YouTube’s New Monetization Policy – Everything You Need to Know

YouTube has been the bread and butter for millions of content creators around the world. Thousands of channels post millions of videos every day on YouTube and make it one of the most visited social platforms in the world.

However, for newbies who are planning to create their YouTube channels and aiming to make a livelihood out of it, have you heard of their recent policy changes? As a part-time YouTuber myself, I was a little worried about this new policy. 

But, fret not! Because if you’re creating authentic and original content on YouTube, then you’re in the safe zone. Having said that, I’ll explain in detail what this new YouTube policy is all about and who it specifically targets. 

So, let’s get started!

What Is YouTube’s New Monetization Policy?

Before I explain this new policy, you should know that under the YPP (YouTube Partner Program), mass-produced and repetitive content was never monetized. Here, such content refers to identical videos and reels that are reproduced at a massive scale and distributed across the platform.

Having said that, the new monetization policy is going to tighten the scrutiny around creators who’ve been producing such content and getting away with it. So, as I said earlier, if you don’t copy other creators’ content on YouTube and keep it genuine, there’s nothing to worry about.

Does The New Policy Promote Human Content?

YouTube is not going to demonetize original and authentic AI content. However, this update is a morale booster for content creators like me, who plan, record, edit, and publish the content without using AI.

Also, if you feel that your YouTube channel is going to be targeted by this new update, I’d suggest you switch to a different niche. 

If you want to constructively use AI for content production, start an informative series about the world’s history, the greatest events in sports, or science, etc. However, just don’t forget to add a human touch to your content. 

Also, YouTube is not going to demonetize useful and genuine AI content. So, this can be your key to success on the platform.

Having said that, you can also opt for more human-centric content. For instance, my YouTube channel covers tips and tricks videos on surviving corporate life. As I work a full-time job, where I have to travel all across the U.S, I automatically get ideas, create, and edit videos. 

So, I always keep my trusty MacBook with me, and whenever I get an idea, I start work on it right away. And with millions of hotspot zones that come with AT&T internet plans, I can upload those videos at any time I want.

As I keep my content original and authentic, I don’t have to worry about this update at all. And, like I said, if you believe you’d be targeted by this new update, start creating original and value-adding content today.

Will YouTube Target AI-Produced Content?

Honestly speaking, most of my YouTube friends who produce AI content have contacted me and asked this question. To answer this question again, YouTube is not going to target content produced with the help of AI tools and software.

So, for creators who run a faceless channel on YouTube, it’s good news. But, here’s the catch: If you use AI to copy and paste other creators’ work and don’t add any human value, then be prepared, because you’re on YouTube’s hitlist.

This new policy suggests that even the AI content has to be authentic, accurate, and high-quality. Also, YouTube doesn’t discourage the use of AI tools to produce content. It just wants the platform to be free of spam, deepfakes, and low-quality AI videos, which spread misinformation.

Will Reaction And Commentary Videos Be Targeted?

To say that reaction and commentary videos will not be targeted by YouTube at all will be wrong. 

YouTube will keep monetizing such videos only when they’re not copied from another creator. Also, creators using such content to earn money have to be careful, as YouTube’s scrutiny will be tightened after this new policy.

Having said that, reaction and commentary videos containing a unique perspective or something valuable might not be affected by this new policy.

To wind up, if you use YouTube just to watch entertaining content, then be prepared, because the platform is going to filter out the spammy and copy-pasted content. But for creators who’ve successfully run and monetized their channels on such content, it’s an alarming situation.

Nevertheless, it’s never too late to produce content that falls under YPP guidelines, and is entertaining and value-adding.