships continue working smoothly, however, many advertisers require prior approval for such deals. And sometimes, even when everything looks fine with your account, YouTube simply won't approve the deal due to specific factors.
In cases like these, only two options remain open - either remove the advertisement entirely, or disable monetization completely. So what happens if monetization goes missing? Let's explore together!
When you try to access the settings page for your channel, you will see a message saying “This feature isn't supported in your region” along with three possible solutions. The first solution states that you should contact YouTube Support to troubleshoot issues further. If nothing else works, the second says that disabling monetization altogether is the last resort, and suggests contacting a company representative. Finally, the third says that you should report the issue via support@youtube.com.
And if you're wondering whether you've missed out on getting approved for YouTube ads yet, then here's the answer: It depends. You'll receive a notice about it after you complete the steps below. But keep in mind that it usually takes up to 30 days to hear back from YouTube regarding your application.
Now, let's assume that you didn't apply for YouTube ads earlier, and you haven't received a reply from YouTube after waiting for more than a month. What next? Well, if you want to avoid being penalized for violating terms, just follow the steps below.
There are various reasons why monetization is turned off. Some common ones include attempts to deceive users, using copyrighted material without permission, and violating community guidelines. Also, if someone tries to sell counterfeit items, scamming other people over the phone, or otherwise violates laws, their accounts may be flagged by authorities and permanently banned from making further purchases.
As mentioned above, YouTube receives hundreds of applications every day from partners looking to advertise on user uploaded videos. Therefore, it has become essential for us to review each case individually before approving them. Unfortunately, since our system is automated, it cannot handle all of those requests effectively. As a consequence, some legitimate publishers fall through the cracks. For instance, if a partner uploads multiple copyright infringing clips, instead of receiving a single strike, they would end up having their entire account suspended.
In addition, most countries have restrictions in place that prevent companies from showing ads on videos containing explicit materials. In particular, China bans media businesses from carrying political commentary.
So now you know why monetization is off and what to do if you run into trouble. Here are some tips to help you stay safe and protect your income stream.
1. Be careful who you share links to. Never click on suspicious popups or emails sent by unknown individuals asking you to download files. These malicious programs often contain viruses that steal your personal information and infect your computer with malware.
2. Don't buy anything from strangers. If you ever encounter a situation where someone claims to carry out repairs for free, ask for references and call customer service instead. Otherwise, always decline their offers and tell them that you need to speak to another person.
3. Beware of scams involving unlicensed software. If you come across websites offering pirated versions of popular apps (like Adobe Photoshop), beware! They typically employ aggressive tactics to convince visitors to pay for subscriptions. We recommend staying away from such sites and calling customer support immediately.
4. Stay vigilant against phishing attacks. Phishers send fake messages or email attachments disguised as official correspondence. Once opened, they secretly install harmful tools onto your device to gain control over it remotely.
5. Avoid sharing passwords. When signing up to new websites, remember to create unique passwords for different services. Use password managers so you won't forget them. Hackers often target old passwords used repeatedly throughout social networks and forums.
6. Keep track of your financial data. Regularly check your bank statements and credit card bills to ensure no unauthorized charges were made. Report suspicious activity to your lender right away.
7. Watch out for scammers impersonating PayPal representatives. Scammers pretend to represent PayPal and ask victims to enter login details. Their aim is to transfer funds outside of your reach. Always ignore calls from numbers you don't recognize.
8. Protect your privacy. Make sure your internet service provider doesn't log browsing history. To maintain anonymity, set browsers to clear cookies automatically and never save credentials. Install anti-tracking extensions to block tracking scripts.
9. Pay attention to security notifications. Malwarebytes shows alerts whenever it detects dangerous downloads in your browser. Similarly, Norton Antivirus keeps tabs on potentially hazardous URLs visited recently. Both offer free trials that allow you to test their features.
10. Set up strong antivirus protection. A good firewall protects your PC from incoming threats. Furthermore, Windows Defender provides real-time virus scanning built in.
11. Secure your Wi-Fi network. There are numerous ways hackers break into your home's wireless router. One method involves taking advantage of weak WEP encryption keys. Ensure your router uses modern security standards and updates regularly.
12. Upgrade outdated devices. Newer operating systems and processors provide better cybersecurity. Thus, upgrading older hardware to newer models helps boost your overall safety.
13. Check your mobile app permissions. Android allows users to grant apps varying levels of privileges depending upon usage patterns. Hence, checking your app permissions can reveal sensitive info.
14. Limit location permissions. Location-based services utilize GPS technology to determine your whereabouts. Since your smartphone constantly sends signals to nearby cell towers, anyone listening in can pinpoint your precise location.
15. Enable multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication requires additional verification methods beyond standard username/password combinations. While 2FA adds an extra layer of protection, 3FA gives you even greater peace of mind.
16. Consider investing in a VPN. Virtual Private Networks route traffic through encrypted servers located halfway between your machine and destination server. Your IP address remains anonymous, thus hiding your identity.
17. Get familiar with anti-virus suites. Avast Free AntiVir Personal Edition, Kaspersky Internet Security, BitDefender TotalSecurity 2016, AVG Privacy Guard, McAfee Web Security, Microsoft 365 Family Safety, and Trend Micro HouseCall 2019 give you full coverage for both desktop and mobile.
18. Encrypt cloud storage. Cloud storage platforms store your data somewhere remote. That means cybercriminals could hack into it and view your private photos and documents. Choose secure cloud storage providers like SpiderOak, NextCloud, and Seafile.
19. Keep your operating system updated. Operating systems release patches fixing bugs and vulnerabilities once discovered. By running a recent version of macOS or iOS, you reduce your risk of exploitation.
20. Disable auto-update. Many smartphones automatically update themselves in the background. Keeping this setting enabled exposes your device to exploits. Instead, go to Settings > General > Auto-Update Apps and select Manually manage exceptions...
21. Follow good habits. Being mindful of basic online etiquette reduces your chance of falling victim to fraudsters. Practice responsible behavior like avoiding clicking spammy links, following simple rules like not giving out too much information, and keeping passwords secret.
22. Report fraudulent activities. Contact local law enforcement agencies if you suspect illegal activity committed against you. Authorities will investigate and bring perpetrators to justice.
23. Create backup codes. Having emergency contacts ready lets friends and family locate you quickly in case of an accident. Before you lose your phone forever, generate backup codes and put them in safe locations.
24. Use disposable web addresses. If someone steals your laptop, they likely won't be able to figure out your website. With disposable domain names, you can experiment with creating short URL links to redirect elsewhere.
25. Delete unused accounts. It's wise to clean up inactive accounts lying dormant on the internet. Remove unnecessary e-mail inboxes and shut down unused mailing lists. Unsubscribe from newsletters you don't read anymore and delete unwanted promotional junk mail.
26. Change important recovery information. Fraudsters frequently change billing addresses and telephone numbers to evade detection. Update your contact information accordingly.
YouTube has been a fantastic platform to create and share content online. However, as more people use the service, there are growing concerns over how its creators can earn money from their work on the platform. One way that users have tried to find out if they're eligible to receive ad revenue through YouTube is by enabling "monetize" under Channel settings.
But what exactly does this mean? Why isn't everyone receiving payment checks like other YouTubers? And why would anyone want to disable YouTube's native advertising system? Here we'll explain everything about how to turn on or off YouTube monetization...
No! If you've enabled monetization, but aren't seeing any ads at all then this means one of two things. Either (a) someone else owns the copyright to the video you posted, or (b) none of the channels you follow currently allow monetized content.
The first thing to check is whether the user who uploaded the video actually holds the rights to distribute it. The easiest way to do this is to head into the description box of the video, where you should see an option labeled Copyrighted Content & Ownership Information. Click View Video Details to expand the section further. This will show information regarding ownership of the video, so make sure you know which account created the post before heading down into the comments. It may also say something along the lines of Public Domain Videos, meaning that no-one legally owns the footage and it can be freely used without permission. In either case, ensure that your creator hasn't changed the setting themselves.
Next, try searching for the title of the video using Google Search. Chances are good that another person won't upload the same exact clip but rather a similar version. Try adding some keywords to narrow down your search results to only include posts made around the time when you recorded yours. For example, if you were recording a tutorial on editing music in Adobe Premiere Pro, type in "[your software name] +edit+music". Then scroll back up and look again at the owner field of the video details page mentioned above. Does it still read Only me? Or did you find multiple versions of the same video?
Finally, consider contacting the original poster directly and asking them if they have indeed taken ownership of the video. They might not realize that they haven't done anything wrong—after all, they probably didn't think twice before uploading the clip and tagging you. A quick email explaining that you'd like to claim the royalties due to you via YouTube's native advertisement program will often go a long way towards getting paid.
There are many different reasons why monetizing your clips and tutorials might stop working altogether. Some common causes are listed below, though there are certainly others worth checking out.
You failed to authorize payment processing. When turning on monetization, be sure to take note of the instructions provided in order to avoid accidentally disabling it later. These usually involve clicking Authorizations during setup. Once set up, just keep an eye on the status bar at the top of your screen while viewing your videos. If you see red text indicating unauthorized transactions, contact PayPal immediately.
Your YouTube profile was suspended. While YouTube states that it doesn't remove profiles based solely on unpaid subscriptions, it can happen anyway. Suspended accounts are automatically deactivated after 90 days unless they pay past fees. To reactivate a recently deleted account, visit the Support Center > My Account menu item. From here, select Manage Your Subscriptions & Payment Methods, followed by Reactivate Account. After logging in, you'll need to wait 30 days before being able to reenable monetization.
Any of your credit card companies terminated your services. If you have had issues with fraudulent purchases in the past, such as canceled cards or stolen wallets, it's possible that your bank shut down authorization processes associated with those cards. Unfortunately, this can prevent YouTube from accepting new charges until you update your payment methods. Contact your financial institution and ask them to resolve this issue via phone call or letter. Alternatively, you can change providers entirely. Visit Change/Review Bank Accounts to open an account with Chase, Wells Fargo, CitiBank, etc., and get started earning extra income today.
Your AdSense account was suspended. Unlike most of the previous points on this list, suspending your AdSense account is a last resort for both advertisers and publishers alike. Usually reserved for repeat violations, AdSense policies state that "all active accounts found to be engaged in our policy violation process will be subject to termination." Fortunately, it's relatively easy to fix this error. Simply log into AdWords Manager, click Settings & Adsense Management, then Edit Policies & Violations. Find the offending item(s), delete them, and save changes.
It's important to remember that even if you turned monetization on earlier this year, it's possible that the feature itself got delayed for whatever reason. As such, it's always best to double-check that it's truly switched on now. Don't forget that if you joined YouTube after January 1st of 2019, you'll need to upgrade to Creator Studio Premium ($11.99 per month). Otherwise, you'll only be able to access basic features.
To switch monetization on, start watching a video on your feed. Next, tap Menu " More Controls " Monitize. Hit Enable next to the button and wait for the confirmation pop-up. Keep an eye on the upper right corner of your screen for the message saying your channel is ready to accept donations. Now you can hit Publish and add your desired tags, descriptions, categories, etc. Finally, save and continue making videos.
Perhaps the biggest concern facing YouTube creators hoping to earn additional funds is the recent decision to limit monetized videos to 18 minutes or less. According to reports, this is because longer productions require too much manpower to produce effectively. But regardless of length, shorter content tends to perform better than lengthy ones across a range of metrics. So if you're unable to reach 18-minute runtimes, perhaps your material needs workarounds. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to increase engagement within short formats.
For starters, you can easily optimize existing materials by cutting out unnecessary scenes and dialogue. Use cutaway shots instead of static images of objects (such as green screens); eliminate soundbites entirely; reduce camera movements; replace voiceovers with captions; streamline transitions between cuts; and combine multiple clips together.
Another strategy involves creating fresh ideas for your audience. By mixing up topics and styles, you can help viewers stay interested throughout. Also, try utilizing creative effects when filming. Animatic generators can give you free reign to experiment with visual concepts, while apps like Hyperlapse and Instagram Stories let you film live events and stitch them together afterward.
After thinking outside the box, you can quickly whip up engaging shorts that are easier to consume. Not to mention, your fans will appreciate having fun elements sprinkled among your regular updates. Lastly, since you're already likely spending hours producing and promoting clips, you shouldn't feel bad about taking advantage of YouTube's automated tools. Consider using titles designed to maximize views, auto-playlists, 360° videos, and so forth.
YouTube channels are an excellent way to earn money from the content they produce or share with others. However, there are some things you need to take into consideration when trying to make money through this platform.
One such thing is whether your channel is even eligible to receive revenue sharing payments by advertisers. So how can you find out if your channel is eligible and what should you look at while doing so?
In this article we explain everything about monetizing a YouTube channel. We'll also cover why certain channels might have their monetizations turned off.
Monetization refers to receiving ad revenues directly from Google Ads (formerly known as AdSense). This means that instead of using third-party services like Amazon’s Cloudflare Worker Settle (CWS), which handles payment processing, you handle all transactions yourself.
Private video advertising works similarly to regular display ads but uses CWS. Private video ads allow publishers to sell space within their videos for premium sponsorships and promotions.
This means that a publisher will set up an account with cloudflare worker settle, enter their details, add relevant code snippets, and then upload videos to YouTube. The service takes care of the rest.
So, now you understand the differences between monetization and private video ads. Let's move onto looking at how to check if your YouTube channel is eligible for monetisation.
You may think that being part of one of YouTube's partner programs would mean that your channel is automatically eligible for monetization. Unfortunately, these partnerships only refer to content creators who meet specific criteria. For example, those who reach 1 million subscribers or more than 10 hours of watch time every month.
However, most other channels are free to join any program they wish. If you want to explore partnering with YouTube, here's how to apply to its Creator Academy.
To determine if your YouTube channel is eligible for monetization, head over to the Content ID page. Here you can see information regarding your channel's eligibility under each category including Partner Program status, Advertising ID status, and Revenue Sharing Payments Status.
For instance, let's say your channel has been inactive for three months. You've had no new content uploaded since July 2019. And you're currently enrolled in the Partner Program. Based on this, YouTube says your channel isn't eligible for monetization until you've reached 2,000 subs. It should be noted that different policies apply to active versus inactive channels.
Here's another scenario where your channel isn't eligible for monetization. Say you just started uploading content two weeks ago. Your latest upload was five days old. But you haven't hit 10 hours of watch time yet because your audience hasn't seen it yet. In addition, you aren't signed up for any Partner Programs. Because of this, YouTube doesn't consider your channel eligible for monetization right now.
There are many factors that go into determining whether your channel qualifies for monetization. To ensure you stay informed, you can subscribe to our blog post detailing exactly what goes into making your YouTube channel eligible.
After reading this article, maybe you'd rather try creating a playlist of popular tutorials on YouTube instead of waiting around for the algorithm to decide if you qualify for monetization. That's fine too! Check out our list of best ways to get noticed on YouTube if you want to start promoting your channel manually.
As mentioned earlier, there are multiple reasons why you may not be able to monetize your channel. Some common ones include:
Attempting monetization of videos you don't own. By default, YouTube allows anyone to create original content. But if someone else owns the copyright for the material you use, you won't be allowed to profit from it.
Uploading duplicate videos. Duplicate content is prohibited across platforms. A violation occurs when users view an identical version of a previously published piece of media without permission or proper attribution. On YouTube, duplicates must adhere to Creative Commons licenses. Otherwise, it's considered intellectual property theft.
Being flagged for policy violations. There are instances where YouTube flags accounts for violating its policies. These violations often involve copyrighted materials. When this happens, your account becomes ineligible for monetization.
Making unauthorized changes to your channel. Changing the name of your channel or adding additional titles to your profile without authorization can invalidate your claim to ownership of the content. Also, changing the description text of existing videos can cause them to become ineligible for monetization.
Not having enough views. One of the requirements to monetization is that you need to achieve at least 500 unique viewers per week. While this seems straightforward enough, it can sometimes prove challenging due to various factors.
Let's say you recently added a new title to your channel after reaching the required subscriber number. Or perhaps you made significant edits to the previous title. In either case, YouTube considers the updated video to be a separate release from the older one. Thus, you wouldn't count towards your total viewership.
Similarly, if you had high engagement levels before becoming eligible for monetization, YouTube treats the spike in activity following eligibility as "new" traffic. As long as the spikes occur below 25 percent above your average stream duration, you can still keep the increase.
Once you've determined that your channel meets all the necessary qualifications, click on the link next to the green button labeled Enable Monetization. Then sign in with your Google credentials. Afterward, you'll be redirected back to the Content ID screen.
From here, select Monetization Settings. Now choose the type of payouts you prefer. Click Continue once done. Finally, complete the verification process. Once approved, your channel will immediately begin earning money based on the plan you chose.
Note: Depending on your country of residence, your earnings may vary slightly.
The last step on the aforementioned instructions involves verifying your identity via email. If this fails, your channel will remain unmonitored until you resolve the issue.
It's important to note that YouTube doesn't send emails to everyone who joins a channel. Instead, notifications pop up whenever something noteworthy happens. Since joining a channel requires logging in, you probably missed the initial message.
To avoid missing future invitations, log in daily to your channel and keep track of the date of the event.
Also, if you think you were denied monetization unfairly, contact support@youtube.com. Explain your situation and ask for further assistance.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to give general advice on why monetization wasn't offered to your channel. The main reason is that there are numerous variables involved, namely: your popularity among viewers, the types of videos you publish, etc.
While the steps outlined above should help shed light on the topic, they shouldn't serve as substitutes for professional guidance. Our team regularly assists partners who face similar issues. Feel free to connect with us if you want to discuss monetization further.
We hope you found this guide helpful! Happy streaming :)
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.