You’ve been creating content for YouTube for a while now, and one day, you randomly discover a channel that has garnered millions of views in just a few weeks. Upon further inspection, you notice most of the videos on the channel don’t even have any of the creator’s original content. Instead, the channel seems to repost viral videos from TikTok and Instagram Reels. How is this even possible? Was this even legal?
If you’ve been asking yourself these questions, you’re not alone. As YouTube automation grows in popularity, so do the questions surrounding its legality. In this guide, we explore the ins and outs of YouTube automation and share valuable insights to help you achieve your goals, including creating engaging and creative content that can help you go viral on YouTube.
One way to get started is by using Crayo’s clip creator tool. This valuable program helps you turn your existing videos into smaller, more engaging clips perfect for YouTube shorts, TikToks, and Instagram Reels.
Table Of Contents
What Is YouTube Automation?
YouTube automation is a faceless way of running a YouTube channel that relies heavily on stock footage, images, or animations with voiceovers. With this online business model, a YouTube channel owner has minimal interaction in content creation, outsourcing daily tasks like video creation, editing, uploading, thumbnail generation, voiceover creation, and social media scheduling.
However, the channel owner can still manage or monitor the channel’s performance and profit. Successful YouTube automation channels generate ad revenue for their owners.
Take Noah Morris, for example. He runs 18 faceless YouTube automation channels with 2.5 million subscribers. In an interview with VidIQ, Morris says he made $500,000 in 90 days from his faceless YouTube channels in niches ranging from sports to crime-related content to celebrity stories.
For instance, Morris’s Court Cases, a YouTube channel for crime-related content, boasts over 50,000 subscribers. He spent about $250 to produce the second video on the channel, earning 5 million views and $20,000. Entrepreneur David Omari also created a video on his faceless YouTube channel. The video garnered 500,000 views in just two weeks, earning him about $5,000.
For Omari, running a YouTube automation channel would involve going on freelance digital marketplaces like Fiverr and hiring and building a content team comprising professionals like scriptwriters, voice actors, video editors, thumbnail artists, and a channel manager. Some creators rely on YouTube automation tools for video creation and publishing tasks. Others hire a team to create the channel and build quality content for their channels.
What Are The Requirements For YouTube Automation?
YouTube automation is more complex than creating videos and letting other people manage the monetization process. To get to that stage, you must meet YouTube's monetization requirements. You must have 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of watch time for YouTube automation and comply fully with the YouTube Partner program requirements.
What Are the YouTube Partner Program Requirements?
Adherence to YouTube's Policies
Your content must comply with YouTube's community guidelines, terms of service, copyright rules, and monetization policies.
Living in a YouTube-Eligible Country
You must reside in a country where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
Monetization Eligibility
1,000 subscribers.
4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months OR 10 million valid public Shorts views within the last 90 days.
Linked Google AdSense Account
You must have an AdSense account to receive payments.
Two-Step Verification
Your Google account must have two-factor authentication enabled.
No Active Community Guidelines Strikes
Your channel must not have any recent violations of YouTube’s guidelines.
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Can You Make Money On YouTube Automation?
YouTube Automation Can Be Profitable
You might ask yourself, "Is YouTube automation real, and can it be profitable?" The answer is yes, and the earning potential can be downright impressive.
Ad Revenue Potential
Some high-performing channels like Alux are rumored to rake in up to $100,000 a month. And no, that's not a typo. The YouTube ad revenue model is potent, especially when your channel gains traction.
Sponsored Content
Brand partnerships are well within reach for automated channels. Sponsors value your channel's ability to engage an audience and drive action the most. Whether you're the face of the channel or not is often secondary. If your metrics are vital—views, engagement, click-through rates—you've got solid ground to negotiate deals.
Diversifying Income Streams
The real magic happens when you mix and match revenue streams. Think about ad revenue, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, and your merchandise or courses. The more you diversify, the less reliant you are on any single income source. This approach protects your earning potential and cushions you against algorithm changes or ad revenue dips.
So, is YouTube automation a viable way to make money online? Absolutely. Don't expect it to be easy, but the right mindset and consistency can lead to excellent results.
Is YouTube Automation Legal
Understanding YouTube’s Terms of Service
YouTube’s Terms of Service clearly state that using automated tools to manipulate views, likes, and comments is strictly prohibited. If you violate these terms, your channel can be suspended or terminated. Creators need to be careful about how much automation they use.
Copyright and Fair Use
Using automated tools to scrape content from other channels or websites can quickly lead to copyright issues. Creators should always ensure they have appropriate permissions or follow fair use guidelines when using third-party content.
Privacy Concerns
Automation tools that collect user data or use personal information without consent can raise privacy concerns. Creators should be mindful of data protection laws and user consent when employing such tools.
Fake Engagement Policy
YouTube’s Fake Engagement Policy prohibits activities that artificially boost metrics, like views, likes, and comments, through automatic systems or deceptive tactics. Additionally, creating content solely to reward viewers for engagement is not allowed.
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How To Avoid Copyright With YouTube Automation
Use Crayo AI to Create Copyright-Free Shorts at Record Speeds
Crayo AI takes the guesswork out of creating short-form videos that won’t get you into copyright trouble. The software produces short videos fast — in as little as 30 seconds, depending on how specific your prompts are. The software even auto-generates captions, effects, background music, and other elements. Crayo can help you quickly go from ideas to copyright-free shorts.
Here’s how it works
Write an outline or prompt.
Customize the style by selecting a background video, voice narrator, and music from Crayo’s free templates.
Finish and export! With Crayo, you can create unlimited, viral short videos to take advantage of the TikTok creator fund program — no account required.
Understand Fair Use to Keep Your Channel Safe
Fair use is a legal defense that allows limited use of someone else’s content without permission. It applies to educational purposes and transformative content, like commentary and reviews. However, YouTube automation channels are commercial, and relying on fair use to avoid copyright strikes is risky. If you must use someone else’s content, keep it short.
Avoid High-Risk Content
Some content is more likely to trigger copyright than others. Movies, popular TV shows, sports broadcasts, and mainstream music top the list. Avoid using these assets unless you have explicit permission from the copyright holder.
Tap Into Copyright-Free Content
This is your safest bet. Use content labeled for reuse or pay for licenses from reputable sources. Regarding music, websites like Epidemic Sound or even YouTube’s own Audio Library offer tons of tracks you can legally use by following their guidelines. Stock footage and images can be a good choice as well. Sites like Pixabay, Unsplash, and Pexels offer high-quality, royalty-free visuals that you can use without worrying about copyright claims. Just make sure you adhere to any of their terms of service.
Use AI Tools for Creating Content
Jumping into AI tools could spice up your automated channel. You can churn out a ton of original content by using AI to generate videos, craft images, or voiceovers. Tools like Synthesia for videos, DALL-E or Midjourney for images, and Vidby or Descript for voices are good for creating fresh, unique content that sidesteps copyright issues. But be prepared to put some effort into educating and training AI tools before returning the content you ask them to create in a way you want. Start with checking our list of 12 AI tools tailored for creators.
Leverage Creative Commons
Some creators allow their work to be used by others through a Creative Commons license. These can be gold for automated channels, but read the license carefully. Some require you to give credit, and others prohibit commercial use, etc.
Go for Regular Content Audits
Keep tabs on what’s being posted on your channel. If you find anything that could infringe on someone else’s copyright, take it down before it becomes an issue. Our Daily Channel Moderation service can handle this by automatically analyzing your content to help avoid any troubles, including copyright issues. Apply for content moderation here to catch the potential problems before they result in claims.
How To Start A YouTube Automation Channel In 6 Simple Steps
1. Jumpstart Your YouTube Automation Channel with Crayo AI
Crayo AI is the quickest method for creating short videos. With Crayo, you can generate unlimited shorts in a matter of seconds. Crayo even auto-generates captions, effects, and music for you. The time to get started is now! Because Crayo AI will help you make easy money with the TikTok creator fund program. Go from ideas to short videos in seconds:
1. Write an outline/prompt.
2. Customize the style (select a background video, voice narrator, and music from Crayo’s free templates).
3. Finish and export! Go viral, make money, and create clips in seconds with Crayo.
Try Crayo’s free clip creator tool today—just click the ‘Try Now’ button on our homepage to get started. No account is required!
2. Find the Right YouTube Automation Niche
Picking the right niche is critical to long-term YouTube automation profits. Start by selecting from one of the best niches to generate passive income. To find a viable niche, consider your strengths and areas of expertise. For instance, if you have a career as a software engineer, a great passive income idea would be to use your knowledge in software development or mobile app creation to create a channel that teaches people how to develop their programs.
Not all niches are equal. Some are substantially more competitive than others, and those are usually the niches with the highest RPM payouts. Advertisers will pay a lot to run YouTube ads in high-value niches like personal finance or how to make money online, so channel owners benefit from larger paychecks if monetizing through the YouTube Partner Program. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in those niches; it just means it will be more challenging. You can undoubtedly find a micro niche or a unique angle for your content that sticks to establish your space within the niche.
3. Create a Branded YouTube Account
You’ll need a personal Google account to like videos and subscribe to YouTube channels. However, if you want to create your channel and publish content for the public, you need to create a YouTube channel. You can create a personal YouTube account or a branded account for a business. You’ll want to set up a branded YouTube account for a YouTube automation channel because it allows multiple users to access and manage the account.
A branded YouTube channel also keeps your personal information private. You’ll need to add channel art, such as a branded logo and banner, to show your audience that your channel is legit. You can create these yourself with free tools like Canva or outsource them to a professional, as you’ll do with most of your channel tasks.
4. Build a High-Quality Automation Team
You may have to do much of the work initially if you’re trying to start a faceless YouTube channel on a small budget. However, if your goal is a YouTube automation channel, you’ll eventually need to assemble a team to create your videos and manage the channel. Fortunately, there are many available freelancer websites you can use to hire high-quality and affordable remote workers for your business. Some of the best freelancer websites to hire talent for your YouTube automation business include Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, and Freelancer.
5. Use Tools to Automate Processes
You must put the structure and processes in place for your team to work together efficiently. In 2024, modern teams can leverage various workflow management tools, like Asana, Trello, or Clockify. These tools enable your YouTube automation channel to assign work, track project hours and progress, and organize a content schedule.
6. Monetize Your Channel
Once your YouTube automation channel attracts a decent amount of YouTube views and subscribers, it’s time to monetize your YouTube business. The standard method for monetizing YouTube automation channels is letting YouTube ads run on your content through the YouTube Partner Program. Note that Google's information page explains that the amount you'll earn or whether you'll be paid under the YouTube partner agreement is not guaranteed. It would depend on the number of viewers watching your video.
Create Viral Shorts In Seconds With Crayo
YouTube automation is the process of outsourcing tasks on a YouTube channel to increase your revenue and free up your time. You can hire freelancers or use software tools to help with research, video creation, SEO, posting videos, and promoting your content. Automating a YouTube channel can help you earn money from YouTube without doing all the work yourself.
Use Crayo AI to Create Copyright-Free Shorts at Record Speeds
Crayo AI takes the guesswork out of creating short-form videos that won’t get you into copyright trouble. The software produces short videos fast — in as little as 30 seconds, depending on how specific your prompts are. The software even auto-generates captions, effects, background music, and other elements. Crayo can help you quickly go from ideas to copyright-free shorts.
Here’s how it works
Write an outline or prompt.
Customize the style by selecting a background video, voice narrator, and music from Crayo’s free templates.
Finish and export! With Crayo, you can create unlimited, viral short videos to take advantage of the TikTok creator fund program — no account required.
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