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Do you know why some YouTube creators suddenly lose their earnings overnight? It’s a frustrating problem that many people face, and it all comes down to YouTube demonetization. This happens when YouTube stops showing ads on videos or limits its revenue, often because of policy violations or content issues.
It can hit anyone, from new creators to established channels, leaving them wondering what went wrong. However, YouTubers also resort to alternative ways to increase their income. In fact, 18% of the channels use at least one alternative monetization strategy to earn income apart from YouTube.
By understanding how demonetization works, you can protect your content and maintain a steady income. If you’re a streamer or someone who uses copyright-free videos to create shorts for YouTube, try out Framedrop to easily convert long-form videos into shorts with captions.
Now, let’s get into these details and see how you can keep your channel monetized.
In Summary: How to Save Yourself From YouTube Demonetization?
To save yourself from being demonetized on YouTube, do the following:
- Ensure your videos follow YouTube's rules to avoid any risk of demonetization.
- Use the content or media you have permission to work with to avoid copyright strikes.
- Conduct yourself respectfully and professionally when covering sensitive topics.
- Monitor and clean up your comment section to keep it free of offensive content.
- Be clear about any sponsorships by mentioning them in the video or description.
- Create original videos with your ideas to avoid copyright problems.
What is Demonetized on YouTube?
YouTube demonetization happens when a video or channel becomes ineligible to earn revenue from ads. But exactly what is demonetized on YouTube? This refers to any content that violates YouTube's advertiser-friendly guidelines or community standards, leading to ads being removed or limited.
These guidelines or standards include inappropriate language, copyright violations, or content that covers sensitive topics like violence, politics, or misinformation. If you don’t want this to happen to your channel, it’s important to understand YouTube policies and consistently align content with YouTube’s guidelines.
How to Know If a YouTube Video Is Demonetized?
YouTube provides clear indicators to help creators identify when their videos are demonetized or have limited ad availability. To check your monetization status, open YouTube Studio and navigate to the content section. Here, you need to look at the Monetization tab, where you’ll see dollar signs with different colors based on your status. These include:
- Yellow: This means the video is demonetized or is receiving limited ads. Content with strong language, controversial topics, or copyrighted material often triggers this status.
- Green: This color indicates full monetization. It means the video complies with YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines and community policies.
- Gray: Either monetization was never enabled for the video, or the creator manually turned it off. This status is also shown if your channel is not yet eligible for the YouTube Partner Program.
- Red: Indicates that the video is either removed from YouTube or blocked in certain regions due to violations like copyright infringement, hate speech, or explicit content. It also means that there’s a copyright claim on that particular video.
How YouTube Demonetization Works?
When you upload a video, YouTube’s algorithm automatically scans it. This review checks for any potential violations of YouTube’s advertiser-friendly policies. If the algorithm detects an issue, your video is flagged and given a yellow dollar sign for limited ads, indicating potential YouTube demonetization.
If you think that the algorithm flagged your video incorrectly, you can request a manual review. If your video passes, the yellow dollar sign may be replaced by a green one. In some cases, the platform can demonetize YouTube channels as well due to repeated violations.
Words You Can’t Say on YouTube
Not every word is welcome on YouTube, and using the wrong ones could result in a demonetized YouTube video. The platform has strict rules about what you can say, and using certain words or phrases might cost you your ad revenue.
Here’s a quick look at the words that could get your video demonetized:
- Swear words: Even mid-profanity, especially at the start of a video, can lead to demonetization.
- Racial slurs: Offensive language targeting any race or ethnicity quickly gets flagged.
- Dug mentions: Talking about drugs, even casually or for educational purposes, could result in limited or no ads.
- Insults and name-calling: Harsh or offensive comments may trigger restrictions on monetization.
Can You Stream and Receive Donations If Demonetized on YouTube?
Yes, even if your channel undergoes YouTube demonetization, you can still stream and receive donations. While demonetization affects ad revenue by limiting or removing ads from your videos, it doesn’t necessarily block other forms of income.
If you stream regularly, here’s a helpful guide on how to edit a YouTube live-stream video to make your content stand out.
Impact of YouTube Demonetization
YouTube demonetization can have significant consequences for content creators, both financially and emotionally. When a video or channel gets demonetized, ads are removed or limited, leading to reduced revenue.
Let’s take a look at the critical impacts of YouTube demonetization:
1. Loss of Ad Revenue
The most immediate effect is a drop in income. Without ads, creators lose a primary source of earnings, which can make it harder to sustain their content creation efforts. Limited ads result in significantly lower payouts than fully monetized content.
2. Reduced Visibility
YouTube’s algorithm tends to favor monetized videos for recommendations and search results. A demonetized video might not appear as frequently, resulting in fewer views and lower engagement. This decrease in reach can slow down channel growth and affect long-term audience retention.
3. Suspension from the YouTube Partner Program
For repeated violations, YouTube may suspend participation in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), blocking creators from earning ad revenue or using monetization tools like Super Chat and channel memberships.
4. Risk of Channel Termination
In severe cases, YouTube may terminate the channel if it consistently violates guidelines. This can end the creator’s entire presence on the platform, making it impossible to recover content or audience.
Turn your YouTube videos to Shorts
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How to Avoid Demonetization on YouTube?
Avoiding demonetization can be tricky, but with the right approach, you can keep your videos monetized. Here are six tips to help you monetize your channel.
1. Follow YouTube’s Guidelines from the Start
Your videos, whether long-form or Short, need to follow YouTube’s community—and advertiser-friendly policies. Follow updated rules to ensure your content stays aligned. Remember, even a small violation could trigger demonetization.
2. Avoid Copyright Strikes
Copyright violations are one of the most common causes of demonetization faced by YouTube creators. To avoid this, only use content you create or have permission to use. When it comes to music or footage, opt for royalty-free media or public domain options to avoid any issues.
For more insights, read how not to get copyrighted on YouTube to keep your videos safe and ad-friendly.
3. Use Respectful Language
YouTube caters to a wide range of audiences, and videos with inappropriate or harsh language are more likely to be demonetized. If you’re discussing mature or sensitive topics, express yourself clearly and professionally to ensure your message is respectful, well-understood, and considerate of different perspectives.
4. Moderate Your Comments Regularly
The comment section can influence how YouTube views your channel’s ad suitability. Offensive or inappropriate comments may hurt your monetization status. Be proactive in monitoring and managing comments.
5. Disclose Sponsorships Openly
Transparency is essential if your videos are sponsored. YouTube requires creators to clearly disclose sponsorships, either in the description or within the video. Being open about sponsored content builds trust with your audience.
6. Focus on Original Content
Uploading reused or copied content without adding value is a fast way to face YouTube demonetization. Make sure your videos are original, reflecting your ideas, opinions, or creative touch.
How to Get Rid of YouTube Demonetization?
If your video has been demonetized, don’t worry; you can take certain actions to get monetization back. The key is to figure out what went wrong and fix the issue. Follow these steps to regain monetization:
1. Find Out Why Your Video Was Demonetized
Log into your YouTube Studio and go to the Content section. Next to the flagged video, you’ll see the reason for demonetization. This will help you understand what needs to be fixed.
2. Appeal the Decision
Now, look closely at YouTube’s monetization policies and see if your video was flagged by mistake. If that’s so, appeal the decision by going into your Dashboard and looking for the Channel Violations card.
Select “Appeal” and submit your request for reconsideration. Be respectful and explain clearly why your video follows YouTube’s guidelines.
3. Wait for a Manual Review
A YouTube reviewer will manually check your video to see if it complies with the platform’s rules. If your appeal is approved, monetization will be restored, and ads will run on your videos again. However, this entire process may take around seven days to complete.
Best Alternatives For AdSense Monetization
If you’re facing YouTube demonetization or even if your channel is thriving with fully monetized videos, you should not solely rely on AdSense. Here are some effective ways by which you can diversify your income with YouTube:
1. Sell Online Courses
Creating and marketing an online course on your channel can be a game-changer. With platforms like Teachable, the process is simple and requires minimal upfront investment. Courses also have excellent profit margins, making them an effective long-term revenue stream.
You can take a page from Ali Abdaal, a productivity-focused channel whose main income source is online courses.
2. Offer Coaching Services
You can provide personalized coaching sessions if you have expertise in any field, whether it’s fitness, fashion, business, or finance. Promoting these services on your channel can attract clients while allowing you to connect more deeply with your audience.
You can provide both individual and group coaching services. Even small YouTubers like Leila, a personal finance creator, have found success with coaching.
3. Build an Online Community
YouTube allows creators to build a paid community where members pay for exclusive content. However, you don’t need to limit yourself to YouTube, as you can also use other membership sites.
Communities can be profitable across many niches, from wellness to personal finance. Offering exclusive videos, live streams, or digital content within a paid membership creates a reliable income stream.
4. Sell Digital Products
If creating a course isn’t your style, selling digital downloads can be a great alternative. Sarra Cannon, a YouTuber and course creator, promotes digital planner templates for authors through her channel, which generates income beyond ads.
Consider selling digital products like e-books, worksheets, templates, PDFs, or printable. These products are easy to create, cost-effective, and can provide passive income over time.
5. Launch Physical Products
Selling physical products is another great way to diversify your income. Raisa Martin, a Canadian YouTuber, uses her videos to promote her stationery business, which sells planners and budget templates.
You can explore simple, branded products such as merchandise, which is especially popular among creators with loyal followers. Offering physical goods that align with your brand can strengthen your connection and provide additional income.
Boost YouTube Monetization Through Shorts and Captions with Framedrop
To keep earning on YouTube, creators need more than just ads; they need to add options like courses, coaching, and selling digital products. This helps reduce the risk of YouTube demonetization and creates stronger connections with viewers.
If you’re someone who uploads YouTube shorts quite often, you should definitely try Framedrop. It makes it incredibly easy to turn videos into shorts and add captions that attract more viewers. Shorts increase your reach, and captions help make your content clear and accessible to everyone.
Start using Framedrop today and unlock new ways to grow your audience and earnings!
Turn your YouTube videos to Shorts
Reach new audiences and repurpose your content with AI highlights.
FAQ
YouTube doesn’t automatically remove monetization, even if it falls below the threshold. Monetization is only removed when a video violates YouTube’s guidelines. The platform also reserves the right to remove monetization if a channel is inactive and has not uploaded or posted community posts for six months or more.
To regain monetization, address the issues that led to demonetization. If your channel received a Community Guidelines or copyright strike, you can appeal the decision through the YouTube studio. If the strikes can’t be resolved, YouTube may allow you to reapply after three months if your channel remains compliant.
Creators typically earn $2 - $12 per 1,000 views, or about $0.002 - $0.012 per view, depending on factors like audience location and ad type. Advertisers pay YouTube for every 1000 views their ads receive, but YouTube keeps 45% of the ad revenue.
Yes, YouTube pays for shorts through YouTube Premium revenue sharing. Creators receive 45% of the net revenue allocated for monetizing Shorts, while a portion is used to cover music licensing costs. Traditional ad revenue does not apply to these, as it does for longer videos.
No, that’s not possible. You can monetize your videos once your channel meets the eligibility requirements for the YouTube Partner Program. This includes having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months. Once you reach these milestones, you can monetize all your videos, including your first one.