In 2020, the viewing of gaming content saw a massive surge, ballooning to a stunning 1.2 billion views. With YouTube monetization strategies, it makes many wonder how money can be made through YouTube gaming. It shouldn’t be a surprise that it is quite a lucrative industry with many examples of different methods by which to approach it. Let’s talk about just some of the ways that you can start cashing in on this money-making method. Keep reading to discover our list of the TOP 8 ideas To Make Money with YouTube Gaming Channels
Best ideas To Make Money with YouTube Gaming Channels
1. Let Others Watch You Play Video Games
Many gamers find certain games very challenging. They just can’t seem to make the right decisions or struggle with strategies for passing particularly difficult parts of the game. These gamers often like to turn to streams from those who are particularly good at playing the game in question, and they not only enjoy watching someone else dominate the game, but they use it as a tutorial to help themselves figure out the parts they are struggling with. For those who play the games and post the content, this can be a very lucrative endeavor.
The best part is there is no need to show your face on these videos as the users are only interested in a visual of your gaming screen. The YouTube games that do best with this tend to be those that operate in a gaming niche. Sports games are among the most popular (specifically with FIFA games), as you can show off your expertise to a wider audience.
Because these channels have a lot of subscribers, the product placement ads and video ad break all add to the streamers’ revenues. Therefore, popular gaming channels of this kind end up making good money. If the gamer narrates along with their play, the video is not only more enjoyable to watch, but if the gamer mentions products they use, they get even more money.
To become part of a YouTube partner program you need to have at least 1000 subscribers and 4,000 monthly watch hours. Once you qualify, you can begin cashing in on the above ad revenue and promotional strategies by doing something you’d be doing for free anyway.
2. Video Game Reviews
Some gamers are hesitant about going out and buying a particular game, not wanting to throw away their money on a game that isn’t good. They benefit from being able to turn to reliable and trusted sources to provide them with thoughtful reviews and honest opinions about the game’s quality. For those that make such reviews through YouTube videos, this is a great way to make money as a YouTube gamer, especially in niche games.
For instance, if your focus was on Madden NFL games since a new version of the game comes out annually, you can provide a review for every year, comparing the pros and cons to the games previously released in the series. You can do something similar with other sports games. You could also get paid by sponsors whose products you review on your channel. To build trust with your audience, you should be honest and tell them that it is a paid advertisement. For instance, some game manufacturers will pay games to provide honest reviews of their games to their followers.
This is also an opportunity to make money through affiliate marketing and ad revenue by placing links in the description of the game review videos. People could click on it and make purchases, earning them a commission.
What if i told you that you can start a video game review channel without showing your face? Check How I Make Money On YouTube Without Making Videos
3. Game Console Reviews
Most gamers cannot afford every new console out there, but they love to game and want to pick the one that would get them the most bang for their buck. One particular category of earnings on YouTube gaming is to provide comparisons between Playstation and Xbox, the two biggest gaming consoles, but you could through the Nintendo Switch in there as well. If you have kept up with the consoles throughout their lifetimes, you could denote how each generation has been better or worse than the older versions.
Since you are reviewing products, if you are a popular enough channel on YouTube, you could actually get paid to test out new gaming consoles and promote new products. That means you get new stuff while you help market new products for companies, and they pay you for it!
On top of this, this method is rife with opportunities for affiliate marketing. You can provide links to particular consoles you review, and when someone clicks the link to purchase one, you get paid a commission for it.
4. Video Game News And Updates
With new games, features, downloadable content, and even consoles coming out regularly, one thing the video game sphere is not lacking is news. This has been a fantastic area of monetization due to the demand and no lack of new information. With many video game genres, the number of routes that can be taken to reporting video game news is multifaceted, especially when gamers provide live rankings and communication across various games.
One of the biggest players in this sphere is ESports. On top of that, gamers everywhere have an insatiable appetite for new releases, especially if the audience is big fans of a particular game. Delivering this news through monetized YouTube content is a great way to make money as a gamer on YouTube.
You can partner with gaming companies and leave affiliate links to their products, and once you have 4,000 monthly watch hours and 1,000 subs, you can begin earning additional cash with ad revenue.
5. Video Game Ranking
If you haven’t found much appeal in the suggestions thus far, consider ranking video games. Doing so will entail broader money-making opportunities since your lists will need to cover a variety of categories. The great thing is games can overlap within specific category types. For example, you can make a video ranking the best games for teenage girls or games for racing game enthusiasts.
This is one area you should probably steer clear of trying to earn through ad revenue, however. When gamers watch ranked videos they look for credibility, so if you place a popular game at the top of every list, you are not going to be afforded agency by your viewers. That isn’t to say that you cannot monetize this type of content, of course. You can let your viewers know that they can use codes to download particular games through the affiliate links you will provide. Or you can partner with particular game makers and give away a few copies of their game in order to get traction for sales and your channel.
6. Video Game Equipment Unboxing
The mystery of why unboxing videos are so immensely popular is still baffling many, but in the meantime, smart YouTubers are cashing in on the action. While this isn’t a great type of video for unboxing a game, doing so on new consoles is a whole different story. Additionally, you can unbox peripheral devices that go with game systems and even show viewers how they work.
This channel is ultimately a review channel, but with a twist. It is also about first impressions, initial observations, and favorite features. This is a great type of channel to use for affiliate marketing since, you unbox a particular product, then tell users that they can get a discount on it if they use your affiliate link. Of course, there is nearly zero chance of every viewer being interested enough to make a purchase you recommend, simply as many of them are not there for that reason, but there are bound to be users who are interested, and once they follow your links, you will earn an affiliate’s commission.
7. iPhone Game Channel
Too many gaming channels focus strictly on consoles and console games, overlooking the immensely popular iPhone mobile game segment, much to their own financial detriment. Think about all of the categories we have suggested thus far, and now apply them to mobile games, especially specifically focusing on games found in the iStore. Many people, for example, would love to see someone beat Angry Birds, start to finish. What about dominating Tetris? You can even rank games as the “top 10 most entertaining iPhone games to kill time” for those looking for something new to play during their downtime.
8. Android Game Channel
With iPhone mobile games getting some love, there is no reason to leave out nearly half of the mobile phone market users, right? Android gaming channels are a very fun good way to appeal to the Android community and make some money while making YouTube content for them. While many of the games will be available on both platforms, certain ones are Android exclusives, therefore, they are a great sector to focus on.
The Android niche has an attentive and engaged audience, so it’s a good market to make the content of value. You can have a very lucrative YouTube channel on your hands by using the combination of ad revenue, affiliate marketing, and other viable revenue streams.
What Tools Do You Need To Make Your Gaming Channel A Success?
Thus far we gave you a lot of good ideas of the types of channels you can start to begin making money with YouTube gaming, but that is only half of the formula. You also need to know the right tools to use to make sure your channel is a success. From headsets (SteelSeries) and microphones (Logitech Blue Yeti) to editing software, gamer YouTubers use the top tools out there to comprise their successful channel.
Game-Recording Software
YouTube game recording software is the most critical piece of any game review channel. There are many game types out there, but the only way to really get the audience involved, immersed, and engaged in your content is to record your gaming with a high-quality game recorder.
Which game recording device you use also depends on what system you are using, as they are not all cross-compatible. Without one, it will be a challenge to make quality YouTube videos that will be able to monetize. A great starting tool we recommend for recording your screen while playing a game is Democreator.
Video Editing Software
You may dream of getting a perfect take on the first try, but trust us, that is a one-in-a-billion chance when it comes to gaming channels, regardless of whether they are game walk-throughs, reviews, news, or unboxing videos, so you are going to need to a robust video editor to tighten up your final product.
Sometimes, even the slightest background noise can upend the video. Without editing software, you have to start over, which kills not only your momentum and excitement but will quickly grow tiresome, dampening your desire to make videos at all.
Some editing software is incredible but expensive. Mac users could utilize iMovie, but there are tools to make videos look even more professional. The better the editor, the better the quality. Of course, there are online editing options too, like Hippo Video. If you prefer to use them on your own device, we have had great results with Camtasia and Filmora.
Audio Recording Equipment
The commentary that accompanies YouTube gamer videos of any kind is one of the biggest draws. Even if all you are doing is mowing down zombies, players who are watching your videos want to hear your reactions. If you are showing others how to pass the game in a walk-through, commentary explaining your actions is vital to engage the viewer who cannot see what you are doing on your controller.
This necessitates a need for a quality audio recording device. The need is further amplified if you are working as an affiliate partner. After all, the company whose products you are hoping to promote and get your viewers to purchase needs to be assured that the name of their product and brand is pronounced and can be heard clearly.
Some gamer headsets have good microphones, but for a professional feel, you will want to invest in a quality microphone, such as the ones used for vlogging or podcasting. One great brand is the Blue Yeti, which is both powerful and affordable.
Must-Have tools for a successful YouTube gaming channel
Well, having the mentioned equipment aren’t enough to start a successful YouTube gaming channel, You still need some other tools that will help you grow fast to get tones of views and subscribers from which we mention: VidIQ and TubeBuddy. And for great Video gaming thumbnails you can either create them by yourself using Canva, or order a profession one from Fiverr for $5 each.
Examples Of Successful YouTube Gaming Channels
So now that you know how to make money with YouTube gaming and the equipment necessary to make it a lucrative business, you might be interested in some examples of channels already applying these methods. In fact, we are sure you follow some of these already. Let’s take a look at a few video game channels already successful in pursuing this strategy.
SovietWomble:
This channel has more than 4 million subs and is a standard to look to for those who want to gain an audience through playing games. The channel partners with Twitch as well. They even host pay-per-view events. They utilized a powerful tool for recording and live-streaming games called Open Broadcaster Software (OBL).
GamingBolt:
By providing in-depth, high-quality reviews of games all across the gaming spectrum. Due to their successful approach, they have garnered over 1.1 million subscribers, a base that continues to grow by the day. They also don’t put themselves in a box of a review channel, making ranked list videos as well to appeal to a broader audience. The channel utilizes game recording software, but they also voice the videos over heavily to bring together high-quality content.
TheRelaxingEnd:
This channel makes its money through popular unboxing videos by closely analyzing popular gaming products up-close. The model seems to be working, as evidenced by the channel’s excess of 8 million subs. The proximity of products means that the channel needs to use various recording devices, such as a handheld camera or a phone. Since perfect takes are rare, editing equipment is still used.
While there isn’t overwhelming commentary, the microphone picks up on the unwrapping sounds which adds to the experience of users watching unboxing videos. To help earn money, they have done product promotion through subscriber giveaways.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, there are many ways to make money with a YouTube gaming channel. Some of the top ideas include becoming a partner with YouTube, creating and selling merchandise, offering paid memberships, and accepting donations. You can also make money by collaborating with other creators, promoting products or services, and hosting sponsored content.
These are just a few of the many ways to monetize a gaming channel on YouTube. If you’re interested in learning more about how to make money with your channel, be sure to check out our next article, “TOP 19 Sports Faceless YouTube Channel Ideas.” In this article, we’ll share even more ideas and tips to help you turn your passion for gaming and sports into a lucrative career.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can you make money from gaming videos on YouTube?
Video game content can be monetized if the accompanying commentary is directly related to the live action being displayed and offers instructional or educational value. Videos that only show a person playing a video game or using software for an extended period of time may not be eligible for monetization.
How much do small gaming YouTubers make?
On average, as of December 16, 2022, a Work From Home YouTube Gaming professional in the United States earns $5,093 per month.
How much does a YouTube Gamer make per view?
Advertisers typically pay rates that range from $0.10 to $0.30 per view, but on average, the rate is $0.18 per view.
Hi, my name is Idammah, and I am the founder of Vid Gators, a website dedicated to helping people make money through YouTube. I have always been fascinated by the potential for success on the platform and the power of video as a medium for communication and entertainment. That's why I started this blog – to share my own experiences and the strategies that have worked for me with others who are looking to do the same. I have personally tried a variety of methods for making money through YouTube, including creating and monetizing my own channels, collaborating with brands, and using video content to drive traffic to my website. While some methods have been more successful than others, I have learned a lot along the way and am constantly experimenting with new ways to earn an income through video. I am excited to share my knowledge and experiences with my readers, and I hope that my blog can be a helpful resource for anyone looking to make money through YouTube. Thanks for stopping by!
