Our data and methodology
A sponsorship example is useful when you can check where it came from. Here’s how to read our directory, what our research supports, and what it leaves unknown.
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Where the information comes from
We use public YouTube video and channel information, video descriptions, saved transcripts and selected disclosure passages to research commercial relationships. Brand profiles also draw on official websites and other linked sources.
Each relationship in the directory links to its source video. Where timing evidence is available, a link can open at the relevant moment. These links let you check the creator’s own words and context.
What counts as a sponsorship
We distinguish an explicit video sponsorship from other ways a creator and brand can appear together. A product mention, discount code or promotional link alone does not establish a paid sponsorship.
- Video sponsor
- An explicit sponsorship or paid-partnership disclosure associated with the video. It does not reveal the payment or private contract terms.
- Series support and channel partners
- Support for a project, series or ongoing channel relationship. Repeated credits do not establish a new paid integration in every upload.
- Other commercial relationships
- Product promotions, wardrobe support, contributions or loans, and creator-owned businesses. These are kept separate from video sponsorship totals.
A source-video count is not a count of contracts. Several videos may belong to one campaign, and one video may include several brands. A past collaboration is a starting point for research; it does not tell you whether a brand is currently looking for creators.
How we prepare and review the data
Automated tools and AI agents help identify potential relationships, check supporting passages and organize creator and brand information. Proposed sponsorships are reviewed against source evidence before inclusion. Brand names and links are checked to avoid treating different names for the same business as separate sponsors.
This is AI-assisted research. Full videos have not all been watched, and the collection has not been independently adjudicated by a human. Extraction, interpretation and brand matching can be wrong. The source links are there so you can inspect the evidence yourself.
Coverage and freshness
The current dataset contains 1,053 creators and 226 brand records. These are the records in our collection, not a measure of the whole YouTube sponsorship market.
Coverage varies by channel. Some channels have a sample of recent uploads; others have selected sponsorship examples. The collection is not a random or representative sample of YouTube, and a missing relationship does not mean a creator has never worked with that brand.
We add and revise records in batches. The directory is not a live feed and has no fixed daily refresh schedule. Video dates refer to publication; views and subscriber counts reflect saved snapshots. A new page update does not mean every underlying source has been refreshed.
As coverage grows, counts can increase because we found more examples, rather than because sponsorship activity increased. Comparisons should account for which channels and videos were included.
How the radar's dollar amounts work
The amounts in the homepage radar are estimates in US dollars, not reported payments. The creator–brand pairings come from observed sponsorships; the amounts are calculated separately from the source video's saved view count.
We apply an assumed range of $15–$50 per 1,000 views, display its midpoint, and use a minimum of $100. Figures are rounded to two significant digits. For example, 100,000 views produces a displayed amount of $3,300.
These assumptions have not been calibrated against verified deal payments. Current views can differ from the views expected when a deal was signed, and actual fees depend on the audience, format, campaign terms and negotiation. The radar illustrates potential sponsorship value; it does not reveal what a brand paid. Creator income quotes elsewhere on the homepage are separate firsthand reports linked to their source videos.
Creator-reported income
Creator income quotes report what a creator said and link to the source video. We have not audited their accounts. An individual disclosure does not establish typical earnings for other creators.
Who is responsible, and how to report an error
Monetize This is built and operated by Olof, through Made by Olof. If a brand match, sponsorship label, quote or other detail looks wrong, email olof@madebyolof.com with the page address and supporting source or explanation so we can review it.
If you cite our data, link to the relevant profile or source video and include the date you accessed it. Link to this page when explaining the scope and limitations of the collection.