Saudi Arabia's state-run oil giant Saudi Aramco said Tuesday it would increase its crude oil production to 12.3 million barrels a day in April, a record amount.

The move seemed to make good on the country's promise over the weekend to increase output after Russia refused to cooperate on cutting production. That led to a 25% plunge in the price of crude on Monday, the sharpest decline seen since the 1991 Gulf War. International benchmark Brent crude traded up more than 8% Tuesday over $37 a barrel.

In a filing to Riyadh's Tadawul stock market Tuesday, Aramco said the increase in production represented a rise of 300,000 barrels per day. Analysts said that likely would involve releasing stored barrels as well. Russia later responded by saying it too could increase output.

"The company has agreed with its customers to provide them with such volumes starting 1 April 2020," Aramco said in the filing. "The company expects that this will have a positive, long-term financial effect."

Saudi Aramco shares, whose trade briefly halted before announcing the production decision, closed up 9.88% in trading to 31.15 riyals, or $8.30, giving the world's most-valuable company a valuation of $1.66 trillion. That's still below its initial public offering price of 32 riyals in December.

It came a day after Aramco shares collapsed by 10% and were pulled from trading for reaching the Tadawul's maximum permitted loss in a day, dropping its valuation to $1.4 trillion. Aramco had offered only a sliver of its shares on the Tadawul for investors.

Aramco's decision likely will flood global energy markets and put further pressure on prices. The company had reached $2 trillion in early days of trading in December.

The lower oil prices come as there's less demand for air travel amid the spread of the new coronavirus around the world, further depressing prices. However, that likely will push down gasoline prices at the pump for Americans. On average, a gallon of regular unleaded in the U.S. sold for $2.36 a gallon, according to AAA, down from $2.43 a month ago.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak sought to project confidence, saying in an interview broadcast by Russian state television Tuesday that "despite the decrease of prices and volatility that we are witnessing today, our sector stays competitive."

He said that in the short-term, Russia can increase output to 200,000-300,000 barrels a day and could eventually boost it to 500,000 barrels a day.

At the same time, he noted that Russia remains open for new talks with OPEC.

"I want to say that the doors are not closed," he said. "We have scheduled further meetings to estimate the situation on the market for May-June."

Saudi Arabia's state-run oil giant Saudi Aramco said Tuesday it would increase its crude oil production to 12.3 million barrels a day in April, a record amount.

The move seems to make good on the country's promise over the weekend to increase output after Russia refused to cooperate on cutting production. That led to a 25% plunge in the price of crude on Monday, the sharpest decline seen since the 1991 Gulf War. International benchmark Brent crude traded up over 7% Tuesday at nearly $37 a barrel.

In a filing made Tuesday on Riyadh's Tadawul stock market, Aramco — formally known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. — said that the increase in production represented a rise of 300,000 barrels per day.

"The company has agreed with its customers to provide them with such volumes starting 1 April 2020," it said in the filing. "The company expects that this will have a positive, long-term financial effect."

Saudi Aramco shares were up 9.7% in trading Tuesday on the Tadawul to 30.95 riyals, or $8.25, giving the world's most-valuable company a valuation of $1.65 trillion.

It came a day after Aramco shares collapsed by 10% and were pulled from trading for reaching the Tadawul's maximum permitted loss in a day, dropping its valuation to $1.4 trillion. Aramco had offered only a sliver of its shares on the Tadawul for investors.

Aramco's decision likely will flood global energy markets and put further pressure on prices. The company had reached $2 trillion in early days of trading in December.

Saudi state television later quoted Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman as saying the kingdom didn't see the need for an OPEC meeting in May and June.

"Every oil producer in the free market can take care of their own market share," the energy minister said, according to state TV.

The lower oil prices come as there's less demand for air travel amid the spread of the new coronavirus around the world, further depressing prices. However, that likely will push down gasoline prices at the pump for Americans. On average, a gallon of regular unleaded in the U.S. sold for $2.36 a gallon, according to AAA, down from $2.43 a month ago.

British supermarket chain Tesco has agreed to a $10.6 billion deal to sell all its stores in Thailand and Malaysia to companies belonging to the CP Group, Thailand's biggest conglomerate.

CP is controlled by the Chearavanont family, which Forbes magazine lists as Thailand's richest outside of the country's royal family.

Two other prominent Thai family business groups had also sought to purchase the Tesco assets: the retail store-focused Central Group of the Chirathivat family, and Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi's TCC group, best known for its beverage companies and real estate holdings.

Tesco's announcement Monday of the sale said it was conditional on the approval of its shareholders and regulatory agencies, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2020.

"This sale releases material value and allows us to further simplify and focus the business, as well as to return significant value to shareholders," Dave Lewis, Tesco's chief executive, said in a statement.

The CP Group — formally called the Charoen Pokphand Group — is one of the world's largest conglomerates. It describes itself as having holdings in agribusiness and food, retail and distribution, media and telecommunications, e-commerce, property development, automotive and industrial products, pharmaceuticals, and finance and investment.

The group's website says it has investments in 21 countries and territories, the most notable of which is China.

Its most visible businesses in Thailand are the 7-Eleven convenience stores it operates all over the country, and the True telecommunications group, which includes a mobile service provider.

The CP Group's senior chairman, Dhanin Chearavanont, said in a Sunday interview with the Thai online magazine The Standard that he was looking forward to buying and improving Thailand's Tesco Lotus retail stores. The group had controlled the stores before but had to sell due to pressure brought on by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

"We believe that we can do this -– improve it to be a lot better than before. Not just a little but a lot," Dhanin said. "It will also be a place to distribute CP's fresh goods which will help distribute good and affordable products all across Thailand faster and in higher quantities."

He denied that buying the Tesco assets would give the group a monopoly on food sales in Thailand, telling The Standard that the group's holdings in the sector serve different markets.

"Makro is a wholesale distributor that sells to local shops and restaurants. Tesco Lotus is a retail store. 7-Eleven is a convenience store," he said.

Tesco said that once the sale is completed, about $6.6 billion would go to shareholders though a special dividend.

It said the core Tesco holding would be strengthened by reducing indebtedness through a $3.3 billion pension contribution that, along with other measures, "is expected to eliminate the current funding deficit and significantly reduce the prospect of having to make further pension deficit contributions in the future."

Asian stock markets rebounded Tuesday from record-setting declines after U.S. futures rose following President Donald Trump's announcement he would ask Congress for a tax cut and other measures to ease the pain of the spreading coronavirus outbreak.

Oil prices also recovered some of their losses in Monday's record-setting plunge.

China's main stock index rose 1.8% and Tokyo advanced 0.9%. Hong Kong advanced 1.5% and Sydney gained 3.1%.

On Wall Street, which suffered its biggest one-day drop since the 2008 global crisis on Monday, stock futures rose following Trump's announcement.

Monday's global selloff reflected alarm over mounting economic damage from the coronavirus that emerged in China in December. Anti-disease controls that shut down Chinese factories are spreading as the United States and European countries close schools, cancel public events and impose travel controls.

Anxiety mounted after Italy, the hardest-hit place in Europe, said travel controls imposed earlier on its north would be extended nationwide. Ireland canceled St. Patrick's Day parades and Israel ordered visitors quarantined ahead of Passover and Easter, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The mounting losses and a flight by investors into the safe haven of bonds have fueled warnings the global economy, which already was showing signs of cooling, might be headed into a recession.

The drop in U.S. stock prices was so sharp that it triggered Wall Street's first trading halt in more than two decades. But Trump's comment that he will seek relief for workers as ripple effects of the outbreak spread gave some investors an excuse to resume buying.

"This is not like the financial crisis where we don't know the end is in sight," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "This is about providing proper tools and liquidity to get through the next few months."

On Tuesday, the Shanghai Composite Index rose to 2,996.76 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced to 19,867.12. Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed to 25,400.79.

The Kospi in Seoul added 0.4% to 1,962.93 and Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 rose to 5,939.60.

Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta advanced by more than 2%, while New Zealand declined.

Benchmark U.S. crude gained 5.6%, or $1.77 to $32.90 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 25% on Monday to $31.13 per barrel.

Brent crude, the standard for international oil prices, gained 5.8%, or $1.98 to $36.34 per barrel in London.

While the crisis is easing in China, where the virus was first detected, fast-growing clusters have turned up in South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy, and the caseload is growing in the United States.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the virus, as has already happened with about three-quarters of those infected in China.

Oil prices plunged 25% after Russia refused to roll back production in response to virus-depressed demand. Saudi Arabia signaled it will ramp up its own output.

Stock markets usually welcome lower energy costs for consumers and businesses. But the decline cuts into revenue for producers, including the United States. And the abrupt drop, coming amid virus fears, rattled investors.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 index fell 7.6% to 2,746.56 for its biggest one-day drop since Dec. 1, 2008. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 7.8% to 23,851.02. The Nasdaq composite gave up 7.3% to 7,950.68.

The S&P dropped 7.4% in the first few minutes of trading, triggering an automatic 15-minute market-wide trading halt. That has happened only once before, in 1997.

The S&P 500 has fallen 18.9% from its Feb. 19 record and has lost $5.3 trillion in value. U.S. stocks are close to entering a bear market, defined as a drop of 20% from their peak.

"Right now, it's all-out panic," said Phil Flynn of Price futures Group. "I think the situation is going to improve when cooler heads prevail, but it's going to be a rocky road for the next couple of weeks."

European stock indexes already are in a bear market after recording their biggest declines since the 2008 crisis.

Central banks in the United States, China and other countries have cut interest rates to try to shore up economic activity. But economists warn that while rate cuts might help to buoy consumer demand, they cannot reopen factories that are closed due to quarantines or lack of workers and raw materials.

"Even coordinated policy responses are not a tried and tested panacea and by no means guarantee the ability to durably pull markets back from the brink of bear territory," Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho Bank said in a report.

The yield on U.S. Treasury bonds edged up to 0.67% after falling as low as 0.5% as investors shifted money into safe haven assets. It had never been below 1% until last week.

The yield, or the difference between the market price and what investors will receive if they hold the bond to maturity, is seen as a measure of economic confidence. Investors shift money into bonds if they expect economic growth and stock prices to weaken. That pushes up the bond's market price and narrows the yield.

In the United States, a cruise ship with a cluster of coronavirus cases that forced it to idle off the California coast for days docked at Oakland as officials prepared to start bringing passengers to military bases for quarantine or return them to their home countries.

The Grand Princess had more than 3,500 people aboard, 21 of them infected. Japan's handling of a similar situation involving a cruise ship that docked in Yokohama is seen as a major factor behind the spread of the virus in that country.

Now you can utilize YouTube for both following your passion and feeding your wallet. In this article, we are going to discuss how to make money from YouTube. Stay with us!

Who Can Upload Videos on YouTube?

You can watch innumerable videos on YouTube without doing registration. However, if you want to upload any video on YouTube you have to register through your Gmail account, which will take less than a minute. As a registered user, you can upload as many video contents as you want. You can also communicate with our subscribers through comments.

Now what kind of contents can you upload to YouTube? This American video sharing platform allows diverse contents including short original videos, TV show clips, audio recordings, video blogging, music videos, live streams, educational videos, documentary films, video clips, short films, movie trailers, etc. However, if any of your uploaded content is considered as potentially inappropriate, then it would be visible only to registered users aged 18 years or older.

Set Up YouTube Channel

Opening a YouTube channel is like building a doorway to earn from YouTube. One YouTube channel is attached with every YouTube account. Like Google account, a YouTube account grants you access to the Google products, like Gmail, Google Drive, etc.

Now how to open an account on YouTube? If you have a Google account, then you can directly ‘Sign In’ on YouTube using your Gmail account. Otherwise, you need to open a Google account. Let’s see the account opening process in different mediums.

Desktop PC

1. Go to YouTube.com.
2. Click ‘Sign in’ button on the top right.
3. Click ‘Create Account’.
4. Choose ‘For myself’ or ‘to manage my business.

Android

1. Download the YouTube app from Play store and open it.
2. Tap on the profile picture symbol , on the top right.
3. Tap on ‘Sign in’ button.
4. Tap on Add account symbol.

When you have a Google Account, and still need a new account for opening YouTube channel:

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Tap on the symbol of your profile picture , on the top right.
3. Tap on the ‘Switch account’ button.
4. Tap on the Add account symbol.

iPhone and/or iPad

1. Download the YouTube app and open it.
2. Tap on the profile picture symbol on the top right.
3. Tap on the ‘Sign in’ button.
4. Tap on Add account symbol.

If you're already signed in with a Google Account, but want to make a new one:

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Tap your profile picture , on the top right.
3. Tap on the Switch account.
4. Tap on Add account.

After creating/opening your new/existing YouTube account, you need to add keywords so that people can easily find your channel for relevant queries. Navigate to the ‘Advanced’ section under your YouTube channel settings to input keywords. It is recommended to insert relevant keywords to add value to your YouTube channel.

Selection of “Username” can also help people find your YouTube channel; but how? If your username is short, it would be unique, easy to remember and simple to type. If you want to change the existing username of your YouTube account, you have to edit the username on your Google account. However, remember the fact that YouTube allows you to change the username maximum for 3 times. After that the system will recess the name changing option for 90 days. 

Add Valuable Content

Your earning mostly depends on the quality of your uploaded content on your YouTube channel. Try to focus on the quality of your content. The length of video may vary considering the type of content you want to upload. But it would be wise, not making the contents too lengthy.

Your content may not be perfect at first, try to upgrade the quality. However, practice can make your videos perfect. If you put effort to make each content better than the previous one, you will certainly learn and improve as you go.

To ameliorate the quality and resolution of your videos, use better tools and equipment like advanced camera, latest video editing software, etc. You can also learn smart filming techniques to upgrade the way you film. For instance, to employ more lights into your scenes, you can place the camera on a tripod. In simple words, your YouTube channel will thrive if you can produce high-end videos.

The frequency of Content Uploading is another important issue for gaining success in YouTube. Try to stay consistent in uploading contents on your YouTube channel; otherwise people will forget you. If you want more people to subscribe your YouTube channel, maintain a strict schedule for adding content and stick to it.

The audience will more likely to find your channel on YouTube, if you can follow some simple but effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to draw people (web traffic) to your video directly from organic YouTube search results. First, add a proper description of your video that best describes your content. Second, tag your uploaded content with proper keywords.

Grab Audience

Not to mention, connecting with a bigger audience is the key to monetize your YouTube channel. The open secret to get more subscribers is to upload top-quality content in your YouTube channel complying with YouTube rules. Quality contents will keep the audience returning to your YouTube channel. As we have mentioned before, uploading contents regularly is quite effective to hold the audience on any YouTube channel.

To increase the popularity of your YouTube channel among the audience, try to keep interaction with the subscribers through replying to their remarks. Follow the comments (both positive and negative) and questions of the subscribers to know what they like/don’t like. Making videos based on user interest is another great way to hook the audience on your YouTube channel.

To attract more audience, you can share/embed your video contents on popular social media networks like Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, etc. The more you share or embed the content links on the internet, the greater chance to get subscribers on your channel and earn money.

Channel Monetization through YouTube Partner Program (YPP)

You can earn money from YouTube staying anywhere on earth. All you need is a stable internet connection and access to a valid Gmail account. In this section, we will discuss how to earn from YouTube. You can monetize your YouTube channel through several ways. Let’s talk about the most popular way of channel monetization. It is termed as "YouTube Partner Program (YPP)".

YPP Monetization Requirements

To avail the opportunity of YouTube Monetization through YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you need to fulfill some requirements. On 16th January 2018, YouTube declared the latest eligibility requirements for YPP from any YouTube channel.

1. Your channel must have a minimum 1,000 subscribers.
2. Your channel must have minimum 4,000 hours (2,40,000 minutes) of watch time within the past 12 months
3. Your channel must comply with YouTube Terms of Service, YouTube Partner Program policies, Community Guidelines, and YouTube spam policies.

How to Check the Total Number of Subscribers

To start earning from your YouTube videos, you need to enable monetization in your YouTube channel. First go to youtube.com. Then, sign in to your YouTube account and click on your Profile icon on the top right corner. A drop down list will appear where you will find a button called "Your Channel". Clicking on this button, you can see the total number of subscribers of your channel. If your channel has got at least 1000 subscribers, then you have passed the first requirement of YouTube monetization.

How to Check the Total Watch Time

To check the total number of "watch hours" you need to navigate to the analytics section of your YouTube channel. Inside your channel page, you will find the button “Creator Studio”. Now if you click on this button, the system will take you to the content list of your channel. On the left side bar you will find “Analytics” button. Here you will find two options: "Stay on Classic Analytics" and "Go to New Analytics".

Clicking on the “Classic Analytics”, you will enter a new page. Here you can see the lifetime analytics of your channel. Using the filter option you can see the total "watch hour" of your channel in the last 12 month. To fulfill the second requirement of YouTube Monetization, your channel needs at least 240000 minutes (4000 hours) of watch time in the last 12 months. 

How to Check Channel Strike Status

According to YPP rules, your channel must not contain any video which has violated YouTube Terms of Service, YouTube Partner Program policies, Community Guidelines, and YouTube spam policies. Now how to check whether your channel is free from any policy violation strike?

In your YouTube Channel Page, you will find the "Channel" button on the left sidebar. Clicking on this button, you will reach a new page titled “Status and Features” showing overall status of your channel. Check the "Copyright Status" and "Community Guideline Status". If there is any strike, it would be visible on the respective status bar.

Keep in mind that for joining YPP, your channel must not get any strike on these status bars. If your channel is free from any policy violation strike, you can proceed towards enabling the YouTube monetization process.

Set up Google AdSense.

Inside the “Status and Features” page you will find a section called "Monetization", below the Copyright and Community Guideline Status Bars. The "Monetization" section will show a button called "Enable". Now click on this button, which will take you to the "Monetization" page. Here you fill some terms and conditions. After reading those terms click on the "Start" button.  Now the system will take you to a new page titles “Apply for Monetization”. Reading the provided terms and conditions, click on the “I Accept” button.

Returning back to the "Monetization" page, you will find an option called “Sign Up for AdSense”. Click on the “Start” button and after that click on the “Next” button. Now the system will take you to AdSense website. Opening an AdSense account is mandatory to earn from YPP; because the earning will be directly deposited into your AdSense account. Setting up an AdSense account is totally free. All you need is a Gmail account. For opening an AdSense account, you can either insert the same Gmail account used for opening your YouTube account or use a new Gmail account.

On the “Google AdSense | Sign Up” page, your channel’s URL Link would be visible automatically. From the drop down list, choose the country where you live. Then, read the AdSense terms and conditions. Reading those clauses, accept the agreement and click on the "Create Account" button at the end of this page. Now you have successfully created an AdSense account.

Note that you must be at least 18 years of old to create an AdSense account. However, if your age is below 18 years, you can take the help of an adult for AdSense account creation.

Insert Your Payment Details

Now a window will appear showing “Get Started” button. Click on this button. At this step, the system will require you to fulfill the form titled "Payment Address Details". Input your Name, Address and Contact number.

Here you need to remember several things. First, use the same name you have used in your bank; otherwise you might face severe difficulty later. Second, insert the proper address of your home, as Google AdSense will send a letter with verification PIN at your address when your channel earns $10. Next, use a valid phone number.

When you click on the "Submit" button the system will show you a redirection window. Clicking on "Redirection" button the system will again take you to Your YouTube channel’s "Monetization" Page.

Set Monetization Preferences

In the "Monetization" Page, you will see four options. Here the 3rd option is "Set Monetization Preferences". Clicking on the "Start" button, you can see the available options for ads, including "Display Ads", "Overlay Ads", "Sponsored Ads", and "Skippable Video Ads". Choose the most suitable type of ads for your contents and click on the "Save" button. Now your channel is sent for review.

Review Process

When you have submitted your YouTube channel for YPP monetization, it will go under review. A review team will visit your channel and analyze whether your channel fulfills the YPP Monetization Requirement. The YPP review team will also check whether your contents are unique and free from copyright issues. The YPP review process might take one week to six months. After reviewing, YouTube might approve or reject your Channel for YPP monetization. If your channel gets approved under YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you will get an email from YouTube.

Bottom Line

YouTube is the most popular video sharing platform in today’s world. Here people can share their own videos, create a fan base and earn money. So far we have discussed the overall process of monetizing your YouTube channel through the YouTube Partnership Program. First, you need to create your YouTube account and set up your YouTube channel. Next, add valuable content to your channel to connect with the audience. Then, check out the Analytics, whether your channel has fulfilled the YPP monetization requirements. If your channel gets a minimum 1000 subscribers along with a minimum 4000 hours watch time (in last 12 months) and there is no strike for YouTube Policy violation, then you can enable the YPP monetization process. For that you need to apply to Google AdSense program, add payment details and select your preferred ad types to submit your channel for YPP Monetization review. If everything goes well, you will get an acceptance email from YouTube. On the whole, you need to upload quality products, to connect with more audiences and earn a handsome amount per month. Happy YouTubing!

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