Bowling For Ad Revenue: YouTube Shares Profits With Video Posters
The video site, owned by Google, is monetizing popular clips by selling advertising alongside videos and pays posters a revenue share into their Google AdSense account each month, which can be created at any time.
"We decided it was time to spread the wealth, YouTube said in a blog post. "Now, when you upload a video to YouTube that accumulates lots of views, we may invite you to monetize that video and start earning revenue from it."
Those "invitations" will be sent to members who join the YouTube Partnership Program who meet certain criteria such as number of views along with compliance with the YouTube terms of service. Once the video has been accepted, the poster will get an e-mail with an "Enable Revenue Sharing" message next to the video on the watch page.
The cash-for-video program is not entirely new. You Tube said that it has "occasionally extended the program to include some of the site's more unforgettable videos," citing popular clips like Battle of Kruger, David After Dentist and Otters holding hands.
"These individual video partnerships recognize the role popular "one-off" videos play on YouTube, and have helped many people earn thousands of dollars a month as their videos went viral and endured over time," the company said.