YouTube says it will introduce new icons that will let you know how much your video has been monetized, as well as a new way to reach out directly to the Video Manager for copyright and community guideline issues.
Three new icons (shown below) will be appearing in Creator Studio over the coming weeks to show creators how their videos have been monetized. The first, a dollar sign in a green circle, means you're projected to make a lot of money through "the broader advertiser community," as well as YouTube Red.
The dollar sign inside a yellow circle means a video can only earn money from YouTube Red or a limited set of ads because it has been deemed “not suitable for all advertisers.” Confusingly, it could also mean it will be removed for “not complying with our advertising guidelines,” YouTube said in a blog post.
Finally, a dollar sign without color means the video will not earn revenue from YouTube Red or advertising. “This could be due to copyright infringement, a content claim, or a violation of our Community Guidelines,” YouTube explains.
YouTube notes that the new icons don’t increase your earnings in any way, but at least “give you a more granular understanding of whether your video has been found to be suitable for all advertisers.” If there’s a problem, you can appeal directly to the Video Manager. “We want our systems to keep getting better — and to help you,” it adds.
Last year, Google created a team to address monetization and company policy issues, but the problem of offensive ads forced the company to take strict measures. Since then, Google has emphasized “Google Recommended,” or channels with five percent more views, and many advertisers have returned there.
With 1.5 billion monthly users, the site has a lot of content to sift through, making it difficult to separate legitimate video takedown requests from fake ones. YouTube believes its new three-symbol monetization system will help without creating confusion for users.
