How to Make More Money on YouTube with Streaming

YouTube broadcasts let you earn more on videos you've already shot by giving them a new wave of reach. Once a stream ends, it's saved in your broadcasts section and the platform continues promoting it like a regular video — collecting views, ad revenue, and donations.

There are several ways to organize broadcasts that help you maximize income. Here's how to get started.

How Automatic Broadcasts Work

With Creator Tools, the entire process is automated. Here's the basic flow:

• Create a broadcast on YouTube — set a name, description, and cover image.

• Upload your videos to Creator Tools — choose videos so their total duration is around 1 hour.

• Set a timer — configure a start and end time. Note: YouTube does not save broadcasts longer than 12 hours, so keep streams within that limit.

• Translate your broadcast — reach a global audience by adding translations in 50–100 languages via the Translations tab.

• Launch and earn — the broadcast starts automatically and is saved in your broadcasts section. After it ends, YouTube continues promoting it like a regular video.

This method turns old videos into new views and monetization with no extra manual effort.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Stream in Your Account

To configure a stream, log in to your Creator Tools account.

Step 1 — Upload Your Video Files

There are two ways to add your videos:

1. Click the Select File button.

2. Drag and drop files directly onto the Select Files area.

You can also add an entire folder at once.

Step 2 — Wait for Files to Load

Once uploaded, your files are highlighted by quality:

• Yellow — the stream will work acceptably, but re-rendering at a higher quality is recommended.

• Red — the video does not meet streaming requirements and will not play.

For HD streaming, use an MP4 container with these bitrate settings: