9 ways to make money from watching videos

If you ever find yourself wishing you could get paid to watch videos online, we've got some very good news – you can. Here's how...

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Making money from watching videos is a LOT easier than you might think. And, considering you'll likely be spending plenty of time watching films, clips and ads online anyway, it's such an easy way to earn some extra cash in your spare time.

It's an ideal way to make money alongside similar ventures like running a YouTube account. Plus, all of the video-related work experience could hugely boost your CV and help you get a job related to film, TV or digital media.

There are loads of ways to watch videos for money, and we'll go through the best options here.

Although you might not become a millionaire from watching videos, we happen to know of other ways that you can...

How to get paid to watch videos

Here are the best ways to watch videos and earn money:

Watch videos for cash on Swagbucks

If you haven't already, we really recommend signing up to Swagbucks to start earning rewards for watching videos, surfing the web and completing surveys.

The types of videos you'll be shown on Swagbucks will vary, but you can expect plenty of short clips like ads, news content and viral videos.

By watching videos on the site, you might not earn huge amounts of money or 'Swagbuck points' (a.k.a. SB), but as it's such easy money, we definitely think it's worth trying.

Plus, when you use Swagbucks alongside the other suggestions in this list, your earnings will quickly add up.

Click here for a special sign-up bonus. And, for more tips on earning rewards on Swagbucks, have a read of our in-depth guide.
Write subtitles for films as a freelancer

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Particularly if you're looking to build up your CV with film-related experience, it's definitely worth thinking about writing subtitles for videos online on a freelance basis.

Often, video-content creators will look for freelancers who can write up subtitles for their films, perhaps to make them more accessible for people with hearing loss, or to upload transcripts when posting YouTube videos.

As subtitles and transcripts can be quite time-consuming to write, video makers may well look for freelancers to do this for them – which is where you come in.

On sites like Fiverr, you can find freelancers offering to write video subtitles for a fee. Have a look at what other freelancers are charging for an idea of prices, and be sure to post rates that you think are fair but competitive.

As a guideline, though, we've seen freelancers on Fiverr often starting their rates at £4.16 to write subtitles.

Bonus: If you speak another language, this is even better as you can charge extra to translate videos on a freelance basis. Not to mention that it's bound to impress future employers...
Make money watching videos on InboxPounds

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InboxPounds works in a similar way to Swagbucks, letting you earn cash for super simple things like watching videos and taking surveys.

Again, you might not make big money on here, but the more tasks you do alongside watching videos, the more money you can make.

Even reading InboxPounds' deals emails or searching the internet on their search page can earn you cash.

You can sign up to InboxPounds here.
Become a film and TV reviewer

Credit: Universal Pictures

If you're hoping to make a living from watching videos, becoming a film or TV reviewer is probably the best, most established way of doing so.

It's by no means easy to reach the point of writing about videos as a full-time job, but with hard work, dedication and a strong grasp of the written word, you can do it.

Film and TV criticism are very competitive lines of work, so particularly if you're thinking about writing on a freelance basis, you'll need to start off by charging lower rates to reflect your level of experience.

But remember, you deserve to be paid for your work, so don't accept payments lower than you think is fair, just because you're starting out.

To prepare for a full-time job as a film or TV critic, it's worth looking into internships to boost your CV. Unfortunately, not all journalism internships pay well (or at all, in some cases), but check out PressPad for help with accommodation during internship placements.

And, if you do find yourself on an unpaid internship, our guide to supporting yourself financially during the placement can help.

Once you start to build up your portfolio of reviews and make a name for yourself, you can gradually increase your rates and take on bigger commissions.

Pitching article ideas about films and TV shows to editors

To start getting commissioned for film or TV reviews as a freelancer, it's worth setting up a blog to showcase your writing style and talent.

Then, look for commissioning editors of relevant publications, reach out to them directly (addressing them by their name in emails) and pitch them your idea. At the end of your pitch, link to your blog or portfolio website so they can see what you can do.

Be confident with your article ideas, keep pitches concise and don't be disheartened by rejections. Keep going, and you might just become the next Mark Kermode.
Watch ads, movie trailers and more for money on iRazoo

Credit: Paramount Pictures

iRazoo is another rewards site that lets you earn points for doing loads of very easy things like watching interesting videos, playing games and answering survey questions.

The videos include short films, cooking tutorials, movie trailers, app adverts and more. All you need to do is watch them, and you can earn iRazoo Points.

Then, once you've earned over 3,000 points, you can claim your first reward – rewards on the site include a selection of vouchers, as well as cash paid through PayPal.

Plus, you get an extra 500 points when signing up for iRazoo here. You're welcome.
Take part in paid psychological studies

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If you're interested in taking part in psychological and behavioural studies, this could be a good way for you to make money from watching videos.

The amount you can get paid in compensation for doing psychological studies will vary massively depending on the type of trial and how long it lasts, but you could receive as much as £100+ for your time!

But please note – we recommend only signing up for studies if you genuinely want to do them, rather than simply as a way of making money. Depending on the nature of the study, there's a potential for them to be emotionally or mentally challenging, so only take part in ones you're comfortable with.

How to find psychological trials

As with all clinical trials, it's important to focus on trusted organisations when signing up for psychological studies.

When looking for legitimate paid psychology trials, we recommend focusing on studies at universities.

First, get in touch with the psychology department at your uni to see if there are any upcoming studies you could get involved in. This would be the best and easiest way to take part in one.

But, if that's not possible, you could look into studies at other universities. To focus your search, try typing '[university name] psychological trials' into Google as this should come up with the relevant page on the uni's website.

There, you'll find call-outs for study trial participants and guidance on how to apply.

Or, you could always contact a university's psychology department directly, either on the phone or by email, to find out more about their upcoming studies.

Often, universities will say that they are looking for "volunteers" for the studies, but these opportunities will typically still include some form of compensation (either in cash or vouchers) for your time and expenses.

For example, you can register as a participant for research studies on the University of Cambridge's website. Although they are asking for volunteers, they offer "modest monetary compensation" to people who take part.

Not all studies are guaranteed to include videos, but keep an eye out for ones that suit you and your interests.
Watch adverts for PayPal money on SuccessBux

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SuccessBux is a Paid-To-Click site that allows you to earn cash from watching adverts – something that requires so little work it's almost free money.

You can request the money you've earned through the site pretty quickly after you start completing the tasks – there's a minimum payout of just $1 (around 80p) for Standard and Premium members, and you can receive this money through PayPal.

As with the other recommended sites on this list that pay you to watch videos, the more you branch out on SuccessBux, the more you earn. So, as well as watching videos, it's also worth trying out the other money-making tasks on there, like answering surveys and referring friends.
Earn crypto by watching videos on TV-TWO app

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You won't be alone in being intrigued about cryptocurrency, but unsure how you can actually start earning it. A solution? TV-TWO.

TV-TWO is an app that lets you earn crypto for watching videos. It works in a similar way to sites like Swagbucks, in that you can watch videos and earn points (TTV tokens, in this case), but the main difference lies in how you receive the payout.

Once you've earned 50,000 credits in the app, you can request the payout.

For the payout, you'll need to provide your email address and Ethereum Wallet address. Ethereum is a platform for cryptocurrency, and TV-TWO recommends using Trust Crypto Wallet to receive your payout.

TTV Ethereum tokens are a form of cryptocurrency which you can then trade for more widely used cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ether on cryptocurrency exchanges.

You can then exchange your crypto for cash through sites like Coinbase or Kraken to receive the equivalent amount in GBP (£) through PayPal.

This might not be the most straightforward option on our list, but if you're interested in earning crypto, it could be a great way to start.
Promote videos for companies online

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And, as a slightly easier way to make money to finish on (we promise there's no crypto involved in this one), you could consider charging companies to promote their videos online.

Sponsored posts are a common way to make money for online influencers. While you don't necessarily need a huge online following to do this, it would help if you had a reasonable number of followers on social media and/or your blog.

The bigger your audience, the more you can charge companies to share their content.

Of course, it's important to make sure the videos you're promoting are good quality and relevant to your audience, as it could really impact your online brand if you share content that your followers don't engage with.

It's worth reaching out directly to the influencer marketing departments of brands that you identify with and are interested in to discuss the possibility of working together on a sponsored video post.

Or, particularly if you have a smaller online following, you could always use freelance sites like Fiverr to find companies who would be happy to pay you a little fee to share their video content online.

Note: If you do get paid to share a promotional post online, remember that you must clearly state that it is an advert or sponsored post. You can find more info and guidance in the ASA's Influencer Guide.