Since the very first upload, YouTube has opened up a new way to tell stories – but in 2007 we took that one step further and began sharing revenue with creators, a first for our industry. Our revenue-sharing model, the YouTube Partner Programme, means that we pay eligible creators every month.
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Creator Economy
Being accepted into the YouTube Partner Programme is a major milestone in any creator's journey. It means that they can start monetising their content, get access to better tools to protect their content and receive support.
Over the years, we've continued investing in new monetisation options for creators beyond advertising, and today there are 10 ways in which creators can earn money* and build their businesses on YouTube.
YouTube's thriving creative ecosystem enables creators to run successful businesses, and also creates jobs and creative opportunities around the world.
Are you a creator looking to get started?
Ads have been at the core of creators' revenue streams, and continue to be the primary way that creators can earn money on YouTube. To make sure that they're compensated for their work, we share ad revenue with creators when ads run on their videos and when ads are viewed between videos in the Shorts Feed.
YouTube Premium Subscriptions: YouTube Premium is an ad-free paid subscription option, and the majority of subscription revenue goes to YouTube partners.
Super Chat: Fans can purchase a Super Chat, a highlighted message in the chat stream that stands out from the crowd to get more attention from their favourite creator.
Super Thanks: Super Thanks lets viewers buy a fun animation on a video and post a customisable and colourful comment in the comments section.
Super Stickers: Fans can show support for their favourite creator by purchasing a fun sticker that stands out.
Gifts powered by Jewels: Fans can send gifts during vertical live streams to show support for their favourite creators in real time.
Creators can connect with branded content opportunities through this self-service platform.
To ensure that we protect this thriving creator ecosystem, we have a set of monetisation policies that each member of YPP is required to follow as part of the programme.
Since the programme was introduced, our unique business model has helped to kickstart the rise of the creator economy — allowing creators to build and grow channels and businesses that reach global audiences while supporting millions of jobs around the world.
For example, in 2022, YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed over $35 billion to the US GDP and supported more than 390,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the US. In the same year, YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed more than INR 16,000 crores to India's GDP and supported more than 750,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the country.
YouTube paid more than $70 billion to creators, artists and media companies in the three years prior to January 2024.
Source: Radius, May 2024
YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed over €5.5 billion to the EU's GDP in 2022.
Source: Radius, May 2024
