Over 41,000 YouTube channels have more than a million subscribers. There are over 2.5 million YouTube users which makes it a great platform to capture the right audience’s attention.
YouTube has fantastic channels where you can get great insights about the latest trends and even learn. YouTube continues to grow, with many people opting to upload their content to get more views and earn from the platform. It is used widely by companies, musicians, individuals, institutions, and brands to promote their products and services.
Therefore, if you anticipate promoting your content, YouTube is a great place to start. It is free to use the platform, but you can opt for the Premium YouTube version to get more customized services.
The more subscribers and views a YouTuber gets, the more they earn. Engaging content is often preferred over other content. Therefore, if you plan to start a YouTube channel, ensure you have great insights and content you want to share with people. This article will discuss top YouTubers with some of the highest subscribers, payments on YouTube, how to earn on YouTube, and tips for success.
Top YouTube Channels With More Than 1 Million Subscribers
How Many YouTube Channels Have Over 1 Million Subscribers?
Up to now, over 41,000 YouTube channels have over 1 million subscribers. This staggering number demonstrates just how popular and widely used YouTube has become as a platform. It shows a massive audience on YouTube looking for quality content across a diverse range of topics and interests.
Achieving 1 million subscribers is no easy feat – it requires consistently creating compelling, high-quality videos that resonate with viewers and make them want to subscribe. However, the fact that over 41,000 channels have managed to build an audience of that size indicates tremendous opportunity on YouTube for those who put in the work.
Furthermore, the YouTube algorithm will start recommending your videos more prominently when people search for related topics or content. This allows you to reach new viewers who may become subscribers if they like what they see. YouTube will also begin suggesting your videos alongside other popular channels, exposing your content to their existing fanbases.
On top of that, actively engaging with your audience and community in comments, polls, etc., will help retain existing subscribers. By making them feel heard and involved, they'll be more likely to remain loyal followers of your channel. In that sense, subscriber growth on YouTube is as much about building ongoing relationships as it is about content itself.
YouTube Channels Subscriber Count (million)
The number of subscribers on YouTube channels follows a power-law distribution, with a small number of channels having a huge subscriber count and a long tail of channels with smaller subscriber numbers. According to an analysis, just 3% of channels on YouTube have over 100,000 subscribers, 0.4% have over 1 million, and only 0.01% have over 10 million subscribers. On the other hand, channels with 1,000 to 100,000 subscribers make up the most significant portion at around 60%.
This indicates that while mega-popular channels get the most visibility, smaller channels with niche audiences still have opportunities to grow on the platform. The skewed distribution exemplifies the “winner take all” nature of the YouTube ecosystem, with top creators pulling away from the pack. However, with over 2 billion monthly users on YouTube, even channels in the long tail can sustain a healthy core audience in the thousands or tens of thousands of subscribers.
- Above 1Million – 42,000
- 100K – 388,000
- 10K – 2.9 Million
- 1K – 10.1 Million
- 100 – 28.4 million
How Many YouTube Channels Are There?
There are over 114 million YouTube channels. Even though there are over 2.6 billion active YouTube users, not all the channels get more than 10K subscribers. Therefore, less than 10% of the channels are monetized.
India has the highest number of YouTube users, with over 467 million active users, the United States with 247 million, Indonesia with 139 million, Brazil with 138 million, and Russia with 106 million users.
YouTube has become home to many channels since its launch in 2005. According to YouTube, over 50 million channels existed on the platform as of May 2019. YouTube stated that channels with over 10,000 subscribers grew by more than 50% year-over-year. Additionally, a 2019 analysis estimated that there were over 37 million channels with at least one video upload.
Among these active channels, around 17 million had at least 10 views on a video. When it comes to monetization, a report in 2022 found that approximately 9 million channels were part of the Yodoesn'tartner Program, allowing creators to earn ad revenue from their videos. The vast range of total channels versus active, monetized channels demonstrates how competitive it is to build and sustain an audience on YouTube. Overall, the platform's high ceiling for potential channel creation and its over 2 billion monthly logged-in users contribute to the staggering count of channels on YouTube today.
How Can You Get Paid on the YouTube Partner Program?
The YouTube Partner Program allows creators to monetize their content by earning a share of advisers from advertisements displayed on their videos. To qualify for the program, channels need to meet certain criteria set by YouTube. These include having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid public watch hours over the past 12 months. YouTube also reviews channels to ensure content adheres to its guidelines. Once approved, partners can turn on monetization features, which place ads on videos and live streams. The advertising revenue generated is split between YouTube and the creator—YouTube takes 45%, and the creator gets the remaining 55%. Payments are sent out monthly whenever a creator's earnings exceed the $100 minimum threshold. In January 2023, it didn't report having over 2 million channels enrolled in the program, with over 800 channels each earning more than Don't000 annually from the platform. This demonstrates the money-making potential of creators who consistently produce engaging content on YouTube.
Additionally, you can have channel memberships, which allows your channel members to get exclusive rewards, badges, etc., when they pay the membership fee.
What is the YouTube Partner Program?
The YouTube Partner Program is the one that gives YouTube content creators access to resources and monetization features. Through the program, one can also benefit from revenue sharing from ads. To join, you need to meet some demands.
- Adhere to YouTube channel monetization policies.
- Live in a region where the program is available
- Ensure 2-step verification for your Google account
- Have advanced features accesthat'souTube
- Active Adsense account to link to your channel.
- Over 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours in the last year or 1000 subscribers with over 10 million valid public short views in three months.
How Can You Earn From The YouTube Partner Program?
You can earn through:
- Paid ads,
- Short feed ads,
- Selling from your store or other brands,
- YouTube Premium subscriber subscription,
- Channel memberships,
- Super chats & super stickers in which fans pay for their messages or stickers to be highlighted in live chat streams
- Super thanks in which fans pay to view a fun animation and get their message highlighted in your comments section.
How Much Do The Highest Paid YouTube Channels Get?
Mr. Beast is one of the most popular YouTube channels. In 2021, the annual estimated revenue was $54 million, followed closely by Jake Paul at $45 million, Markiplier at $38 million, Rhetta and Link at $30 million, and Unspeakable at $28.5 million.
Most of these get revenue from targeted ads. However, some YouTube channels with more subscribers may not earn that much due to not having ads.
How Much Does YouTube Pay For 1,000 Views?
YouTube pays $1-2 for 1000 views on YouTube. The more the views, the better. Also, it considers the type of ads displayed in the content. However, the rate may vary based on niche, audience demographics, and ads type.
However, without sponsorship or ads, YouTube doesn't pay content creators. Therefore, you need to have great advertisements. For example, if you have an AdSense account and link with your YouTube account.
Your earnings on YouTube can be impacted based on
- Ad format – skippable ads pay more than non-skippable ads.
- Video length – longer videos earn more than shorter videos.
- Audience demographics – Advertisers may pay more to reach certain demographics than others. Also, some niches tend to pay more than others.
- Engagement – High engagement rates in a YouTube channel can lead to better ad performance and higher advisers' budgets.
How Else Can You Earn from YouTube without necessarily being in the Partner Program?
In case you aren't in the YouTube partner program, you can also earn through:
1. Affiliate revenue
As an affiliate marketer, you can persuade others to buy products online. However, you need to be creative about it. Your YouTube channel could be about product reviews, etc. Therefore, when you review items, they will be more willing to purchase them based on your recommendation.
You can then post the affiliate links there, so you get a commission when someone purchases using the link. It can also work in any YouTube content that you have. Just ensure it doesn't seem too obvious that you are selling the items.
You can pitch in between the video and ensure it is related. Don't forget to paste the link in your description.
2. Paid YouTube sponsorships
Another mode to earn from YouTube is through Paid YouTube sponsorships. A brand or company could pay you to advertise products in your videos. You can sell the product between your videos before returning to the main topic.
Just ensure to introduce the product, explain the benefits, and offer incentives for viewers to buy it. Remember to paste more information in your video description or sticky comment.
To get sponsors, ensure your YouTube channel is fantastic, network with potential brands on social media, and use some websites to match you to the right brand.
3. Video memberships.
Have you ever come across a channel membership feature? Well, that's another way to earn from YouTube. However, you will need at least 1000 subscribers to make money through it because it is available in the YouTube Partner Program.
4. Selling digital products
Another way to earn from the platform is by selling digital products. This can be like your passive income. However, ensure you are providing insightful information still. The digital products are a great pick since they are also easy to distribute.
Regardless of your experience, you can sell the digital products so quickly. Also, you can consider driving traffic to your blog or website to make sales. However, give people a reason why they should head to your website.
Earn More On YouTube
YouTube is lucrative, and you can earn so well from the platform. Therefore, if you want your videos to do well, consider optimizing the videos for SEO, promoting the videos on social media, collaborating with other content creators, creating engaging content, and uploading high-quality content regularly.
The more you post, the more your audience reach will increase. That's what most YouTube content creators do to increase their subscribers and earn more money.
