Last updated: October 2026. Pay rates and rules were checked on each company’s own pages, the FTC’s website and the reviews linked below.
You can get paid to watch videos, but probably not the way the ads promise. Reward apps that pay you to watch clips exist, and they’re legit, but each video earns a fraction of a cent. Meanwhile, the offers promising easy money for “liking YouTube videos” are almost always a scam.
The good news: there’s a middle ground. Some real jobs involve watching videos all day, like captioning, subtitle translation and website testing, and they pay far more than any video app.
This guide covers both: the apps that pay you to watch videos, the video jobs that pay properly, and how to spot the scam that cost job seekers record losses in 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Video reward apps are legit but pay very little. Swagbucks and MyPoints pay small amounts of points for short clips. One estimate puts it at $0.001 to $0.05 per video, or roughly $0.50 to $3 an hour.
- Video jobs pay much better. Rev pays captioners $0.54 to $1.10 per video minute and subtitle translators $1.70 to $4 or more, weekly via PayPal.
- Research platforms pay a fair rate. Prolific requires researchers to pay at least $8 an hour.
- “Get paid to like videos” is a scam pattern. The FTC says no honest company pays people to like or rate content online, and task scam reports jumped from about 5,000 in 2023 to about 20,000 in the first half of 2024.
- Never pay to unlock earnings. If an app asks for a deposit, often in crypto, before you can withdraw, walk away.
Can You Really Get Paid to Watch Videos?
Yes, you can get paid to watch videos, but how much depends on what kind of watching it is.
Passive watching pays pennies. Reward apps earn money from advertisers when you watch ads or sponsored clips, and they share a small part of it with you. That’s why you can get paid to watch videos on these apps, but only a little: Fetch estimates video tasks pay between $0.001 and $0.05 per video, which works out to roughly $0.50 to $3 an hour (Fetch).
Active watching pays real money. When watching a video is part of a skilled task, like writing captions, translating subtitles or giving feedback on a website, companies pay for your work, not your attention. That’s where the better pay is.
| Option | What you do | Typical pay | How you get paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swagbucks | Watch short clips among other tasks | Pennies per video; 1 SB is about 1 cent | PayPal, gift cards |
| MyPoints | Watch ad-supported clips in playlists | Small amounts of points | PayPal from $10, gift cards from $3 |
| Rev captioner | Write time-synced captions for videos | $0.54 to $1.10 per video minute | PayPal, weekly |
| Rev subtitle translator | Translate video subtitles | $1.70 to $4+ per video minute | PayPal, weekly |
| UserTesting | Record yourself testing websites and apps | Shown before each test | Varies |
| Prolific | Take research studies, some with video | At least $8 an hour | PayPal from $6 |
Sources: each company’s own pages and the reviews linked in the sections below.
Apps That Pay You to Watch Videos
These apps let you earn money watching videos with no skills needed. Treat them as a way to collect small rewards while you do something else, not as a side income.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks pays you points, called SB, for watching short videos as well as for surveys, shopping cash back and offers. Each SB is worth about 1 cent (Swagbucks), and you can redeem for PayPal cash or gift cards. Reviewers note that video topics range from food to health, but that watching them “won’t give you mouth-watering rewards” (The Rideshare Guy).
Swagbucks is open from age 13 in the US, and rewards can take up to 10 business days to arrive (Swagbucks help). Videos only make sense here if you also use its other ways to earn.
2. MyPoints
MyPoints, a rewards program focused mainly on shopping cash back, also lets you earn small amounts of points by watching ad-supported clips in specific playlists (The Penny Hoarder). Point values aren’t fixed, and redemptions start from about $3 for an Amazon gift card or $10 for PayPal cash.
Like Swagbucks, MyPoints works best if you already shop online and want to stack small rewards.
The honest verdict on video apps: they’re legit, but if you play videos for an hour, you might earn the price of a coffee at best. If you want to get paid to watch videos at a rate that’s worth your time, look at the jobs below.
Video Jobs That Pay Real Money
These are the best ways to get paid to watch videos if you want a fair hourly rate. They pay for skill or feedback, so you earn many times more per hour than on a rewards app.
3. Caption videos for Rev
Captioning is the closest thing to a real job where you get paid to watch videos: you watch a clip and type time-synced captions. Rev pays captioners $0.54 to $1.10 per audio or video minute, paid weekly through PayPal (Rev).
Keep in mind that one minute of video takes several minutes to caption well, so your hourly rate depends on your typing speed and accuracy. You’ll need to pass a skills test, and Rev says it currently has a waitlist because of high demand.
4. Translate video subtitles
If you speak a second language, subtitle translation is the best-paid way to get paid to watch videos on Rev. Rev pays subtitle translators $1.70 to $4 or more per video minute, depending on the language (Rev). It works in 17 languages, and you’ll need to be bilingual and pass an assessment.
5. Test websites and apps with UserTesting
UserTesting pays you to record your screen and voice while you try websites and apps, then share honest feedback. Pay depends on the test type, length and demand, and the dashboard shows the exact reward before you accept a test (UserTesting).
One catch: customers can ask for a refund if your feedback isn’t useful, which can cancel your payment. Speak clearly and follow every instruction.
6. Take research studies on Prolific
Prolific connects you with academic and AI researchers who pay you to take studies, and some studies include watching short clips before you answer questions. Prolific requires researchers to pay at least $8 an hour, and you can cash out to PayPal once you have $6 (Prolific). There’s often a waitlist to join. Our Prolific review covers how it works in detail.
Can You Get Paid to Watch YouTube, TikTok or Netflix?
Not directly. No legit company pays you just to watch YouTube videos, scroll TikTok or binge Netflix. When you see “get paid to watch YouTube videos” in an ad or text message, one of two things is usually happening:
- It’s a rewards app with misleading ads. In January 2026, Malwarebytes reported TikTok ads promising up to $35 an hour to “scroll TikTok” for an app where users actually earn mostly by playing games (Malwarebytes).
- It’s a task scam. These are far more dangerous, and they’re covered in the next section.
If you love YouTube, the realistic way to earn from it is to create videos, not watch them. Our guide to faceless AI side hustles covers how people start YouTube channels without showing their face.
The Scam to Avoid: “Get Paid to Like Videos”
The most common trap when you search for ways to get paid to watch videos is the task scam. It usually starts with an unsolicited text or WhatsApp message offering easy money for liking videos or rating products.
Here’s how it works, according to the FTC (FTC):
- You’re asked to do simple, repetitive tasks, like liking videos, in an app or chat group.
- The app shows your “earnings” growing, and you may even get a small real payout to build trust.
- Then you’re told to make a deposit, often in cryptocurrency, to unlock the next set of tasks or withdraw your money.
- You never get the money back.
The numbers are alarming. Task scam reports rose from about 5,000 in 2023 to about 20,000 in just the first half of 2024, and job scam losses topped $220 million in those six months (FTC).
The FTC’s rule of thumb is simple: no honest company will pay you to like or rate content online, and no legit job asks you to pay to get paid. If you’ve been targeted, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
How to Earn More From Video Apps and Jobs
Whichever way you choose to get paid to watch videos, a few habits make a difference:
- Use video apps as a side activity. Play clips while you cook or commute, and spend your focused time on better-paid tasks.
- Stack platforms. Combine one rewards app with one paid research platform like Prolific.
- Build a skill. Captioning and translation reward speed and accuracy, so your hourly rate improves as you practice.
- Cash out at the minimum. Reward balances can expire or get stuck if an account goes inactive.
- Protect your data. Never share your bank login or pay a fee to join any app or job.
Want more ways to earn with your phone? See our full guide to apps that pay you real money, or our list of games that pay real money if you’d rather play than watch.
FAQ
Can you really get paid to watch videos?
Yes. Reward apps like Swagbucks and MyPoints pay small amounts for watching short clips, but it adds up to pennies per video. Video jobs pay much more: Rev pays captioners $0.54 to $1.10 per video minute and subtitle translators $1.70 to $4 or more.
What app pays you the most to watch videos?
No video-watching app pays much on its own. Swagbucks and MyPoints pay small rewards for clips, with an estimated $0.50 to $3 an hour. For better pay, look at video jobs like captioning or subtitle translation on Rev, or paid research studies on Prolific, which require at least $8 an hour.
Can I get paid to watch YouTube videos?
No legit company pays you just to watch YouTube videos. Offers to get paid for watching or liking YouTube videos are usually task scams, which the FTC warns about. The real way to make money from YouTube is to create your own videos and grow a channel.
Is getting paid to like videos a scam?
Yes, almost always. The FTC says no honest company pays people to like or rate content online. These task scams show fake earnings in an app, then ask you to deposit money, often crypto, to withdraw. Task scam reports quadrupled from 2023 to the first half of 2024.
How much can you earn watching videos?
On rewards apps, expect pennies per video, roughly $0.50 to $3 an hour by one estimate. Captioning on Rev pays $0.54 to $1.10 per video minute, and subtitle translation pays $1.70 to $4 or more per minute, so skilled video work pays far more than passive watching.
The Bottom Line
You can get paid to watch videos, but the pay depends on what you bring. Passive watching on Swagbucks or MyPoints is legit and easy, yet it earns pennies. Captioning, subtitle translation, website testing and research studies pay real money because they pay for your skill and feedback.
And if anyone offers you money to like videos, then asks you to pay to withdraw, you’re looking at a scam. Start with one legit rewards app and one paid research platform, and if you need cash sooner, our list of side hustles that pay daily covers faster options.
Writes and tests every guide on hustle&passive. Everything here is something we have actually run — including the parts that did not work.
