How to make money from watching videos

There is also an information icon in the graphic on the top right. If you click on it, you will see additional information about this method of monetization, e.g., salary, what to do, how to earn efficiently. All the information provided there is also written here.

Start watching videos

After clicking the green Start watching videos button, you will be able to watch a video. The video you have to watch will be displayed automatically in a pop-up window.

We may show you videos from different categories (in accordance with the Terms of Services) - such as website advertisements and their content.

How to make money from watching videos

For instance, when you chose the "Watching videos" method, you will be redirected to the final monetization page. On this page, you will see a green Start watching videos button, current account balance and tips which will help you maximize your earnings. The only thing you have to do is watch the content in the pop-up window. The content in the displayed videos is based on your personal information such as: interests, age, origin, gender etc.

Did you know that you can actually earn money watching videos? If you find yourself wasting hours a day online scrolling TikTok or YouTube or bingeing your favorite shows on Netflix, you may as well make money watching videos.

Here are 10 ways to get paid to watch videos — online, in movie theaters or even on your TV at home.

Keep in mind, not all of these ways are easy, and some of them require putting in more work than just watching videos. Some require basic writing and grammar skills and some creativity. But you can get paid from some apps just for watching videos online. In general, the more effort you put into an endeavor, the more money you will earn.

Can I Get Paid for Watching Videos?

You can get paid for watching videos in many different ways:

  • Using money-making apps that pay you for watching videos and ads
  • Reviewing movie theaters
  • Writing reviews of movies and TV shows
  • Working for streaming services to help categorize or subtitle their content

Keep reading to learn, specifically, how you can make money watching videos.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a great cash-back website to earn real money deposited into your PayPal account for shopping on e-commerce sites where you normally shop. However, you can also earn Swagbucks, which you can convert to real cash, for taking surveys and watching videos online.

Make Your Money Work Better for You

You’ll earn the most cash from Swagbucks by shopping online at any of their 1,500 partner websites, including Amazon, especially when they are offering bonus SB deals.

But if you are just mindlessly scrolling TikTok, you can put your phone — and your time — to better use by getting paid to watch videos through the Swagbucks app.

KashKick

Like Swagbucks, Kashkick lets you earn money watching videos, completing surveys or completing other tasks online, such as downloading specific apps to receive cash back. You can receive your money every other week through PayPal.

You can sign up and login via PayPal, Facebook, Google or an email, which makes it easy to create an account. As with many apps that let you earn money, you’ll need to confirm or verify your account via email.

Most Kashkick offers have to do with playing games, downloading apps, shopping online or taking advantage of special offers. However, clicking the Games tab reveals opportunities to watch educational videos. Most of these opportunities only offer a penny as payment, though.

Make Your Money Work Better for You

On the bright side, you can earn $3.52 per month by streaming NFHS Network, which costs $10.99 per month. If you plan to subscribe to the high school sports streaming network, getting a little cash back isn’t bad.

MyPoints

MyPoints is another reputable cash-back app and website that gives you the opportunity to earn points that you can trade in for gift cards. If you trade in your earnings for a Visa gift card, accepted anywhere that takes Visa, this is practically as good as earning cash. Right now, MyPoints is offering a $10 welcome bonus when you join.

Like Kashkick, there aren’t a ton of opportunities to earn points or cash watching videos through MyPoints. You’ll earn most of your points from shopping online, taking surveys or playing games.

However, you can earn cash back on popular streaming services like Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN. If you are one of many Americans spending money on streaming and other subscription services, you might want to consider earning cash back for some of those services.

Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel

While cash-back apps require you to put in some effort watching videos that may not be your first choice for entertainment, the Nielson Computer and Mobile Panel provides a unique opportunity to earn money for watching the shows you normally watch.

Make Your Money Work Better for You

According to the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel website, you can earn up to $60 in points for gift cards. You can also choose to receive money deposited into your PayPal account. Nielsen also runs a monthly sweepstakes with $10,000 in prizes.

To take advantage of the cash back and potential prizes, you’ll need to create an account and answer a questionnaire about your family’s devices and viewing habits. You can then download the Nielsen app on your mobile or desktop device where you watch videos and TV. That may also include your home’s smart TV.

You may remember Nielsen as the company that determined whether your favorite network television shows stayed on the air for another season. Families used to receive a Nielsen box that would track their home TV viewing habits. The consumer insight company has been in business for 90 years and is about as reputable as they get if you are looking to earn extra money online.

Become a Secret Shopper

You may have heard that becoming a secret shopper or mystery shopper is a good way to earn money in your spare time. Some mystery shoppers can earn between $20 and $24 an hour, on average.

Market Force is hailed as one of the industry leaders in secret shopping, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and membership in the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. If you keep your eyes open, and use the mobile app, Eyes On, to keep track of available shops near you, might may get lucky and land a few gigs watching movies.

You won’t be reviewing the movie, but you will be evaluating the theater. As a bonus, you may get to enjoy some great flicks and get paid.

Start a Blog

If you have a passion for movies and TV shows, you might start a blog and share your views with other readers who love movies and TV like you do. You probably won’t earn money with your blog immediately. But if you continue producing high-quality content that people enjoy and promote it through social media, you may build a solid readership.

From there, you can begin to monetize your blog in a variety of ways. You can make money with your blog by running ads through Google AdSense or even selling ads to companies who pay you directly.

You can also earn money through sponsorship programs, where companies pay you to promote their brand in a blog post. You can also make money as an affiliate for products and services you love.

You can also set up a Patreon account and ask for donations from your readers. If your blog has a strong brand and a cool logo, you can also make money selling merchandise. There’s a double benefit to selling branded merchandise, since your fans will be paying money to help promote your blog.

Write Movie and TV Shows Reviews for Other Websites

If publishing your own movie and TV blog sounds like a lot of work and a large upfront investment, you can try becoming a freelance writer and writing movie and TV show reviews for other websites. Many websites are currently hiring freelance writers, including Taste of Cinema, Cineaste and ScreenRant.

According to its writer’s guidelines, Cineaste pays $36 for DVD reviews, $45 for Film Reviews and $90 for feature articles and interviews related to the film industry.

Taste of Cinema doesn’t share its rates online, but says that writers will get paid per click.

You can also check your favorite movie review sites for job listings or writer’s guidelines. Read carefully, as some sites, like Cinema Escapist, don’t pay at all. Even their staff members are volunteers. You might find gigs writing movie reviews on websites like JournalismJobs.com and Upwork, as well.

Write Recaps of Shows and Movies

Often, sites that list writing jobs will be looking for writers to produce recaps of top movies and TV shows. For instance, Soaps.com publishes recaps of top soap operas. While the website doesn’t indicate they are hiring, many other similar sites exist that may hire freelancers or even staff writers.

A search on Indeed revealed that Rhodes Creative Group is looking for a writer to write original blog posts that accompany YouTube videos. This is a way to watch fun content and get paid for it. The ad advertises the pay at $30 to $40 an hour, which makes this a lucrative position.

Categorize Shows on Streaming Services

Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services hire people to tag content so it fits into the appropriate categories. These may be full-time or freelance positions. As a “tagger” or an “editorial analyst,” you’ll need to watch movies and shows and then categorize them based on their characteristics.

These jobs may be hard to come by, but if watching videos for a living sounds like your dream job, it pays to check the “careers” tab for streaming services every so often to see what jobs might be available.

Write Subtitles for Video Content

It’s a good idea for online content creators to add subtitles to every video they produce. Some artificial intelligence (AI) programs can do this automatically, but they aren’t always accurate. As more websites and social media platforms strive to be more inclusive to those with disabilities, subtitles are crucial for viewers who are hard-of-hearing. People with the sound turned down on their devices, or listening in noisy environments, also appreciate subtitles on videos.

Often, freelancers can perform the task of creating these subtitles for brands and content creators. To make money writing subtitles, you’ll want to have fast typing skills. If you can also translate content into multiple languages, you can make even more money.

LogicalDollar says you can expect to earn between $1.50 and $3.50 per audio minute. You may be able to find these type of jobs on Fiverr or Upwork.

Final Take

You can earn anywhere from $100 per month to $100 per day or more watching videos, as long as you have some additional skills. If you can watch movies and TV shows and also write about them, you have a chance to earn a solid part-time income.

Becoming a successful movie reviewer requires discipline, talent and the ability to network and find opportunities. But it can be done.

If you aren’t into that much work and just want to earn money for watching videos, consider apps like Swagbucks that pay you just to watch videos.

FAQ

  • What apps pay you real money to watch videos?
    • You can earn real money watching videos through apps like Swagbucks and InboxDollars, among others. Some apps pay in gift cards, while others deposit money directly into your bank account or your PayPal account or can mail you a check.
  • How can I make $100 a day online?
    • Most sites that pay you to watch videos don't make it easy to earn $100 per day online simply watching videos. If you want to make more than pocket cash or a few hundred dollars per month, you'll want to consider other ways to make money online.
    • However, you can make $100 a day online as a freelance writer. If you want to get paid to watch videos, you might want to apply for gigs writing movie or TV show reviews for websites like Taste of Cinema.
  • Can you make money watching TikTok?
    • Unfortunately, there is no way to directly make money simply watching YouTube or TikTok. However, you can become a content creator on TikTok and monetize your channel through donations, affiliate marketing or through the TikTok Creator Fund, which pays you for the content you create based on the number of views and audience engagement.
  • Can you make money on YouTube?
    • There are many ways to make money on YouTube. You can even make money on YouTube without appearing in videos. YouTube has the YouTube Partner Program, similar to TikTok's Creator Fund, that pays you for video views once you reach a certain minimum.
    • You can also make money on YouTube by linking your Google AdSense account or selling merchandise.

View Sources

Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct. You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy.

  • LogicalDollar. 2022. "11 Easy Ways to Make Money from Writing Subtitles."
  • ZipRecruiter. "Mystery Shopper Salary."
  • Indeed. "Mystery shopper salary in United States."

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How to make money from watching videos

By Dawn Allcot

December 1, 2022

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About the Author

How to make money from watching videos

Dawn Allcot

Dawn Allcot is a full-time freelance writer and content marketing specialist who geeks out about finance, e-commerce, technology, and real estate. Her lengthy list of publishing credits include Bankrate, Lending Tree, and Chase Bank. She is the founder and owner of GeekTravelGuide.net, a travel, technology, and entertainment website. She lives on Long Island, New York, with a veritable menagerie that includes 2 cats, a rambunctious kitten, and three lizards of varying sizes and personalities – plus her two kids and husband. Find her on Twitter, @DawnAllcot.

How can I get paid for watching?

You can earn real money watching videos through apps like Swagbucks and InboxDollars, among others. Some apps pay in gift cards, while others deposit money directly into your bank account or your PayPal account or can mail you a check.

What site pays the most for watching videos?

Legit Sites That Pay You to Watch Videos.
Swagbucks: Earn the most..
MyPoints: Watch playlists for points..
InboxDollars: Earn cash, not points..
Earnably: Get $3 - $4 an hour..
Netflix: Become a content tagger..
Viggle: Earn watching anything..
KashKick: Watch videos and answer surveys..
iRazoo: Earn $10 a week..

How much money can you make watching videos?

If you watch videos daily, it is possible to earn between $100 and $200 per month across several apps and websites. If you're inconsistent in your video-watching efforts, expect to make less. Our reviewers estimate hourly earnings to come in between $2 and $5.

How can I earn money by watching YouTube?

Here are the best ways to watch videos and earn money:.
Watch videos for money on Swagbucks. ... .
Make money watching videos on InboxPounds. ... .
Watch video ads on WeAre8 for earnings or charity. ... .
Watch ads, TV trailers and more for money on Slicethepie. ... .
Make money watching videos on PrizeRebel..