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YouTube Shorts monetisation
What it is
Short-form vertical video where music is the core creative input. Revenue from Shorts goes into a pool from which music rights holders are paid, but the payout mechanism differs fundamentally from long-form video or audio streaming
A Short using a track earns the rights holder a share of pooled ad revenue rather than a per-play royalty, so millions of uses can translate into modest income
Impact on industries
- Enormous discovery engine - a track going viral on Shorts drives audio streaming, playlist adds and concert demand that dwarf the direct payout
- Regional and independent artists reach audiences without label marketing budgets, which has broadened the base of Indian music beyond film soundtracks
- Direct monetisation is weak relative to usage: short clips, pooled payouts and shared revenue mean the format monetises far below its cultural footprint
- Rights attribution at scale is hard - identifying which recording is used across millions of user uploads depends on fingerprinting that misses edits, covers and remixes