YouTube has recently announced a new monetization policy for its short-form video feature, YouTube Shorts. Starting February 1, 2023, creators will be able to earn money from ads that are viewed between videos in the Shorts Feed. This new revenue-sharing model will replace the YouTube Shorts Fund, which was a temporary fund used to support creators while the platform was still testing its Shorts feature.
Trouble for Tik tok?
MrBeast, a popular YouTube personality, had previously expressed his belief that TikTok’s popularity would soon be surpassed by YouTube’s short-form video feature, YouTube Shorts. He attributed this potential downfall to the financial aspect of the platforms. MrBeast believed that the introduction of the Partner Program, which allows creators to earn ad revenue from YouTube Shorts, would attract major TikTok creators to the platform due to the potential for greater financial gain. He predicted that once the Partner Program was implemented, creators would be unlikely to prioritize TikTok over YouTube Shorts. However, not all individuals shared this perspective.
Eligibility for the new partner program.
To be eligible for this new revenue-sharing model, creators will need to accept the Shorts Monetization Module, which is a set of terms that allow creators to earn money from ads and YouTube Premium in the Shorts Feed. Additionally, creators need to follow YouTube’s channel monetization policies, including the policies on repetitive and reused content, as well as YouTube’s community guidelines, terms of service, copyright, and Google AdSense program policies.
Creators must also ensure that their content is advertiser-friendly. Only views of content that follow YouTube’s advertiser-friendly guidelines will be eligible for revenue sharing. Examples of ineligible content include non-original Shorts, such as unedited clips from movies or TV shows, reuploading other creators’ content from YouTube or other platforms, or compilations with no original content added. Views of Shorts that are inconsistent with YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines will also not be eligible for revenue sharing.
Revenue sharing system
Ad revenue sharing for Shorts is calculated based on views and music usage across Shorts uploaded by monetizing creators. If a monetizing creator uploads a short without any music, all of the revenue associated with its views goes into the Creator Pool. However, if a monetizing creator uploads a short with music in it, the revenue associated with its views will be split between the Creator Pool and music partners based on the number of tracks used. For example, if a monetizing creator uploads a Short with 1 track, half of the revenue associated with its views would be allocated to the Creator Pool, and the other half used to cover the costs of music licensing.
In conclusion, YouTube’s new monetization policy for its Shorts feature is a significant step forward for creators looking to earn money from their short-form videos. However, creators must follow the platform’s monetization policies and ensure that their content is advertiser-friendly to be eligible for revenue sharing. With this new policy, creators can now earn money from ads that are viewed between videos in the Shorts Feed, making it easier for them to monetize their content.
