How to check if a YouTube Video is Monetized?
This article will be helpful if you want to know how to check if a YouTube video is monetized on not.
Not only that, but by the end of it, you’ll also know what kind of videos cannot be monetized on YouTube.
YouTube has an estimated 2.3 billion users worldwide. The platform provides an excellent way to earn money through advertisement.
However, not all videos are monetized on YouTube. There are certain criteria that you have to fulfill before you can start making money through your YouTube videos. We’ll be discussing all of them in this article.
Let’s get right into the action now.
Are all YouTube videos monetized?
All the videos aren’t monetized on YouTube. You see, there was a time when getting your videos monetized on YouTube was a breeze.
But now, every content producer must go through a screening process that’s neither easy nor quick.
You have to complete:
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- 4000 hours watch time of your videos, and that too, in the last 12 months
- You must get 1000 followers on your channel
- And, you should follow all the guidelines and policies of the platform
How to check if a YouTube Video is Monetized?
As the number 1 video hosting platform, YouTube has a powerful ecosystem of viewers and publishers. It lets the publishers create helpful and high-quality content by offering monetization. And, the monetization-backed content drives more visitors to the platform.
But, as a content creator, how to check if a YouTube video is monetized or not? That’s exactly what I’m going to answer now.
Let’s dive in.
The shorter answer to the question “how to check if a YouTube video is monetized” is to see if that video is showing any ads.
When you apply for the YouTube Partner Program and get your channel approved, your channel’s videos are eligible for monetization.
So, YouTube starts showing relevant ads on your videos to the viewers. Play the video on a browser and see if it shows an ad.
If it does, the video is monetized.
Let’s talk about the other way to check if a YouTube video is monetized or not. This is a better way as you get to know more about your video.
Start by going to your channel’s “YouTube Studio”. You’ll see the option after clicking on your display image at the top right corner of your dashboard.
Source: Youtube.com
Select “Content” on the left side of the dashboard.
Source: Youtube.com
You’d see a list of your videos with metrics like “Publish date”, “Views”, “Comments”, and “Like/Dislike ratio”.
But, the metric we are most concerned about right now is whether your videos are monetized or not.
There would be a “Monetization” option against every video that tells you whether it’s showing ads or not.
If you see a green dollar sign against a video, understand that the video is monetized.
Here is what the platform has to say about it.
Source: Youtube.com
However, that’s not it. While the green dollar sign is the one every content publisher loves, there are other signs that a video may show and you need to know about.
Checking
When you see the “Checking” sign in front of a YouTube video; this would mean that YouTube is checking that video for ad suitability.
You’ll seldom see this sign as YouTube takes a maximum of 1 hour to analyzea video for monetization.
Escrow
If a video shows the “Escrow” sign against a video, there is a dispute on your video and YouTube is keeping the revenue in Escrow.
If the status shows “Copyright claim”, it means your video had copyrighted material and the copyright owner is reviewing your appeal/request.
Limited
When your content isn’t fully advertiser-friendly, YouTube places the “Limited” tag on your videos. This doesn’t mean your videos won’t earn through advertisements.
This just means that your videos with the “Limited” tag get fewer ads, which means they generate lower income.
Ineligible
This one is self-explanatory. Ineligible means your video isn’t eligible for ad placements. So, you won’t be earning anything from them.
Often, a YouTube video is ineligible for monetization because you’ve used copyrighted content in it. It could be the audio or the visuals.
So, making sure that everything you post is your own is imperative if you want to monetize your YouTube videos.
Off
Your YouTube video’s monetization status is “Off” when you turn it off yourself. If it says “Copyright claim. Eligible for revenue sharing”, you can share the revenue with the owner of the copyright.
So, while the revenue will be limited, you still get to monetize your content.
Generally, the “Off” sign means your video isn’t monetized.
To sum up, your YouTube video is monetized when there is a green dollar sign in front of it in YouTube Studio.
Don’t want to go that route? You can also check by playing your video and see if any ad appears on it.
What Kind of Videos Cannot be Monetized on YouTube?
It’s important to note that you can’t monetize a video you don’t own. Content that is the property of others can eventually get your channel banned on YouTube even if it gets monetized initially.
Moreover, YouTube only monetizes advertiser-friendly videos. If your video isn’t advertiser-friendly, it’ll either be “Limited” or “Ineligible”.
There are a few categories that YouTube doesn’t allow. In short, every publisher should stick to the YouTube community guidelines to monetize their content.
Content that isn’t allowed on YouTube include:
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- Nudity or sexual
- Violent or graphic
- Hateful
- Child endangerment
- Threats
- Harmful
- Impersonation
- Copyrighted
Conclusion
YouTube is an ever-growing video hosting platform that publishers from all over the world use to monetize their content.
It doesn’t monetize your videos by default. There are a few requirements that you need to fulfill before you can make money from your videos on the platform.
Checking whether a video is monetized is easy. You can either see it against a video in YouTube Studio or watch that video yourself to see if it shows any ads.
The conditions to monetize a YouTube channel are 1000subscribers and 4000 watch hours in the last 12 months. But, there are other conditions too. Your content shouldn’t be copyrighted and must stick to the YouTube community guidelines.
