How Long Does It Take YouTube to Review a Channel for Monetization?

If you’ve ever found yourself pressing the refresh button again and again.

You really looked forward to YouTube approving your channel for monetization.

You are not alone.

Consider this:

You are finally eligible to monetize your YouTube channel.

So, you applied for the YouTube Partner Program, and wait, wait, and wait.

Frustrating, yeah?

Let’s face it: the wait can feel like forever.

So, how long does it take YouTube to review a channel for monetization, really?

Does it take a week, a month, or longer?

Short Answer: It can take several weeks to months.

This usually depends on two things:

1. The number of channels waiting for review.

2. How well does your channel meet the YouTube Partner Program guidelines?

So, I wrote this article to let you know how long it takes for YouTube to say ‘yes’ to your monetization dreams.

Also, you’ll learn what happens behind the scenes while you wait.

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly what to expect and how to use your waiting time wisely.

Hint: it doesn’t involve refreshing your browser every five minutes. So, keep reading to learn more.

Understanding YouTube Monetization Criteria

First, you must know that YouTube has monetization requirements.

So, you must understand what YouTube expects from you.

Think of it as understanding the rules of a game before you play to win.

Here are the thresholds you must meet:

1. You need at least 1,000 subscribers. This shows that your channel is growing.

2. Reach 4,000 watch hours over the past 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days. This shows YouTube that your content is valuable.

1. You also need a Google Adsense account. This is essential because this is how you will receive your earnings.

2. Finally, your channel must follow YouTube’s community guidelines and policies. This helps YouTube ensure that your content is safe for viewers.

If you do not follow this guideline, your approval may be delayed.

Your channel may also face severe penalties.

So, be ready to work to meet these requirements. Doing this will put your channel in a position to achieve more success.

The Review Process: What Happens Behind the Scenes?

Once you apply for monetization in YouTube Studio, the next phase is YouTube review.

This is to show that your channel is fit for monetization.

This process uses both automated systems and Human reviewers.

The technology and human mix helps to maintain balance in the YouTube space.

It compares the system and human results to make a perfect decision for each video.

This ensures that channels that make money genuinely add to the community.

During the review, YouTube will scan your content to ensure it follows all the rules.

Besides this, there are specific things YouTube will look for:

1. Your newest and most viewed videos

2. Your channel’s content, context, and presence on the platform.

3. Your channel’s central theme and metadata, like titles, thumbnails, and descriptions.

Let me explain this:

The most essential part of the above list is context. It shows your video’s intent.

It helps YouTube know if your video is to inform and teach or to surprise and stir up emotions.

It also helps human reviewers to assess your content accurately.

This allows them to make the right monetization decision.

Here is a tip:

Ensure you include your video’s content in your title, thumbnails, description, and tags.

So, while you wait for your approval, know that your channel is undergoing a thorough and fair review process.

Factors Influencing Review Time

I get it.

Nobody likes to wait for long, especially when it involves making money.

You already know you must wait a while for YouTube to review your application.

But have you ever thought about what makes the review take longer?

According to YouTube, things that can delay your channel review include:

1. Limit on human resources

2. Watch time and subscriber count

3. Type of content

Limit on Human Resources

The truth is that Google AdSense and YouTube have to check through many applications.

Imagine millions of creators looking forward to getting monetized. The queue can get quite long.

So, YouTube policy specialists try to review applications quickly.

However, the limited number of specialists sometimes delays the process.

Watch Time and Subscriber Count

Remember that watch time and subscriber count are essential thresholds for your application.

So, ensure that you have enough public videos for YouTube to review.

If you are sure you met all the requirements; YouTube is likely holding your channel for further review.

For example, I chatted with a fellow YouTuber a few days ago.

She had a significant delay in her monetization approval.

Apparently, her channel focuses on sensitive topics and requires a more detailed review.

This is to ensure compliance with YouTube’s policies.

This taught me the importance of creating content that aligns with YouTube’s standards.

Type of Content

Another critical factor is the type of content on your channel.

While straightforward content may get reviewed faster, complex content may take longer.

This is because YouTube needs to ensure that all monetized content follows its rules.

The more unique your content, the longer it might take for reviewers to check it carefully.

Ultimately, patience and a focus on creating quality content are vital.

P.S.: You can contact YouTube’s creator support for your review status.

This may not speed up the process, but you will get valuable insights and reassurances.

What Can You Do While Waiting To Join The YouTube Partner Program?

Frankly, it’ll be hard to generalize. And here’s why:

Creators have different waiting times.

For example, it took Rob Wilson 60 hours to monetize two YouTube channels for VidIQ. On the other hand, Dina Lu got her own videos monetized in less than 5days.

YouTube itself states that the window for approval is a month. Yet, I’ve heard and seen cases of more than that.

So, you see, I can’t generalize.

Nevertheless, creators can do a few standard things, regardless of the waiting hours. Here are some examples:

1. Refine Your Existing Content: 

Evaluate your video performance. Check for the videos that get the most watch hours and engagements. Now, adapt the tone and design of the best-performing content to your other videos.

1. Update Your Channel’s Aesthetics: 

Thumbnails are such big deals on YouTube. The more attractive they are, the higher the chances of viewers’ clicks. But beyond thumbnails, the whole feel of your channel is equally vital. Otherwise, no fan will hang around your videos.

1. Engage More with Your Audience: 

Reply to viewers’ comments while waiting for approval. Beyond replies, actively create community posts and host live sessions. This will help engage your fans and encourage them to help you finally get approved.

1. Educate Yourself on YouTube SEO: 

Re-evaluate your YouTube SEO knowledge. Old techniques may no longer work. Learn recent tips and adopt them to increase visibility.

1. Plan and Schedule Upcoming Content: 

Use this time to plan your content calendar. A calendar allows you to maintain a consistent posting schedule.

1. Experiment with New Content Ideas: 

Now is the time to experiment with new types of videos or formats. Test different content styles or topics to see which best suits your audience.

But what happens if, after waiting, you get rejected?

Handling Potential Delays and Rejections

Rejection in the YouTube monetization process can be disheartening. However, it’s not the end of your creator journey. In fact, it’s an opportunity to reassess, refine, and come back stronger.

So, what should you do?

First, confirm if you were rejected.

If the review process takes several days longer than anticipated, the first step is to stay calm. Check your YouTube Studio. You may have already been accepted but have yet to receive the email.

What if the rejection is confirmed?

Take it as constructive feedback. Review YouTube’s reasons carefully. Often, rejection is due to issues with monetization policies or ad compatibility. And besides, you can re-apply.

But before re-application, make the necessary adjustments.

Re-evaluate your videos.

If necessary, edit or remove content that might be causing the issue.

Then, after making these changes, re-apply for monetization. Note that the timeline for re-application varies. Depending on how often you’ve been rejected, it could be 30 or 90 days.

Case in point:

I recall a fellow YouTuber who faced rejection twice.

In the end, she got her channel monetized.

However, she used the rejection time to refine her content strategy.

She also improved her video quality and better understood YouTube’s guidelines.

The persistence eventually paid off. She got her monetization request approved.

More importantly, she built a more engaged and loyal audience.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve answered the vital question:

How long does it take YouTube to review a channel for monetization?

The key takeaway is that the review process can vary based on several factors.

So, remember that patience is more than just a virtue in the world of YouTube; it’s a necessity.

While you wait, work on making your channel better.

Also, connect with your viewers and improve your content strategy.

Now, I’d love to hear from you!

Have you applied for YouTube monetization? What has your experience been like?

Share your stories, tips, or any questions in the comments below.

FAQ Section

When it comes to YouTube monetization, people ask many questions.

In this section, I’ll address some of the most asked questions:

1. How long does the YouTube monetization review take?

The YouTube review process for monetization usually takes a few days to a month.

Note that this is based on various factors.

It could be the number of people applying or your content type.

1. Why is my YouTube channel no longer monetizing?

This can be because you stopped following YouTube’s policies

It can also be because their monetization guidelines have changed.

Bottom line:

You must stay updated with YouTube’s terms and community guidelines.

1. Why is my YouTube channel not approved for YouTube monetization?

YouTube can reject your channels for monetization if:

• They don’t meet YouTube’s eligibility requirements.

• They violate community guidelines or copyright rules.

1. Do faceless channels get monetized?

Yes.

As long as they follow all YouTube monetization policies.

The presence of the creator’s face is not a criterion for monetization.

1. Can I get paid without subscribers?

Subscribers are essential, but YouTube pays creators based on ad views and engagement.

So, payment is not directly based on subscriber count.

But you must have at least 1,000 subscribers to join the YouTube Partner Program.

1. How much does YouTube pay you for 1 million views?

Generally, creators earn $2,000 to $5,000 for a million views, but this can differ significantly.

Factors include content type, audience location, and engagement.