Are you wondering how to become the next Mr. Beast?

Quick note before we start: I am talking mostly about U.S. rules and current platform programs. Things change. Your state may have its own twists. Always double check the requirements that apply to you.

You can make money on every major platform now. Some are more straightforward, others are a bit complicated (@instagram). This is the simple version so you can pick where to focus and stop guessing.

YouTube: still the most reliable paycheck

YouTube is the gold standard because it lets you earn in more than one way: ads, Premium revenue, memberships, Super Chat and Super Thanks, shopping, and fan funding. Long-form videos tend to pay the best per view. Research shows a common range of about $1.50 to $6 per 1,000 views for long-form. Shorts are smaller, often six to ten cents per 1,000 views. That gap is why many creators use Shorts to grow and long-form to earn.

Eligibility comes in two levels. There is an “early access” tier with fan funding, then full Partner Program for ad revenue sharing. Think 500 subscribers plus fresh uploads and watch time or Shorts views for early access, then 1,000 subscribers and higher watch or Shorts thresholds for full monetization. Keep posting consistently to stay eligible.

What do do here: publish at least one long-form video per week if you can, use Shorts to funnel to your long-form, and turn on memberships, even if it starts small. We are following this exact strategy with our new YouTube channel:

TikTok: better than the old fund, still volume driven

TikTok replaced the Creator Fund with the Creator Rewards Program. Payouts improved a lot. Current payouts are about forty cents to one dollar per 1,000 views. You still need volume, but it is no longer pennies. Typical requirements include 18+, 10,000 followers, and roughly 100,000 views in 30 days, plus living in a supported country.

What to do here: build series, keep average watch time high, and point the best videos to something you own like a newsletter or a shop. Ads alone will not carry you.

Instagram: more paths, more gatekeeping

Instagram monetization is a mix of brand deals, shopping tools, and invite-only bonuses. The biggest money for most people still comes from sponsor and longer partnerships. The platform cares about steady posting, quality, and engagement more than raw follower count. Instagram does not currently have a platform payout for posting Reels.

What to do here: pitch brands with past post results and audience fit, keep Reels consistent, and connect a shop if you have products.

Facebook: one system to rule the formats

Facebook has been rolling together its programs into a unified monetization system that covers Reels, longer videos, and more. Baseline eligibility looks like 500 followers over 30 days, page older than 90 days, and policy compliance. Payouts vary with performance and ad supply.

What to do here: re-purpose your YouTube backlog into native uploads and short clips. Test Reels and watch what actually earns rather than guessing.

X (Twitter): paywall subscription

To earn ad revenue posting on X, you need X Premium, at least 15 million impressions over three months, and other basics like age and policy compliance. It works for some accounts with high reply activity, but it is behind a paywall and not universal.

What to do here: if your replies go wild and you already pay for Premium, turn it on. Otherwise treat X as top-of-funnel and focus your earning elsewhere (unless you are an SF tech bro).

Snapchat: unified creator program

Snapchat now has a unified system for Stories and Spotlight. Requirements include follower and activity minimums, like posting on at least 10 of the last 28 days and hitting certain views or hours. Ads can run in longer content, and there is a $100 minimum payout.

What to do here: keep stories consistent and over one minute when you can, then push high performers back into your main channels.

Twitch: live is loyal, but build ladders

Twitch has Affiliate and Partner tiers. Affiliate asks for 50 followers, streaming on 7 days for 8 hours total, and about 3 average viewers. Partner expects higher consistency and about 75 average viewers over a period. Income comes from subs, Bits, and ads, with Partners getting more options and better splits.

What to do here: make clear on-ramps from free to subscribed. Think free chat perks, then sub-only VODs, then Discord roles. Clip your best moments to short form to grow.

Subscriptions and community: own some of it

Membership platforms like Patreon, Discord Server Subscriptions, and Substack, and others let you charge directly for access and perks. There are fewer hard thresholds to start, which is the point. You trade platform discovery for more control and better retention.

What to do here: offer one simple entry tier, ship something exclusive every month, and keep a calendar so you do not overpromise.

Pick a lane, then stack

Here is the boring secret that actually works. Pick one platform to anchor your income, then stack two or three supporting streams that fit.

A few patterns that work right now:

• YouTube long-form + Shorts + memberships, with brand deals as a seasonal bonus.

• TikTok volume + affiliate links + email list, then send high-intent fans to products.

• Twitch live + YouTube highlights + Discord subs, so your best moments keep earning after the stream.

Common traps that waste time

• Chasing every new program at once. You will spread yourself thin and earn almost nothing in each place.

• Ignoring eligibility fine print. A lot of features require consistent posting windows or country eligibility. Read it.

• Relying only on platform payouts. Ads come and go. Sponsors the same. Keep one revenue stream that you control.

Bottom line

Start where your content fits and where the math actually works. Turn on the easy money first. Stack programs that complement what you already do. Keep an eye on the requirements. Keep receipts for taxes. Then keep making the thing people came for.

If you want help tracking income across platforms and planning for taxes as those payouts start rolling in, Beluga Labs pulls it together in one place so you can see what is working and how much to set aside without guesswork.

Keep on Creating!

— The Beluga Labs Team