Will Youtube become a cash cow for local content creators?

Could Malta be about to see an explosion in its fledgling community of YouTube content creators? With the long-awaited announcement that Maltese video makers will finally be able to monetise their work, the country’s most popular YouTuber believes so. With more than two million subscribers and just shy of 400 million total views on his videos, the 24-year old Grandayy (who asked for his real name not to be used) has achieved huge international success and has been endorsed by some of the top names on the video-sharing platform. While Grandayy had already been earning money through what is known as multi-channel networks – and in fact works full-time on his YouTube channel despite graduating as a doctor – monetisation remained closed to smaller Maltese creators, unlike those in other countries. This changed last Thursday when YouTube announced that its Partnership Programme, which had long been available to video makers abroad, had been opened to Malta, meaning content creators will now get a share of advertising revenue for their videos. “I think this new development will surely help inspire more Maltese content creators, as having the option to apply for monetisation directly...