YouTube Shorts began rolling out in March 2021, as a new way of allowing creators to make and post short, catchy videos using their mobile devices. But can YouTube Shorts be monetized? Many of the short-form videos that you might have already watched on YouTube Shorts will have ads, suggesting that they can. However, there are two different types of Shorts – one is content that creators make using the Shorts camera, which is limited to fifteen seconds. The other type is any vertical video that can last up to sixty seconds long and includes the hashtag #shorts in the description or title.

Monetizing Shorts with Ads

The longer version of Shorts is being monetized with ads, which explains why around three-quarters of YouTube Shorts videos that have been uploaded since the feature was rolled out have been the longer version using the #shorts hashtag. YouTube are currently working on what monetization for the shorter Shorts format might look like in the future.

Shorts Vs. Regular YouTube Videos

One of the most common ways to monetize a YouTube Short is by discovering it on the Short Videos and Stories shelf. Another way to monetize the video is by viewing it as a regular YouTube video, which is possible when a viewer watches the video on channel pages or within browse features. Since regular YouTube videos can be monetized with ads, a YouTube Short that is watched as a regular video is more likely to generate revenue. YouTube Shorts give you two chances at getting your video seen, since if it doesn’t perform well as a regular video, it might work out better on the Short Videos shelf.

What Do YouTube Shorts Contribute Towards?

While you cannot place ads on the shorter versions of YouTube Shorts and they do not contribute towards YouTube Partner Program eligibility in the same way as regular YouTube video uploads, it’s worth bearing in mind that any subscribers that you gain from watching your Shorts will still count towards the eligibility threshold, which is why they are worth experimenting with as part of your YouTube channel to gain more followers and engagement, which can ultimately lead to monetization.

How to Create Shorts

YouTube Shorts can be any vertical video that is no longer than sixty seconds long. You can create one with your own equipment or use YouTube’s video creation tool, including the Shorts camera which makes it easy to create videos that last for no more than fifteen seconds with the option to capture multiple clips. They also offer a range of creative features to add to your Shorts including Speed Control to slow down or speed up your recording, a selection of free-to-use background music to add, and a countdown timer which you can set to easily record hands-free.

YouTube Shorts are a new way of creating and sharing video content on YouTube. While the options to monetize them are currently limited, many creators have already seen a revenue increase from Shorts and there is likely to be more monetization options added by YouTube in the future.