Are you curious to know if a YouTube channel is making money?
Monetization on YouTube allows creators to earn money from their content through ads, sponsorships, and more. Knowing whether a channel is monetized gives you a peek into its potential and how committed the creators are to their YouTube journey.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the signs and tools that reveal if a YouTube channel is monetized. By the end of this, you should be able to spot them like a pro!
If you’re looking to get your own channel monetized, we also have a guide explaining the steps that can help you achieve this!
3 Ways To Tell If a Channel Is Monetized in 2025
Our expert Team at Favoree has put together the perfect guide for you!
1. Check For Indicators Within YouTube
There are typically a few indicators you can check for when trying to determine whether a channel is earning money from YouTube.
The presence of the following features generally means the channel is monetized:
YouTube Ads
The most straightforward indicator of a monetized YouTube channel is the presence of ads. These can appear before, during or after the video.
YouTube also features banner ads that can appear at the bottom of the video or as an overlay.
It is worth noting that although this used to be a more foolproof method of verifying if a channel is monetized, YouTube has now started to show ads on all types of channels.
If you see regular ads on a channel, this is a good indication but not a guarantee.
Super Chat
During live streams, some channels have the ability for viewers to purchase Super Chats or Super Stickers.
These are colorful highlights or stickers that fans can buy to catch the creator’s attention or show support during the stream.
Membership offers
Some channels offer memberships to their viewers. This feature allows subscribers to pay a monthly fee in exchange for special perks like exclusive badges, emojis, and access to members-only content.
If you notice a ‘Join’ button next to the ‘Subscribe’ button on a channel, it indicates that the channel has enabled this monetization feature.
2. Alternative Forms Of Monetization
Aside from YouTube Ad Revenue, creators who earn money from YouTube often monetize their audience in several ways.
If you frequently see a channel featuring sponsored content or explicitly promoting brands, it’s likely that they are monetized.
Sponsored segments within videos or dedicated videos to a product or service are common ways for creators to earn revenue outside of the traditional ad revenue.
3. Revenue Estimation
Various third-party tools like Social Blade, VidIQ, and TubeBuddy can provide insights into a channel’s potential earnings and other valuable analytics.
These tools often estimate earnings based on public data such as view counts and engagement, offering a hint at whether a channel is monetized.
Understanding whether a YouTube channel is monetized gives viewers insight into the creator’s success and dedication to their channel.
By keeping an eye out for these signs, you can get a better sense of how a channel operates financially and what you might expect from your own YouTube endeavors.
If you like this article, you might like our list of analytical tools for YouTube channels!
