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Some of the most popular YouTubers make millions from their videos. Here's how you can make some money from your YouTube channel too. (GOOGL)

YouTube stars with large fan bases and popular videos can earn millions of dollars a year from their content, but you don't have to have millions of subscribers to make some cash off the videos you post on the service.

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  • If you have enough people watching your YouTube videos, you can earn money from them through the service's Partner Program.
  • Here's how to find out if you're eligible for the program and how to join it.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

YouTube personalities including PewDiePie, the Paul brothers, and Jenna Marbles have made millions of dollars from their YouTube videos.

But you don't have to be a megastar like one of them with millions of views to make money off your YouTube videos. Anyone who meets certain requirements can make some extra cash on the streaming video service through the YouTube Partner Program .

Here are the standards your channel needs to meet to qualify, how you can apply, and how the program works:

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AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

Once you become part of the program, you'll have access to a trove of resources and features provided by YouTube. The program offers tips on the different ways you can make money and provides a dedicated support team.

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YouTube sets such requirements for the program to "protect the creator community from spammers, impersonators, and other bad actors," it says.

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YouTube offers the program in more than 100 countries , including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Russia, and Norway. One country where it's not available is China.

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Those rules bar nudity, hate speech and harassment, violence, spam, and invasions of privacy.

You should also make sure you have the commercial-use rights for your content and that you aren't violating any copyright laws.

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YouTube's policies are complex, so you should read them for yourself .

Screenshot / YouTube

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YouTube's Help Center has a page where you can troubleshoot the process , which may be necessary if you have more than one YouTube account.

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Within Creator Studio, you'll find a link to the monetization page . That page walks through the process of generating revenue from your YouTube channel step-by-step.

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You do that on a separate page. You'll have to enter some personal information, including your address and payment details, to ensure you're paid for ads that run on your videos.

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Once you complete the application, the sign-up process will automatically redirect you back to the Creator Studio area. From there, you can choose whether or not you want certain ads to run with your videos. You can change those settings at any time.

Source: YouTube

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However, YouTube won't consider your application for the program until you meet the 4,000 watch-hour and 1,000 subscriber thresholds. I've posted few videos on my personal YouTube account and done little to try to draw in viewers, so I haven't come close to meeting those requirements, but YouTube is tracking my progress toward them.

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"There can be multiple reasons for delays," YouTube says. "Higher-than-usual application volumes, system issues, or we may occasionally need to shift resources."

So even if you apply and meet all the requirements, it could be a while before you start making money off your channel.

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The most basic tier, which everyone qualifies for once they're accepted into the Partner Program, provides creators with revenue from ads that show up on their videos.

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If you have at least 10,000 subscribers, you'll be able to link out to a site to sell merchandise to your fans. If you have at least 30,000 subscribers, you can offer memberships to your channel. With that feature, fans pay a monthly fee to get badges, emojis, and other perks.

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YouTube offers them as part of what it calls its Creator Academy. The videos offer tips on such things as the different ways creators can make money off their videos and channels.

This explainer video is a good place to start:

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See Also:

SEE ALSO: These are the 23 most popular YouTube stars in the world

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