YouTube can be one of the most valuable revenue platforms for musicians, but YouTube monetisation works differently depending on how your music is being used.

Musicians can earn money from YouTube through several different routes, including advertising, YouTube Premium, Content ID and their own YouTube channels.

How do musicians make money from YouTube?

The main ways musicians can earn from YouTube are:

• Advertising revenue – ads shown before, during or around videos can generate revenue.
• YouTube Premium – musicians can receive a share of subscription revenue when Premium members watch or listen to their content.
• YouTube Content ID – tracks can be identified when other creators use them in their videos, allowing the rights holder to monetise those videos.
• Official music videos and uploads – artists can monetise content uploaded to their own eligible YouTube channels.
• YouTube Music – streams through YouTube Music can also generate royalties for artists and rights holders.

What is YouTube Content ID?

For many musicians, YouTube Content ID is one of the most important parts of YouTube monetisation.

Your music is added to YouTube’s Content ID database and automatically compared against videos uploaded across the platform.

If YouTube detects your music in another video, a Content ID claim can be created. Depending on the rights holder’s settings, that video may then be monetised and advertising revenue generated from the use of your music.

This means musicians can potentially earn money even when their tracks are being used on channels they don’t own.

Do musicians need a big YouTube channel to make money?

Not necessarily.

Building your own monetised YouTube channel can create an additional revenue stream, but Content ID and YouTube Music royalties don’t rely on you becoming a major YouTube creator first.

For musicians, the bigger opportunity is often making sure your music is distributed, correctly identified and monetised everywhere it appears across YouTube.

How much does YouTube pay musicians?

There isn’t one fixed payment per view.

YouTube earnings can vary depending on factors including the viewer’s country, advertising demand, whether the viewer has YouTube Premium, the type of content and how the music is being monetised.

A million views therefore won’t always generate the same amount of money.

The key to YouTube monetisation for musicians

YouTube isn’t simply a place to upload music videos.

It is a huge music discovery and user-generated-content platform.

For musicians, effective YouTube monetisation means combining your own channel, YouTube Music distribution and Content ID so you can earn whenever audiences listen to or use your music across the YouTube ecosystem.