In today’s digital world, content creation is not only a passion but also a career with huge earning potential. But between YouTube – the ‘old’ video platform and TikTok – the ‘viral rookie’ of the social network village, which one brings a stable and sustainable source of income for content creators? The following article will compare making money through Youtube and TikTok to help you explore and decide which path is more suitable for your monetization strategy.”
The difference between YouTube and TikTok
Money making system
YouTube is a long-standing platform with many well-built monetization features, thereby providing diverse sources of income for content creators. Popular ways to make money on YouTube include:
- Make money on YouTube by views: This is one of the most popular ways to make money on YouTube. For every 1000 views, YouTube will receive from 0.3 to 0.5 USD (equivalent to 1000 views).
- YouTube Partner Program (YPP): This is the main program for creators to start making money from advertising. In which, creators will receive 55% of advertising revenue from videos.
- YouTube Premium: Users pay to watch videos without ads and YouTube shares this revenue with creators based on viewing time.
- Super Chat & Super Stickers: Features that allow viewers to donate money directly during livestreams.
- Memberships: Creators can invite their audience to pay to become members and receive perks like exclusive content.
- Affiliate Marketing: YouTube has started to promote the YouTube Shopping Affiliate program in Vietnam, allowing creators to easily link products from Shopee to their videos. This is a new opportunity for creators to earn more income from affiliate marketing.
Comment: Comparing making money through YouTube and TikTok, YouTube currently has a stable and long-standing advertising monetization model through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), allowing creators to profit directly from views and ads.
Meanwhile, TikTok is still in the process of building a strong monetization ecosystem with advertising features, although TikTok’s Creator Fund has not yet been applied to the Vietnamese market.
- TikTok Creator Fund: This is a support fund set up by TikTok to pay creators with outstanding videos and many views. However, it is currently NOT APPLICABLE to creators in Vietnam.
- Livestream gifts: This is also a part of TikTok Affiliate commission. Specifically, Tiktok has a feature that allows viewers to send gifts during livestreams, then creators can convert the gifts into real money.
- Sponsorship contracts: Brands tend to cooperate with TikTok creators to advertise products through short and viral content.
Most of the income from Tiktok is through Affiliate TikTok Shop, which allows creators to attach direct purchase links in videos through LinkShare Tiktok.
Make money through YouTube and Tiktok: comparison of stability and income potential
One of YouTube’s big advantages is its ability to generate long-term revenue. With its direct views and advertising monetization model, creators can continue to make money from a video as long as it continues to be searched for and viewed again. This is facilitated by the YouTube algorithm: video recommendations allow creators’ content to appear to new viewers even years after it has been posted.
Revenue from advertising and forms like YouTube Premium or Memberships is also more stable due to its dependence on a large number of viewers and Google’s automated advertising system. This allows creators to build channels as a source of passive income.
In contrast, TikTok has the ability to create explosions with videos that quickly attract millions of views, but the life cycle of TikTok videos is often very short. Creators must continuously produce new content to maintain interactions and maintain income streams.
Comparing Making Money Through YouTube and TikTok: Audience Reach
YouTube has about 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide. This platform is suitable for all audiences, from students to the elderly, providing great access opportunities for all content areas. Video length on YouTube is flexible, ranging from a few seconds (Short YouTube) to hours, allowing creators to provide more in-depth and detailed content.
Despite its shorter lifespan, TikTok has quickly attracted over 1 billion monthly users, especially among the younger generation (Gen Z and Millennials). The short video format (under 3 minutes) gives TikTok an advantage in spreading content quickly. With a powerful recommendation algorithm, TikTok is able to push content to many new users, helping videos achieve high views even if the user account does not have many followers.
Audience behavior
On YouTube:
- Users tend to watch longer videos, especially content that has academic value, tutorials, vlogs, etc. This makes it easier for creators to create video series or long-form talk shows.
- Video search and storage features: YouTube has a powerful search and recommendation system, allowing viewers to easily find content that suits their needs.
- Age and audience segment: Although YouTube caters to all ages, it is especially popular with the 18-49 age group – the audience that often searches for content ranging from entertainment, and knowledge to business information
On TikTok:
TikTok is a platform that stands out for its short, quick, and viral videos. The majority of TikTok’s audience is Gen Z and Millennials, who love fun, eye-catching, and accessible content.
- Focus on short videos and virality: TikTok is a form of short content with short content, under 60 seconds, focusing on humor, creativity, or surprise.
- Fast “scrolling” viewing habits: TikTok is famous for its ability to keep viewers engaged by providing continuous videos in an endless flow (infinite scroll). This makes it easy for viewers to “scroll” through videos => creators need to create engaging content from the first seconds to prevent viewers from “scrolling” and attract attention.
- Strong engagement through comments and duets: TikTok audiences don’t just watch videos, they often interact through features like duets or quick comments. This creates a dynamic space for communication between creators and viewers and helps content spread through users reusing other people’s videos.
Channel growth and competition
Building a YouTube channel often requires patience and high-quality content. Creators must invest in equipment, sound, lighting, and video optimization (SEO, titles, thumbnails) to compete with millions of other videos. However, once a stable viewership is built, your income from YouTube can be very sustainable.
TikTok offers the opportunity to grow a channel faster thanks to the platform’s viral potential. However, competing with trends requires creators to constantly innovate to avoid falling behind. A quick boom sometimes does not guarantee long-term income without a sustainable content strategy.
Production costs and content requirements across two platforms
Between the two platforms, YouTube requires higher video quality and is more technically demanding. Creators need to invest in cameras, microphones, and lighting to create videos that are 8-10 minutes long or longer, optimizing viewing time and the ability to insert multiple ads.
Meanwhile, TikTok has the advantage of producing content faster and simpler, with videos typically lasting only 15 seconds to 3 minutes. Creators only need a smartphone and a creative idea to get started.
Which platform is easier to make money on?
Below is a summary table of the main features of both platforms to help you have a more general view of choosing to make money through YouTube and TikTok.
| Criteria | TikTok | YouTube |
| Main Content Type | Short, trending, user-generated content | Video dài, chuyên sâu, bao gồm cả livestream |
| Average time viewed daily | 58 minutes 24 seconds | 47,5 minutes |
| Main target group | 18-24 years old (biggest group), 25-34 years old | 25-34 years old (biggest group), 35-44 years old |
| Algorithm | Based on user interactions, video information, device/account settings | Watch time, click-through rate (CTR), user engagement, video freshness |
| Content exploration | Powerful algorithms drive viral content on the “For You Page” | Personalized recommendations based on watch time, user engagement, and SEO optimization |
| Most effective advertising | Challenge, collaboration with influencers, KOL/KOC | Sponsored content, non-skippable video ads |
| Ability to make money | On average, mainly through Tiktok affiliate | High, through YouTube Partner Program and AdSense |
| Interaction strategy | Viral challenges, content refresh (duet, stitch), interactive tools | High-quality content, direct interaction via comments, livestreams, and community posts |
| Build community | Fast, trendy, attracts immediate but short-term engagement | Sustainable relationships with followers, built through consistent & quality content |
TikTok will have an easier time building an initial audience thanks to the TikTok algorithm for distributing content and the viral nature of short videos. New creators can reach millions of viewers in a short period of time without spending too much time.
A YouTube video that is “evergreen” will continue to generate ad revenue and views for years after it is posted. This allows creators to maintain a sustainable income stream without constantly creating new content. TikTok, on the other hand, requires constant creation to maintain views and engagement, making the platform’s monetization strategy more short-term.
Should you choose to make money through YouTube or TikTok?
If you’re a new creator looking to build quickly and stay ahead of trends, TikTok can be a great place to start. But if you want to build a long-term, stable income stream with in-depth content, YouTube is a must-have. Sometimes, a combination of both platforms will yield the best results, allowing you to tap into TikTok’s viral potential while also taking advantage of YouTube’s sustainable monetization benefits.
Through the article Comparing making money through YouTube and TikTok, you have gained more knowledge to understand how to optimize content, and monetization strategy is the decisive factor for success. Follow the Ecomobi Blog to quickly update the latest knowledge and sharing about affiliate marketing.
