Can You Make Money on YouTube in Canada?
Yes. Canadian creators can make money on YouTube through advertising, memberships, fan funding, sponsorships, merchandise, affiliate marketing and other revenue streams.
You do not need millions of subscribers to start monetizing either. YouTube now has two levels of Partner Program eligibility: an earlier level that can unlock features such as memberships and Supers, and a higher threshold for ad revenue and YouTube Premium revenue.
The amount you can earn varies widely depending on your niche, audience, watch time, geography and how you monetize. A channel with a relatively small but valuable audience may earn more from sponsorships or affiliate sales than a much larger channel earns from advertising alone.
If you are comparing platforms, you can also read our guide to making money on TikTok in Canada.
1. The YouTube Partner Program
The YouTube Partner Program is the foundation of YouTube's built-in monetization system. Canada is supported, but there are now two different eligibility levels, which is where a lot of outdated YouTube advice becomes confusing.
The first level gives eligible creators earlier access to fan-funding and Shopping features. The higher level unlocks revenue sharing from ads and YouTube Premium.
Monetization level | Current requirements in Canada |
Early YPP access | 500 subscribers + 3 public uploads in the last 90 days + either 3,000 qualified public watch hours in 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days |
Ads + YouTube Premium | 1,000 subscribers + either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days |
The 500-subscriber level can provide access to features such as Channel Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks and Shopping for your own products, provided you meet each feature's additional requirements. Check Google Help for more details.
For advertising revenue, you still need the higher 1,000-subscriber threshold.
YouTube also reviews channels before admitting them to YPP. Meeting the numbers does not guarantee approval. Your channel must follow YouTube's monetization policies, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, have two-step verification enabled and meet the other program requirements.
How YouTube Ad Revenue Is Shared
For regular long-form videos on the Watch Page, YouTube currently pays creators 55% of net advertising revenue under the Watch Page Monetization Module.
For Shorts, the system works differently. Revenue from ads shown between Shorts is pooled and allocated through the Shorts Creator Pool, and creators receive 45% of the revenue allocated to them.
That is why there is no reliable answer to questions such as:
“How much does YouTube pay for 100,000 views in Canada?”
Views alone are not enough. Revenue can change significantly based on the audience, topic, video length, advertiser demand, season and percentage of views that are actually monetized.
Important: YouTube has announced changes to the full ad and Premium monetization thresholds beginning February 1, 2027. If you are reading this after that date, check the current YouTube Partner Program requirements before applying
Canadian creators are not limited to Canadian viewers either. YouTube reports that more than 90% of watch time on content from Canadian channels comes from outside Canada, giving creators access to a much larger international audience.
2. Channel Memberships
Channel Memberships allow viewers to support a creator through a recurring monthly payment in exchange for perks such as badges, custom emoji, members-only videos, posts or live streams.
Memberships are available to eligible Canadian creators and can become available through the earlier YPP tier rather than requiring the full advertising threshold. That means a creator may be able to start earning directly from loyal viewers before qualifying for Watch Page ad revenue.
YouTube currently pays creators 70% of recognized membership revenue after applicable taxes and fees are deducted. Payment-processing costs such as credit-card fees are currently covered by YouTube.
Memberships tend to make the most sense when viewers have a reason to stay involved with the channel rather than simply watch an occasional video.
Useful membership perks could include:
members-only videos
early access to new content
private livestreams or Q&As
custom badges and emoji
downloadable resources
behind-the-scenes content
A channel with 10,000 subscribers and an engaged community may have more membership potential than a channel with 100,000 subscribers whose viewers rarely return.
3. Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks
YouTube also gives eligible Canadian creators several ways to receive one-time payments directly from viewers.
Super Chat lets viewers pay to highlight a message during an eligible livestream or Premiere. Super Stickers work similarly but use animated stickers, while Super Thanks lets viewers support creators directly on eligible long-form videos and Shorts.
Canada is currently supported for these fan-funding features, and they can be available to creators who qualify through the earlier YPP level.
YouTube currently pays creators 70% of net revenue from Channel Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks under its Commerce Product Module. For creators who livestream regularly, Supers can be particularly useful because they turn audience interaction into an additional revenue stream.
For example, a gaming creator might use them during livestreams, while an educational channel could host live Q&A sessions. The feature works best when viewers already value direct interaction with the creator.
Super Chat and Super Stickers are not available on every video. Among other restrictions, they cannot be used on content that is private, unlisted, made for kids or has live chat disabled.
4. Selling Merchandise and Products
YouTube can also help creators sell their own products. Eligible creators can connect a supported store through YouTube Shopping and feature products on their channel, videos, Shorts and livestreams.
Products do not have to be traditional creator merchandise such as T-shirts and mugs.
Depending on the channel, a creator might sell:
branded clothing or accessories
books
physical products
courses
templates
downloadable resources
products from an existing ecommerce business
This can be particularly valuable because the creator controls the economics of the product rather than relying entirely on advertising rates.
For example, imagine a woodworking channel that publishes tutorials. Advertising may generate revenue from the videos, but the same channel could also sell project plans, tools, merchandise or paid educational material to viewers who want to go further.
YouTube Shopping in Canada: One Important Distinction
Canadian creators need to distinguish between selling their own products and YouTube's built-in affiliate program for products from other brands.
Eligible Canadian creators can use YouTube Shopping to connect and promote products from their own supported store.
However, as of September 2026, Canada's creator location is not included in YouTube's current list of countries eligible for the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program for promoting products from other brands. The supported creator locations currently include markets such as the United States, Brazil, Japan, India, South Korea and several Southeast Asian countries.
Canadian creators can still use traditional external affiliate programs, which we will cover later in this guide.
5. Sponsored Content and Brand Deals
Sponsorships can become one of the most valuable revenue streams for a YouTube creator because brands are paying for access to a specific audience rather than simply paying for video views.
A sponsorship could involve a short product mention, a dedicated segment, product integration or an entire sponsored video. The creator may receive money, free products, services or another benefit in exchange for featuring the brand.
You do not necessarily need a huge channel to attract sponsors. A smaller channel focused on a valuable niche can still appeal to companies if its viewers are highly relevant to what the company sells.
For example, a Canadian channel focused on home renovations might be attractive to tool manufacturers, building-product companies or home-improvement brands even if its subscriber count is much lower than a general entertainment channel.
Sponsored Content Must Be Disclosed
Canadian creators have disclosure obligations when they receive something of value in connection with content.
The Competition Bureau of Canada says influencers should disclose material connections such as payments, commissions, free products, discounts, trips or personal relationships. Disclosures should be clear, prominent and easy for viewers to notice.
YouTube also requires creators to declare branded content using its paid promotion setting when a video contains sponsorships, paid product placements, endorsements or other commercial relationships. YouTube then displays a disclosure to viewers.
Checking the YouTube disclosure box does not remove your responsibility to comply with Canadian advertising law. For sponsored videos, the relationship should be clear to the viewer rather than buried in a long description or hidden behind ambiguous wording.
6. YouTube Premium Revenue
YouTube Premium gives creators another source of revenue even when viewers are not seeing ads. When a Premium member watches eligible content, part of that member's subscription revenue is distributed to creators based largely on how much Premium members watch their content.
Creators do not need to sell Premium themselves. Once the channel is eligible for the relevant YouTube Partner Program monetization features, Premium revenue is included alongside other YouTube earnings.
This makes watch time valuable beyond traditional advertising. Longer tutorials, documentaries, educational videos and series can all generate Premium revenue when subscribers spend time watching them.
YouTube also counts eligible background playback and downloaded viewing toward Premium watch time once that viewing data is synced.
7. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing lets creators recommend products or services and earn a commission when viewers purchase through a tracked link. It can work particularly well for review, tutorial, technology, education, beauty, fitness and hobby channels where viewers are already looking for product recommendations.
A creator might place affiliate links in the video description for:
equipment used in the video
software or apps
books and courses
tools
products being reviewed
services relevant to the audience
YouTube allows affiliate links, provided they comply with its external-link and spam policies. YouTube specifically notes that affiliate content itself does not violate its Terms of Use, although accounts built around excessive or spammy affiliate posting can run into policy problems.
Affiliate Links Need Clear Disclosure
Canadian creators should clearly disclose when they may earn a commission.
The Competition Bureau considers commissions and other financial benefits to be material connections. It recommends making disclosures prominent and clear rather than relying only on a discount code, brand tag or affiliate link.
A simple disclosure such as “I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links” can make the relationship much clearer to viewers.
Affiliate income can also complement ad revenue. A video may continue earning commissions from search traffic long after it was published, particularly when it answers a question people regularly research before buying.
8. Tax Benefits and Grants for Canadian YouTubers
Money earned from YouTube is taxable in Canada. The CRA specifically includes YouTube creators within its guidance for social media influencers and requires Canadian residents to report both monetary and certain non-monetary income earned through social media, including advertising, sponsorships, subscriptions, referral commissions, gifts and trips.
For an unincorporated creator carrying on a business, this income is generally reported as self-employment income using Form T2125.
Reasonable expenses incurred to earn that income may also be deductible. Depending on the circumstances, this can include software, advertising, internet costs, workspace expenses and other business costs. Equipment such as computers or cameras may be treated as capital property and deducted over time rather than simply written off as a normal operating expense.
GST/HST
The old version of this article oversimplified the GST/HST rule.
For most businesses, the small-supplier threshold is based on $30,000 of taxable supplies, not simply "$30,000 of YouTube income." Registration can become mandatory if the threshold is exceeded in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters.
Creators earning meaningful income from YouTube, sponsorships, affiliate sales or products should speak with a Canadian tax professional about their particular setup.
Grants for Canadian Creators
Grants should be viewed as occasional project or business-development funding rather than a normal YouTube revenue stream.
One particularly relevant current program is the Canada Media Fund Digital Creators Pilot Program, which supports eligible mid-career Canadian digital creators producing short-form content for platforms including YouTube. For the 2026-27 cycle, eligibility was also expanded to certain video podcast creators.
Programs, deadlines and eligibility change, so creators should check the current requirements before building a project around grant funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Canadians Really Make Money on YouTube?
Yes. Canadian creators can earn through YouTube ads, Premium revenue, memberships, Supers, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, products and other methods.
The more important question is usually which revenue streams fit the audience, because advertising is only one part of YouTube monetization.
How Do You Get Paid From YouTube in Canada?
YouTube Partner Program earnings are paid through AdSense for YouTube.
For accounts reporting in Canadian dollars, the current payment threshold is C$100. If your balance reaches the threshold and there are no payment holds, payments are generally issued between the 21st and 26th of the following month.
Google also requires YPP creators to submit tax information regardless of where they live. Depending on the information submitted, U.S. tax withholding can apply to earnings generated from U.S. viewers.
How Many Views Do You Need to Make $1,000 on YouTube?
There is no reliable universal number because revenue per 1,000 views can vary dramatically.
A better calculation is:
Monthly views ÷ 1,000 × RPM = estimated creator revenue
For example, if a channel hypothetically earned a $5 RPM, 200,000 monetized-equivalent views would produce approximately $1,000.
That is only an illustration. Actual RPM varies by channel, audience, topic, season and monetization mix.
Can Faceless YouTube Channels Be Monetized?
Yes. YouTube does not require creators to appear on camera.
What matters is whether the content is original and provides genuine value. YouTube's current monetization policies specifically target mass-produced, highly repetitive and reused content with little original contribution. Original tutorials, animation, commentary, documentaries and other faceless formats can still qualify.
Can You Monetize YouTube Shorts in Canada?
Yes. Eligible Canadian YPP creators can earn through Shorts Feed advertising.
Shorts use a different revenue-sharing system from long-form videos. Revenue is pooled through the Shorts Creator Pool, and creators currently receive 45% of the revenue allocated to them.
How Long Does It Take to Start Making Money on YouTube?
There is no standard timeline. Some channels reach YPP thresholds quickly, while others take much longer or never reach them.
Publishing consistently can help, but frequency alone is not enough. Topic selection, thumbnails, viewer retention, originality and whether people actually want the content matter much more than following a fixed posting schedule.
Making Money on YouTube in Canada
YouTube offers Canadian creators more monetization options than ads alone. The strongest channels often combine several sources such as advertising, Premium revenue, sponsorships, memberships, affiliate commissions and products.
You also do not need to chase every monetization method at once. Build an audience first, identify why people watch your content, and add revenue streams that naturally fit that audience.
If you are comparing other creator platforms, our guides to making money on TikTok in Canada and making money on Instagram in Canada can help you compare the available options.
