Monetizing YouTube Shorts: What You Need to Know

Beginning February 1, 2023, YouTube creators started earning money from YouTube Shorts. In 2025, this content format rules the entire YouTube.

Initially, this was part of the platform's global monetization expansion program. YouTube has been promising to allow creators to monetize YouTube Shorts for a while. This update was necessary, as the Shorts format was not monetized at all, despite its rapid rise in popularity. But now, creators make a living from ad revenue on YouTube Shorts.

How YouTube Shorts Monetization Works

Every month, YouTube Shorts collects revenue from advertising between videos. This revenue is used to pay for music licensing and compensate creators of Shorts. Profits from this remuneration for YouTube partners is 45%, regardless of whether you use music in your short videos. 

The revenue share is proportional to the number of views your Shorts have in each country. The more Shorts earn on the platform, the more each individual creator receives. 

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YouTube Shorts Monetization Requirements in 2025

To qualify for Shorts monetization in 2025, creators must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days. Alternatively, they can meet the requirement of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months with long-form videos. Once these requirements are met, creators can start earning ad revenue from Shorts.

Monetizing YouTube Shorts Through Ads: A Quick Rundown

Every month, YouTube pools revenue from advertisements displayed between Shorts videos. The revenue from these ads is split between music licensing fees and creator earnings. Here’s how it works:

• YouTube takes 55% of the total revenue for licensing music and platform costs.
• The remaining 45% is distributed among monetized Shorts creators based on views, regardless of whether they use music.
• The revenue share is proportional to the number of views a creator’s Shorts receive in each country.
• The more Shorts earn overall, the bigger the revenue pool—and the more each creator earns.

To start earning, YouTube partners must accept the Shorts Monetization Module in YouTube Studio. Those who haven’t yet done so should agree to the terms to immediately start monetizing their Shorts.

How the Modular System of Terms of Monetization Works

Each creator signs the Basic Monetization Terms, which outline exactly what you can place on the platform and how you will be paid. There are separate monetization modules for: 

• The view page (this is the main content of the creator) 
• Shorts monetization
• Commercial products such as sponsorships, super chat, etc. 

If you don't want to receive regular additional income from Shorts, you don't need to activate the monetization module. We have to say, however, that this would be a rather strange choice that would simply limit your options.

Changes to the Terms and Conditions of the Affiliate Program

So, there are two ways to make money from short videos:

• Create a new channel and upload short videos there, working towards gaining 1000 subscribers and 10 million views on the channel in 3 months. 
• Upload short videos to an existing channel already connected to an affiliate program and monetize content from the first views.

New YouTube Monetization Requirements in 2025

In 2025, creators can join the YouTube Partner Program either through long-form video monetization or Shorts monetization. Long-form video creators need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months. Shorts creators need at least 1,000 subscribers and 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days. Shorts watch time does not count toward the 4,000-hour requirement for long-form monetization, but Shorts views provide a direct path to earning through ads.

Earnings Potential: How Many Views Do You Need to Earn on YouTube Shorts?

Now, let’s break down the potential earnings you can make from Shorts. You want to start analyzing:

Factors That Influence YouTube Shorts Revenue

So, several things determine how much money creators earn from Shorts monetization, including total ad revenue generated in the Shorts feed, the percentage of total Shorts views a creator contributes in a given month, audience geographic location, Shorts RPM and CPM, and whether or not licensed music is used. All of these elements play a huge role.

Understanding Shorts RPM and CPM

CPM, or Cost Per Mille, represents how much advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions, while RPM, or Revenue Per Mille, reflects how much revenue a creator earns per 1,000 views after YouTube’s revenue split. Shorts' RPM is generally lower than long-form video RPM, but the high viewership potential of Shorts can make up for it.

Ways to Monetize YouTube Shorts

Want to know all the ways to monetize Shorts? We at AIR Media-Tech have already helped thousands of creators to optimize their earning potential. Let’s look through the main topics:

Can You Monetize YouTube Shorts Without 1,000 Subscribers?

You can’t earn official YouTube ad revenue without 1,000 subscribers as it requires YPP eligibility; creators can still earn money from Shorts through other monetization methods. For example, brand deals are a great solution.

Earning Super Thanks

Super Thanks enables viewers to tip creators directly on Shorts videos as a way to show appreciation for their content. This feature is available to creators once they are in the YouTube Partner Program. Super Thanks comes in different price tiers, allowing fans to contribute based on their budget, making it a flexible revenue stream.

Collecting Super Chats and Stickers

Super Chats and Stickers are popular features that let viewers financially support creators during live streams and Premieres. When a viewer purchases a Super Chat, their message is highlighted in the live chat, making it more visible to the creator. Super Stickers function similarly, offering animated stickers that viewers can buy to interact with their favorite content creators. Although these features are typically used for long-form content, they can be effectively leveraged during live Shorts sessions.

Earning from Channel Memberships

Once a creator meets YouTube’s eligibility requirements, they can activate channel memberships, where subscribers pay a monthly fee in exchange for exclusive perks. These perks may include loyalty badges, custom emojis, members-only live streams, and behind-the-scenes content. This model provides a steady income stream beyond ad revenue, particularly for creators with a dedicated audience.

Brand Deals and Sponsorships

For creators looking to monetize outside of YouTube’s built-in features, brand deals and sponsorships offer another lucrative option. Many businesses are eager to leverage the viral potential of short-form content to promote their products. Creators can collaborate with brands to create sponsored Shorts, product placements, or promotional campaigns. The earnings potential from brand deals often surpasses ad revenue, especially for creators with high engagement rates.

Best Practices for Monetizing YouTube Shorts

Our partner, MacDannyGun, is a successful YouTube vlogger with over a million subscribers. He creates interesting and unique content that resonates with his audience. Since the YouTube Shorts Fund was launched, the creator has been uploading short videos to YouTube and getting paid monthly.

MacDannyGun quickly realized the potential of the short video format. Through dedication and hard work, he doubled the number of subscribers to his channel to 637,000, allowing him to monetize his videos further and earn a steady income. 

How Does YouTube Shorts Monetization Work Behind the Scenes?

Shorts monetization operates differently from long-form video monetization. Instead of ads being directly tied to individual videos, YouTube pools revenue from advertisements shown between Shorts and distributes it among eligible creators. The earnings are allocated based on a creator’s proportion of total Shorts views, meaning that higher engagement and views lead to a larger share of the revenue pool. This model allows even smaller creators to earn, provided their content gains traction in the Shorts feed.

Things to Do Before You Start Monetizing YouTube Shorts

To maximize earnings, optimize Shorts for engagement and retention, diversify monetization methods, use YouTube Analytics to track performance and adjust strategies, and stay updated on YouTube policies to avoid demonetization risks. High-quality, attention-grabbing videos with strong hooks and compelling storytelling are more likely to be favored by the YouTube algorithm, increasing their reach and revenue potential.

Final Thoughts: Is YouTube Shorts Monetization Worth It?

YouTube Shorts offers significant income potential, especially for creators who can consistently drive high engagement. While RPM for Shorts is lower than for long-form videos, the sheer volume of views Shorts can generate makes monetization worthwhile.

Ready to create Shorts and start increasing your income? As an official YouTube partner, we follow all updates on the platform and are always ready to help you create, monetize, and promote Shorts. If you have any questions about Shorts and the new monetization model, feel free to contact us here.