Wondering where you can make the most money with your content online in 2024?

Let’s compare potential earnings on popular platforms for creators (writers, video creators, musicians, podcast hosts, etc.) like Medium, YouTube, Spotify, and more.

First, Find Your Passion

The opportunities to make money online today are endless.

Most involve creating some kind of digital content, product, or service. True passive income is elusive — most projects require a substantial investment of time and effort upfront.

The key is to focus on what you genuinely enjoy and are good at, rather than force it or chase hypothetical income projections.

Find your niche and your passion! The money will follow.

How to compare

The platforms we’re going to compare today are very different animals. They work differently, base earnings on various criteria, have membership programs or ads, and much more.

So, there’s no 1 to 1 comparison possible here. But we can look at somewhat similar metrics and averages to find at least some common ground to work with.

I am choosing views for this today, and I’ll be looking at 1000 views as the baseline, to be specific.

Medium for Writers

Blogging remains a popular way to earn online in 2024.

Medium provides a platform for writers to publish stories and monetize them through a partner program.

And it’s still the best blogging platform online in 2024.

Readers who are paying Medium members generate money for writers based on time spent reading each post.

In 2023 and 2024, I was averaging between $10-30 per 1000 views on Medium.

However, this varies quite a bit based on factors like the number of subscribers, reading time, read ratio, follower counts, and more. Some writers may earn more or less.

There are many great Medium alternatives for bloggers who want to get paid per view or read.

A few options include:

• Vocal – Pays about $4 per 1000 views, or $6 per 1000 for Vocal+ members.
• Simily – Reports earn $20 per 1000 unique views.
• NewsBreak – Hard to estimate, can be cents, can be good money

YouTube for video creators

YouTube remains the top platform for video creators to build an audience and generate income in 2024.

If you’re not afraid to put yourself out there (or have a great idea for a faceless YouTube channel), this is still the best platform to use.

You can monetize your YouTube channel through Google AdSense – ads play before and during your videos, and you earn a percentage.

In 2024, creators earn an average of $2.50 per 1000 video views.

Top YouTube creators in popular categories like gaming or entertainment earn much higher CPM rates. But rates vary wildly based on niche, seasonality, audience demographics and more.

My rate was at the $3 mark for a faceless entertainment channel.

One major advantage of YouTube is it’s possible to get millions of views as your channel grows. This potentially means higher total earnings vs most other platforms.

Spotify for musicians

For musicians, Spotify has become one of the top platforms to distribute music and earn per stream when users listen.

Rates vary quite a bit across different music streaming platforms.

In 2024 on Spotify, musicians earn around $2 per 1000 streams on average.

Here’s how that compares to other top platforms:

• Apple Music – Pays approximately $7 per 1000 streams
• Amazon Music Unlimited – Pays roughly $12 per 1000 streams
• YouTube Music – Widely varying rates, average of $3 to $5 per 1000 streams

Other platforms like Pandora, Deezer and Soundcloud offer similar listener monetization models at different rates.

Google AdSense for website owners

Bloggers and website owners commonly use Google AdSense to serve ads on their site and earn money when visitors view them. However, earnings per view tend to be low.

In 2024, average AdSense earnings are around $2-3 per 1000 ad views.

But rates fluctuate wildly, anywhere from $1 to $30+ per 1000 views depending on audience, season, ad demand, and more.

While easy to implement, earnings from display ads tend to pale in comparison to platforms like Medium or YouTube that offer more viewer engagement.

The bottom line

Based on average earnings per 1000 views in 2024:

• Medium offers the highest potential at up to $30.
• YouTube follows at around $3.
• Spotify and AdSense earn about $2-3.

However, lockstep viewer growth is much harder on Medium compared to YouTube. Absolute earnings come down to scale.

The best approach: Choose platforms aligned with your skills and interests. Consistency and hard work matter far more than hypothetical monetization rates.

Focus on creating value and building an audience doing what you love. The money will follow in time!