With nearly 240 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix is more popular than ever. But many fans don’t know that they can make money by streaming their favorite TV shows and movies on Netflix.
I’m not sure about you, but we watch a lot of Netflix at our house. At just over $12 a month, Netflix has become one of our favorite cable TV alternatives. If you’re a big Netflix fan, like me, and would love to earn some extra cash, here are 8 legit ways to get paid to watch Netflix.
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8 Ways to Get Paid to Watch Netflix
While some of the ideas you’ll find online are not entirely legit (i.e., completing paid surveys on Swagbucks while you watch Netflix), the options on our list really can help you use Netflix to earn some cash.
1. Start a Netflix Movie Review Blog
As an avid Netflix watcher, I sometimes have trouble deciding whether to invest my time in a show or movie I’ve never heard of.
Luckily, there are blogs that specialize in reviewing TV shows and movies that run on Netflix. If you want to get paid for watching Netflix, why not start your own blog?
You can start a blog in 10 minutes or less and begin publishing Netflix show and movie reviews on your website.
You could even share some Netflix hacks to help viewers get the most out of their Netflix membership.
But you wouldn’t be limited to sharing reviews on Netflix shows. You could share reviews of shows on other streaming services such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. As your blog viewership grows, you can make money with your blog through display ads and affiliate marketing.
You’ll want to be sure and share links for products that are relevant to your blog content. For instance, since you’re talking about streamed movies and TV shows, you could share links to products such as:
- TV antennas
- DVD cabinets
- Posters for movies and TV shows
- TV show and movie memorabilia
- TV show and movie t-shirts
You can also share your content on social media accounts that are tied to your blog. Doing so will grow your readership and fast-track your ability to earn money with your blog.
2. Sign Up for Viggle
Viggle is an app that rewards you for watching TV shows and movies. Why? Because the platform helps streaming services and other companies direct viewers to their shows and movies.
So how does Viggle work? Once you’ve downloaded the Viggle app (it’s free to download and use), you can watch TV shows, songs, and more.
For every minute you watch or listen, you’ll earn a point. You can then use your points to get free gift cards to Amazon and other retailers.
So, to earn money while watching Netflix, sign in to your Viggle app, stream Netflix shows from the same device, and watch your points accumulate.
You can also earn extra points by watching suggested content or featured content, and interact with friends on the app, by sharing your viewing and playing experiences.
When you’re ready to cash out, you can redeem your points for gift cards from popular retailers.
3. Work as a Netflix Tagger
Did you know that Netflix hires people to work part-time from home? Netflix Taggers (also called metadata analysts) get paid to watch shows and then apply appropriate tags to those shows.
For example, you can apply tags for the genre, such as “horror,” “comedy,” “action,” etc., or to describe the target audience, such as “kids” or “family.”
There are often no formal education requirements, but there is a lot of competition as the jobs are highly coveted. Your resume will likely get moved to the top of the pile if you have some experience in the film industry.
An extensive knowledge of TV shows and movies can also help, as will having an analytics background. Search the Netflix jobs page often to find openings for taggers, as the position is filled quickly.
4. Install the Nielsen Mobile App
If you’re over 40, you might remember the Nielsen ratings. When I was a kid, the Nielsen ratings were ratings of the top TV shows and who was watching.
The Nielsen company is still alive and well and monitoring peoples’ viewing habits. When you download the Nielsen app on your mobile device, Nielsen will pay you $50 per year to let them monitor your viewing habits on Netflix and elsewhere.
You’ll also have a chance to win $10,000 every month when you get entered into Nielsen’s monthly sweepstakes giveaway.
While it’s an indirect way to get paid for watching Netflix, it requires very little effort on your part. And if luck is on your side, there could be $10,000 in it for you.
5. Start a YouTube Channel
Are you great in front of a camera? Do you have the ability to connect with people and talk naturally to a video audience?
If so, you could review Netflix shows and movies via your own YouTube channel and discuss new releases on Netflix or share top ten lists.
For example, you could make videos showcasing the top ten:
- Rom Coms
- Action movies
- Documentaries
- Kids movies
- Drama TV shows
The key to your success with this idea is growing your YouTube channel enough to attract advertisers.
How can you do this? First things first, you have to get started. Make one video, then another. Open some social media accounts to gain followers by sharing links to your videos.
Follow YouTubers with similar channels and make some friends in the industry. If you can do that effectively, the followers will come, provided that viewers find your content engaging and useful.
YouTube takes care of helping you gain advertisers when your viewership is large enough to do so.
6. Work to Add Closed Captioning to Shows
One of the more interesting side hustles is adding closed captioning to movies and TV shows. In other words, you transcribe the audio from a TV show or movie so it can show on the TV screen.
To do this, you’ll need to find work with a company that offers closed captioning transcription jobs. But you would get paid to watch TV shows on a wide variety of channels, including Netflix.
Many companies hire people to transcribe for closed captioning, but Vanan Captioning is one of the most popular works for Netflix.
The best transcription jobs offer a decent pay rate and other benefits. Note that many companies want you to have some experience or training before hiring you to transcribe.
Transcribe Anywhere is a course that can train you how to be a transcriptionist, increasing your chances of being hired by a company like Vanan Captioning.
Some of the skills you’ll need to be a successful transcription specialist include fast and accurate typing skills and good listening/focus skills.
7. Become an Affiliate Marketer
Another option to get paid to watch Netflix is to be an affiliate marketer. Affiliate marketers earn money by sharing links to certain products or services.
When someone clicks on that link and makes a purchase, you earn some cash. For instance, let’s say you started your Netflix review blog and published reviews of shows and movies on Netflix.
You could insert links to Netflix within your blog articles. Then Netflix would pay you when a reader completes actions according to the terms of your affiliate marketing contract. For example, you might get a commission if someone clicks on your affiliate link and then signs up as a new Netflix customer.
Or you could start an Instagram or Twitter page where you post your reviews or links to your reviews. You could insert affiliate links within your Twitter and Instagram posts.
8. Start a Podcast
Podcasts remain highly popular. They’re great for listening to when you’re commuting to work or on a road trip.
Just like with YouTube or a blog, you can start a podcast reviewing movies or TV shows on Netflix.
Share your opinion, and inform viewers of your thoughts on the show. You could even interview actors on some of the lesser-known shows.
As your podcast viewing audience grows, you can gain affiliates and advertisers who will pay you to sell their product or advertise their product. As with blogging and YouTubing, you’ll want to advertise products that are relevant to your blog. You’re more likely to get sales if the products you’re advertising fit in with your mission.
Also, start social media accounts for your podcast, just as you would if you were starting a blog. Be active on your social media accounts and in the streaming community to help grow your listening audience.
If you’re great at being behind a microphone and you love sharing your thoughts with others, you might love hosting a podcast.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, 8 legit ways to get paid to watch Netflix. While some of these ideas require a major time investment, like starting your own Netflix blog or YouTube channel, you may discover a new hobby or passion you hadn’t thought about before. Either way, it’s nice to know you can earn some extra cash and satisfy your Netflix craving at the same time.
