MoreLuckThanSkill wrote on Apr 11, 2023, 07:33:
I would love to bash Youtube, but I cannot even fathom how crazy their bandwidth costs must be, globally. Let alone their storage, search processing, physical site costs, etc.

Don't feel sad for the monopoly holding behemoth. YouTube generates revenue through various channels in addition to their premium service, YouTube Premium. Some of the ways YouTube makes money include:

1.) Advertising: YouTube earns a significant portion of its revenue through advertising. Content creators, also known as YouTubers, can monetize their videos by allowing ads to be displayed before, during, or after their videos. YouTube shares a portion of the ad revenue with content creators, while retaining the remainder as its own revenue.

2.) YouTube Partner Program (YPP): The YouTube Partner Program allows content creators to earn money by monetizing their videos through ads. To be eligible for YPP, creators need to meet certain requirements, such as having a minimum number of subscribers and watch hours. Once accepted into YPP, creators can earn money through ads on their videos.

3.) Channel Memberships: Content creators with large followings can offer channel memberships to their fans, where fans can pay a monthly fee in exchange for exclusive content, perks, and access to community features. YouTube takes a percentage of the membership fees as revenue.

4.) Super Chat and Super Stickers: YouTube allows viewers to purchase Super Chat and Super Stickers during live streams and premieres. Super Chat allows viewers to have their messages highlighted in the chat, while Super Stickers are animated stickers that viewers can use to show support. Creators receive a portion of the revenue generated from Super Chat and Super Stickers.

5.) Merchandise sales: YouTube creators often sell merchandise related to their channel, such as clothing, accessories, and other branded items. YouTube provides tools and features to help creators set up and sell their merchandise, and earns a percentage of the sales as revenue.