YouTube is fast becoming the world’s entertainment system, with almost 1 billion forecasted regular users by the end of 2025. It is not just a place to share and engage with your favorite creators; YouTube is also a powerhouse of the digital economy, offering unique earning methods for creators and brands alike.
The development of AI technology is opening up this revenue stream even more, offering unparalleled opportunities for creators to generate revenue quickly and anonymously through faceless YouTube channels.
But how can you tap into this economy for yourself using AI? Is it possible to earn money through AI-generated content on YouTube? And how exactly can you make the most from your channel and content?
This ultimate guide to making money on YouTube using AI will answer all these questions. Let’s get started!
What is AI content?
Before we begin, what do we mean by AI-generated content?
AI-generated content is content created using artificial intelligence software — not humans. AI content typically includes text, images, video footage, and voiceovers.
Whereas in the past, a blogger might have written all their blogs individually, nowadays, blogs can be written with the help of tools like ChatGPT or WordHero. In this vein, YouTube videos can be generated using AI voiceover tools, like ElevenLabs, and AI image generators, like Midjourney or DALL-E.
AI makes the content writing and creation process a lot easier than doing it manually.
Take AI voiceover generation, for example. Before the advent of AI technology, the process of generating a voiceover involved auditioning and hiring an expensive voice actor, buying or renting expensive recording equipment, and spending hours recording and re-recording to get the perfect flow. Got background noise? Then, expect to pay for an editor to iron out the issues.
However, voice generation using the latest AI technology involves just a few clicks. Simply paste your script into a text-to-speech converter, and then choose a voice from an extensive library of options.
Then, click ‘Generate,’ download the audio file, and that’s it! You’ve generated an accurate, detailed voiceover in the perfect format you need, costing you almost nothing. There is no need for expensive equipment, no hour-long recording sessions, and no need to hire professionals.
What is AI video?
AI video editing is a revolutionary technology that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to automate and enhance various aspects of the video editing process. With AI, film and video creation is faster and easier than ever before, allowing for quick organization of clips and seamless editing. Whether you’re working on short social media videos or full-length feature films, AI technology can significantly reduce your editing time and unlock new creative possibilities. So why not take advantage of this cutting-edge technology and elevate your video editing game to the next level?
How to make money using AI on YouTube
Now that’s out of the way, let’s get to the important question — how exactly can you use YouTube to generate money?
There are countless ways to monetize your videos. Although producing a video can be challenging, you learned how to make a video easily through this article. From now on, how about making money using the methods below?
By combining the power of ChatGPT and AI video tools, you can create engaging content efficiently and explore multiple monetization avenues. Start creating, experimenting, and maximizing your earning potential today!
Monetizing video content
You can use AI to identify products or services that would be relevant to your audience and then include affiliate links in your videos. This can help you earn money by promoting other people’s products or services to your audience.
Actionable example: Use ChatGPT to generate affiliate and sponsorship ideas. Use Surfer SEO to optimize search traffic for your video.
Automating content creation
You can use AI to automate the creation of video content, such as by using AI to generate captions, thumbnails, and titles for your videos. This can help save time and increase the efficiency of your video production process.
If you’re looking for innovative ways to generate AI-based images, Shutterstock just launched an AI feature in their Creative Flow online design platform. Harnessing the power of OpenAI and Dall-E 2, subscribers can create images based on text prompts.
Example: Use Pictory or Synthesia to make AI-generated videos from text or Cutout.Pro to make compelling thumbnails for your videos.
Influencer marketing
You can use AI to identify influencers in your niche who can promote your products or services to a large audience. This can help increase your reach and bring more customers to your business.
YouTube partner program
The first and most obvious answer is through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). This is YouTube’s own way of sharing ad revenue with creators, allowing them to monetize their videos on the platform.
However, becoming part of YouTube’s Partner Program isn’t as simple as signing up. To join the program, creators must meet certain eligibility requirements, including having at least 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views in the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers.
Once this criteria is met, video creators earn money through various monetization features such as ads, channel memberships, merchandise shelves, Super Chat, and YouTube Premium revenue. This means you will receive money in your AdSense account, which you can then withdraw and spend.
Affiliate sales
Beyond YouTube’s Partner Program, video creators can earn money from affiliate sales.
This involves content creators promoting products or services within their videos and including special tracking links or codes provided by affiliate programs. The content creator earns a commission when viewers click on these links or use the codes to make purchases.
Affiliate sales are a great way to boost earnings, especially if your channel has a large audience or if it specializes in a related, profitable niche. For instance, a golf tips channel created using AI could review and promote golf-associated products.
To start making affiliate sales, you must first build an audience and create your channel. Then, once you have an engaged audience, you can reach out to brands directly. Some businesses, like Amazon, have an affiliate program that you can automatically join. Others, like smaller, niche businesses, may be happy to create an affiliate program for you if you present them with a good business proposal.
Remember, many national laws prohibit affiliate sales without explicit disclosure, so always make sure you clearly label your affiliate links.
Sponsorship & brand deals
Building on an affiliate program, YouTubers can generate revenue from sponsorship and brand deals.
It’s a misconception that brands only want to work with influencers who show their face online. Instead, brands are open to working with content creators and video creators who are specialists in their niche — using AI to generate videos will not be a problem for many brands.
Again, this revenue stream does rely on the success of your niche and the type of content that you generate. Earning money in this way requires a big audience and a specialist type of content, although some brands, like Hello Fresh and Casetify, are open to working with various types of creators to reach wide audiences.
Patreon & other fan sites
Finally, creators can make use of fan sites such as Patreon as another revenue source. Patreon works by selling memberships to your audience, who pay to have access to exclusive content, messages from the creator, exclusive access behind the scenes, and shoutouts.
Again, AI-generated content can still make use of this way of earning money. To tap into fan-based revenue streams, however, having an engaged audience immersed in your content is critical. This might mean building content around a specific niche that you’re interested in or creating a personality that works behind your AI content that attracts loyalty and builds relationships.
Final thoughts
Overall, there are many ways to earn money through YouTube, including by the YouTube Partner Program, but also by affiliate sales, brand deals, sponsorships, and fan memberships.
What all these revenue streams require, however, is high-quality content that engages and satisfies the audience, bringing viewers back to your channel again and again. This is critical — poor-quality, unoriginal AI content will not bring you views and will prove difficult to monetize.
If you’re looking to generate revenue from YouTube, you need to rely on the best tools to do so. For AI-generated voiceovers, the number one tool on the market is ElevenLabs. With hyper-realistic, human-sounding voices and incredible localization features, ElevenLabs is the only voiceover technology that can pass as really human.
Try ElevenLabs today for free, and experience for yourself the power of AI-generated voices.
Leave a Comment