Are you a passionate YouTuber who‘s struggling to get your channel approved for monetization? You‘re not alone. In recent years, countless creators have shared their frustration with YouTube‘s application review process, which can stretch on for weeks or even months without explanation.
Maybe your channel has been popping off lately, racking up thousands of new subscribers and watching time hours. You‘ve put in the hard work to consistently publish high-quality, engaging content. You‘re eager to start making money from your videos and turn your YouTube hobby into a real business. But when you submit your channel for monetization, all you get is radio silence.
Meanwhile, you‘re missing out on ad revenue from your most popular uploads. Even viral videos with millions of views can earn $0 if they‘re not monetized. Gaming YouTuber Dream has famously shared how he made no money from a video with over 2 million views because his monetization was still pending.
So what‘s going on behind the scenes of YouTube‘s review process? Why is it taking so long to get a decision? And most importantly, what can you do to avoid delays and improve your chances of getting approved?
As a tech industry veteran who‘s helped many clients navigate this journey, I‘m here to share my research and insights on the mysteries of YouTube monetization review. Let‘s dive in!
How the YouTube Partner Program Has Exploded in Size and Revenue
To put the monetization review delays in context, it‘s important to understand just how massive and lucrative the YouTube Partner Program has become.
Since launching in 2007, the Partner Program has expanded to include millions of creators across 100 countries. In 2022 alone, YouTube paid out over $10 billion to creators through ads and other monetization features like Super Chat and channel memberships. That‘s more than the annual revenue of companies like Twitter and Snap!
YouTube‘s ad business has been growing like crazy too. In Q4 2022, YouTube ad revenue hit a record $8.6 billion, up from $6.9 billion in Q4 2020 – a 25% increase in just one year. More advertisers are shifting budgets to YouTube as they recognize its massive reach and engaged audience.
So yeah, there‘s huge money-making potential for creators on YouTube. No wonder everyone wants a piece of the action! But that popularity comes with a price: longer wait times for monetization review.
What‘s Really Happening During Monetization Review? Breaking Down YouTube‘s Process
Many creators imagine YouTube monetization review as a black box. You send in your application and wait anxiously for a decision with no insight into what‘s going on behind closed doors.
In reality, YouTube has a huge system working overtime to process monetization requests as efficiently as possible while still preventing abuse and policy violations. Every application goes through both automated checks and manual review by human specialists.
First, YouTube‘s software scans your channel to verify it meets the Partner Program eligibility requirements, which as of 2024 include:
- 1,000+ subscribers
- 4,000+ valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
- 0 Community Guidelines strikes
- A linked AdSense account
"Our systems can quickly tell if a channel has at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time, so we‘re able to process most applications within a few days," says Ursula Coyote, a product manager for YouTube‘s monetization team. "The time-consuming part is the policy review."
To protect viewers and advertisers, YouTube has strict policies around the content it will monetize. Channels and videos containing violence, hate speech, harassment, scams, supercharged political content, or other inappropriate material are not eligible for monetization.
Automated systems scan your channel for any obvious red flags, like using excessive profanity in video titles. Then a human specialist does a deeper dive into your content, watching specific videos and reading metadata to determine if your channel truly complies with advertiser-friendly guidelines.
"We have a dedicated team of policy specialists who carefully review each application," says Coyote. "It‘s a manual process because context is so important. An educational video about world history might include violent war footage that‘s essential to the story, while gratuitous violence in a gaming video would violate our policies."
If your channel and sample of videos pass the policy review, you‘ll be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program and can start running ads. If something seems sketchy, the specialist will escalate your application for additional reviews – which means more delays.
What‘s Causing Longer Wait Times in 2024? Analyzing the Latest Trends
Okay, so that‘s how the process SHOULD work. But many YouTubers are reporting longer-than-usual review times stretching over a month or more in 2024. What‘s changed?
Unfortunately, YouTube hasn‘t shared any specific reasons for the delays. But based on my analysis and discussions with industry insiders, a few key factors are likely at play:
Explosion in application volume. YouTube viewership has surged during the pandemic, with over 2 billion logged-in users now watching over a billion hours of video every day. More eyeballs = more aspiring creators. So the YouTube review team is swimming in a record-high backlog of monetization requests to review.
Increased vigilance around policy violations. In recent years, YouTube has faced criticism for monetizing videos with misinformation, conspiracy theories, and other unsavory content. In response, the platform has tightened up its advertiser-friendly policies and hiring more human reviewers. While this helps ensure a brand-safe environment, it also means applications are scrutinized more carefully.
Focus on original content. YouTube has also been doubling down on original, high-quality content to compete with the likes of TikTok and Netflix. In a January 2023 blog post, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki stated, "Our core priority is fostering a healthy ecosystem where original content can thrive." Translation: Channels that post unoriginal, low-effort or derivative content may face more hurdles getting monetized.
System overhauls. Never underestimate the power of tech hiccups! Whenever YouTube makes a major update to its monetization systems and AI, delays can happen. "It‘s like when you upgrade the software on your phone and your apps are buggy for a few days," explains Coyote. "Our engineers work hard to minimize disruptions, but some slowdowns are unavoidable."
So in summary, the longer waits are largely due to the immense scale YouTube is operating at combined with their increasing standards for monetized content. It‘s frustrating, but not personal!
Tips to Improve Your Chances of Faster Monetization Approval
While you can‘t magically jump the queue or pay your way to the front of the line, there are a few proactive steps you can take to make the monetization review process go as smoothly as possible:
Vet your content carefully. Before you even apply for monetization, critically watch every video on your channel through the lens of YouTube‘s policies. If any videos contain violence, sexual themes, dangerous pranks, drug use, firearm instructions, controversial politics, or other risky elements, consider making them private. Focus on content you‘re sure advertisers would feel 100% comfortable running ads on.
Title and tag responsibly. Avoid using profanity, hate speech, or shocking clickbait in your video titles, descriptions, and tags – even if you‘re just joking. YouTube‘s AI looks at all your metadata to assess brand safety.
Engage authentically. "When our human reviewers evaluate a channel, they look at the whole package – not just the videos themselves, but also the vibe of the community around them," says Coyote. Choose kindness in the way you interact with viewers in comments and posts. Don‘t feed the trolls or get sucked into flame wars.
Submit when you‘re comfortably over the thresholds. While it‘s tempting to apply for monetization the second you hit 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours, you may get reviewed faster if you wait until you‘re at least 20-30% over the requirements. That way, you don‘t risk dipping back under the threshold and getting auto-rejected if you lose some subs or watch time during the wait.
Stay patient yet persistent. I know, easier said than done. But getting annoyed at YouTube during the process won‘t help your case. Wait at least a month before contacting YouTube for an update on your application status to allow for standard review times. If you do reach out, remain calm and professional vs. angry or entitled. Remember, a real human will read your message!
Creative Ways to Monetize Your YouTube Channel Once Approved
Once you finally get that glorious email welcoming you into the YouTube Partner Program, it‘s time to get that coin! While turning on ads is the most obvious monetization method, it‘s just the start of your money-making journey on YouTube.
To maximize your earnings, you‘ll want to diversify your income streams. Here are some of the top tactics I‘ve seen successful YouTubers use:
Super Chat and Super Stickers: Viewers can pay to have their live chat messages highlighted in livestreams and premieres. This is a great way to encourage engagement and make viewers feel special. Top streamers can earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars per stream from Super Chats!
Channel Memberships: Offer exclusive perks to subscribers who pay a monthly fee to join your inner circle. Perks can include members-only videos, livestreams, polls, emojis, and more.
YouTube BrandConnect (formerly FameBit): Partner with brands on sponsored content that resonates with your audience and mission. Many sponsorships start at $100-$500 per video and can scale up to five figures for larger creators!
Merchandise: Design and sell branded products like t-shirts, hats, mugs, and phone cases featuring your channel‘s logo or inside jokes. You can also sell digital products like ebooks, courses, and presets.
Affiliate marketing: Earn a commission by recommending products you genuinely love and use with affiliate links. Share your favorite tech gadgets, beauty products, or online courses and get paid when your unique link generates a purchase.
The key is to choose monetization tactics that make sense for your niche, personality, and community. Authenticity is everything. Don‘t promote something you don‘t believe in or pressure your viewers to spend money they don‘t have.
"I‘ve seen the most success with monetization when creators understand their audience and find natural ways to provide value through additional content or products," says Coyote. "It‘s not about spamming viewers with constant sales pitches, but rather inviting them to go deeper with you and support the channel‘s mission."
Final Thoughts: Keep Focused on the Fundamentals
I know how demoralizing it can feel to be stuck in monetization limbo, especially when you‘ve been working so hard to grow your channel. It‘s natural to start second-guessing yourself or scheming up ways to "hack" the system.
But here‘s the thing: YouTube‘s monetization system isn‘t some slot machine to be gamed. It‘s a reflection of the immense value the platform provides to both creators and viewers. The review process – while imperfect and sometimes frustrating – is meant to protect the overall integrity of the ecosystem.
At the end of the day, your energy is better spent focusing on the fundamentals that truly grow a channel over the long term: publishing original, high-quality content consistently, building relationships with your viewers, and promoting your videos strategically.
If your monetization application gets rejected, don‘t panic or give up. Learn from the feedback, make careful adjustments to your channel, and try again in 30 days. I‘ve seen countless creators rebound from those initial rejections and go on to build thriving, lucrative channels.
Trust that if you keep putting in the creative work and adding value to people‘s lives, the monetization will follow. The road to YouTube success is a marathon, not a sprint. And you, my friend, have what it takes to go the distance.
