How to Earn Money By Watching New Videos Online

Do you enjoy spending time online? Why not turn that screen time into cash? Whether a student or a stay-at-home parent, you must admit it is an easy side hustle. Companies need real people to consume their content as online marketing campaigns grow.

But not all platforms are created equal. It's about legitimate earning platforms and how much you can realistically expect to earn. So, how do you get started? What platforms are great?

Top Ways to Earn Money by Watching New Videos Online

1. Get Paid Through Survey and Reward Sites

Reward sites offer one of the most accessible and legitimate ways to make money: watching videos. These platforms provide various ways to earn money, such as by completing surveys, testing apps, and watching videos. Below are some of the best options available:

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a well-known platform that rewards users for completing various activities, including watching videos. Videos range from entertainment to ads, and users can accumulate Swagbucks (points) that can be redeemed for gift cards or cash. Swagbucks also pay via Paypal.

Average users can make $25-$100 monthly, depending on their activity level, though some power users claim to have earned more than $10,000 through consistent engagement. Set aside specific daily hours to watch videos and combine this with other tasks like surveys or searching the web on Swagbucks.

InboxDollars

Like Swagbucks, InboxDollars pays users to watch various video content, from movie trailers to advertisements. It offers cash payments rather than points, making it easier to see how much you're earning directly. Don't miss out on its $5 sign-up bonus. 

You can earn anywhere from $30 to $100 monthly, depending on your investment time. InboxDollars will also pay you if you complete their market research surveys. You can boost your total earnings by watching their video playlists. 

Once you reach the minimum threshold of $30, you can request a payout via PayPal, check, or gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon.

MyPoints

MyPoints has been around since 1996 and allows users to earn points by watching videos. These points can be redeemed for PayPal money, gift cards, or even airline miles. Users can earn up to 500 points a day by completing video playlists. For example, 1,500 points typically equate to $10 in gift cards​. You can make roughly $0.03 to $0.10 per video.

2. Earn Through Video-Streaming Apps

Some apps and platforms are designed to pay users to interact with video content. These are perfect for individuals looking to turn their entertainment habits into a side hustle. 

Here are a few top apps:

AppTrailers

AppTrailers offers a simple way to make money by watching short trailers for mobile apps. Each time you watch a trailer, you accumulate points that can be redeemed for cash via PayPal or gift cards from major retailers like Amazon. You can earn points by watching trailers of apps, movies, and celebrity gossip videos.

Additional earning ways include taking quizzes, playing trivia games, and completing other micro-tasks. Referral programs allow you to earn more by inviting others to the platform.

On average, you can earn around $0.50 for watching 10 videos, but this may vary depending on your region and video availability.

Viggle

Viggle allows you to make money while enjoying your favorite TV shows or music. When you start watching, check in, and Viggle will track your activity, rewarding you with points for each minute you spend watching or listening.

Sign in and check in to TV shows or live events you’re watching. For music lovers, Viggle also rewards you for streaming music from significant platforms. Accumulate points for every minute spent watching or listening, and redeem them for cash or gift cards. Viggle offers about $0.20 to $0.50 per hour of viewing, depending on the show or event.

Some shows offer bonus points, such as double or triple points, which can accelerate your earning rate.

Perk TV

Perk TV lets you earn points by watching short videos, movie trailers, app trailers, and ads. These points can be exchanged for cash via PayPal or for gift cards from popular retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Watch a variety of content, from movie trailers to short promotional videos. Perk TV also offers additional earning ways, such as completing surveys and entering sweepstakes.

With a hands-free option, you can queue up videos and let them run automatically while focusing on other tasks. You can expect to earn around $1 for every few hours of video watching. However, this depends on your location and the availability of videos.

3. Make Money by Reviewing Ads and Video Content

Some platforms require users to provide feedback on video ads or test video content for quality. These tasks often pay more per video than general reward sites.

Vindale Research

Vindale Research pays users to watch video ads and provide honest reviews. In addition to ads, you may be asked to watch promotional videos and give feedback. Vindale pays $0.25 to $0.50 per video. Use other money-making opportunities on the platform to supplement your video-watching income, such as surveys and product testing.

Slicethepie

Slicethepie is a unique platform where users can get paid to provide reviews on music, fashion items, and videos—the more detailed their feedback, the higher the payout. You can make around $0.10 to $0.30 per video review. Be sure to offer in-depth reviews to improve your star rating. They will lead to higher payouts.

4. Get Paid to Watch Videos on YouTube

YouTube is the largest video-sharing platform, and while it doesn’t directly pay users to watch videos, several methods can help you earn by engaging with YouTube content: Specific YouTube channels partner with reward programs and offer incentives for watching their content. Some platforms or affiliate programs will pay viewers for engaging with sponsored content.

Your earnings will depend on the channel and specific program. Find channels that offer consistent rewards for engagement and sign up for notifications to stay on top of new content.

Ads Watching on Brave Browser

The Brave Browser allows users to earn cryptocurrency by watching web ads. You can earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) for viewing opt-in ads, including video content on YouTube. Make a few monthly dollars in BAT tokens. Enable ads on Brave and watch as much content as possible within the browser to increase your BAT rewards.

5. Earn Money Through Streaming Platforms

If you're a fan of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+, you might not get paid to watch directly, but some job opportunities allow you to earn money while binge-watching. Netflix hires people to watch their shows and categorize them for better recommendations. These positions, while rare, are coveted and highly competitive. Netflix taggers' salaries can range from $25,000 to $60,000 annually.

Look at Netflix's job listings and other streaming platforms for openings in similar roles.

6. Join Focus Groups and Market Research Panels

Focus groups and market research panels often involve participants watching videos to provide feedback. These opportunities often pay more than traditional reward sites because the feedback is more in-depth. Here are some of the best sites for them:

Respondent.io

Respondent.io offers market research opportunities, some of which involve watching videos and providing feedback. Projects vary by industry but can be lucrative. Pay can range from $50 to $300 per study. Be active on the platform and apply for as many relevant projects as possible.

UserTesting

UserTesting allows you to test websites, apps, and occasionally videos. Companies pay to gather user feedback to improve their content or platforms. Standard tests typically pay $10 for around 20 minutes of work. Depending on complexity and length, video-based tests can pay more, with some offering up to $60 for more in-depth tasks. You can provide detailed and thoughtful feedback to be invited to more earning opportunities on the platform.

7. Get Paid to Watch and Rate Movies

If you’re a movie enthusiast, you could turn your passion for cinema into a paying gig by working as a movie rater or tester. You can start doing movie reviews. Some companies pay viewers to rate and review new movies or trailers before they are released to the public. This provides valuable insights for filmmakers and marketers.

Rates can vary, but you can earn between $10 and $50 per assignment. Sign up for multiple platforms that offer these opportunities to ensure a consistent flow of assignments.

How Much Can You Really Earn?

While watching videos online won't make you rich, it can supplement your income with minimal effort. You can make between $25 and $100 a month from watching videos. Here's what you can expect at a glance:

• Swagbucks: $25 - $100/month for active users.
• InboxDollars: $30 - $100/month, with a $5 bonus for signing up.
• MyPoints: $10 - $50/month by watching promotional videos and trailers.
• Earnably: $5 - $40/month, with a 10% referral bonus
• AppTrailers: $5 - $20/month for watching app trailers and playing games.
• Viggle: Earn $10 - $50/month by watching TV shows and movies, with a 10% referral bonus.
• Perk TV: $10 - $50/month for watching TV shows and earning rewards.
• SlicethePie: $10 - $20/month for writing reviews about products and services.
• Vindale Research: $5 - $20/month for participating in surveys, reviewing products, and watching videos.
• UserTesting: Earn $10 - $20/test for participating in website and app testing, with a minimum guarantee of $10 per test.

Real-Life Success Stories from Users

To add credibility to these platforms, here are some real-life success stories of users who have turned video-watching into a profitable side hustle:

• Julie, a stay-at-home mom from California, consistently earns about $75 each month watching videos on Swagbucks. She uses this extra income to pay for groceries and household expenses. Julie dedicates an hour every evening to using multiple platforms to boost her earnings.
• After retiring in Florida, Tom had plenty of free time, so he turned to MyPoints and InboxDollars. By combining video watching with surveys and shopping rewards, Tom now earns about $100 per month, which he uses to fund trips with his grandchildren.
• A German university student, Melissa needed extra cash without sacrificing too much study time. She joined InboxDollars and now earns $200 monthly by watching videos during her breaks. Melissa's story is a perfect example of how students can leverage these platforms to cover small expenses​

Avoiding Scams and Protecting Yourself Online

While there are plenty of legitimate platforms, the internet also has its share of scams. Here's how to avoid them:

1. Before signing up, read reviews on reputable sites like Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau. Look for platforms with a long history and solid user feedback, such as Swagbucks and InboxDollars.
2. Legitimate platforms will never ask you for money to join. Be wary of any site that requires a payment to "unlock" higher earning potential or access premium content. For freelancers and small business owners, using readily available tools like sample invoice receipt templates can streamline transactions and help ensure professionalism when managing payments.
3. Choose platforms that offer secure, verifiable payment methods like PayPal. Avoid platforms that rely solely on untraceable payment methods, such as gift cards or cryptocurrency.
4. Beware of platforms that require you to download questionable software. Scammers often use malware disguised as video-playing software to steal your personal information. Make sure your antivirus software is up to date​.

Where Can You Go From Here?

Another exciting avenue for earning money by watching videos is through captioning and transcription work. Platforms like Rev and TranscribeMe allow users to get paid for captioning or transcribing video content. Rev pays between $0.54 and $1.10 per video minute, while bilingual captioners can earn even more by translating video captions into different languages. 

This is a fantastic option if you have strong listening and typing skills and want to earn money consistently. 

Additionally, if you're interested in more creative video-watching tasks, becoming a Netflix Tagger or a content reviewer can be a dream job for entertainment enthusiasts. 

While these jobs are rare and highly competitive, they involve watching and categorizing Netflix shows or movies to improve user recommendations. For those looking for market research tasks, focus groups can be a lucrative choice, offering pay between $50 and $150 per study in exchange for feedback on video ads or movie trailers. 

Websites like Respondent.io and UserTesting provide such opportunities, paying significantly more than traditional survey and reward sites. This makes them a great option if you're willing to invest a little extra time for higher rewards.

Conclusion

Earning money by watching videos online is no longer just a passive hobby; it is a legitimate side hustle. With so many platforms offering paid video opportunities, there's never been a better time to turn your screen time into earnings. By following the strategies and tips mentioned above, you can boost your chances for success. If you need more tips, follow Spocket and watch for updates!