Making $650/day posting mystery videos on YouTube is an ambitious but achievable goal, though it requires significant dedication, consistent high-quality content, and a strong understanding of YouTube's monetization avenues. This kind of daily income ($19,500/month) puts you in the realm of a very successful mid-to-large-tier YouTube channel.

Here's a breakdown of how to approach this, covering content, monetization strategies, and growth:

Part 1: Crafting Engaging Mystery Videos
The core of your success will be compelling content. Mystery videos thrive on suspense, compelling narratives, and excellent storytelling.

Niche Down (Even within "Mystery"):

True Crime: Unsolved murders, disappearances, cold cases. (Popular, but sensitive topic, requires careful research and respect for victims).

Paranormal/Supernatural: Ghosts, UFOs, cryptids, unexplained phenomena.

Unexplained Events: Historical mysteries, strange occurrences, conspiracies (handle with care regarding misinformation).

Internet Mysteries/ARG (Alternate Reality Games): Digital mysteries, puzzles, strange online phenomena.

"What If" Scenarios: Hypothetical mysteries or thought experiments.

"Top X Mysteries": Listicle format for quick consumption.

Storytelling is Paramount:

Hook: Start with a strong hook in the first 15-30 seconds to grab attention. A shocking fact, a compelling question, or a snippet of the mystery.

Narrative Arc: Even in factual mysteries, tell a story. Introduce characters/events, build suspense, present clues, explore theories, and conclude with unanswered questions or possible solutions.

Pacing: Vary the pacing. Build tension with slower moments, then deliver revelations with faster cuts or dramatic music.

Voiceover: A clear, engaging, and often slightly dramatic or calming voiceover is crucial. Invest in a good microphone.

Scripting: Write a detailed script before filming/editing. This ensures coherence, accurate information, and efficient production.

Visuals and Audio:

B-roll & Stock Footage/Images: Since you're often discussing historical or remote events, rely heavily on relevant archival photos, historical documents, maps, satellite imagery, and cinematic stock footage to illustrate your narrative.

Motion Graphics/Animations: Simple animations can help visualize complex theories, timelines, or maps.

Sound Design: Crucial for mystery! Use atmospheric background music, subtle sound effects (e.g., footsteps, whispers, creaks) to enhance tension and immersion. Ensure audio quality for your voiceover is pristine.

Free Editing Software: DaVinci Resolve, CapCut (desktop), Shotcut, and OpenShot are excellent free options.

Research & Accuracy:

Credibility: For true crime or factual mysteries, rigorous research from multiple, reputable sources is essential.

Disclaimers: For speculative or paranormal content, clearly state that theories are speculative or unproven.

Thumbnails & Titles:

Click-Worthy Thumbnails: High-contrast, mysterious imagery, intriguing text overlays (e.g., "UNSOLVED," "GONE," "THE TRUTH?").

Compelling Titles: Use keywords, evoke curiosity, and hint at the mystery without giving everything away (e.g., "The Chilling Case of [Name]," "What Happened on Flight X?", "The Town That Vanished").

Video Length:

Longer videos (8-15+ minutes) tend to earn more ad revenue because they can include more ad breaks. However, prioritize engagement; a shorter, highly engaging video is better than a long, boring one.

Part 2: Monetization Strategies to Reach $650/Day
To hit $650/day ($19,500/month), you'll likely need multiple income streams.

YouTube Partner Program (AdSense):

Requirements: As of 2024/2025, you need 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months OR 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days (for full ad revenue sharing).

CPM (Cost Per Mille): Mystery/True Crime/Educational content often has a decent CPM (Cost Per Mille - cost per 1,000 views for advertisers). Niches like "Make Money Online & Finance" (high CPM: $15-$50) or "Technology" ($5-$30) often earn more, but even entertainment/pop culture (which mystery can fall into) can be $2-$8 CPM. For a mystery channel, you might expect somewhere in the $5-$15 CPM range, depending on your audience demographics (e.g., viewers from developed Western countries usually yield higher CPMs).

To earn $650 from AdSense alone with a $10 CPM: You'd need approximately 65,000 views per day ($650 / ($10/1000 views) = 65,000 views). This is a significant number, requiring consistent viral or semi-viral content.

Ad Placement: Optimize ad placement. Mid-roll ads on videos over 8 minutes can significantly boost revenue.

YouTube Shorts Monetization:

Shorts are great for discovery. While their RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is lower (often $0.01-$0.10 per 1,000 views), viral Shorts can bring in millions of views, leading to substantial overall earnings. They also drive traffic to your long-form content.

Affiliate Marketing:

Relevant Products: Recommend products related to your niche.

Books: Mystery novels, true crime books, non-fiction about unexplained phenomena.

Equipment: Good headphones (for immersive listening), specific research tools, security cameras (if discussing surveillance).

Mystery Boxes/Games: Subscription boxes or board games with a mystery theme.

VPNs: If discussing privacy or online security (high commission).

Amazon Associates: A common starting point.

Other Programs: Research affiliate programs for specific products or services.

Placement: Link in descriptions, pinned comments, and mention them naturally in videos. Always disclose affiliate links.

Patreon / Channel Memberships:

Community & Exclusive Content: Offer tiers for loyal fans to support you directly.

Perks:

Early access to videos.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes content (research notes, unedited footage).

Q&A sessions.

Discord server access.

Shout-outs.

Voting on future mystery topics.

This provides a stable, predictable income stream independent of fluctuating ad rates.

Merchandise:

Branded Gear: T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases with your channel logo or popular mystery-related phrases/inside jokes.

Mystery-Themed Items: Items relevant to your specific mystery niche (e.g., "Solve the Case" journals, "Believe" hats for paranormal channels).

Use print-on-demand services (Printful, Printify) to minimize upfront costs.

Brand Deals / Sponsorships:

As your channel grows, brands will pay to integrate their products or services into your videos.

Relevant Brands: VPNs, cybersecurity software, true crime podcasts, audiobook services (Audible), cold case investigation kits, even streaming services with relevant content.

Rates: Rates vary wildly based on audience size, engagement, and niche. Successful channels can charge anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars per integration.

Part 3: Growth and Promotion
To get the views needed for $650/day, you need a strong growth strategy.

YouTube SEO:

Keyword Research: Use tools (TubeBuddy, VidIQ, Google Keyword Planner, even YouTube's search bar suggestions) to find what people are searching for in your niche.

Optimize Titles, Descriptions, Tags: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally.

Transcripts/Captions: Help YouTube understand your content better.

Promote Across Platforms:

TikTok/Instagram Reels: Create short, highly engaging teaser clips of your long-form videos. Direct viewers to your YouTube channel.

Facebook Groups/Reddit: Share your videos in relevant communities (where allowed and appropriate) to drive initial traffic.

Cross-Promote: Mention your other social media handles in your videos and descriptions.

Community Engagement:

Respond to Comments: Build a loyal community by interacting with your viewers.

Ask Questions: Encourage discussion in your videos and comments.

Viewer Submissions: Feature fan theories or listener stories (with permission) to boost engagement.

Collaborations:

Team up with other mystery creators (of similar or slightly larger size) to cross-promote each other's channels.

Consistency:

Regular uploads keep your audience engaged and tell the YouTube algorithm that you're an active creator.

Realistic Expectations for $650/Day
Timeframe: Going from zero to $650/day is not an overnight feat. It could take 1-3 years or more of consistent, high-quality effort to build the necessary audience and revenue streams.

Audience Size: To reliably hit this target, you'd likely need a subscriber count in the hundreds of thousands, possibly even reaching a million, coupled with very strong engagement and multiple monetization methods.

Viral Content: Occasional viral hits can accelerate growth, but sustainable income comes from a consistently performing back catalog of videos.

This journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on creating genuinely captivating mystery content, build a loyal community, and diversify your income streams, and $650/day will become a very real possibility.