There are a few key reasons why your video may not be monetized or earning ad revenue on Facebook. The main requirements set by Facebook in order for a video to be monetized include:
- Meeting the Copyright and Monetization Policies
- Having sufficient viewership and engagement
- Complying with the Facebook Terms of Service
Not meeting these requirements can lead Facebook to demonetize or restrict monetization on your video content. In this article, we’ll go over these requirements in more detail and look at the common reasons why videos may not meet the criteria for monetization on Facebook.
Copyright and Monetization Policies
Facebook has strict policies around copyright and what types of content can be monetized. Your video needs to meet the following copyright and monetization policies set by Facebook:
- You must own all content and have rights to commercially use and monetize it.
- The video cannot contain copyright-infringing material.
- You must have commercial rights to any music used in the video.
- The content must be original and not reused from other sources.
- You must comply with Facebook’s Branded Content policies if video contains paid product placements or endorsements.
If your video contains any copyrighted material that you don’t have explicit rights to use, it will not be eligible for monetization. This includes things like movies, TV shows, sports highlights, and music that you do not have a license for.
Facebook’s systems automatically scan for copyrighted material, and any matches will lead to your video being demonetized. Avoid using unlicensed content as it will restrict your ability to earn money from videos.
Tips for meeting Copyright Policies
- Only use content you created or have commercial rights to use.
- Do not repurpose videos or reuse content from other creators/sources.
- Purchase licenses for any music, stock footage, images etc. used in video.
- Edit videos to remove any accidental copyrighted content if detected by Facebook.
Meeting Facebook’s guidelines around original content, licensed material, and branded content is key for monetization. Violating the copyright or monetization policies in any way can lead to demonetization.
Viewership and Engagement
In addition to meeting the copyright and content policies, your video needs to achieve sufficient viewership and engagement to be eligible for monetization on Facebook.
Facebook has not publicly released the exact viewership thresholds required. However, based on insights from creators, it appears you need at least a few thousand views on a video before ads and monetization will be enabled.
Having high engagement in the form of likes, comments and shares also seems to be a factor in Facebook determining whether to monetize a video. Earning lots of comments and reactions from viewers makes it more likely your video will meet the engagement metrics for monetization.
Tips for increasing viewership and engagement
- Optimize videos for discovery by using strong titles, thumbnails and metadata.
- Promote videos both on and off Facebook to drive more views.
- Create engaging video content that gets reactions and discussion.
- Use best practices for video length, structure etc.
- Analyze performance data in Facebook Insights to improve.
It can take some trial and error to determine the types of videos and promotion strategies that earn lots of engagement on Facebook. Look at top performing videos in your niche and aim to create content that gets viewers watching, reacting, commenting and sharing.
Complying with Facebook’s Terms of Service
To monetize on Facebook, you must adhere to Facebook’s full Terms of Service. This covers Facebook’s guidelines around acceptable content types, behavior rules, respecting intellectual property, and more.
Some of the key parts of the Terms related to monetization include:
- Not posting hate speech, nudity/sexual content, or violent/graphic content.
- Not engaging in deceptive or misleading practices.
- Not artificially inflating engagement metrics.
- Not promoting illegal or harmful products/services.
If your videos violate Facebook’s Terms in any way, such as promoting prohibited products or containing offensive content, they can be demonetized. So carefully review Facebook’s Terms to ensure your videos and business practices comply with their rules.
Tips for complying with Terms
- Fully read and understand Facebook’s Terms of Service.
- Avoid posting content that may be considered offensive, dangerous or deceptive.
- Do not use engagement bait or artificial tactics to boost video views/metrics.
- Review content policies for any ads/promotions included in videos.
- Immediately remove/edit any non-compliant videos if notified by Facebook.
Knowing and adhering to the Terms of Service is crucial. If your video or business activities go against Facebook’s guidelines in any way, your monetization and account can be at risk.
Common Reasons Videos are Demonetized
Some of the most common specific reasons videos may not meet Facebook’s monetization policies include:
1. Using copyrighted content without authorization
As covered earlier, using any copyrighted material without proper licenses and authorization will lead to demonetization. This includes music, movie/TV clips, professional sports highlights, and more. Avoid unauthorized copyright content.
2. Repurposing content from other creators
Facebook requires original content for monetization. Simply taking videos from other sources and reuploading them, even if unmodified, goes against Facebook’s guidelines. Do not simply reuse other creator’s content.
3. displays trademarks without permission
Showing trademarks like branded products and logos without proper permission can also lead to demonetization. Either get explicit permission or anonymize/remove trademarks.
4. Artificially inflating engagement
Using paid services or fake accounts to artificially boost views, likes, comments and other metrics violates Facebook’s Terms. This will get videos demonetized. Let engagement occur organically.
5. sensational or suggestive thumbnails
Clickbait-y thumbnails depicting shocking or sexualized imagery often gets flagged by Facebook. Use appropriate thumbnails that accurately represent video content.
6. Promoting prohibited products
Facebook prohibits promoting certain products related to drugs, firearms, and other regulated goods. Videos that market these products directly will be demonetized.
7. Hate speech, nudity, graphic violence
Any videos with hate speech, pornographic material, or gratuitous violence are not allowed and will be demonetized. Keep video content PG-13 and avoid offensive subject matter.
Appealing Demonitized Videos
If you believe your video was incorrectly demonetized by Facebook, you can submit an appeal:
- In Video Manager, click “Appeal” next to the demonetized video.
- Select the reason you are appealing. Common reasons include “I have rights to use this content” and “Content incorrectly flagged”.
- Provide additional details explaining why you believe the video was incorrectly demonetized.
- Facebook will review your appeal and notify you if monetization is reinstated.
However, if your video clearly violates one of Facebook’s monetization policies, the appeal will likely be rejected. Avoid publishing non-compliant videos in the first place.
Best Practices for Monetization
Here are some recommended tips and best practices for successfully monetizing videos on Facebook:
- Produce completely original content and avoid unauthorized copyright material.
- Build your audience and promote videos to drive high, organic viewership.
- Create engaging video content optimized for retention and sharing.
- Carefully comply with all Facebook Terms, policies and content guidelines.
- License any music, stock content or trademarks featured in videos.
- Appeal demonetization if you believe Facebook made a mistake.
- Analyze metrics and viewer data to improve video performance.
Following these best practices makes it more likely your videos will meet the requirements for monetization on Facebook. But even if you do everything right, Facebook may require a certain level of scale and track record before enabling monetization on your account.
Conclusion
To summarize, the main reasons videos may not be monetized on Facebook include:
- Containing copyright-infringing or unauthorized material
- Not achieving sufficient organic viewership and engagement
- Violating Facebook’s Terms of Service or content policies
Avoid these issues by producing original and licensed content, promoting videos to drive high viewership, complying with Facebook’s guidelines, and appealing demonetization where appropriate. With the right strategy focused on creating engaging, compliant videos, you can successfully earn ad revenue from Facebook.