Get Paid To Watch Videos: 10 Easy Ways (2024)

Did you know that you can actually earn money watching videos? If you find yourself wasting hours a day online scrolling TikTok or YouTube or binge-watching your favorite shows on Netflix, you may as well make money watching videos.

Read: What To Do if You Owe Back Taxes to the IRS

10 Ways To Earn Money Watching Videos

Keep in mind that not all of these ways are easy. Some of them require putting in more work than just watching videos. Some require basic writing and grammar skills, as well as some creativity. But you can get paid from some apps just for watching videos online. In general, the more effort you put into an endeavor, the more money you will earn.

Here are 10 ways to get paid to watch videos — online, in movie theaters or even on your TV at home in your free time.

1. Swagbucks
2. KashKick
3. MyPoints
4. Nielson Computer and Mobile Panel
5. Mystery Shopping or Secret Shopping
6. Start a blog
7. Write movie or TV show reviews for other websites
8. Write recaps of shows and movies
9. Tag content on streaming services
10. Transcript subtitles for video content

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a great cash-back website to earn rewards or real money deposited into your PayPal account for shopping on e-commerce sites where you normally shop. However, you can also earn Swagbucks, which you can convert to real cash, for taking surveys and watching videos online.

You’ll earn the most cash from Swagbucks by shopping online at any of their 1,500 partner websites, including Amazon, especially when they are offering bonus SB deals. But if you are just mindlessly scrolling TikTok, you can put your phone — and your time — to better use by getting paid to watch videos through the Swagbucks app.

2. KashKick

Like Swagbucks, Kashkick lets you earn money by watching videos, completing surveys or completing other tasks online, such as downloading specific apps to receive cash back. You can receive your money every other week through PayPal. Here are some key takeaways:

• You can sign up and log in via PayPal, Facebook, Google or email, which makes it easy to create an account.
• To earn money, you’ll need to confirm or verify your account via email.
• Most Kashkick offers have to do with playing games, downloading apps, shopping online or taking advantage of special offers.
• Clicking the Games tab reveals opportunities to watch educational videos.
• Be aware these opportunities only offer a penny as payment.

3. MyPoints

MyPoints is another reputable cash-back app and website that gives you the opportunity to earn points that you can trade in for gift cards. If you trade in your earnings for a Visa gift card, accepted anywhere that takes Visa, this is practically as good as earning cash and here are other things to consider:

• MyPoints is currently offering a $5 welcome bonus when you join.
• You’ll earn most of your points from shopping online, taking surveys or playing games.
• You can earn cash back on popular streaming services like Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN.
• If you are one of many Americans spending money on streaming and other subscription services, you might want to consider earning cash back for some of those services.

4. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel

While cash-back apps require you to put in some effort watching videos that may not be your first choice for entertainment, the Nielson Computer and Mobile Panel provides a unique opportunity to earn money for watching the shows you normally watch. Here are some key factors:

• According to the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel website, you can earn up to $60 in points for gift cards.
• You can also choose to receive money deposited into your PayPal account.
• Nielsen also runs a monthly sweepstakes with $10,000 in prizes.
• To take advantage of the cashback and potential prizes, you’ll need to create an account and answer a questionnaire about your family’s devices and viewing habits.
• You can download the Nielsen app on your mobile or desktop device where you watch videos and TV. That may also include your home’s smart TV.
• You may remember Nielsen as the company that determined whether your favorite network television shows stayed on the air for another season.
• Families used to receive a Nielsen box that would track their home TV viewing habits.
• The consumer insight company has been in business for 90 years and is quite reputable if you are looking to earn extra money online.

5. Mystery Shopping or Secret Shopper

You may have heard that becoming a secret shopper or mystery shopper is a good way to earn money in your spare time. Some mystery shoppers can earn $22 an hour, on average, according to ZipRecruiter. Here are some things to know about being a mystery shopper:

• Market Force is hailed as one of the industry leaders in secret shopping, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and membership in the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.
• If you keep your eyes open, and use the mobile app, Eyes On, to keep track of available shops near you, you may get lucky and land a few gigs watching movies.
• You won’t be reviewing the movie, but you will be evaluating the theater. As a bonus, you may get to enjoy some great flicks and get paid.

6. Start a Blog

If you have a passion for movies and TV shows, you might start a blog and share your views with other readers who love movies and TV like you do. You probably won’t earn money with your blog immediately, but if you continue producing high-quality content that people enjoy and promote it through social media, you may build a solid readership in these ways:

• You can begin to monetize your blog in a variety of ways, such as running ads through Google AdSense or even selling ads to companies who pay you directly.
• You can also earn money through sponsorship programs, where companies pay you to promote their brand in a blog post.
• You can also make money as an affiliate for products and services you love.
• You can also set up a Patreon account and ask for donations from your readers.
• If your blog has a strong brand and a cool logo, you can also make money selling merchandise.
• There’s a double benefit to selling branded merchandise since your fans will be paying money to help promote your blog.

7. Write Movie or TV Show Reviews for Other Websites

If publishing your own movie and TV blog sounds like a lot of work and a large upfront investment, you can try becoming a freelance writer and writing movie and TV show reviews for other websites. Many websites are currently hiring freelance writers, including Taste of Cinema, Cineaste and ScreenRant where you can make money in the following ways:

• According to its writer’s guidelines, Cineaste pays $36 for DVD reviews, $45 for Film Reviews and $90 for feature articles and interviews related to the film industry.
• Taste of Cinema doesn’t share its rates online but says that writers will get paid per click.
• You can also check your favorite movie review sites for job listings or writer’s guidelines. Read carefully, as some sites, like Cinema Escapist, don’t pay at all.
• You might find gigs writing movie reviews on websites like JournalismJobs.com, Fivver and Upwork, as well.

8. Write Recaps of Shows and Movies

Often, sites that list writing jobs will be looking for writers to produce recaps of top movies and TV shows. For instance, Soaps.com publishes recaps of top soap operas. While the website doesn’t indicate they are hiring, many other similar sites exist that may hire freelancers or even staff writers.

A past search on Indeed revealed that Rhodes Creative Group was looking for a writer to write original blog posts to accompany YouTube videos. This is a way to watch fun content and get paid for it. The ad advertises the pay at $30 to $40 an hour, which makes this a lucrative position.

9. Tag Content on Streaming Services

Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services hire people to tag content or categorize shows so they fit into the appropriate categories. These may be full-time or freelance positions. As a “tagger” or an “editorial analyst,” you’ll need to watch movies and shows and then categorize them based on their characteristics.

These jobs may be hard to come by, but if watching videos for a living sounds like your dream job, it pays to check the “careers” tab for streaming services every so often to see what jobs might be available.

10. Transcript Subtitles for Video Content

It’s a good idea for online content creators to add subtitles to every video they produce. Some artificial intelligence, or AI, programs can do this automatically, but they aren’t always accurate. As more websites and social media platforms strive to be more inclusive to those with disabilities, subtitles are crucial for viewers who are hard of hearing. Here are some other key takeaways:

• People with the sound turned down on their devices, or listening in noisy environments, also appreciate subtitles on videos.
• Freelancers often can perform the task of creating these subtitles for brands and content creators.
• To make money writing subtitles, you’ll want to have fast typing skills.
• If you can also translate content into multiple languages, you can make even more money.
• LogicalDollar says you can expect to earn between $1.50 and $3.50 per audio minute. You may be able to find these types of jobs on Fiverr or Upwork.

Final Take To GO

You can earn anywhere from $100 per month to $100 per day or more watching videos, as long as you have some additional skills. If you can watch movies and TV shows and also write about them, you have a chance to earn a solid part-time income.

Becoming a successful movie reviewer requires discipline, talent and the ability to network and find opportunities, but it is doable. If you aren’t into that much work and just want to earn money for watching videos, consider apps like Swagbucks that pay you just to watch videos.

Dawn Allcot contributed to the reporting for this article.