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You can make money on YouTube without monetization: sponsorships, affiliate links, your own products, donations and paid memberships outside YouTube all pay regardless of Partner Program status. Below are 9 ways that don't depend on YPP thresholds, with notes on what works for creators in Ukraine.
Can you earn on YouTube without the Partner Program?
Yes. Without the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) you only lose YouTube's own tools: ad revenue, channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Thanks. At the time of writing, the thresholds are:
- Ad revenue (until February 1, 2027): 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. For Ukraine, this is the main way into YPP.
- From February 1, 2027 for new applicants: 1,000 subscribers and 8,000 qualified public watch hours in 12 months or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days. Channels already in the program keep their status but must accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027.
- Lower tier (memberships, Super Chat, Super Thanks): 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 watch hours in 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days. It's only available in certain countries, and Ukraine isn't on the official list: a Ukrainian channel gets these features only after joining YPP at the full thresholds.
Ukraine is on the list of countries where YPP is available, and the Earn tab in YouTube Studio shows your progress toward the thresholds. If you're close to 4,000 hours, apply before February 1, 2027 — after that the bar doubles. What's changing for creators in Ukraine is covered in YouTube monetization in Ukraine; for the full overview, see our guide to the YouTube Partner Program.
Every method on this list works better when the channel has a visible audience: people subscribe to and trust channels that already have viewers. You can add a starter base on the YouTube subscribers page — from $20 per 1,000 (up to 30 a day) or $35 for the fast option, 30-day guarantee, no password. To be honest about the limits: YouTube checks whether subscribers and activity are genuine and may remove inactive accounts, so a quality package helps you build a base but doesn't guarantee those subscribers will count toward the YPP threshold, let alone guarantee monetization. Advertisers also look at views and engagement, so buying subscribers won't replace real reach.
Sponsorships: how many subscribers do you need?
- 1. Direct sponsorships. There's no hard threshold: in narrow niches (tech, finance, tools, software) brands work with channels of a few thousand subscribers. Add a business email to your channel description and pitch brands yourself.
- 2. UGC for brands. You make videos for the brand's own accounts and ads, and your channel serves as a portfolio. Audience size barely matters here.
Mark every paid integration with the "Paid promotion" checkbox in the video settings — YouTube's policies require it.
Affiliate links and your own products
- 3. Affiliate programs. A commission on sales through your link: stores, services, hosting, online courses. Note that clickable links in video descriptions are an advanced feature you unlock through channel verification.
- 4. Courses, consulting, services. An expert channel with 1,000 loyal viewers often earns more than an entertainment one with tens of thousands, because the videos sell your expertise.
- 5. Merch. T-shirts, mugs and stickers through your own site or print-on-demand services. The built-in merch shelf on YouTube is only for YPP members.
Donations and memberships: what works from Ukraine?
- 6. Donations. Ukrainian creators mostly use a monobank "jar" and Donatello (2–5% fee, according to DOU), plus alert widgets for streams. Buy Me a Coffee stopped serving new Ukrainian accounts in 2024, so don't count on it.
- 7. Paid memberships outside YouTube. Exclusive content, early access, project files: Patreon or Ukraine's Base by monobank (around 3% fee, requires a sole-proprietor account). For Patreon, check the payout methods available in your country first.
A Telegram channel and video licensing
- 8. Telegram channel. Move viewers to your own channel and sell ads or access to a private chat there. Your Telegram audience is yours and doesn't depend on YouTube's algorithm.
- 9. Licensing videos. If a video goes viral, you can sell the rights to media outlets or agencies. Read the contract carefully: some agencies take exclusive rights.
Where to start so your channel begins to earn
- Pick 1–2 methods that fit your niche instead of all nine at once.
- Put one clear call to action in every video: a product link, donations or Telegram.
- Keep working toward YPP thresholds — ways to speed that up are in how to monetize a YouTube channel.
The more people see your videos, the more any of these nine methods brings in. For starter reach, see the services on the YouTube promotion page — from $0.95 per 1,000, no password.
