Content creators are striking gold in the online video streaming space. Since video is an engaging medium, it is great for building a monetizable online brand and community. 

Since each brand and creator is a little different, choosing a video monetization strategy that makes the most sense for your unique audience and goals is important. Fortunately, there are many ways to make money with online video.

Are you ready to learn how to make money streaming? Here are ten ways that you can monetize your online video streams.

1. Sell Tickets for Events

One of the most popular ways to make money streaming is with ticketed events. Creators can set up pay-per-view content that requires viewers to pay for access to the stream. This is commonly used for live streamed events, but it’s possible to charge for access to on-demand replays of events, as well.

Ticketing is a great way to generate revenue for conferences, concerts, sporting events, and other virtual or hybrid events. Creators can charge any

2. Video Subscriptions

Subscriptions offer a great way to create recurring revenue from online video content. Creators can offer access to a library of content on a subscription basis. You can offer access to a regular series of live streams with the same model.

This model is used by some of the largest video streaming companies, including Netflix, Disney +, and Hulu. It is common for online video subscriptions to range from $10 to $25/month. Most are billed monthly, but it is possible to create quarterly or annual subscriptions, as well.

3. Advertisements

Advertisements are another great way to make money from streaming. Some creators avoid advertisements because they can feel too “salesy” or out of place. But they are a great solution if you want to make money while keeping your content free.

This streaming monetization method is very similar to commercials on traditional television. Luckily, thanks to advanced advertising technology, advertisements are now more targeted toward unique viewers, leading to a more personalized viewing experience.

Many creators on free platforms, like YouTube, use advertisements that are inserted by the platform. Professional content creators can also tap into this revenue stream by using an ad insertion agency to pair them with advertisers with the same target audience.

4. Sponsored Brand Partnerships

Partnerships with sponsors allow other brands to pay to be featured in your streams. Their branding can be placed on or around your video player.

Some ways to showcase sponsored brand partnerships include:

• Brand placement in banners on and around the video player
• A pre-roll sponsorship clip
• Announcements that say “This stream was sponsored by ______”

As you negotiate brand partnerships with sponsors, be sure to spell out exactly what sort of placements are included for the amount of money they are paying.

5. Sponsored Product Placement

Another type of sponsorship is strategic product placement. This is great for streamers with a niche audience because it allows them to showcase a product in a way that feels natural and organic with their brand.

For example, a creator who hosts a cooking show could partner with a kitchen product brand or a grocery store for a tutorial on how to make a specific dish.

The key to successful sponsored content that is focused on products is to only work with brands that you truly enjoy. It is smart to promote products from companies that align with your brand values.

6. Selling Merch and Branded Products

Live commerce, which is also known as “live stream selling,” is a strategy that involves selling products directly in your streams. With the help of dedicated live commerce tools, creators can provide their viewers with the opportunity to shop without leaving the stream.

Creators can use live commerce to sell merch and other products from their brand. This is a great option for creators who have built a loyal following and community who would like to rep their brands.

7. Selling Digital Products

Selling digital products is another way that creators can use live commerce to make money streaming. Some digital products that you could sell include e-books, templates, and scripts.

What’s nice about digital products is that there isn’t usually much of an initial investment required, so basically, anybody with some sort of experience or expertise can sell them. Also, since it’s easy to sell an unlimited quantity of digital products, it’s also easy to scale this monetization method.

8. Tipping

Creators can make money by accepting tips and donations from their fans. What’s cool about tipping is that there’s no limit on how much your supporters can pay for your content.

This money-making strategy also works for collecting donations for a charitable cause. Supporters can donate an amount that works for them rather than being locked into a set ticket price.

Some sites, like Twitch and TikTok, allow viewers to tip with special tokens. Tokens are worth various monetary values, and creators can cash out through the streaming platform.

9. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a monetization strategy that involves selling products for another company and earning a commission fee. Content creators can sell both physical and digital products on behalf of their affiliate partners.

Creators can negotiate affiliate partnerships independently, or they can make connections through dedicated affiliate platforms. Sales are usually tracked by unique affiliate links, but sales can be tracked through promo codes, as well.

10. Video Courses or Coaching

Another way to make money on online video content is by offering courses and coaching. This approach to making money with streaming usually comes after you’ve established some influence in your field. 

A prime example of this is a fitness instructor who wants to offer online classes to their students. They can upload a collection of videos to their platform, host live streamed classes, or both. These can be monetized with several of the methods that we covered above.

How to Make Money Streaming on Maestro

Video monetization is made easier with a well-equipped video hosting platform, like Maestro.

Maestro is a monetization-focused video platform that offers support for a variety of monetization strategies. These include:

• Ticketing
• Subscriptions
• Live shopping
• Tipping

Our platform also supports easy-to-customize video sites that enable creators to showcase their sponsors through different panels and overlays.

Sign up for Maestro to make money streaming in no time at all.

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