How I monetized my YouTube Channel

How I Monetized My Art Channel on YouTube

In this blog post, I want to share the story of how my YouTube channel became monetized and offer some tips that might help you grow your own channel. In the autumn of 2024, around one year after launching my channel all about my small art business, I reached monetization. Whether you've already started your own channel, you're thinking about it, or you're simply curious, I’ll be sharing insights from my journey to monetization and some valuable tips I've picked up along the way. I’ll also share some stats and how one video made a huge difference for me.

It’s important to mention first of all that this year-long journey has shown me there are countless other benefits to starting a YouTube channel beyond earning through the YouTube partner program—especially for artists. I’ve made a video about how this journey has positively impacted my life, which you can watch here.

My YouTube Journey

When I first decided to start a YouTube channel, I had no idea what I was doing. I had zero experience with video editing, filming, lighting, or even the confidence to speak on camera—something I'm still working on! I also didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to make videos about. If you’re also in the same boat then don’t let this put you off! Start broad, then narrow down. If you're unsure about your YouTube channel’s direction or have several ideas but aren’t certain which ones you'll enjoy most, try experimenting with a few at first. When I started, I took inspiration from various art technique videos, attempting to replicate them. Back then, my channel even had a different name, In the Studio with Alex. But as I filmed and posted these videos, I realized I wasn’t enjoying the process or being authentic to myself. Balancing it all became especially challenging since I was making these videos alongside managing my small business.

But then I decided to film myself in the studio, simply doing what I was already doing to grow my art business. This approach felt much more natural and didn’t feel like an added task—it was just part of my day. The takeaway? Let your channel evolve naturally from the things you genuinely enjoy. You’ll find your rhythm and, most importantly, create videos that feel enjoyable rather than like hard work.

Find Your Niche

I want to add that, if over a longer period of time, your channel feels too scattered, it’s wise to focus on just a few key areas and stick with them, especially if you’ve been at it for a while. At some point, niching down can make a big difference. That’s not to say you can’t succeed with a broad approach, but having a diverse range of topics typically works better for creators with an established audience who will support anything they post. Personally, I believe it’s beneficial to find a niche you love and focus there—your audience will come to you. And don’t worry about your niche being too small; there are plenty of people out there who will appreciate what you do.

Keep creating and uploading

You’ll learn as you go! Focus on making each video just a little better than the last, and aim to stay consistent. I still have a long way to go, but when I look back at my first videos from a year ago, I can see how much progress I’ve made. There’s a wealth of free advice and tutorials available; you just have to invest the time to teach yourself. If you consistently put out high-quality content, eventually one or two videos will “pop off” and gain traction. This happened to me with my “Just Start” video, I’ll admit this was a bit of a YouTube trend but the messages resonated with me so much at the time so I wanted to create my own video and tell my own story. The video performed exceptionally well, and it was the one that pushed me past the 4,000 watch hour mark required for monetization, so I owe a lot to it.

Finding Inspiration

There’s no guaranteed way to know if a video will perform better than others, so focus on consistently creating quality content that you enjoy making. Combine this with a bit of luck, and hope that YouTube picks up your video and recommends it to a wider audience. Here’s a little tip: if you struggle to think of video ideas that are more likely to do well than others then check out channels with a similar subscriber count and content style as yours. Take note of their most-viewed videos and save them to a playlist—maybe call it “Journey to Monetization.” This will give you a go-to list of ideas for videos you can create when you get stuck. Use these as inspiration and a bit of market research to see what people are watching and enjoying. Just don’t copy—put your own spin on it!

Another effective approach is to listen closely to your audience. Reading through comments can provide valuable insights into what people are interested in, what challenges they’re facing, and what they need help with. Consider running polls or directly asking your audience what they’d like to see. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create content you’re passionate about; it’s about blending your interests with topics that resonate with your viewers.

Solve People’s Problems

Focus on creating videos that solve a problem. For creatives, this could mean tutorials on improving drawing skills or guides on selling art without relying on social media—a topic I recently covered in one of my videos. Consider the value you're offering that would make someone want to subscribe. Over time, I’ve developed core values for my content, aiming to be inspirational, motivational and helpful in every video. Then people know what they are getting from you and whether or not they can put the trust in you

Using Music

Avoid the mistake I made: don’t use copyrighted music. I was such a novice that until just a few months ago, I was using music from a royalty-free site, thinking it was copyright-free. It turns out that many of my videos included tracks that triggered copyright claims. This meant I could still upload and share the videos, but once I became monetized, I couldn’t earn any money from them—all the revenue goes to the music copyright holders. I’m gradually phasing out those videos because I don’t like having copyright claims on my content. The takeaway? Double-check the music you’re using!

Thumbnails

I could make an entire video on this topic, but there are already hundreds out there by people who know more than I do! I personally struggled with thumbnails for a long time; they used to take me forever. After finishing editing, I’d realize I still had to create a thumbnail, and despite all the time I’d put in, they rarely looked as good as I wanted. My advice here is similar to creating content: keep making them, and over time, you’ll find what works. Now, I’ve created a thumbnail template with a consistent font and photo style, and it takes me about two minutes to make one. Having a recognizable thumbnail style helps too—it’s great if someone can spot your upload just by glancing at the thumbnail. Try to include 2-4 words on the thumbnail that aren’t in the video title, and when you save the file, give it a name related to the video’s content. Also, be thoughtful with your video title—small details like these can help with the YouTube algorithm, or so I’ve heard!

Make Longer Videos

Although I haven’t tried this personally, I’ve heard it can be effective for smaller creative channels: creating longer videos, like "paint with me" or "draw with me" sessions. While fewer people may watch longer videos, if your goal is to reach higher watch hours, an hour-long video can still generate more total watch time than a shorter one, even with a smaller audience.

Uploading Your Videos

When uploading your videos, there are several steps you can take to increase visibility. First, make sure the video file name isn’t something random like "file46787"; instead, use a descriptive, keyword-rich title, such as “how_to_monetize_your_small_youtube_channel.” Apply this same strategy to your thumbnail file names as well. Use the tags feature to include keywords relevant to your video’s topic. It can also help to pin a comment in the comment section to encourage conversation—while I haven’t seen big results from this yet, it’s worth trying! Finally, add your video to a playlist. This not only helps viewers find related content more easily but also makes your channel look organized and cohesive.

Video Introduction

Keep the first 30 seconds of each video concise, clearly introducing the topic and explaining why you’re qualified to discuss it. For example, in my video on selling art without social media, I use the first minute to establish that I’m successfully building a business and generating income without relying on social media and I want to share some tips that I have learnt and share these with you.

Be Yourself!

A lot of people worry that what they want to do has already been done. And while that’s often true, remember—it hasn’t been done by you. YouTube is about long-form content, which gives you the chance to let your personality shine through. For me, this has been something I’ve developed over time. If you’re new to speaking on camera, it can feel intimidating, but the only way to get comfortable is to keep practicing and uploading consistently. Plus, you can always delete any old videos you don’t like—no one ever has to see them again!

I hope this blog post has provided you with valuable insights and actionable tips to help you either get started with your YouTube channel or take your existing one to the next level. Whether you're just beginning or looking to grow your audience and increase engagement, I wish you every success on your journey, good luck!