5 Ways To Make Money From YouTube Without A Large Following

How Long Does It Take to Make Money on YouTube?

YouTube is often seen as a goldmine for content creators, but how long does it really take to start making money? The answer depends on the monetization methods you choose. While ad revenue is the most well-known, it's not necessarily the most profitable or sustainable. In this post, I'll break down five key ways to earn money on YouTube, how long each takes, and which might be the best fit for your channel.

And if you are interested in setting up the exact same system I have that makes $5,000+/month recurring with just 5,000 subscribers on YouTube, I highly recommend that you grab your copy of my online course YouTube 2K Blueprint (linked here).

1. Ad Revenue

Ad revenue is the first thing most people think about when it comes to making money on YouTube. To qualify for YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP) and start earning through ads, you need:

• 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months OR

• 10 million views on YouTube Shorts in 90 days

Keep in mind that YouTube tends to adjust these requirements, so these may have changed since this video and blog post was made. Therefore, make sure to always double check with YouTube directly inside your YouTube account when you are logged in.

Once you hit these thresholds, YouTube will start paying you for the ads shown on your videos. But how much can you really make?

For our team, it took two years to reach the monetization requirements. Once monetized, our ad revenue started at $30 per month and has since grown to about $100 per month with 3,000–4,000 subscribers. While it’s nice to have, this amount is nowhere near enough to sustain a business.

If you're thinking about starting a YouTube channel purely for ad revenue, understand that it takes time—often years—to build up a significant income. Instead, let’s look at other, more lucrative ways to monetize your content.

2. Online Courses

Selling online courses through YouTube can be far more profitable than relying on ads. There are two main ways to do this:

• Directly selling courses in your videos (e.g., promoting a paid course)

• Offering a free resource (like a masterclass) that leads to paid offers

For example, we promote an online course called YouTube 2K Blueprint, which teaches creators how to make $2,000 per month with fewer than 2,000 subscribers. Additionally, we offer a free masterclass that helps people build online courses.

How long does it take to start making money with online courses? We began earning sales when we had just 500 subscribers, within 6 to 12 months. Now, we make $300–$600 per month on average, with some months hitting $1,500.

Comparing this to ad revenue, it’s clear that online courses can be a much faster and more profitable way to monetize your channel.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products and earning a commission on sales made through your links. We primarily resell Learning Management Systems (LMS) for e-learning businesses.

Here’s the key takeaway: We made our first affiliate sale when we had just 100 subscribers—after only 2–3 months.

Today, our affiliate revenue brings in $3,000–$5,000 per month, significantly outperforming ad revenue. The best part? Many affiliate programs offer recurring commissions, meaning we get paid every month as long as customers stay subscribed to the service.

4. Selling Low-Ticket Products (Slides & Templates)

Another way to monetize a YouTube channel is by selling low-cost digital products, such as PowerPoint slides, templates, or worksheets. My team member Tetiana, successfully did this with her brand-new YouTube channel (check out here YouTube channel here)

• With only 30 subscribers, she made her first sale within 3 weeks

• Her first product sale was for $50

That’s a much quicker turnaround than waiting two years to make $100 from ad revenue!

5. Sponsorships & Other Revenue Streams

Sponsorships are another way to monetize a YouTube channel. Brands pay creators to promote their products, regardless of direct sales. This can be a lucrative strategy, but it depends on your niche and audience size.

Other monetization methods include:

• Selling physical products (like T-shirts)

• Offering memberships or exclusive content (YouTube Memberships, Patreon)

• Crowdfunding (via platforms like Kickstarter or GoFundMe)

However, these methods may not be as reliable as affiliate marketing, online courses, or selling digital products.

Which Monetization Method is Best?

Based on our experience, here’s how these methods compare in terms of time to first income and earning potential:

If you’re hoping to make money on YouTube, don’t rely on ad revenue alone—it’s slow, inconsistent, and often underwhelming. Instead, consider faster and more profitable methods like affiliate marketing, online courses, and selling digital products.

• Fastest method? Affiliate marketing (as little as 2–3 months)

• Most profitable? Online courses ($300–$1,500+ per month with a small audience)

• Lowest barrier to entry? Selling slides/templates (first sale in ~3 weeks)

The key takeaway? You don’t need a massive audience to start making money. With the right approach, you can begin earning with just a few hundred subscribers.

If you’re interested in launching an online course and using YouTube to drive sales, check out our free masterclass linked below. It will walk you through the step-by-step process to build and sell your own course in 90 days or less, while saving you $10,000 in costs.

Building a profitable YouTube channel takes time, but by choosing the right monetization strategies, you can start making money much sooner than you think.