YouTube pays creators millions annually, but many can withdraw their earnings conveniently. That's why in Kenya, many ask, does YouTube pay through M-Pesa?
Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast to his YouTube fans, earned $54 million from the video-sharing platform in 2021, which made him its highest-paid creator.
In 2022, it was estimated that MrBeast was earning about $3 million a month. Such earnings will have any creator on YouTube rubbing their hands, wondering what it takes to record such earnings.
While MrBeast smiles all the way to his bank, YouTube creators in Kenya wonder if they can access their earnings through their M-Pesa mobile wallets when they finally hit pay dirt.
The question every Kenyan creator will almost reflexively ask is, does YouTube pay through M-Pesa?
Well, does it? Let’s find out.
Does YouTube pay through M-Pesa?
YouTube does not currently pay through M-Pesa. However, there are a few ways to get paid by YouTube in Kenya.
One way is to use a third-party payment processor like Payoneer or IntaSend. These companies will allow you to receive payments from YouTube in US dollars, which you can then withdraw to your M-Pesa account.
Another way to get paid by YouTube in Kenya is to open a bank account in a country that YouTube does support, such as the United States.
Once you have a bank account, you can link it to your YouTube account and start receiving payments directly to your bank account.
No matter which method you choose, it's important to follow all applicable laws and regulations. For example, if you are using a third-party payment processor, you must ensure they are registered with the relevant authorities in Kenya.
Note that you will be charged a fee for using third-party payment processors. For example, Payoneer charges a 2% fee for each transaction.
Overall, there are a few different ways to get paid by YouTube in Kenya. The best method for you will depend on your individual circumstances and preferences.
How does YouTube pay its creators?
YouTube pays its creators through their Adsense accounts. So creators must first sign up for Adsense before they can share revenue from adverts Google runs on their videos.
The primary payment methods on Adsense are cheque, electronic funds transfer (EFT), and wire transfer, but which ones are available to you depends on your payment address.
YouTube creators in Kenya have to withdraw their earnings to their local bank or digital wallet like IntaSend via a wire transfer or EFT. Once your payment hits your IntaSend account, you can transfer it to your M-Pesa, one of the withdrawal methods that IntaSend supports.
How can creators on YouTube monetise their content?
The main monetisation method for YouTube creators is Adsense, the ad-serving program where Google serves adverts on content websites it has partnered with. Creators get paid a share of the advertising revenue.
But creators must join the YouTube Partner Program and get approved before they can monetise their content through Adsense.
As a creator on YouTube, you can also monetise your video content through:
- premium channel memberships, an official YouTube service,
- selling products, courses, and merchandise through your channel,
- Sponsored content - getting paid to promote other people’s products in your videos
- promoting other people’s products for a fee by placing affiliate links in your video descriptions.
How much does YouTube pay creators in Kenya?
By some estimates, YouTube pays around $0,70 per 1,000 views to creators in Kenya. That amount, however, differs with individual creators as each creator will have their own CPM.
As a creator on YouTube, your earnings are calculated as a share of the advertising revenue your videos generate, which means the more views and watch time your videos garner, the more revenue you will earn.
It’s crucial to note that views alone do not determine how much revenue you earn from your YouTube content. In fact, advert views are what determine your revenue.
Remember, you are paid a share of what advertisers pay for adverts YouTube runs on your videos. Since advertisers only pay for actual views of their adverts, you will earn more if your viewers are more engaged and watch your videos fully.
How does YouTube determine how much to pay each creator?
The metric Google uses to determine how much you should get for the views you generate is CPM (cost per mille). Mille means ‘thousand’ in French, so CPM is commonly referred to as cost per thousand.
The figure 1,000 is a count for the impressions or views or how many times an advert plays where it's run. So, for example, the CPM Google determines you will be paid at can be $5 per 1,000 views, meaning your earnings for 1,000,000 views will be $5,000.
But it’s important to note that CPM does not represent what YouTube pays you per ad view. It’s what advertisers pay YouTube to have their ad shown on your video. In other words, what it costs advertisers to advertise on your video.
YouTube still has to take a share of that CPM as their cut. You can call their share a platform fee. What’s left of the CPM is what you get as your ad revenue share, more accurately termed as RPM (revenue per share).
For a clearer perspective, it’s been reported that Google pays creators pays 55% of ad revenue to creators.
So what determines your CPM?
To work out your CPM, YouTube considers several factors. These include your:
- Location.
- Niche
- Average age of your viewers
- Seasonality of your content.
- Type of content.
Location, in this case, refers to where your viewers are based or watch from. Views are more valuable in some countries than others. Countries with the highest CPMs will be those where there are more advertisers bidding for ad placements. That demand is what drives CPMs up.
Here are the top 5 countries with the highest ad CPMs:
- Norway
- Germany
- Moldova
- Algeria
The most profitable niches will be those where people make most of their expenditures online. Remember that YouTube’s system matches ads with audiences they will most likely appeal to or resonate with.
A high CPM naturally boosts your earning potential, but the volume of views is what truly tips the scales. That's why creators in America generally earn more money despite their CPMs being considerably lower than those in Germany and Moldova, for example.
What are the most profitable niches on YouTube?
The most profitable YouTube niches for ad revenue are:
- How to make money online
- Social media marketing
- Finance and investiment
- Educational content
- Photography and filmmaking
Content that promotes violence, discrimination, weapons, and obscenities attract poor CPMs. Advertisers don’t want to bid for placements on sites that harm their image.
Children’s content doesn’t get high CPMs for a different reason, though; advertisers shy away from it because privacy laws prohibit user data collection on minors. User data helps advertising platforms optimize their ad placements and messaging.
Collect and manage your YouTube earnings with IntaSend
IntaSend is a digital payments solutions company designed to help freelancers, creators, and businesses easily request, collect, and make payments online.
Every IntaSend account has an integrated digital wallet through which creators on YouTube and other platforms can withdraw their earnings. IntaSend also supports M-Pesa as a withdrawal method, meaning creators can easily move their funds to their M-Pesa mobile wallet if they so wish.
Sign up for an IntaSend account today and enjoy the convenience of receiving your YouTube earnings in USD and withdrawing directly to your M-Pesa in Kenya.
