Can You Monetize Compilation Videos on YouTube?

One of the most popular content types you can come across on YouTube is compilation videos.

If you’ve ever wondered if and how you can make money from viral compilation videos, you’re not alone.

The truth is, there are lots of things to consider when it comes to making compilation videos on YouTube and monetizing them.

This guide touches on essential factors and answers your most important questions regarding monetizing these type of videos. Let's dive in!

What Are Compilation Videos?

As the name suggests, compilation videos feature clips and footage from different videos.

It is usually a collection of short video snippets to highlight a specific topic or concept.

You must have come across videos highlighting the best goals from a football tournament, the funniest scenes from a particular show, or the best dog breeds you can own.

These videos are classic examples of compilation videos.

Can You Monetize Compilation Videos on YouTube?

To monetize compilation videos on YouTube, one of the very first things you must do is to review the YouTube monetization guidelines.

An easy way to do this is to join the Youtube Partner Program (YPP), which is the primary source of monetization on YouTube for majority of creators.

This program has requirements that every creator must meet to be eligible to join or be accepted into it.

Only after that will creators be able to monetize their content on the platform.

However, you should note that meeting all the eligibility requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Still, meeting these requirements will go a long way. Some of them include the following:

• You must have at least 1000 subscribers and over 4000 valid watch hours within 12 months.
• You must have 1000 subscribers and 10 million valid public views on your Shorts within 90 days.
• You must reside in a country where the Youtube Partner Program is available.
• You must have an active Adsense account.
• You must ensure that you have zero community guideline strikes on your channel by adhering to all community guidelines.

Of all these requirements, adherence to community guidelines, specifically the AdSense Program Policy, is the most important one to this topic.

This policy includes a list of content that cannot be monetized, one of which is reused content.

According to the policy, reused contents refer to videos uploaded on your channel that are already created by another person or appear on another channel.

It is safe to say that you cannot monetize compilation videos on Youtube that use footage from other videos. This is because it violates the Adsense Partner Policy.

However, there is a way to monetize YouTube compilation videos, even when you use clips and footage from other videos.

Keep reading to find out how.

How to Monetize Compilation Videos Using Other Clips or Footages

From the definition of a compilation video, making one without using pre-existing clips or footage seems almost impossible.

And with the AdSense policy, it feels like you have hit a dead-end with your attempt to monetize YouTube compilation videos.

But not to worry, we have a solution for you.

There is a clause in the AdSense policy that allows you to monetize compilation videos made with clips that are not originally yours.

This clause states that if you transform the content or clip, it does not qualify as reused content anymore, and you can monetize it.

This means that you can monetize a compilation video as long as you add some form of originality to the content to the extent that there is a striking difference between your video and the pre-existing clips you used.

Based on this clause, you can monetize the following types of compilation videos:

• Clips used for critical review.
• Reaction videos with commentary on the original video.
• Scenes from movies where you have edited a new dialogue or changed the voiceover.
• Videos from other creators where you have edited the footage to have another storyline or commentary.
• Compilation of sports moments where you explain the situation in the clips.
• Shorts contents that have been remixed with new audio or video from YouTube’s library.

As long as your compilation video follows any of the styles listed above, you meet the AdSense Partner Policy and can monetize the content.

However, you should note that the options listed above only meet the AdSense monetization policy and may contravene other YouTube policies, such as the copyright policy.

If you have copyright issues with your compilation video, you may also be unable to monetize the video.

How to Monetize YouTube Compilation Videos Without Copyright Infringement

Copyright matters a lot in content creation on YouTube.

The platform strives to ensure that creators only push out original content and frowns upon the use of copyrighted materials on its platform.

But as a YouTuber who makes compilation videos, the bulk of your content would include possibly copyrighted materials.

Even if you have added some elements of originality to the content, you still have materials from other creators in the video, which might result in copyright issues.

To avoid these copyright issues and maintain the monetization of your content, you can take the following practical steps:

Get the Approval of the Original Creator

The first and most important step in overcoming copyright issues is seeking approval from the original creator.

You should reach out to the creator of the material, who also doubles as the copyright owner, and get their permission to use their material in your compilation video.

You would be surprised to realize how open many creators are to giving their approval for the use of their content.

While some creators may request a portion of your revenue generated through the material, others are happy to give their permission for free.

Some other creators would only request that you credit them or refer viewers to their channels if you used their material.

Regardless of the demands, meeting these demands is very important to get the approval of the copyright owners.

Once you have their approval to use their videos, you are good to go.

Use Videos Under the Creative Commons License

Unknown to many YouTube content creators, you can use videos made by other creators without seeking their approval.

These videos fall under the Creative Commons license. Also known as the "CC license," this license permits content creators to use or republish pre-existing YouTube videos.

At the point of uploading a video, YouTube allows creators to add a CC license to their videos.

This license signals to other creators that they are free to use or republish the videos without fear of copyright claims or strikes.

Thus, if you don’t want to go through the stress of seeking the approval of other creators, you can opt for videos with a Creative Commons license and use them in your compilation videos.

How to Access Videos with Creative Commons License for YouTube Compilation Videos

If you plan on using videos under the CC license for your compilation video, you should take the following steps;

Search for the Topic on Youtube

The first step to accessing videos with the CC license is searching for your preferred YouTube topic.

Let's say you want to create a compilation video on the most popular dog breeds in the world.

Your search term for this topic should be "dog breeds." You can then go ahead and input this search term into the search box on YouTube.

Use the Filter Option

After inputting the search term, click on "search" and wait for the search results to show.

Once you get the search results, click on the filter option visible in the top left corner of the search results.

Choose the Creative Common Features

A list of parameters with options under them will appear after you click on the filter option. Look for the "Features" parameter and choose the "Creative Commons" option.

Once you choose this option, a new set of streamlined search results will appear, and you can choose from these results for your compilation videos.

How to Monetize Compilation Videos on YouTube Outside of the YouTube Partner Program

The YouTube Partner Program is the most popular monetization channel for most YouTubers.

However, there are other means of monetizing your YouTube channel and content. If you focus on creating compilation videos, these monetization options also work effectively for them.

Apart from YPP, here are some other ways to monetize your YouTube compilation videos:

Affiliate Programs

You can register for affiliate programs on e-commerce websites, input the affiliate links in your video's description box, and get your viewers to buy these products and earn a commission.

The process involved is quite simple and includes the following:

• You need to start with identifying the right products to promote. Using the example of the popular dog breeds compilation video mentioned earlier, the ideal products to sell with that video are dog treats, toys, or any other product for dogs.
• Up next, you need to search for affiliate programs for dogs or pets. Check out your options and choose the one that best fits you. You should look out for good commission rates and favorable requirements while making your choice.
• Set up your affiliate account, get your links, and incorporate them into your videos.

Compilation videos tend to have a fairly low CTR on affiliate links and rarely provide a stable source of income for content creators.

Sell Merch

The Youtube Merch Shelf is another avenue for monetizing your compilation videos on Youtube.

This option allows you to see merchandise from other stores on YouTube, one of which is Teespring.

Teespring is an online store that allows you to design merchandise and sell it on the internet.

The good thing is that Teespring has a partnership with YouTube to allow seamless integration and selling.

The following steps explain how to go about selling merch on YouTube through your compilation video:

• You need to visit Teespring’s website and create an account.
• You will also need to design your merchandise. Depending on your target audience or the theme of your compilation videos, you should design merchandise that will resonate with your viewers. Using the example of the popular dog breeds compilation video, you should create merch with dog pictures or dog jokes.
• Up next, come back to Youtube and go to the Youtube Studio Beta option. Choose the Monetization option, and select “See More” under the Merchandize option.
• Select the Get Started Option, link your Teespring ID, and you are ready. It takes some hours to link the Teespring account to your Youtube account. But once it is done, you can start selling the merch through the link in your compilation videos.

It is important to mention that you must meet specific requirements on YouTube before using these options.

Can You Monetize TikTok Compilation Videos on Youtube?

It is common to find videos on different social media platforms, such as TikTok. Before being uploaded to YouTube, these videos are sometimes cut and edited into a compilation.

If you are wondering about the eligibility of these compilation videos for monetization, we have the answer for you here.

YouTube’s Adsense policy clearly states that it does not allow using videos or content from other social media platforms for monetization purposes. This means that if the videos used in your compilation videos are from other social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you cannot monetize them.

Other Compilation Videos That Cannot be Monetized on YouTube

You cannot monetize your compilation videos on YouTube if the video contains the following:

• Videos that feature minimal changes to the original clips or videos, even if you have the permission of the original creator.
• Clips of contents cut and edited together with little or no narrative or commentary.
• Short videos compiled from other social media platforms.
• Videos featuring a collection of songs from different artists, even if you have their permission.
• Videos promoting other people’s content, even if you have their permission.
• Videos that have been uploaded many times by other creators.

Get the Basics Right

Monetizing your compilation videos on YouTube is relatively easy once you get the basics right.

The idea is to meet the copyright requirements as well as the monetization requirements.  

In other words, you should use videos free from copyright issues, either by seeking permission from the copyright holder or using CC-licensed videos.

Your main aim should be to ensure a degree of originality in your compiled videos.