ProductionHUB Blog

by Steve Rotz

Starting with only 3 channels in the 1930’s to then 100+ channels in the 1980’s with well over 1,000+ channels today- TV is ever evolving and YouTube is in on it too. It’s all about finding what you need anytime, anywhere- and the YouTube Partnership Program 101 can help assist you in growing your audience for years to come. 

*Why would you want to be part of the YouTube Partner Program?

Margaret Gregory and Alton Lee, New Partner Development for YouTube informed us about the partner program and its benefits while at NATPE 2012. By being a part of the YouTube Partnership Program, not only will YouTube consistently inform you on tips and tricks on how to grow your audience and keep them, but your revenue will see changes (for the best) as well. Did you know YouTube gets about 4 billion current daily views? With about 800 million YouTube users a month, and 60 hours of footage uploaded every minute, the Partner Program can help you tap into these growing statistics.

All in all, if you get the chance to be a YouTube partner, you inevitably learn how to distribute your content to a larger audience; therefore expand your reach to increase your revenue potential.

*Do you have what it takes?

Qualifications for YouTube Partner Program:

First off, you need to have certain qualifications to even request to be a part of the Partner Program. If you don’t have the below qualifications, don’t even waste your time submitting your info for acceptance into the program.

1.) Your videos must be 100% your creation. No copied content is accepted. Whether its songs, lyrics, background music, movies, TV visuals, graphics, images, live performances etc. You must own 100% of the video you upload. It’s all or nothing. 

2.)  You should have an AdSense account to be able to apply for this partnership. What is AdSense, you ask? Google AdSense is a free program that empowers online publishers to earn revenue by displaying relevant ads on a wide variety of online content, including site search results, websites and mobile webpages and apps. 

3.) Your videos should be uploaded on a regular basis and viewed by thousands of YouTube users. You need to be an avid YouTube user with a following. 

If you are lucky enough, or perhaps very popular on YouTube, you might just receive an invitation from YouTube instead. 

*It’s all About the Benjamin’s. 

Below are the three main ways to make money off the Partner Program:

1.) The most common and traditional way is to display advertisements with your videos. 

2.) You can offer videos for rent. Yes, rent. By renting out your content there will be no ads on your video and you can decide the price and duration of your video. 

3.) The new ad format “True View” currently being used on YouTube is another recent feature Margaret Gregory and Alton Lee went on to describe. (You might have already noticed it when viewing videos on YouTube.) With the “True View” you can click out of an ad before you see it, which is very convenient- making the ad more targeted and engaging to viewers. (Also, it adds for better user experience, as well as partner experience- since advertisers will actually pay more for these types of ads being that the people who view them are actually interested in the ads message.) 

Seems like a lot of rules, huh? Well, the rules are worth it! Check out some of the benefits you get from this Partner Program. (There’s a reason why hundreds of people apply daily!)

photo: Alton Lee and Margaret Gregory, New Partner Development for YouTube

*The Perks of being a Partner.

- You learn how to earn increased revenue through the videos that you create. 

- You can rent streaming videos directly to viewers. 

- You control your videos through the Content ID system, and through the automated tools you can also track and block infringing content. 

- Partners can upload content without any length/size limitations. 

- It provides viewers with a high-quality brand experience. 

- Upgraded features like home-page autoplay, channel banner, autoplay feature video, unlimited size for background image, custom video thumbnails and interactive features makes the partnership all-the-more worthwhile! 

- You can also live stream your videos and broadcast your content in real-time. 

- YouTube Partner Program Analytics: The Stats

As a YouTube Partner, the program offers you a much deeper view and understanding of your video(s) analytics. For example, one of the resources YouTube offers its partners is letting you view and measure where some of your audience might jump/leave a video. If you can understand your audience and figure out when users exit your video, you can then edit your content to provide a better user experience.

In addition to what your audience is doing while watching your content, it is beneficial to know where they are coming from as well. Is your audience primarily U.S. based or from a different country? Given this knowledge, would you take the time to change your online content to cater to a specific audience? Would you change your content for a different audience outside your country if you knew it could grow you an even broader following? Partner program analytics are a big advantage in helping you decide what type of content you want to create to continue to grow your online presence. 

Learning about the YouTube Partnership Program while at NATPE 2012 not only taught us all the great perks and money making opportunities it can offer, but how to go about raising a few eyebrows from those at the YouTube Headquarters as well. So if you want to make yourself known in the ever-growing world of online videos, YouTube’s Partnership Program is definitely the first step in doing so! 

For more info on the YouTube Partnership Program go to: http://www.youtube.com/partners