Get Paid to Watch Movies and Videos: 11 Realistic Options
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Most of us love watching movies, but is it really possible to get paid to watch movies and videos? There are several options covered in this article that you can start to implement right away.
If you love movies and consider yourself to be a movie expert, you may be able to turn your hobby into an income stream.
There are a number of ways you can get paid to watch movies and videos that may be surprising. While you won’t get rich with most of the options on this list, it can be a fun-filled way to make some extra money on the side without picking up a boring part-time job.
This can be a great way to turn your interest and your spare time into extra cash. And with a few of the options, you may even be able to turn it into a full-time income or a lucrative business.
So, here we’ll explore some of the best ways that you could earn some extra cash with your love of movies and videos.
If you’re looking for more ways to make money, please see our list of more than 150 side hustle ideas for making money in your spare time. You’re sure to find at least a few that would be a good fit for you!
How to Get Paid to Watch Movies and Videos
1. InboxDollars ($5 signup bonus)
If you’re interested in developing a side gig, you’re likely to have already heard about InboxDollars. However, while many people consider using this platform to make money by taking surveys, you may not be aware that you can also accumulate credits and cash by watching celebrity videos, movie previews, news, and watch ads for money.
You can select a playlist of videos, and the playlists will vary from a couple of minutes to half an hour, but you need to watch the complete playlist in order to get paid. You can check how long the playlist is before you start, so you can be fully aware of the time required.
This can make a good side hustle that you can complete anywhere, providing there’s access to the internet. There has potential to earn $200 or more each month, but you’ll need to be prepared to put in some work. Additionally, InboxDollars offers a $5 sign-up bonus for new users.
You can receive payment via check, PayPal cash, or gift cards. InboxDollars also operates a refer-a-friend program, where you can earn $1 for each friend who signs up and activates a new account to a maximum of 5 referrals.
→ Sign up for InboxDollars here to get the $5 bonus.
Earn cash easily whenever you have a few minutes to spare. It's a simple side hustle that anyone can do. Plus, you'll get a $5 bonus when you sign up today.
- Get paid to take online surveys
- Watch videos and earn cash
- Make money by playing games
- Complete special offers for the highest payouts
- Get paid in cash
2. Swagbucks ($10 signup bonus)
Swagbucks is another platform known for being a survey company, but you can also get paid to watch videos. Although Swagbucks doesn’t pay as well as InboxDollars for watching videos, there are more categories, including home, travel, and entertainment, making it a little more fun.
After the account is set up, you can download the Swagbucks app, so you can watch videos on your computer or phone. This makes it easier to multitask, watching videos and earning extra cash while you’re cooking, cleaning, or even working, so you can earn up to $100 a month just by watching videos.
Your points (they call them “Swagbucks”) are typically worth $0.01 each, but they can quickly add up, particularly if you use the other areas of the platform. Once you reach the minimum level, you can redeem your points for gift cards for a variety of retailers, including Starbucks, Amazon, and Walmart. You can also choose to get paid via PayPal if you prefer cash.
Of course, you can use both InboxDollars and Swagbucks to maximize your earning potential.
Swagbucks also operates a referral program. You’ll be provided with a unique sign-up link, and when you refer friends, you’ll earn 10% on all active referrals. There’s no maximum limit, so if your friend earns 1000 Swagbucks, you’ll get 100.
→ Sign up for Swagbucks here to get the $10 bonus.
Sign up for a Swagbucks account and make money (and other rewards) with simple tasks like online surveys. Sign up today for a $10 bonus!
- Get paid for taking short surveys
- Earn money by watching videos
- Play games for cash and prizes
- Make money by installing apps
- Get paid in PayPal cash or gift cards
3. MyPoints ($10 signup bonus)
MyPoints is another reward program that allows you to earn points by watching videos, taking surveys, and doing other tasks. The signup process is simple; you’ll just need to answer some basic questions before receiving a confirmation email to set up your password.
The points for each task vary, but you can earn rewards by watching interesting videos, playing games, taking surveys, and using coupons, so there’s a task for everyone. There are also daily deals where you can take advantage of available promotions.
The redemption policy for MyPoints is quite versatile. In most cases, 700 points equal a $5 gift card. However, you can also redeem points for PayPal payments, airline miles, or shopping vouchers.
→ Sign up for MyPoints here to get the $10 bonus.
Earn cash back from purchases at thousands of online retailers and earn rewards for simple tasks like taking online surveys, watching videos, and printing coupons. Sign up for MyPoints now for a $10 bonus!
- Earn a $10 Amazon gift card with your first purchase
- Lots of ways to earn points for PayPal cash or gift cards
- MyPoints has awarded over $236 million since 1996
- Easy side hustle for your spare time
4. Start a Movie Review Blog
While you need to put in some serious work before you start seeing earnings, starting a movie review blog can be a great way to get paid for watching movies. Blogs can earn money through advertising and sponsorships, and your blog may become a significant source of income and could potentially become a full-time career.
Of course, you need to stand apart from the crowd. There are lots of blogs that focus on new release movies, so you’ll need to find a unique hook. You may have a light-hearted tone or focus on specific tropes, but if you can find your own niche, you could quickly establish yourself as a movie expert.
The most successful content creators connect with viewers through social media, so you’ll need to build up a social media presence as well. You may find that viewers message you on your social media accounts or comment on your blog posts. You should try to respond to all comments and messages to encourage viewer interaction, but don’t take any negative comments personally.
While this option will require more work and more patience (you don’t start making money right away) than the other options covered in this article, the income potential is also much higher. To learn more, please see the article How to Start a Blog which walks you through the simple process of setting up your own blog.
5. Start a Movie Review YouTube Channel
Starting a movie review YouTube channel is similar to the opportunity involved with starting a blog, except that you’ll be creating video content instead of written content. Growing a YouTube channel will take some time and effort, but once your channel is established, the income potential is unlimited.
YouTube channels can generate revenue through ads by participating in the YouTube Partner Program. Optionally, you can also strike your own deals with advertisers and sponsors. And of course, affiliate marketing is another possible source of income.
Movie reviews aren’t the only option here. For example, Man of Recaps is a YouTube channel that produces short recaps of TV show seasons. These videos are extremely helpful when you’ve been waiting for a year for a new season on Netflix and you forget how the previous season ended.
Get one month of free access to this course created by a full-time YouTuber who built a popular channel with more than 5 million subscribers! You'll learn everything you need to know to set up for success with your own channel.
6. Watch Movies with Nielsen
You’ve probably heard of Nielsen before. They’re a company that provides ratings of the most-watched TV shows and movies, as well as stats on the number of people watching.
Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel will pay you to install their app on your device so they can see what content you’re viewing. They don’t collect sensitive personal data, but they do use your browsing and viewing activity to help with their market research.
As a user, you can earn about $50 per year for each computer or device that has the app installed. While you’re not going to make a huge amount of money here, it’s an easy way to make something extra.
→ Sign up for Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel.
7. Write Movie Reviews for a Publication
Earlier, we looked at the possibility of starting a movie review blog as a way to get paid to watch movies. If you’re interested in writing but growing your own blog doesn’t appeal to you, another possibility is to write reviews for established publications. Many websites, blogs, magazines, and newspapers hire freelance writers to create the reviews they publish.
Becoming a freelance writer is an excellent way to make extra money, and it can even become a full-time career. By working as a freelancer, you’re able to start making money as soon as you land your first client, and you can focus on watching movies and writing reviews, with no responsibility to grow the site on your own.
If you’re looking to get started, reach out to websites and blogs that publish movie reviews to see if they’re looking for freelance writers. You can also reach out to magazines or local newspapers.
Interested in getting started? Freelance Writing 101 by Brad Merrill provides an outstanding overview that will get you started on a solid foundation.
8. In-Theater Checks
If you enjoy going to your local movie theater, you could watch movies for free, just by collecting some data for Market Force Information. Movie studios and theaters want to collect data about the audiences attending movie premiers. They look for things such as how many people are buying tickets on opening day, the most popular screen times, and the previews shown before each movie. The best way to collect this data is by using third-party evaluators and how you can earn money as a theater checker.
The application process is easy and short, but you will need to live in the U.S. or Canada to be eligible. Once your application is approved, you could be assigned a number of potential tasks, including:
- Open Checks: You will present a Letter of Authorization to the theater manager, so you can count the number of people attending showtimes and collect the box office information for the end-of-day figures.
- Trailer Checks: After you present a Letter of Authorization, you will be able to watch and record all the trailers on all screens before the assigned feature.
- Blind Checks: You may be assigned to covertly count the patrons attending the showtimes of assigned features on an assigned day.
- Ad Checks: This involves watching and recording all the adverts shown before the feature.
- Sneak Checks: After you present a Letter of Authorization, you will be able to watch a sneak preview of a specific upcoming release to collect demographic information and reactions.
- Comprehensive Checks: This involves collecting a variety of new release information, including ticket prices, audience figures, trailers shown, and sound and visual quality.
Payment for the tasks vary, but it is approximately $10 to $20 an hour, plus you get to see a free movie. You could earn $30 a day while watching movies.
9. Work as a Netflix Movie Tagger
Netflix movie taggers, or as they were previously known, editorial analysts are required to watch the shows, specials, and movies on Netflix to tag them with the appropriate metadata. These tags are used to make it easier for viewers to search for programs based on categories they like or shows already watched.
Netflix says that being a movie tagger is like being a librarian and ensuring the shows are accurately classified, so you will need to know how movies and TV shows are related. Positions for a movie tagger are not widely available, so you will need to demonstrate that you are entertainment savvy and have the knowledge and skills to tag, rate, and research engaging metadata for the Netflix catalog.
Generally, tagger teams specialize in genres, so while you may be assigned your favorite topic, there is also a chance that you will be assigned to shows you find mind-numbing. Additionally, you will need to be prepared to watch TV for large blocks of time. However, if you’re already a bit of a TV addict, then this isn’t such a bad trade-off at all.
However, like most dream jobs, becoming a Netflix tagger is not an easy role to get. But as the Netflix catalog expands, the company does open up job opportunities periodically. So, it can be worth keeping an eye on the Netflix recruitment page if this role appeals to you.
10. Become a Checker for Checker Patrol
Checker Patrol is a service that assists marketing advertisers, restaurant owners, exhibition chains, theater distributors, and other operators to obtain accurate information. Checker Patrol Checkers are independent contractors who perform a variety of checks that may be specific assignments, including:
- Open Checking: You would be required to go into a restaurant or movie theater before you complete a questionnaire. This type of assignment typically only takes an hour or two, and you will be asked to rate the venue. Since you’re open checking, the management and staff are aware of why you are there, so you don’t need to act incognito.
- Blind Checking: This is similar to the above assignment, but you will need to remain undercover and not reveal your intentions to the staff, management, or patrons. Again, this should only take an hour or two to complete.
- Trailer Checking: This requires that you arrive before showtime to record all the previews and ads running before the movie. You’ll be paid on a per-screen basis, and there may be assigned movies playing on multiple screens.
- Sneak Preview Checking: Sneak previews typically occur a week or two before the movie release date, and you’ll be required to collect data including a headcount, and evaluating the picture and sound quality. You will also need to coordinate with the theater management to obtain the details of the ticket numbers and the signature of the manager for which you’ll receive a flat fee.
11. Work at a Movie Theatre
The last option we’ll cover is to get a job at a local movie theatre. Of course, the theatre isn’t going to pay you to sit there and watch movies all day. You’ll have a real job with real responsibilities. However, many movie theatres allow employees to watch movies for free when they’re not working, which is the next best thing to getting paid to watch movies.
Viggle
(UPDATE: Viggle is no longer available.) The Viggle app provides rewards for music and TV fans. You earn Perk Points by tapping programs on the Viggle App, which can be redeemed for prizes, gift cards, or cash. This means that you can earn points by watching live television and checking into shows on streaming providers. You can even earn additional Perk Points with the daily bonus shows and games.
The Perk Points convert with a rate of 30 to 35 points being one cent. So, you will need to accumulate 3,000 points or more to cash out $1. So, while this is not a get rich quick scheme, if you’re an avid television fan, you can earn money practically passively.
Essentially, you “check-in” for shows currently airing or ones you’ve recorded up to five days after the original air date. You need to hit “earn points” and then place your iPhone or Android device where it can hear the television. The Viggle app will recognize the show, and you’ll receive a point per minute that you’re checked in.
Each day, there are featured shows with bonus points, so you may receive up to 15 times the Perk Points. Additionally, you can have up to four Viggle accounts for your household, providing it is limited to one account per person. So, two devices can check into the same show at the same time, doubling your earnings.
How Much Money Can You Make By Watching Movies?
The amount of money you can make will depend on the methods you choose. Using apps like InboxDollars, Swagbucks, and MyPoints will allow you to make a few hundred dollars per month by watching movies in your spare time. However, you’re not going to be able to turn this into a full-time income.
If your dream is to turn your love for cinema into a full-time gig, starting a blog or a YouTube channel is a much more realistic option. Your blog or channel may generate a few hundred dollars per month, or it could grow into a six-figure (or more) income.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it’s possible to make money watching movies and videos. Apps like InboxDollars and Swagbucks make it easy to earn some extra money in your spare time by watching videos. Other options like starting a movie review blog or YouTube channel, or writing reviews as a freelancer provide much more significant income potential.
Netflix does pay people to tag Netflix movies and other content based on details like genre, cast and crew, etc. However, you need to be hired by Netflix for this role and openings are limited.
Netflix posts all job openings on its website. Tagger jobs are popular, so the openings are usually filled quickly.
You can get paid to write movie reviews, either by working as a freelancer or by starting your own review blog. Similarly, you could also create a movie review YouTube channel. Other jobs include Netflix tagger, and in-theater checker. You can also work at a movie theatre and get free tickets to use when you’re not working. GPT (get paid to) apps allow you to make a small amount of money for watching a video or movie trailer.
Final Thoughts on Getting Paid to Watch Movies and Videos
If you enjoy spending your free time watching movies, television shows, and videos, then getting paid to do this is a great side gig opportunity that may even develop into a full-time career (in the case of starting a blog or YouTube channel).
These are just some of the ways that you can get paid to watch movies and TV shows, and many of these opportunities can be tailored to fit around your everyday commitments. So, whether you just have an hour or two each day or have more time available, there are some great ways to get paid for your time.
Just be sure to read the terms and conditions of any opportunity to ensure that you comply with any rules and make sure that you’ll get paid. And if you love video games, be sure to see our article on ways to make money playing video games.
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