**Guest post originally featured in CS Discos' free e-book Cover Your Way Up, a guide to leveraging music covers on YouTube.

"To further your music career, it’s essential to understand YouTube monetization. This process offers benefits like revenue generation, audience engagement, and enhanced content creation. Monetizing your channel means not only earning money but also increasing your professionalism and visibility. To qualify, YouTube requires at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year, or you can alternatively accumulate 10 million short views in the last 90 days, as per updated information from 2023.

+How (And Why) To Hit 4000 Watch Hours and 1000 Subscribers On YouTube

Keep an eye on the progress of your channel using the YouTube Studio app to monitor its development. This app displays watch time, views, subscribers, and other key metrics so you can easily monitor which type of covers work well, what content should be produced more frequently, and which areas need improvement.

The frequency of posts is also vital. The more often you post, the higher your chances of gaining viewers and subscribers are. However, do not sacrifice quality for frequency. Post less frequently, but create high-quality videos which your viewers will love to watch and share. Here are some examples of posting frequency and views needed to reach 4,000 watch hours within 12 months, assuming the average length of 4 minutes per video:

• Posting one video per week: Approximately 1,154 views per video.

• Posting two videos per week: Approximately 577 views per video.

• Posting three videos per week: Approximately 385 views per video.

• Posting four videos per week: Approximately 288 views per video.

Achieving these targets requires a mix of posting quality cover videos regularly, promotion, and diligent tracking of your progress via the YouTube Studio app. Remember, while posting frequency boosts visibility, the essence of content quality should always be a priority. With patience and persistence, you can not only establish an influential channel but also monetize your passion for music. Once you’ve met these thresholds, follow this step-by-step guide:

+Pro Video for Performing Musicians on Any Budget

1. Sign Up for the YouTube Partner Program: After achieving the minimum requirements, search for “YouTube Partner Program” in your preferred search engine and follow the sign-up instructions to join. This program lets creators monetize their videos.

2. Wait for a Music Publisher’s Claim: After you upload a cover song, the original music publisher will likely identify and claim your video. You’ll know they’ve claimed it when you receive a notification or email from YouTube indicating a copyright claim on your video. Don’t worry, this is a standard procedure and doesn’t negatively impact your channel.

3. Check Your Video’s Eligibility:

• First, ensure you have the “YouTube Studio” app installed on your device.

• Open the app and log in to your account.

• Once in, locate and select the video in question.

• Check for any ‘Copyright’ restriction notices.

• Ensure the monetization status is set to ‘Off’.

• Hover over icons or notes to see if the video is eligible for revenue sharing.

4. Turn on Monetization:

• While in YouTube Studio, navigate to ‘Settings’ or ‘Account Settings’.

• Find the ‘Monetization’ option.

• Activate monetization for your channel.

• Return to your video list and change the monetization status of eligible videos from ‘Off’ to ‘On’.

Remember, both new and previous uploads can be eligible for this revenue- sharing opportunity."

Download the full e-book HERE.

Related Blog Posts:

+Optimizing for the YouTube Algorhithm: Making Sure Your Covers Get Seen

+How the Internet Has Revolutionized the Music Industry

+How Music Makes Money

CS Discos is a professional record label dedicated to supporting independent artists. Since 2015, the label offers a platform for low-budget artists to showcase their music with industry-standard production quality. It focuses on providing affordable, high-quality production services. The label fosters inclusivity, nurturing a collaborative, diverse artist community. CS Discos aims to spotlight independent artists globally while promoting industry-wide creativity, collaboration, and fairness.