Chances are you may have heard about the YouTube Demonetization Apocalypse. About four years ago, YouTube experienced what was dubbed the “ad-pocaplyse” in 2017. Many advertisers fled the ‘tube, resulting in a noticeable gap in monetization potential. As with most things on the internet today, the algorithm was and still is often to blame to date for mistaken demonetization faux pas. Let’s back up.
Digital diversification of low-to-no effort income streams is not going anywhere but up in 2021. With that, one of the most popular channels, YouTube, offers promising potential for profitability so long as you can avoid demonetization issues and hurdles along the way. It’s important to note that if you do get caught up in a tango with demonetization though, this can be addressed and resolved to your benefit so long as you follow the correct steps for dispute.
YouTube Demonetization History
YouTube was once known to demonetize videos exclusively featuring sensitive subject matters. The sales-centered, meticulous advertising guidelines detailed various reasons of how and why sensitive topics were not well-fitted foundations for the plausible purpose of advertising.
A few examples of content deemed insensitive or inappropriate included hate speech, crime videos, and radical political opinions, just to name a few noted, notable extremities banned from monetization. Others of more heightened severity may include graphic, explicit content deemed inappropriate, such as terrorist messaging. These subject matters sometimes present a direct threat to the protection of brand reputation and safety-related content, resulting in the logical response with YouTube’s need to strictly demonetize such videos.
Algorithm and Demonetization
However, some YouTube channels with simply sweet wedding video songs featured are also on the receiving end of equal demonetization. How could something so significantly innocent and sentimental be smacked with the same consequential monetary stop sign as blatantly derogatory, inappropriate content? The algorithm does not weigh one wrong against the next – wrong is simply wrong, even with reasons spanning spotty commercial use issues.
YouTube is bringing about many changes as we slowly return to a somewhat normal state of existence throughout the world as we know it. On that same note, YouTube has changed their terms of services for 2021, presenting creators with a fresh, new opportunity to monetize channels outside what has been the standard, traditional YouTube Partner Program norm.
New Monetization Process
YouTube’s all-new monetization process is now and has been available in the United States for about half a year, as of December 2020. The rest of the world would soon join the U.S. with access to this new process later on in 2021.
It is important to note that videos can still be incorrectly demonetized by mistake or computer error. In the event that a video is demonetized and the creator feels it was not merited, the creator needs to formally appeal first for any action to occur. The good news is that a designated YouTube employee will automatically review any channels with 10,000 subscribers or more that were unlisted, regardless of view count.
Prior to 2021, creators had to become YouTube Partners by first joining the YouTube Partner Program in order to begin to monetize their respective YouTube channels. Once becoming a YouTube Partner, creators must follow every YouTube monetization policy and also live in a country or region deemed eligible.
The Road to 4,000 Watch Hours
YouTube Partners must also have accrued a minimum of 4,000 valid public watch hours within a window of 12 months with at least 1,000 subscribers and a linked AdSense account. The 4,000 hours of watch time must come from your public videos in order for them to count.
This 4,000-hour rule negates watch time hours clocked from live streams that have been set to unlisted, for example. The collective Watch Time may also be deemed discounted as invalid if it has been accrued from videos that were then deleted or set to private some time after publishing. The videos must remain public in order to count toward your watch time.
If you are fairly new to YouTube when it comes to monetization matters, you may be wondering what watch time means, what does qualify, and how long it takes to reach 4,000 hours. Watch time is one way to measure audience retention, per YouTube analytics terminology.
Watch Time Explained
Watch time is essentially the total amount of accrued time over a period of time that viewers spend overall when watching your published, public videos. The higher your watch time grows and expands by hours, the better your chances of YouTube choosing to advantageously promote your channel through various opportune search results and recommended videos.
To put it simply, when you work for YouTube, YouTube works for you. Video content creators know this more and better than anyone, especially those who have already been through the ringer with regards to facing YouTube demonetization and continuing to thrive despite it. Yes, that, too, is one possible outcome, so long as you take the right steps to course-correct the status of your video(s) and overall YouTube account’s channel and accrued progress.
Defining Demonetization
YouTube demonetization is best defined as the result in the event of a loss of advertising income stream ability for a particular video or channel based on YouTube’s algorithm.
The two-step process for demonetization is strikingly simple. First, YouTube updates the algorithm. Next, videos deemed unqualified are removed from the Account Monetization program. It’s that quick and without warning, leaving many YouTube creators in a pinch to reroute their once promising, profitable income stream.
Avoiding Demonetization
There are plenty of ways to avoid YouTube demonetization, and a great starting point is education. For example, learning the difference between royalty free vs copyright free will help you know how to curb the unwanted result of YouTube demonetization.
If you opt to upload a video to YouTube with copyright free classical music, you will be less likely to receive a flag for YouTube demonetization than if you choose to publish your video with copyrighted classical music.
Learn the many ways in which you can protect yourself and your content from YouTube demonetization, and your channel should continue on in the direction of your money-making dreams without any disruption from the algorithm… that is, until it changes again.