When it comes to making a living, being a big YouTube star is something many of us would love to do.

If you've ever read about just how much money your favorite creators make, you'd dream about striking it rich on YouTube too. Whether you do driving tours of local spots, make a cooking channel, or just vlog about your life, there are channels and audiences for just about everyone.

Assuming you already have a YouTube channel with videos on it, here's how you go about getting it monetized so you can get some of those big YouTube bucks too.

1. Get 1000 subscribers.

This may seem hard to do, but enlist your friends and family, folks on Facebook, and edit each video to end with "Like and Subscribe!" If you can find a niche audience for your content, word will get out and your sub count will grow exponentially. Research other successful channels and post frequently to keep everyone happy.

Once a community tab becomes available to you (after you get 500 subscribers), use it to keep in touch with everyone who follows you. This is a great way to drum up interest in your channel and spread the word. Put out teaser photos of upcoming videos, launch polls, and just keep your channel fresh in everyone's minds.

2. Accumulate 4000 watch hours.

In the beginning, you're better off making longer videos to get to that watch hour minimum. Once you're monetized, you'll just need to maintain a minimum number of watch hours to keep your status on a rolling basis.

If you can, post at least a few good videos a week, even if some are shorter in length. The watch hours definitely add up organically as people go back to watch older content or re-watch your content.

3. Create an AdSense account.

When you're eligible for monetization, Google will send you instructions on how to create an AdSense account. This will be how you keep track of your revenue earned, based on the ad dollars that start to hit your account. Once your videos are eligible for ads, you will have options about how many and what type that YouTube can embed in your content. That's when the bucks start building up.

4. Get the word out.

When you make the decision to pursue monetization on YouTube, you'll have to start putting in a significant amount of work. Cross-post your video links to Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and make sure everyone knows that you're creating great content. Don't overlook Facebook groups of like-minded people, especially if you're making reference-quality videos like gardening tips specific to your region, cooking tutorials, or travel vlogs.

Use tags or keywords to attract people browsing for new videos to watch, and read up on search engine optimization. You never know how someone will find you!

For more information on how to earn money on YouTube, click here. It may be much easier than you think!

Do you have a monetized YouTube channel? Do you have any tips to share? Let us know in the comments!