YouTube offers creators the opportunity to earn money from their videos through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). To be eligible, channels must meet the following requirements:
- At least 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
- Compliance with YouTube’s monetization policies
When a channel joins the YPP, they can enable ads on their videos and earn revenue based on viewer engagement with those ads.
Methods to Check Monetization Status
Here are several ways to determine if a YouTube channel or a specific video is monetized:
1. The “Join” Button
- Visit the YouTube channel’s homepage.
- If a “Join” button is prominently displayed next to the “Subscribe” button, the channel is almost certainly monetized. This “Join” feature allows viewers to become channel members and access exclusive perks, which is only available to YPP participants.
2. Presence of Ads
- Play a video on the channel.
- If ads appear before or during the video, it’s a strong indicator that the video and likely the entire channel are monetized.
3. View Page Source
- Right-click anywhere on the channel’s homepage.
- Select “View Page Source.”
- Press CTRL+F (or Command+F on Mac) to open a search bar.
- Search for “is_monetization_enabled”.
- If the value is “true”, the channel is monetized. If it’s “false”, it is not.
4. YouTube Monetization Checker Tools
- Several websites offer easy-to-use monetization checkers. Some reliable options include:
- Simply copy and paste the YouTube channel’s URL into the tool, and it will quickly reveal its monetization status.
- Is This Channel Monetized: (https://isthischannelmonetized.com/)
- LenosTube: (https://www.lenostube.com/en/channel-monetization-checker/)
5. Chrome Extensions (Less Reliable)
- Some Chrome extensions claim to display a dollar sign icon next to monetized channels. However, this method can be less reliable than the methods mentioned earlier, as YouTube’s code changes over time can affect their functionality.
There are several reasons you might want to check if a YouTube channel or video is monetized:
- Market Research: If you’re exploring potential collaborations or sponsorships, knowing a channel’s monetization status helps gauge its reach and potential for an ad-based partnership.
- Curiosity: You might simply be curious about how your favorite creators earn income.
- Competitor Analysis: Understanding your competitors’ monetization strategies can provide insights into their business models.
