YouTubers can make money through several avenues. The biggest stars pull in millions a year. A majority of the successful ones can make several hundred thousand.
The most basic money-making tier is AdSense, a program by Google that runs targeted ads generating revenue on a per-click or per-impression basis (these are the ads you might see at the beginning, middle or end of YouTube videos).
Ottawa YouTuber Joey Kidney said these ads can generate $5 or $6 per every thousand views, although those on the higher tier of Google Preferred can make triple that. Kidney, who makes videos about mental health, is not on it, but he’d love to be.
“My content is considered to be ‘shocking’ or something,” Kidney said. “YouTube doesn’t like it. They told me. It’s too scary to talk about mental health. But that’s the important s–t, so I’ll sacrifice a dollar to help people.”
The bigger money, he said, can be made through brand deals and, to a lesser extent, merchandise, touring and guest speaking.
“So when you watch a video and you’re like, hmm, no ads, but whoa, there’s a Coca-Cola product in this — the AdSense is the rent. The brand deals are the reason why people can go shop at Gucci all the time,” said Kidney, who’s had partnerships with McDonald’s, Simons and Sportchek, to name a few.
“Mind you, I don’t go shop at Gucci or anything like that. I reinvest all my money in myself. I’ve probably spent $100,000 just on camera equipment. Last year was like $20,000 to $30,000 on flights. A YouTuber may make $100,000 a year, but really they’re only making probably around $30,000, because they’re hustling.”
Local YouTubers Kidney, Elle Mills and Cristine Rotenberg were all reticent to say exactly how much they make from YouTube videos. But they did speak in general terms about how much one could make.
“I’m not going to say names, but I will say there are YouTubers who for a 30-second brand deal in a video ask for a minimum $100,000 US,” said Mills. “But that’s like, you’re doing well. If there are YouTubers who are making millions, a majority could usually make around $200,000 to $300,000 a year.”
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Mills is picky when it comes to brand deals, and won’t agree to one unless it comes at the end of her video since it would interrupt the creative rhythm of the storytelling. The AdSense money she brings in is limited by the fact that she often uses copyright music in her work.
“I’m very creative-focused first, but to a fault. I’d rather have my favourite song in the video and make (money) somewhere else because I think the content’s good,” she said.
Kidney said when he was younger, his goal — coming from a family of lesser means — was to be in a position where he could spend $1,000 and not worry.
“Two weeks ago, I bought a $4,000 camera and I bought a flight yesterday for my friend to come home. Yeah, it’s a lot of money, but I don’t want people thinking I’m making a lot. I may, but I’m investing so much of it in everything I do.”
Rotenberg — who works full time at Statistics Canada — said she makes “significantly more money from YouTube than I do working for the government,” but warned that her situation is uncommon.
“Even though YouTube can be extremely lucrative for a small minority of creators, it’s also extremely financially volatile and unpredictable. For every one YouTuber making a great living off of posting videos, there are probably 99 others who live not knowing if they could pay rent with next month’s paycheque, or if that paycheque will be double or less than half of the month before.”
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
