Earning money on YouTube is a major goal for many creators, and getting monetized quickly requires a strategic and disciplined approach. Based on the latest YouTube Partner Program (YPP) requirements and best practices for channel growth, here is a detailed 6-month plan to help you reach monetization.

Understanding the Requirements
First, you must know what you're working toward. As of 2024, there are two tiers of monetization, with different requirements:

Early Access to YPP (for fan funding):

500 subscribers

3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days

3,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months OR 3 million public YouTube Shorts views in the last 90 days

Full YPP (for ad revenue sharing):

1,000 subscribers

4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months OR 10 million public YouTube Shorts views in the last 90 days

My plan focuses on a hybrid approach, leveraging both long-form and short-form content to hit both sets of goals as quickly as possible.

My 6-Month Plan for Success
Months 1-2: Foundation & Niche Domination
The first two months are all about finding your footing, identifying what your audience wants, and building a consistent content rhythm.

Week 1-2: Niche & Content Strategy.

Choose a Niche: Don't just make videos about anything. Find a specific, underserved niche you are passionate about. This helps the algorithm understand your channel and makes it easier to attract a loyal audience.

Research Keywords & Topics: Use tools like Google Trends, VidIQ, or TubeBuddy to find topics with high search volume but low competition. Answer questions people are already asking.

Create Your Content Calendar: Plan out at least 4-6 videos. Consistency is key. Aim for 1-2 long-form videos per week and 3-5 Shorts per week.

Week 3-8: The Content Blitz.

Prioritize Value: Every video you create must offer value. Whether it's to inform, entertain, or inspire, make sure your viewers get something out of it.

Create "Pillar" Videos: These are long-form, evergreen videos (10+ minutes) that are highly searchable and designed to rack up watch hours. Examples include tutorials, in-depth guides, or detailed reviews.

Leverage YouTube Shorts: Shorts are your best friend for quickly gaining subscribers. Use them as a daily habit. Create short-form content that acts as a "trailer" for your long-form videos or provides quick tips and tricks related to your niche.

Master SEO: Optimize every video. Use your target keyword in the title, description, and tags. Write compelling descriptions and use timestamps to improve user experience.

Months 3-4: The Growth Engine
Now that you have a foundation, it's time to double down on what works and start actively promoting your channel.

Week 9-12: Analyze & Optimize.

Deep Dive into Analytics: Don't just look at view count. Go to your YouTube Studio analytics and analyze your audience retention graph. Where are people dropping off? This tells you what to fix in future videos.

Identify Winning Content: Find your best-performing videos in terms of watch time and subscribers. Create more content on those same topics or in that same format.

The "Playlist" Hack: Organize your videos into curated playlists. This keeps viewers on your channel longer, boosting your total watch hours.

Collaborate (Strategically): Find creators in your niche with a similar subscriber count and propose a collaboration. This is a powerful way to tap into a new, relevant audience.

Week 13-17: Community & Promotion.

Engage with Your Community: Respond to every comment you get. Ask questions in your videos to encourage conversation. This builds a loyal audience and signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable.

Cross-Promote on Social Media: Don't just upload a video and forget about it. Share your new videos on other platforms where your audience is. Create short clips for TikTok and Instagram and link back to the full video.

Live Streams: Hosting a live stream, even for a small audience, is a fantastic way to rack up watch hours quickly. A 60-minute live stream with 20 viewers is already 20 hours of watch time.

Months 5-6: The Final Push to Monetization
This is when you turn up the heat, focusing on hitting the final numbers and preparing your channel for review.

Week 18-22: Watch Time & Subscriber Surge.

Revisit Top-Performing Videos: Create follow-up content or updated versions of your most popular videos.

Create Serialized Content: Plan out a series of videos on a specific topic. This encourages binge-watching and helps build up watch time quickly.

Long-Form vs. Shorts: At this point, you'll know what's working better for you. If you're close to 10M Shorts views, focus on that. If you're gaining watch hours faster, double down on long-form content.

Week 23-26: Channel Health Check & Application.

Review Your Channel: Before applying, make sure your channel is in good standing. Check for any Community Guideline strikes or copyright claims.

Clean Up Metadata: Ensure all your video titles, descriptions, and tags are accurate and follow YouTube's policies. Remove any misleading or spammy content.

Link Your AdSense Account: Set up an AdSense account in preparation for your application.

Apply for the YPP: Once you hit the threshold (either 500 or 1,000 subscribers and the corresponding watch time/Shorts views), apply for the YouTube Partner Program. The review process can take a few weeks.

The Ultimate Secret
The true secret to getting monetized quickly isn't a single hack—it's consistency paired with data-driven decision-making. Don't get discouraged by slow growth in the first few months. The YouTube algorithm often rewards channels that show dedication and consistency over time. By following this structured plan, you can turn a hobby into a source of income and achieve your monetization goals.