The "best" way to make money on YouTube in 2025 and beyond

The "best" way to make money on YouTube in 2025 and beyond is not relying on a single method, but rather implementing a diversified revenue system that aligns with your specific niche and audience size. While ad revenue provides a baseline, the highest earners layer affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and direct sales on top of their content.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the most effective monetization strategies, ranked by potential and accessibility, based on the provided sources.

1. High-Yield Niches & Ad Revenue (The Foundation)

While the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is the standard entry point, your earning potential is heavily dictated by your niche.

• The "Golden" Niches: The highest-paying way to utilize AdSense is to create content in high-CPM (Cost Per Mille) categories. In 2026, Finance and Credit Card content is projected to be the highest-paying niche, commanding CPMs of $20–$50+,.
• Other Lucrative Categories:
  • Make Money Online/Affiliate Marketing: $15–$50 CPM.
  • B2B Software & Tech: $15–$30 CPM due to high customer lifetime value for advertisers,.
  • Educational Content: $10–$25 CPM.
• Geography Matters: Creators targeting Tier 1 markets (USA, Australia, Switzerland) earn significantly more. For example, a U.S. viewer can generate a CPM of ~$14.67 compared to ~$0.84 for a viewer in Indonesia,.

2. Affiliate Marketing (The Scaler)

Affiliate marketing is often cited as the best way to monetize smaller channels because you do not need millions of views to make substantial income; you need high intent,.

• Recurring Commissions: The most recommended strategy for 2026 is promoting software (SaaS) that offers recurring monthly commissions. As long as the customer stays subscribed, you get paid. Top programs include Reclaim.ai (productivity), HubSpot (CRM), and ConvertKit (email marketing),,.
• High-Ticket Items: Promoting expensive products like Gold Co (Gold IRAs) or Shopify (e-commerce) can yield massive one-time payouts, sometimes reaching four to five figures per sale,.
• Volume Plays: For broader audiences, programs like Amazon Associates (1-10% commission) or VPNs (e.g., NordVPN) work well due to high conversion rates, even if the individual payout is lower,.

3. Brand Sponsorships (The Big Checks)

Sponsorships often represent the single largest revenue opportunity, even for channels with under 10,000 subscribers, provided they have a specific, engaged audience,.

• The Pitch Strategy: To land deals, experts recommend the ROPE method:
  • R (Relevant): Align with a brand's current campaign.
  • O (Organic): Show you already use or fit with the product naturally.
  • P (Proof): Provide data (retention, click-through rates).
  • E (Easy): Make the execution simple for the brand,.
• Pricing: Rates vary, but mid-tier channels (50k-250k views) can charge between $1,250 and $6,250 per video.

4. YouTube Shorts Monetization

Shorts have moved from a bonus fund to a revenue-sharing model, making them a viable, though volume-dependent, income stream.

• The Pooling Model: Unlike long-form video, Shorts revenue is pooled. YouTube takes 55% (partially to cover music licensing), and creators keep 45% of the allocated revenue based on their share of total views,.
• Hybrid Strategy: While the RPM (revenue per 1,000 views) for Shorts is lower ($0.01 - $0.06), they are excellent for driving subscribers who can then be monetized through long-form video ads and sponsorships,.

5. Fan Funding & "Supers"

For creators with loyal communities, direct fan support can stabilize income against ad market volatility.

• Super Chat & Stickers: Essential for live streamers. Viewers pay $1 to $500 to pin their messages in the chat. This works best in high-engagement niches like gaming or news,,.
• Channel Memberships: Offering exclusive badges, emojis, and behind-the-scenes content for a monthly fee creates recurring revenue. This acts as a "financial floor" for your business.

6. Selling Own Products (Merchandise & Digital)

Moving viewers off-platform to buy your own goods offers the highest margins.

• Print-on-Demand (POD): Platforms like Bonfire, Spreadshop, and Sellfy allow you to sell custom apparel without holding inventory. This integrates well with the YouTube "Merch Shelf",,.
• Digital Products: Selling e-books, courses, or presets (via platforms like Thinkific or Teachable) is highly profitable because there is no shipping or manufacturing cost,.

Essential Strategy: Compliance & Optimization

To sustain these income streams in 2025, you must adhere to platform rules and optimize for the algorithm.

• Avoid "Inauthentic" Content: As of July 2025, YouTube has tightened policies against mass-produced, low-effort AI content (e.g., repetitive templates, AI voiceovers without transformation). Violating this can lead to removal from the Partner Program,.
• Tax Compliance: You must submit your tax info in AdSense (even if outside the US) to avoid a default 24-30% withholding on your total earnings. Non-US creators can often claim a 0% tax treaty rate if forms (W-8BEN) are filled correctly,,.
• Algorithm Focus: The 2025 algorithm prioritizes Viewer Satisfaction (surveys, retention, returning viewers) over raw clicks. Optimizing for "session time"—keeping a viewer watching multiple videos in a row—is key to getting recommended,,.