8 Ways to Earn Money Watching Videos from Your Couch

We all groan when an advertisement interrupts our chosen video content, but what if you were getting paid to watch? 

Believe it or not, several sites pay you to watch ads, previews, and other content, including movies and TV shows. Although it won’t make you rich, watching online videos in your free time can earn you gift cards and extra cash that might help you stash away some savings.

There are a number of companies looking for new members to help them out, so here’s how you can get started.

8 companies that let you earn money watching videos

• Swagbucks
• MyPoints
  
• Nielsen
• Netflix
• GrabPoints
• Viggle
• iRazoo
• FusionCash

Swagbucks

Owned by the same company as MyPoints, Swagbucks is a popular rewards program that was founded in 2004. The company has an A rating with the BBB and thousands of excellent reviews on Trustpilot.

Swagbucks lets you earn points for shopping at partner retailers, searching the web, answering surveys, and watching videos. It’s paid its users more than $434 million, and it gives out 7,000 gift cards per day. Users can choose to cash out via PayPal or redeem their points for gift cards. One hundred Swagbucks equals $1.

Swagbucks notes that some committed users have earned over $10,000 on the site, but casual users tend to earn $25-$100 in extra cash each month. Although it won’t make you rich, Swagbucks is a legitimate way to earn free money from many of the activities you would do anyway.

Sign up for Swagbucks.

... Read our Swagbucks review.

MyPoints

MyPoints is a rewards site that’s been around since 1996. The company has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau and thousands of excellent reviews on Trustpilot. With MyPoints, you can use your account to earn rewards when you shop (on top of coupon discounts), take online surveys and play games for points, and of course, watch videos.

To earn points watching videos with MyPoints, you’ll need to complete a playlist of videos. You can earn on-site with your computer or rack up extra points when you use the MyPoints mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS. You can earn up to 500 points per day watching video playlists. The value of each point depends on the redemption you choose.

One of the unique things about MyPoints is that it partners with United Airlines so you can use your points to add miles to your United MileagePlus account. But if you’re not planning on traveling in the near future, you can also choose gift cards from 70 retailers and restaurants, or redeem your points for a PayPal deposit or Visa prepaid card.

Sign up for My Points.

... Read our MyPoints review.

Nielsen

For more than 90 years, Nielsen has been tracking what samples of the population are listening to and watching in order to provide businesses with insights about how their content is performing. Nielsen is an S&P 500 company with market research operations in more than 100 countries.

One of the ways Nielsen rates content is through collecting data on the behavior of Nielsen Families, which are households that are selected to represent greater communities. You can’t volunteer to be a Nielsen family, but if you are selected, you will receive gifts for participating.

You can also sign up to be part of the Nielsen computer and mobile panel. To participate, you’ll download software onto your devices. The mobile app is available for both iPhones and Android devices. From there, just use the internet and watch content as you normally would. There’s no need to watch specific videos. You’ll help companies improve their products, and you’ll also have the opportunity to earn rewards and sweepstake entries. Nielsen gives away $10,000 each month.

Netflix

If you’re looking for a full-time opportunity and have skills in categorization and a love of film and TV, keep an eye on job openings at Netflix. Netflix hires a small number of (lucky) editorial analysts (also called taggers) to essentially tag their content so it appears in the right categories and gets pulled into the right rows on your home screen. That means watching hours of movies and TV could actually be part of your job.

For example, the company recently had an opportunity available for someone who speaks Spanish and has a passion for Latin American content. The first responsibility? “Watch, research, rate, tag, annotate, and write analysis reports for movie and TV content.” Sounds like a dream for someone who loves to binge-watch new series. 

GrabPoints

GrabPoints is a free mobile app launched in 2014 and allows users to earn points for activities such as taking surveys and watching videos. GrabPoints has many positive reviews both on its website and on Trustpilot.

When you watch videos on GrabPoints, you’ll earn points. You can choose from a variety of channels, so you won’t have to watch videos that don’t interest you. GrabPoints will show you how many points you’ll earn and how many videos you’ll need to watch to earn rewards. Once you have 3,000 points (equivalent to $3), you’ll be able to get PayPal cash or free gift cards to popular retailers.

Because there’s a low threshold for redemption and you’ll be able to get your payout in 48 hours after requesting it, GrabPoints is one of the fastest ways to make money watching videos online. You can also earn extra points for referring your friends to the program.

Viggle

Launched in 2012, Viggle is a rewards app for Android devices that allows users to earn rewards for watching TV shows and listening to music. The app has more than 7 million users, who have redeemed more than $19 million in rewards. Viggle lets you earn points for watching TV shows and movies on your favorite streaming platforms and live TV just by checking in with the Viggle app.

Users get a point per minute for watching shows or listening to music through the Viggle app, plus any bonuses (featured shows can earn up to 15X the points). You’ll be able to redeem your points for PayPal cash, a prepaid debit card, or free gift cards to more than 200 retailers.

Keep in mind that the reviews on Google Play are mixed, with many users citing glitches, but Viggle is a legitimate app that may be worth trying out.

iRazoo

iRazoo is a rewards program founded in 2016 that provides users with points for trying out apps, completing surveys and offers, playing games, and watching videos. iRazoo has more than 50 channels of video content to choose from. You’ll watch mostly ads, app trailers, movie trailers, short films, movie reviews, and cooking tutorials.

Once you get 3,000 points, you’ll be able to redeem them for a $5 gift card or $5 in PayPal cash. After you choose your reward, you’ll have 30 days to use it before it expires.

iRazoo has mixed reviews on Trustpilot, with some users reporting a favorable experience and others citing issues redeeming their points. Although it’s worth trying out, it may not be as lucrative as others on our list.

FusionCash

FusionCash is another rewards website that makes money from advertisers and shares some of the profit with its users. You can get paid to complete surveys and search the web, earn cash back for shopping, and get rewarded for watching videos and listening to the radio.

Once you have $25 in your FusionCash account, you’ll be able to cash out via PayPal account, direct deposit, or check. There are no fees to access your money. In addition to the extra cash you’ll earn from watching videos, you can earn a $5 signup bonus and $1 to $5 in referral bonuses for each friend who signs up.

FusionCash has only a handful of mixed reviews on Trustpilot, and users say it’s not the quickest way to make money, but it could be worth trying out.

Other side hustles to consider

FAQs about how to earn money watching videos

Bottom line

Some of the best side hustles are flexible, fun, and easy to do from the comfort of your own home — and watching videos on your smartphone fits the bill. Whether you’re looking for ways to make money online through a weekend side job or a part-time work-from-home gig, this can be the answer.

Make sure when you're choosing which service to work for that you do a little research first to learn how people like it and avoid any scams. Beyond these side hustles and our list of legit money making game apps, there are other companies out there, too. For example, some people report enjoying doing work for SuccessBux, CreationsRewards, Earnably, AdWallet, and other survey sites. There's no reason you can't work for more than one company if you have the extra time.

You won’t get rich by watching videos or playing games, but you could make extra money online in your spare time. All of the sites we mentioned are free to join, so feel free to try a bunch of these options before choosing a few you plan to stick with for the long haul.

Instead of wasting time scrolling on social media, reading emails, or watching YouTube videos, you could be making cash. And the biggest perk of all? You can just plunk down on your couch with your device and start earning easy money online today.