How to Make Money on YouTube Without Ads (2026)

Sponsorships & brand deals

Usually the biggest earner. Brand deals commonly pay $10–$50 per 1,000 views — far above AdSense — and a mid-tier creator can earn thousands per integration. No subscriber minimum required.

Affiliate marketing

Recommend products you genuinely use and earn a commission on sales. Finance and tech creators often out-earn their ad revenue this way. Works at any size — you just need trust and relevant products.

Your own digital products & courses

Often the highest-margin path: your channel becomes free marketing for a paid product. A focused channel selling a course or template can out-earn its ad income many times over.

Memberships & viewer support

• Channel memberships — recurring monthly perks; membership use is growing fast year over year.
• Super Thanks / Super Chat — tips on videos and live streams; live-heavy channels can earn a lot here.
• Merch — works best with a strong community identity.

Start now, not at 1,000 subs

Sponsorships, affiliates and your own products don't need YPP. You can build these from your very first videos — and a per-creator storefront makes affiliate income simple even for small channels.