So, you want to see where your channel stands with monetization? The first place to go is your YouTube Studio.
Once you're logged in, look for the 'Earn' tab on the left-hand menu. Think of this as your financial command center for YouTube. It's where you'll track your progress toward getting monetized or, if you're already in the program, see a breakdown of your earnings.
This is your personal roadmap to the business side of YouTube, whether you're just starting out or looking to fine-tune your revenue streams. We'll break down exactly what you need to do, what the numbers mean, and how to make sense of it all without getting lost in jargon.
Finding Your Channel's Monetization Status
The main goal for most creators is to get into the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which is what unlocks most of the money-making features.
Key Monetization Requirements
To even apply for the YPP and start earning from things like ad revenue, YouTube has a couple of big milestones you need to hit. As of 2025, the primary requirements are:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 public watch hours within the last 12 months
These thresholds aren't arbitrary; they're YouTube's way of making sure your channel has a real, engaged audience before letting you in. Given YouTube's massive user base, hitting these numbers proves you've built a community that finds value in your content.
When you click on that 'Earn' tab, you'll see a screen that looks something like this:
Those progress bars are your best friends. They give you a quick, visual update on how close you are to hitting the YPP requirements, so you always know exactly where you stand.
To make it even clearer, here’s a quick summary of what you need to achieve to be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program.
YouTube Partner Program Eligibility at a Glance
| Requirement | Threshold | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 1,000 | Must be legitimate subscribers; bots or fake accounts don't count. |
| Public Watch Hours | 4,000 hours | Calculated over the last 12 months. Hours from private or deleted videos don't count. |
| Community Guidelines | Zero active strikes | Your channel must be in good standing and adhere to all of YouTube's policies. |
| AdSense Account | One linked account | You'll need an approved AdSense account to receive payments. |
Meeting these criteria is your ticket to applying. Once you're in, a whole new world of earning potential opens up.
Finding Your Way to the Earn Tab in YouTube Studio
Alright, let's get you to the one place that matters most for your channel's income: the monetization dashboard. It's actually pretty straightforward once you know where to click.
First, sign in to your YouTube account and head straight to YouTube Studio. Think of this as your channel's command center.
Once you're in, look at the menu running down the left-hand side. You’ll see a list of options like 'Dashboard', 'Content', and 'Analytics'. Scan down that list for the 'Earn' tab—it has a little dollar sign ($) next to it. Can't miss it. Click that, and you're in.
What You'll See on the Earn Tab
Now, what this page shows you depends entirely on whether you're already part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
If You're Not Monetized Yet
For those of you still working toward monetization, this screen is your new best friend. It shows you exactly where you stand with live, up-to-the-minute trackers for your subscriber count and public watch hours. No more guessing.
It’s the perfect spot to check your progress and keep the motivation high. The dashboard lays out the YPP requirements clearly, so you always know what you're aiming for.
This page is designed to show you the finish line and how close you are to crossing it.
My Two Cents: Don't just glance at this page—use it. If you see your watch hours are lagging but subscribers are climbing, it's a clear signal to create longer, more engaging videos. Let the data guide your strategy.
If You're Already Monetized
If you've already made it into the YPP (congrats!), this page transforms. The progress bars disappear and are replaced with an overview of your earnings.
This is also where you can activate additional income streams. You'll find options to turn on and manage features like:
- Channel Memberships
- Supers (Super Chat, Super Stickers, etc.)
- Shopping integrations
It becomes your central hub for managing all the ways you can make money on the platform. To get the full scoop, check out our complete guide on how to enable YouTube monetization.
Understanding What Qualifies for Monetization
Hitting those subscriber and watch time numbers feels great, but it’s really just the first checkpoint on your monetization journey. To truly understand if you’re eligible, you need to know exactly what YouTube is counting—and what it’s not.
Let's talk about "valid public watch hours." This is the only metric that matters for that 4,000-hour goal. Any views you get from YouTube Shorts, private videos, unlisted content, or even paid ad campaigns won't move the needle. YouTube is looking for genuine, organic viewership from the public.
It’s also crucial to remember this is a "rolling" 12-month window. Picture a constantly updating snapshot of the last 365 days. If you had a great month and earned 500 watch hours 13 months ago, those hours have already expired from your total. This keeps the program focused on channels that are currently active and engaging their audience, not just those who had a single viral hit ages ago.
Beyond the Public Watch Hours
The numbers are only part of the story. YouTube has a strict set of rules you must follow to even apply, let alone stay monetized. These policies are there to protect advertisers, viewers, and the integrity of the platform itself.
Before you can even think about applying, you must have these basics covered:
- An active and correctly linked AdSense account.
- Zero active Community Guideline strikes on your channel.
- Complete compliance with all YouTube Partner Program policies.
A common mistake I see is when a creator has, say, 5,000 watch hours spread over two years. They won't qualify. The rolling window prioritizes current relevance over old views, a detail that catches a lot of new creators off guard.
The Bigger Picture of Monetization Potential
Getting a handle on these rules is what separates hobbyists from serious creators. To rack up those watch hours and subscribers, you really need to be smart about your content. Understanding strategies for creating viral content can make a huge difference in how quickly you grow.
The potential here is massive. As of early 2025, YouTube had a staggering 2.85 billion global users. What’s really interesting is that over 90% of those visits happen on mobile devices. This tells you just how important it is to make sure your videos look great on a small screen to capture the biggest possible audience.
Nailing these details is what it's all about. To get the full picture, check out our complete list of YouTube monetization requirements in our detailed revenue guide.
How to Read Your YouTube Revenue Analytics
So, you’re monetized. Congratulations! Now the real work begins. Moving from just being a creator to building a sustainable business means you need to get comfortable with your numbers. Let's head over to the Revenue tab in your YouTube Analytics and figure out what all those charts and stats actually mean for your bank account.
You can find this dashboard by navigating to YouTube Studio > Analytics > Revenue. This is your command center for all things money-related. It might look a bit intimidating at first, but we’ll break down the key metrics you actually need to pay attention to.
Key Revenue Metrics Explained
In your analytics, you'll see a few different acronyms for revenue. It's crucial to know what each one represents so you can understand your channel's financial health. I've put together a quick table to help you keep them straight.
| Metric | What It Measures | Why It Matters to You |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated Revenue | Your total earnings from all sources after YouTube's cut. | This is the most important number—it’s what you actually get paid. |
| RPM (Revenue Per Mille) | Your total revenue (from all sources) per 1,000 video views. | This tells you your overall earning efficiency per 1,000 views. It's the best measure of your channel's monetization power. |
| CPM (Cost Per Mille) | What advertisers pay YouTube per 1,000 ad impressions. | This is the market rate for ads on your videos before YouTube takes its 45% share. A high CPM is good, but it's not what you pocket. |
Ultimately, RPM is the metric you should obsess over. A high CPM is nice, but it's a vanity metric if it doesn't translate to a strong RPM. Your RPM is the true measure of how much you're earning for your effort.
RPM vs. CPM: What Actually Matters
I see so many creators get hung up on CPM. They'll see a big number and get excited, but CPM only tells half the story.
Think of it this way:
- CPM (Cost Per Mille) is what advertisers are willing to pay for 1,000 ad impressions on your content. It reflects the value of your audience to advertisers.
- RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is what you actually earn per 1,000 video views, after YouTube's revenue share. This includes money from ads, Super Chats, Memberships, and YouTube Premium.
My Advice: Focus on growing your RPM. It’s a more holistic number that reflects your actual earnings. A high CPM is great, but RPM is what pays the bills.
Analyzing Your Top-Earning Content
This is where you put on your detective hat. Your ‘Estimated Revenue’ report is a goldmine if you know how to use it. You can see which specific videos are making you the most money.
Let’s run a real-world scenario. Say you have two videos, both with 100,000 views.
- Video A earned $200.
- Video B earned $800.
Why the huge gap? The answer lies in the details:
- Video Topic: A video on "stock market investing" will almost always have a higher CPM than a "funny cat compilation." Advertisers in the finance niche simply pay more.
- Audience Location: An audience primarily in the United States or the UK will generate significantly more ad revenue than an audience in a region with lower ad spend.
- Video Length: Any video over eight minutes long can have mid-roll ads. These ad breaks can dramatically increase a video's RPM.
By digging into which videos are your financial home runs, you can start making data-driven decisions about your content strategy. It helps you find that sweet spot between what you love to make and what your audience (and advertisers) value most.
Once you have a good handle on your analytics, you can start exploring some best practices for driving more video CPM revenue to take your earnings to the next level.
What to Do When Monetization Is Turned Off
https://www.youtube.com/embed/vJWaYMzpGjc
It’s a gut-punch moment for any creator: you log in and see your channel’s monetization has been turned off. Before you panic, take a deep breath. This is usually something you can fix.
Most of the time, this happens for a few common reasons, like getting Community Guideline strikes, repeated copyright claims, or posting videos that just aren't advertiser-friendly. The most important thing to do first is to carefully read the official email or notification from YouTube. They'll tell you exactly which policy you violated, which is your road map to getting things back on track.
Pinpoint the Problem and Take Action
Your first job is to play detective and figure out what went wrong. Did you use someone else's footage without adding your own significant commentary? That’s a classic case of reused content. Or maybe your titles, thumbnails, and tags didn't accurately reflect what was in your video—that falls under misleading metadata.
Don’t just start deleting videos in a panic. Look at the specific violation YouTube pointed out. Sometimes, it’s just a single problem video, and removing or editing it is all you need to do before you can reapply.
YouTube is serious about its rules, and they've only gotten stricter. By 2025, the platform's review process became even more sophisticated at catching policy violations like misinformation or hate speech, which can get you demonetized almost instantly.
If you genuinely believe YouTube made a mistake, you have the right to appeal. In your appeal, be polite and clearly explain why you think your content follows all the guidelines. If they deny it, the next step is a channel cleanup. You'll need to go through your content, deleting or editing any videos that violate the rules.
After that, you can typically reapply for monetization after 30 days. For a deeper dive into the specific rules, check out our guide on YouTube channel monetization requirements.
Common Questions About YouTube Monetization
Jumping into YouTube monetization, you're bound to have questions. It's a whole new world once you start thinking about turning your passion into a paycheck. Let's walk through some of the most common things creators ask.
How Long Does the Monetization Review Take?
This is the big one everyone asks. After you hit "apply" for the YouTube Partner Program, you're looking at a wait time of about one month.
But that's just an average. If your channel touches on sensitive topics that need a specialist to review, or if there’s a massive backlog of applications, it can take longer. The key here is patience; they have a real human team reviewing every single application.
Can You Check if Another Channel Is Monetized?
You can’t see anyone's bank account, but you can definitely do some detective work. The easiest way to check YouTube monetization on another channel is to just watch their videos. If you see pre-roll or mid-roll ads, that's a dead giveaway.
Another clear sign is a "Join" button on their channel page. This means they have channel memberships turned on, a feature only available to creators in the YouTube Partner Program.
Do YouTube Shorts Views Help You Get Monetized?
It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Those millions of Shorts views you're getting won't count toward the 4,000 public watch hours required for the standard monetization path.
However, YouTube created a separate set of eligibility requirements just for Shorts. If you hit specific subscriber and view milestones with your Shorts, you can apply that way and start earning from the Shorts ad revenue sharing model.
The metric that truly matters for your bottom line is RPM (Revenue Per Mille). Unlike CPM, RPM shows what you actually earn per 1,000 views after YouTube takes its share. It’s the most realistic gauge of your channel’s financial health.
For creators weighing their options, understanding the monetization differences between blogging and vlogging can also shed light on why YouTube's earning model is so distinct.
