Drones have become an industry of their own over the last few years. From inspections to mapping, these devices have found a unique niche in modern society. But perhaps one of the biggest, most interesting ways people can make money with their drone is through YouTube.

Drone enthusiasts have made channels dedicated to drone product reviews, vlogs, and more, and they make a lot of money doing it. YouTube's Partner Program is an innovative way to earn money with your drone. With enough subscribers and video views, there's definitely money to be made in the ever-growing YouTube drone sector. We'll tell you how you can get started making money doing what you love — flying drones.

Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

YouTubers with monetized channels that use drones in their videos are required to have a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. You might be thinking, isn't the Part 107 just for people that use drones to do work for other people? Not quite. This topic is a little confusing, so let's unpack it.

The FAA Part 107 certification is required for anyone that uses a drone in furtherance of a business. Technically speaking, a monetized YouTube channel that shows drones in flight or uses aerial photos or videos constitutes using a drone in furtherance of a business. This means that, if drones are used on a monetized channel, they're technically being used as a part of a business, which means a Remote Pilot Certificate is required.

However, when you're in the process of building up your channel prior to being monetized, the Remote Pilot Certificate is not needed. When your channel isn't generating revenue, you're considered a “recreational” drone user and aren't operating under Part 107 parameters.

Once you satisfy YouTube's criteria for monetization and they start paying you, you'll then be required to hold a Part 107 license. If this sounds daunting, don't worry, we made the ultimate guide to the Part 107 process to help you through it.

My recommendation is to use the time you're building up your channel to study for the Part 107 test and become familiar with the process.

Ways You Can Make Money With Your Drone on YouTube

Now that we've discussed the Part 107 license, let's talk about the different ways you can use drones to make money on YouTube.

Product Reviews

Product review videos are arguably the most popular kind of drone video category on YouTube. If you're like me, you spend hours on YouTube watching different drone reviews before you make a new purchase. These videos are extremely useful in helping consumers make more informed purchasing decisions.

Detailed product review videos are relatively easy to make. Simply purchase the latest drones and drone accessories, use them for a few weeks to test out all of their features, and create a detailed, highly informative video about the pros and cons of the different products.

People like to watch these videos because they get to see the benefits or shortcomings of a particular drone before they invest in one. Generally speaking, viewers are interested in the drones' camera quality, flight time, flight performance, and other features like intelligent flight modes.

Some YouTubers also make product reviews that compare drones. This is particularly useful because viewers can see different drones compared to each other in regard to camera quality, flight time, features, and more. These videos are helpful for consumers that have narrowed their search down to two drones but simply can't decide which one they want.

Captain Drone is a YouTuber that makes a lot of videos comparing different drones.

Due to the fact that these videos are so useful for people that are looking into a new drone, they generate a lot of channel traffic. Once your channel is monetized, this means you'll make more money.

If you want to see an example of a YouTuber that does some excellent drone reviews, check out Ethan Mitchell's channel. He dedicates a large part of his channel to super helpful reviews of the latest drones on the market. He also provides an in-depth look at the various features of popular drones.

One of the cool things about doing new product reviews on a monetized channel is that, if the channel is successful, a new product will essentially pay for itself. In other words, you can buy a new product and review it, which will, in turn, grow your channel, allowing you to buy more products and review them, and so on.

What's more, if your product review channel really blows up, drone manufacturers like DJI might even send you a product in exchange for a review of it.

When making these videos, try to remain unbiased in your reviews. Viewers want to see honest product reviews that aren't skewed by the reviewer's biases.

Range Tests

If you've watched any drone videos on YouTube, you've probably come across range test videos. In short, range tests demonstrate how far drones can go on a single battery without losing video signal.

These videos are useful for people that want to see a real-world test of a drone's range before they buy it. Drones' advertised range is sometimes lower or higher than what the drone is actually capable of.

While most people don't ever fly their drones to their absolute range limits, a lot of people just find these videos fascinating and informative. Nevertheless, these videos give viewers and prospective drone buyers a better idea of what they can actually expect from a drone's range. These videos expose the drones that can only go a mere half mile before losing video connection.

It should go without saying that conducting drone range tests is risky business. There are quite a few tragic, worst-case scenario drone range test videos on YouTube. Between drones falling out of the sky or landing in water on the way back, there's a lot that can go wrong. We've created a list of range test tips that'll help you conduct range tests safely and responsibly.

Range Test Tips

If you decide to go this route with your drone YouTube channel, here are a few tips to keep in mind to mitigate the risk of injuring someone, damaging property, or losing your drone on a range test:

• Make sure the battery is fully charged. This will maximize your flight time, giving you ample time to make it out and back. After all, the purpose of these videos is to give viewers a good idea of how far the drone can go on a full charge.
  
• Make sure to go through a preflight checklist. Check everything on your aircraft to ensure that everything is attached properly and in good working order. It's never a good situation when a propeller or battery comes off during flight, but if it happens when you're 3 miles out, the situation becomes exponentially worse.
  
• Choose the best location and flight path. Identify the best location to start the range test. Higher ground is ideal because it'll give you optimal connection throughout the flight. Make sure the flight path won't involve flying over people, houses, roads, or water. This will minimize the risk of injuring people, damaging property, or losing your drone. Also, identify several places along your flight path where you can land safely in case your drone runs out of battery or otherwise needs to make an emergency landing during the range test. Large open, grassy areas are ideal for alternate landing sites. Another thing to consider in your flight path planning is to avoid neighborhoods or other areas that might have a lot of frequency interference.
  
• Optimize the antenna orientation. Believe it or not, the antenna angle on your remote controller can drastically affect its connection with the drone. Generally speaking, you want the antennae perpendicular to the drone for optimal connection. Check the drone's user manual to see what the ideal antenna orientation is. Check out this post that Trevor from Let Us Drone wrote about antenna placement for DJI drones.
  
• Fly 100-250 feet above the ground. This will ensure that your drone and remote controller have the best connection throughout the flight. If the video connection starts cutting out, try increasing the drone's altitude.
  
• Fly against the wind on the way out. Before you start, figure out which direction the wind is blowing from. Fly out in that direction against the wind. This means that you'll have a tailwind on the way back, which can be helpful if your drone's battery life is dwindling fast on the way back.
  
• Don't fly in Sport Mode, especially on the way out. Keep your drone in its standard flight mode throughout the range test. When flying in Sport Mode at full throttle, the drone's battery will drain somewhat erratically due to the higher stress on the drone's motors and virtually every other system onboard. In Sport Mode, the drone might go from 55% battery down to 40% in an instant, and that's a problematic situation during a range test. It's easier for the drone to maintain a slower, more modest speed throughout the flight. For these reasons, the drone might actually make it out farther in its standard flight mode anyway. Learn more about Sport mode here.
  
• Watch for manned aircraft and other obstacles. This should go without saying, but constantly scan the surrounding area for manned aircraft or other obstacles in the area. Some drones can go so far that the only situational awareness you'll have is by looking at your drone's image transmission.

Dustin Dunnill is a YouTuber that makes a lot of drone range tests. I recommend watching some of his videos and take note of his general process.

Tutorials

Drone video tutorials are also very popular on YouTube. Drone technology is getting more and more complicated, so people rely increasingly on these kinds of videos to show them these different features.

Think of this as a more engaging way to explain a drone's user manual, from the drone's camera settings to its intelligent flight modes. The vast majority of people, myself included, would rather watch a detailed YouTube video demonstrating how to use a drone's features rather than read a dry, boring user manual.

What's more, for most people, visual tutorials are a better way to learn, so these kinds of videos are particularly helpful.

To make these videos even more engaging, try to find out what hidden features the drone has that most people don't already know about.

Vlogs

Vlogs are another way to use drones on YouTube. Vloggers simply document their travels, day to day experiences, and more, and they use drones to capture cool, cinematic video footage in the process.

For vloggers, drones are simply a tool to use to create unique content for their channel. In this way, drones help vloggers add some unique and creative flair to their channel.

These kinds of videos are fairly simple to make; simply document your day to day experiences in an interesting way. Use plenty of awesome drone shots to make your videos even better.

One of the cool things about making these kinds of videos is that little to no planning or scripting is required. Just be spontaneous!

Informational Videos

Informational videos about drones are also very common among drone content creators on YouTube.

The purpose of these videos is to explain different concepts pertaining to drones. For example, these videos might cover the Part 107 certification process, how to use DroneDeploy and other flight planning applications, or how to get clients for aerial real estate photography or other commercial drone work.

Another approach to take with information videos is to discuss recent developments in the drone world, such as the implementation of new rules and regulations. A lot of people prefer to watch videos that outline and explain drone news rather than read the FAA's rules directly. Videos can explain this content in a more engaging way that's easier for the average drone pilot to understand. Check out our list of the 21 best drone news sources for all the latest news that affects the drone community.

These videos are particularly cool because they go beyond the surface level topics of drones in general by addressing more complex drone-related subjects. These videos often answer more complicated questions drone pilots have.

The Best Kind of Drone YouTube Channel

Now that we've talked about the different kinds of drone YouTube videos, we want to outline what the ultimate channel looks like.

The most successful drone YouTube channels have a combination of these kinds of videos.

A diverse drone channel will get more views because the videos are catered toward an overall larger audience. This means more money in your pocket. Additionally, most viewers want to be pleasantly surprised by the next video you release. In other words, try to avoid being predictable with your content.

Too much channel diversity should be avoided, but a strategically diverse channel with a drone focal point will generate the most traffic.

How to Start Getting Paid for YouTube

Now that you've decided to make a YouTube drone channel, there are a few more steps you'll have to take before you can start getting paid.

In order for a YouTube channel to be eligible for monetization, it has to:

• Have at least 4,000 hours of total watch time within the last year
• Have at least 1,000 subscribers
• Abide by YouTube's policies and community guidelines

This sounds like a lot of subscribers and a lot of total watch hours, but if you stay committed to making good content, you'll reach those numbers in no time. The most important part of the process is to consistently upload creative and engaging content. Your audience wants a regular supply of new videos to enjoy.

This guide covers the process in more depth.

Once your channel meets these requirements, it'll be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program. Being a part of this program essentially means that your channel has become a monetized YouTube channel.

How Exactly Does YouTube Payment Work?

At this point, you might be wondering how and why YouTube actually pays its creators. It's pretty simple. Once creators join the Partner Program, YouTube puts ads on their videos. YouTube generates revenue from the companies that place these ads, and the content creators get paid per view.

Final Thoughts

YouTube is one of the largest online platforms, especially for drone content creators. The corner of YouTube where all of the drone people hang out is growing rapidly along with drone technology as a whole, so there's no better time to join in.

The best part is that there's virtually no barrier to start a channel. As long as you have a drone, a camera, and a computer, you can try your hand at creating unique, engaging content. In this way, becoming a YouTube content creator is a risk-free venture.

What's more, the YouTube drone community is outstanding. YouTube is a forum where drone enthusiasts can share ideas, experiences, and simply enjoy the hobby of flying drones. The drone community on YouTube is generally very supportive.

Now that you've learned how to use your drone hobby to start making money with YouTube, get out there and start creating!