🤯Wait... people are making HOW much from AI videos?

"Wait... people are making HOW much from AI videos?"

That was my exact reaction last week when I stumbled down the AI video rabbit hole.

(And what I discovered will blow your mind...)

It started innocently enough. I was scrolling through YouTube Shorts (don't judge me), when I noticed something weird.

These super-polished videos were popping up everywhere. Perfect voiceovers. Smooth animations. Professional-looking content.

But something felt... off.

The comments gave it away: "How did you make this so fast?" and "This looks AI-generated but amazing!"

That's when it hit me. These creators weren't spending weeks in video studios. They weren't hiring expensive production teams.

They were using AI to pump out content in minutes.

And making serious money doing it.

 🤯The Numbers That Made Me Do a Double-Take

So I started digging. What I found made me question everything I thought I knew about content creation.

The AI video market isn't just growing it's exploding:

$614 million in 2024 → $2.56 BILLION by 2032

But here's something that got my attention:

80% of all online traffic is now video content.

Think about that for a second.

Four out of every five clicks online are people watching videos.

And now there's a way to create unlimited videos without ever touching a camera.

The math started making sense. If everyone's watching videos, and AI can create videos instantly, then...

Holy crap. This is huge.

But wait—it gets better (or crazier, depending on how you look at it).

🎬 What People Are Actually Building (It's Not What You Think)

I expected to find people making movie trailers or fancy commercials.

Nope.

The real money is in the simple stuff:

• YouTube Shorts explaining random facts

• TikTok videos about finance tips

• Instagram Reels teaching basic skills

• Product demos for local businesses

One creator I found is making $3,000/month just posting daily "Did you know?" videos. All AI-generated. Takes him 20 minutes a day.

Another person built a faceless YouTube channel about productivity tips. $920-$3,578 per month from YouTube Shorts alone.

But here's where my brain really started spinning...

44% of businesses are now using AI for video marketing.

Translation: Companies are paying people to make these videos for them.

Wait, wait, wait. Let me connect the dots here:

1. Everyone wants video content

2. AI makes video creation super easy

3. Most business owners don't know this exists yet

4. Someone needs to bridge that gap

That someone could be... you?

💰 The Money Trail (This Is Where It Gets Interesting)

I kept digging into how people are actually making money from this stuff.

The YouTube Route: 

Need 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours OR 10 million Shorts views in 90 days.

Sounds hard, but with AI cranking out daily content, creators are hitting these numbers in 2-3 months instead of years.

The TikTok Play: TikTok pays about $0.02-$0.04 per 1,000 views through their Creator Fund.

Not much, but here's the twist, viral AI content is easier to create because you can test 10 different versions in an hour.

The Service Business (This Is The Real Gold Mine): Smart people aren't just making content for themselves. They're making it for others.

Pricing I found:

• $50-$200 per video for custom AI content

• $1,000 setup fee for training custom AI models

• $500/month for ongoing video packages (10 videos monthly)

One person following this model landed their first three clients in month one. Total revenue: $2,600.

Not bad for something that didn't exist two years ago.

🛠️ How This Actually Works (Simpler Than You Think)

Okay, I had to try this myself. Here's what I discovered:

Step 1: Pick Your Poison 

Tools like InVideo AI, RunwayML, or Synthesia let you turn text into videos. You literally type what you want, and boom—video appears.

Step 2: Feed It Content 

Write a 30-60 second script (or let ChatGPT do it). Pick a voice. Choose your style. Hit generate.

Step 3: Publish and Repeat 

Export, add a catchy title, and post to your platform of choice. Rinse and repeat.

The whole process takes about 15-20 minutes per video.

One more interesting way to use AI is shared by Mike Futia.

Check it out:

🚀 The App Store Goldmine Everyone's Missing

But wait, there's more (I know, I sound like an infomercial now).

Some people are building actual apps around AI video generation and getting them on the App Store.

I watched this mind-blowing tutorial where someone built an iOS app using AI image generation in under 37 minutes. Zero coding required.

Their stack:

• Vibecode app for the framework

• Ideogram AI for character generation

• FAL API for the backend

• Claude 4 Sonnet for the logic

From idea to App Store submission on the same day.

The future of animation is getting wild, too. I never thought we could turn a single image + prompt into multi-shot videos.

No more complex workflows. Just creative vision.

📈 The Reality Check (What They Don't Tell You)

Before you quit your day job, let's be real about the timeline:

Month 1-3: Learning the tools, finding your niche

Month 4-6: Getting consistent, building audience

Month 7+: If you stick with it and optimise, $5,000+ is totally possible

The keyword here is "if you stick with it."

Most people try this for two weeks, don't go viral immediately, and quit.

The ones making serious money?

They're posting daily. Testing different niches. Treating it like a real business.

🎯 The Beginner's Game Plan (Start Here)

If you're thinking about jumping in, here's what I'd do:

Week 1: Pick one AI video tool and make 7 practice videos. Don't worry about perfection—just learn the interface.

Week 2: Choose your niche. Education and "how-to" content perform best for beginners.

Week 3: Start posting daily on one platform. YouTube Shorts or TikTok work great.

Week 4: Analyse what's working. Double down on your best-performing content style.

Month 2: Reach out to 10 local businesses. Offer to make them 3 sample videos for free. Ask for testimonials if they like them.

Month 3: Start charging. Even $100/video adds up quickly.

⚖️ The Fine Print (Important Stuff)

Quick legal note: AI-generated content can't be copyrighted in the US since it's not considered "human creativity."

But you can still monetise it on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Just be transparent. If your video looks super realistic but it's AI-generated, mention it. Platforms are cool with AI content—they just don't like being tricked.

🔮 What I Think Happens Next

Here's my prediction: Within 12 months, AI video creation will be as common as using Canva for graphics.

The early movers (that could be you) will have built audiences, refined their processes, and established client bases.

The late adopters will be competing with everyone else who has just discovered this exists.

Right now, you're still early. But "early" doesn't last forever.

Your AI-generated video sitting on your computer is worth exactly $0.

But the same video solving a business owner's content problem? That's worth $200.

The difference isn't the video quality. It's knowing who needs it and how to reach them.

The opportunity is massive. The barrier to entry is practically zero. The learning curve is gentle.

What happens next is up to you.

Ready to turn text into videos (and videos into income)?

The tools are waiting. The market is hungry. The window is wide open.

But only for now.

P.S. - If you're serious about diving deeper into AI tools and monetisation strategies, hit reply and let me know what you're most curious about. I read every email and often turn the best questions into future newsletters.

P.P.S. - Found this helpful? Forward it to someone who's been talking about starting a side hustle. They'll thank you later.