AI Shorts Challenge Guide

YouTube Shorts: Start with AI Tools and Just One Laptop

We've put together a step-by-step guide to help you create and monetize Shorts using only AI tools, no special talent or equipment needed. Just follow along! Monetization requirements and policies have been verified against official YouTube documentation (as of 2026-06). Go through each step from top to bottom. At the end, there's a space for you to show off your channel and connect with others!

🎯 Why Shorts Now?

Understand the Opportunities, Revenue Streams, Partner Requirements, and Policies

  1. Understand Why the Shorts Market is a 'Land of Opportunity'
    The short-form video market is growing rapidly, but there's a huge shortage of content. It requires almost no initial capital, and the algorithm gives new channels a chance to be seen. Many people who start give up because they 'don't know the strategy' — but if you know the method, your chances of success skyrocket.
  2. Identify Revenue Streams for Shorts (Diversify from the Start)
    ① YouTube Ad Revenue (after joining the Partner Program) ② Affiliate Marketing ③ Coupang Partners (a percentage of purchase amount) ④ Fan support like Channel Memberships and Super Thanks You can layer multiple revenue streams on a single channel. However, Shorts ad revenue isn't a fixed rate like 'X amount per view.' Instead, it's structured as a 'pool' created from all Shorts feed ad revenue over a month, and you get a share based on your channel's view count. Creators receive 45% of their allocated amount (for long-form videos, it's 55% of net revenue; for fan support, it's 70%). So, the per-view rate fluctuates depending on the season, country, and ad market.
    💡 The key is not to rely solely on ad revenue. Set up affiliate marketing and fan support from the very beginning.
  3. Understand YouTube Partner Program (YPP) Requirements — There are 2 Tiers
    It's often confusing, but the joining requirements are split into two tiers (as of 2026-06, same for Korea). ① Tier for fan funding: 500 subscribers + 3 public uploads in the last 90 days + (3,000 valid public watch hours for long-form videos in the last year OR 3 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days). This tier only unlocks fan support features like Channel Memberships, Super Chat, and Super Thanks (no ad revenue yet). ② Tier for ad revenue: 1,000 subscribers + (4,000 valid public watch hours for long-form videos in the last year OR 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days). If you're aiming for ad revenue with Shorts, '10 million views in 90 days' is the key hurdle.
    💡 The source is the official YouTube Help Center. YouTube adjusts these numbers periodically, so always double-check the current requirements in the 'Earn' tab of YouTube Studio just before applying.
  4. Conditions for a Long-Lasting AI Channel — 'Authenticity' is Key to Monetization
    With a policy revision in 2025, YouTube can now reject or revoke monetization for 'mass-produced AI videos that look like they were churned out from generic templates' and 'content that repeats the same unoriginal templates across multiple videos,' classifying them as inauthentic content. Don't misunderstand — it's not about 'not using AI.' The problem arises when these three factors overlap: (a) obvious templates + (b) mass production + (c) lack of your own perspective or adaptation. Use AI not as a magic button, but as an 'expert-level employee,' and always add a consistent character and your own interpretation.

⚙️ Setting Up Your Channel

Brand Account, Channel Name, Keywords, Phone Verification

  1. Create a Channel with a 'Brand Account,' Not a Personal Account
    Brand Accounts allow multiple managers, privacy protection, flexible channel names, multiple channels per Google account, and ownership transfer. Go to YouTube → Profile icon → Settings → 'Add or manage your channels' → 'Create a channel'.
    💡 If you see the 'Add or remove managers' option in Settings, it's a Brand Account.
  2. Decide on Your Channel Name (Don't Overthink It)
    Your channel name doesn't dictate exposure or algorithm performance. If you're stuck, ask ChatGPT for topic and channel name suggestions, or combine a broad topic with a specific niche. You can always change it later within a certain period (the number of changes and time limits may vary by policy).
  3. Set Your Default Country to South Korea
    In YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic info, select your country of residence/target country. This setting doesn't directly determine exposure.
  4. Enter 5-10 Channel Keywords (approx. 100 characters)
    In Settings → Channel → Basic info, mix 'broad keywords + specific keywords' in the Keywords section. Example: Cooking, Home Cooking, Mukbang (broad) + Baek Jong-won Recipes, Side Dish Making, Diet Meals (specific). Strategically choose less competitive keywords.
    💡 Find related keywords with a tag generator, and if you type 'keyword*' (asterisk) in the YouTube search bar, related search terms will appear.
  5. Intermediate Features — Verify Your Phone/ID
    In Studio → Settings → Channel → Feature eligibility → Intermediate features, verify your phone number. This distinguishes your channel from spam channels and helps build initial trust.

🔑 The Secret Algorithm

Build Watch History · Hook Viewers Early · Escape Zero Exposure

  1. Watch videos related to 'Your Niche' for 2-3 weeks using your channel account
    YouTube exposes your videos to users with similar viewing patterns (collaborative filtering). By consistently watching videos related to the topics you plan to create, you'll essentially make 'your data your audience.'
    💡 Bottom line: Use your Brand Account to watch videos related to your niche for 2-3 weeks to build up data.
  2. Hook Viewers in the First 3 Seconds to Reduce Drop-off Rate
    Most viewers decide whether to keep watching in the first few seconds. Show a significant part of your conclusion upfront, and remove as much of the boring middle section as possible. You can check the drop-off points for each video in the 'Audience retention' section of the Studio Analytics tab.
  3. Apply these checkpoints when your videos aren't getting good feed exposure.
    ① Test by changing thumbnails and titles (don't touch if already getting good exposure). ② Analyze drop-off rates and strengthen your early hooks. ③ Check consistency of upload times and frequency.

🎨 Channel Art & AI Characters

AI Character Prompts · Free Images · Miricanvas

  1. Draw Channel Characters with ChatGPT (Image Generation)
    Characters are key to branding — a consistent character creates your channel's identity. Free limits and features can change over time, so check them yourself.
    💡 The more detailed your prompt, the closer you'll get to your desired image. Filling in all items (gender, age, mood, art style, hair, clothes, features) leads to more stable results.
  2. Use MS Copilot if you need more free images.
    Microsoft Copilot (image generation) is also free to use. However, it's not great for fine-tuning or maintaining consistency, so it's best for one-off images. Free limits and terms can change, so check the website.
  3. Complete Your Channel Art with Miricanvas
    You can quickly complete your banner/channel art by uploading your AI character to Miricanvas. This will instantly differentiate your channel from those with nothing. (Check Miricanvas terms for commercial use and fees.)

🔍 Finding Your Niche

AI Analysis of Watch History · Self-Diagnosis for Your Best Niche

  1. Start by choosing 'the right niche for you' (don't just copy others).
    Instead of copying what looks good, reflect on how you usually spend your free time. A niche that's right for you ① becomes a competitive advantage others can't easily replicate, and ② allows you to create consistently, reducing channel risk. Don't get greedy with multiple topics; focus on one slowly.
  2. Save Your Watch History as a PDF
    YouTube.com → Left menu 'History' → Scroll until enough content loads → Browser print (Ctrl+P) → 'Save as PDF'. The more history you have, the more accurate the analysis (3 months or more recommended).
  3. Upload Your Watch History PDF to ChatGPT and Request Niche Analysis
    Copy the prompt below and provide it along with your PDF. It will organize your interests into categories and percentages, and even recommend new content ideas.
    💡 If the results are vague, add conditions like 'based on Korean viewers' or 'suitable for Shorts (vertical videos)' and try again.
  4. Self-Diagnose Your Niche Suitability
    Example) • Story Shorts: You know the community vibe well / humorous feeds often appear for you / when you tell a story, even common ones get good reactions. • Review Shorts: You have experience with smart stores/purchasing agents / you understand sales logic / you know how to pick good products. Whichever side you align with more is your niche (if tied, go with your gut feeling).

🎬 Making Videos

Script → AI Voice → Video · Copyright Safely

  1. Turn Your Niche into a Script (with Refined Prompts)
    Simple requests yield simple results. The more specifically you define the tone, length, target audience, and hook points, the more engaging your script will be. For topics where accuracy is crucial, like news, fact-check with web searches.
  2. Add Narration with AI Voice (TTS)
    You can definitely start with free options. Examples include Clova Dubbing (natural Korean, various voices), Google Cloud TTS, and Amazon Polly. However, free limits, 'commercial use availability,' and attribution requirements vary by service, so be sure to check each service's terms before using them for monetized videos.
    💡 We recommend building your skills with free tools, then upgrading to paid options (e.g., Typecast) when needed.
  3. Create Videos with AI + Edit by Adding Your Own TTS
    Start with a draft from an AI video generation tool (you'll need to refine the script quality). Then, edit and layer the TTS you created earlier using tools like CapCut to boost quality. Adding 'your personal touch' instead of using raw AI output is key to avoiding inauthentic content policies.
  4. Stay Safe with Copyright — Understanding Fair Use, CCL, and AI Copyright
    The safest approach is always to get permission from the original creator. Fair use guidelines can be vague, and the scope for monetized channels is quite narrow. You can use CCL (e.g., CC BY) videos as long as you 'cite the source and original link' (look for 'Creative Commons' in search filters). Copyright for AI-generated content is still a very uncertain area.

📖 Create Story Shorts

Re-adapting Community Stories · Refining Prompts · Using Claude

  1. Safely Use Story Material Through 'Re-adaptation'
    New stories pop up in communities every day, but using them directly is a copyright violation. Re-adapt them with AI or get the original creator's permission to make them 'your own content.' (Adding your unique perspective and adaptation during re-adaptation also helps you steer clear of inauthentic content policies.)
  2. Boost Immersion with Refined Prompts
    Just saying 'rephrase this' often leads to random results. The more specific you are about the speaker's point of view, emotional arc, twist timing, and length, the more immersive your re-created story will be.
  3. For Writing, Use Claude to Deepen the Emotional Arc
    Claude excels at writing and linguistic expression, so it can re-adapt the same story into a script with a deeper emotional arc, making it feel more natural and immersive.

✨ Differentiated AI Shorts

Art Styles by Genre · Kling AI Image-to-Video Conversion

  1. Choose an Art Style That Fits Your Genre
    The art style is the first impression of your story and crucial for immersion. For romance or daily life stories, soft, rounded lines and bright colors (like webtoons) work wonderfully. For more intense genres, a realistic style that sparks imagination is often a better fit.
  2. Create High-Quality Images with Kling AI
    You can generate high-quality 9:16 ratio images just by describing keywords (note: free credits may vary over time). Simply translating isn't enough; the more you refine your prompts to suit the AI, the better your results will be.
  3. Turn Your Favorite Images into Videos
    Kling AI lets you instantly turn your created images into videos using its 'Bring to life' feature (working continuously within one AI boosts consistency!). You can also 'extend' videos by 5 seconds, merge start/end frames, and even use lip-sync.
    💡 If an image lacks detail, stretching it too long can make it look unnatural. It's safer to use shorter clips and stitch them together.
  4. Challenge Yourself to Automate the Entire Editing Process
    You can even automate the entire process, from story re-processing to prompt generation and image creation, all handled continuously by AI. Once you get the hang of it, you can drastically cut down production time. Just remember to always add 'your unique perspective and adaptation' to steer clear of inauthentic content policies. Ultimately, consistency is what truly determines success — so give it your all!