Shamontiel L. Vaughn
As if there weren’t enough social media platforms to showcase amateur and professional video footage, YouTube is getting in on the short video segments trend with YouTube Shorts. Also, in its beta form, creators in India are testing out the Shorts camera, a video creation tool.
Other users are welcome to upload their own short vertical videos, with a maximum length of 60 seconds. Make sure to include #Shorts in the title or description area so they can easily be found. Users who want to check out this TikTok-like feature can browse them on the YouTube Shorts homepage.
Similar to Instagram’s Reels and Facebook’s Collab, users can add music, control the speed of the video and time themselves. For users who prefer to have a full-length, 60-second video, the YouTube Shorts camera is not the way to go; it will only record a 15-second maximum. Additionally, the same rules apply for using copyrighted material. Without appropriate rights, users may be faced with a Content ID claim so make sure to only use content you have the rights to.
Neither Shorts option earns monetization though. So is a YouTube Short worth it, knowing there’s no money initially earned? It depends on the larger goal. If the YouTube Shorts will be used to increase one’s exposure, then a video streaming platform like this makes sense. While YouTube Shorts do not contribute to YouTube’s Partner Program eligibility, the subscribers that users earn from this section can be counted toward the eligibility threshold.
Making money on YouTube
Keep in mind that being able to make money on YouTube requires stricter guidelines than just releasing a few videos. In order to participate in the Partner Program, users must do the following:
- Follow all the YouTube monetization policies
- Live in an eligible country where the partner program provides compensation
- Have more than 4K valid public watch hours in the last 12 hours
- Have 1K or more subscribers
- Maintain a linked AdSense account
Anyone who violates these specifications listed above is at risk of having their ads (i.e. incoming money) turned off. If the goal is to transition from YouTube Shorts to monetary videos, be very familiar with the advertiser-friendly content guidelines, age restriction and/or copyright guidelines.
If you’re not quite sure about whether you’re ready for YouTube’s Partner Program, or you end up getting rejected, don’t worry. YouTube already confirmed that a significant amount of reviewers don’t make the cut the first time. However, they can always re-apply 30 days after rejection.
