So you’ve decided to become a streamer. Congrats! The world of online storytelling is a glorious one, and not one to be taken lightly. But the road to riches isn’t always easy, as you might expect. There are actually numerous ways in which you could legally earn money from streaming videos. And perhaps more importantly, there are also the ways in which you could lose money. Knowing which ones to avoid and which ones to take up is important if you want to continue making money from your hobby. Here’s a guide to help you make the most out of your new found hobby.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
First off, let’s address the good, the bad, and the ugly of becoming a streamer. The good is that you get to express yourself creatively through your videos. Being able to put your thoughts into words and seeing how others receive your work is immensely satisfying. Plus, you have the opportunity to reach a huge audience and make a difference in peoples’ lives. The bad is that, since this is a somewhat new and unproven hobby, there isn’t a lot of information out there about how to earn money with it. What do I mean by this? Well, the fact is that, although it is possible to make a living off of YouTube, this isn’t always the case. There are a lot of variables that one has to consider, and it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach. This is where it gets ugly. Since there is such a diverse range of ways to earn money, it can be hard to know where to start. This is why you need to do some research into how to make the most out of your new found hobby. And, for the record, none of the methods discussed here are bad, they’re just not for everyone. It’s all about finding your own sweet spot and knowing what works for you.
A Few Things To Consider
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how to legally make money by streaming videos, there are a few things you should consider. First off, you need to decide how much time you are willing to spend on this hobby. Some people can make a living off of YouTube alone, doing nothing but content creation. But if your intention is to also supplement your income with other jobs, you might want to consider doing a few other things first. Second, it’s important to establish yourself as an online content creator, or “influencer.” This is something that is a bit more marketing than creative, but it’s a necessary step to ensure that your audience knows and recognizes your work. Third, the key to making money off YouTube is to develop and grow a following. It might be a good idea to consider using a tool like Growthoid or Canva to build and design your channel around. These are apps that can help you figure out what content works best for your platform and engage with your audience. Finally, once you’ve developed a small audience, consider using your platform to connect with brands and businesses. One option is to create a commercial for a brand that suits your demographic. Another option is to interview respected industry experts or try out new products yourself. The important thing is to find ways to engage with your audience, whether it’s about a product or a relevant event, and develop a community.
With these few things in mind, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of how to make money by streaming videos.
Set Up Your Channel
As mentioned before, the first and the most critical step to making money off YouTube is to set up your channel. This is where you’re going to upload your videos, set the price for them, and do all the other important things that make your channel stand out from the rest. To get started, simply click the yellow button below and follow the on-screen instructions.
You’ll be taken to the dashboard for your newly created channel. From here, you can edit the information about your channel such as your name, description, and even the header image for your channel. You can use the keywords field to enter any words and phrases that you believe may help people find your channel. For example, if you’re making a cooking channel, you might enter “food” or “recipes” as a keyword. Just make sure you don’t enter a keyword that is already in use by someone else. Otherwise, you’ll lose your videos when people search for them.
After you’ve filled out all the information, click the Create Channel button to continue to Step 2. On the next page, you’ll see four options. The first one is “Pick An Icon.” This is the symbol that you’ll use for your channel for design purposes. It doesn’t have to be an icon, but it’s good to have something that’s easily recognizable. The important thing is to keep it simple and something you feel comfortable with.
The second option is “Payments.” Here, you can enable or disable payments for your channel. If you haven’t enabled it yet, click the button to the right to choose between the different payment processors that YouTube offers. You’ll need to choose a credit card on file with YouTube in order to make payments through the site.
The third option is “Video Manager.” This is the tool that you’ll use to upload and edit your videos. Most people use YouTube’s built-in camera to record their videos, but you can use any camera you have on hand. Just make sure that it’s high-quality.
The last option is “Channel Home.” This is where you’ll put the information about your channel. You can put out more details about your channel here such as the languages you support, whether or not you do live chats, and what kinds of gear you use to film your videos.
Once you’ve filled out all the information, click the Create Channel button to continue to the next page.
Create Your First Video
On the next page, you’ll see a blank video with a small circle in the top right corner. This is the “play button” for your video. When someone clicks on it, they’ll be taken to a video player that looks like this:
As a content creator, you’ll be using the video player in one way or another, so it’s important that you get a feel for how it works. When someone clicks on the play button, they’ll see a small video icon in the bottom left corner of the screen. This is where your video will appear if someone clicks on it. You can either preview it in the player or download it directly to your computer.
If you decide that you want to download your video, click the downward-pointing arrow in the bottom left corner of the screen to preview your video. Then, click the downward arrow again to download your video.
The next step is to write an engaging description for your video. This description will appear below your video in search results and on other websites that might link to your channel. It should be between 150 and 500 words in length and should include some key words and phrases from the video’s content. For example, if the video is about cooking, the description might read: “Learn how to make the perfect chocolate cake from scratch with the help of a professional baker. You’ll also learn about the different types of chocolate available and their distinctively different tastes. This is the ultimate guide to creating the perfect chocolate dessert!”
After you’ve written a short description for your video, click the blue “Add to my YouTube” button to continue to the next step.
Curate Awards-Nominations And Shortlists For People To Watch
If you’ve decided that watching YouTube videos is a worthwhile way to spend your free time, then it’s time to put your skills to use and create an awards-nomination shortlist and shortlist of people to watch. The former is where you’ll enter all the awards and accolades you believe your video nominees should be considered for. For example, maybe you think Joe’s YouTube channel, which is devoted to cooking videos, should be a nominee for best cooking channel or best dessert maker. In which case, you might want to enter Joe’s channel into the awards and nominate him for best recipe and dessert. Keep in mind that the person you nominate might not actually win the award, but it’s still a great way to generate interest in their content. The important thing is that you get the nomination out there and start the conversation about your video’s content.
The latter is where you’ll enter your top plays and comment on whether or not you think people should watch them. The comments below are a great place to do this and are often where the magic happens on YouTube. If someone comments on your content and mentions that they think it’s worth watching, then you’ve gained a new viewer. In addition to gaining new viewers, comments like these can also encourage others to come back and comment on your content too. This is a great way to get more views and eventually, make enough money off YouTube to cover your expenses.