Do creators on YouTube earn more money with Shorts, TikTok's competitor?

It seems that Shorts, YouTube's TikTok competitor, is becoming an increasingly important part of the company's monetization program.

More than a quarter of channels in its Partner Program now earn money from short-form videos.

A significant development

This step comes a little over a year after YouTube started sharing advertising revenue with creators producing Shorts. YouTube currently claims to have over 3 million creators worldwide in the Partner Program, which would imply that the number of Shorts creators earning money on the platform is somewhere in the hundreds of thousands.

A different revenue-sharing model

Because ads on Shorts appear between clips in a feed, revenue sharing for Shorts is structured differently than for longer content on YouTube. Advertising revenues are pooled and distributed among eligible creators based on factors such as views and music licenses. The company has stated that this arrangement is much more profitable for individuals than traditional creator funds.

Still unclear financial details

So far, it is not clear how much creators earn with Shorts compared to other monetization programs on the platform. YouTube has refused to share details but stated that the company paid out $70 billion to creators over the past three years.

A potential boost for Shorts

The Shorts dynamics could still grow in the coming months. TikTok, which itself is trying to compete more directly with YouTube by encouraging longer videos, may be banned in the United States. Although this outcome is far from certain, YouTube would almost certainly attract former TikTok users and creators.