Skillshare is one of the most popular online learning platforms, giving creators the chance to publish courses and earn money from their expertise. However, joining the platform isn’t the right choice for everyone. Skillshare requires a certain level of teaching ability, subject-matter knowledge, and the skill to present information in a clear and engaging way.
If you’re someone with strong creative abilities, capable of breaking down complex ideas into simple steps, and you have solid experience in a specific skill or industry, Skillshare can be an excellent place to build a steady income stream. The platform rewards instructors who can design practical, project-based lessons and keep learners genuinely interested.
On the other hand, if you’re new to teaching, unsure about your ability to communicate effectively, or still developing your expertise, you may find it challenging to stand out. Skillshare’s marketplace is competitive, and success often depends on the quality of your lessons, your consistency, and your ability to meet learners’ expectations.
Before committing to Skillshare, consider your teaching style, your niche, and your willingness to produce polished, value-driven content. These factors will largely determine whether the platform becomes a profitable opportunity or a difficult starting point.
What Is Skillshare and How to Earn Money From It
Skillshare is a leading online learning platform that allows professionals, creatives, and subject-matter experts to publish high-quality courses and turn their skills into a reliable source of income. The platform is well-known for its credibility and its supportive environment, making it easier for instructors to create polished, engaging content for a global audience.
To make the most of Skillshare, you need to understand how the platform rewards instructors and how to use your expertise strategically. You can earn money by producing courses in your field of specialization—whether that’s design, marketing, programming, photography, illustration, or any other skill that learners are actively searching for. Instructors are paid based on the number of minutes their classes are watched, and they can also earn additional revenue from referrals and new premium sign-ups generated through their content.
Skillshare also gives creators a chance to build a loyal audience and establish a strong reputation as experts in their niche. Over time, this visibility can lead to new opportunities outside the platform, such as consulting, private coaching, collaborations, or selling digital products.
In short, Skillshare isn’t just a teaching platform; it’s a powerful tool for converting your knowledge and creativity into ongoing income. With well-structured, engaging, and professionally presented lessons, you can build a steady presence on the platform and grow your earnings month after month.
How to Make Money on Skillshare by Creating Online Courses
The primary way to earn money on Skillshare is by becoming an instructor and publishing your own course on the platform. This does require a significant investment of time and preparation, so if your schedule is limited, you may find it challenging to produce the level of content needed to succeed.
To build a course that performs well, it’s important to focus on high-demand skills—especially creative and entrepreneurial topics that consistently attract learners on Skillshare. Popular categories include design, illustration, drawing, writing, photography, productivity, freelancing, and other practical skills that translate easily into step-by-step lessons. If you already have expertise in one of these fields, you’re well-positioned to create a compelling and valuable class.
Skillshare courses typically run between 20 and 60 minutes and should be divided into short video lessons—usually 2 to 8 minutes per segment. The platform emphasizes practical, project-based learning rather than broad theoretical content. Each class should revolve around teaching a specific skill or concept in a clear, actionable way. A hands-on project is essential, as it allows students to apply what they’ve learned and increases overall engagement.
Once your video content and class project are ready, you can upload the course and begin welcoming students. Your earnings are based mainly on watch time from premium members, which means that the quality of your content plays a major role in how much you earn. High-resolution video, clean audio, and thoughtful editing can dramatically improve your course’s performance and help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Creating a short promotional trailer is also important. This preview video gives potential students a quick overview of what they’ll learn, making it more likely they will enroll. While producing a Skillshare class requires planning and effort, a well-structured, professionally delivered course can generate ongoing passive income. With consistent quality and a clear teaching style, Skillshare can become a valuable long-term source of revenue for creators.
Skillshare Referral Program: A Smart Way to Boost Your Earnings
In addition to earning money from the courses you publish, Skillshare offers another profitable opportunity through its referral program. Once you release your first class, the platform generates a unique referral link that you can share with your audience outside Skillshare to attract new members and earn extra income.
As a Skillshare instructor, you also receive a channel-wide referral link. This single link promotes all your courses at once by directing users to your profile page. Whenever someone signs up for a Skillshare membership through your link, you earn a commission—usually up to 60% of the student’s first subscription payment. The commission is calculated based on the actual revenue Skillshare receives from the new member. All referral activity and earnings can be tracked directly from the teacher dashboard, giving you a clear overview of your performance.
While the referral program can be highly rewarding, success depends on reaching people who are genuinely interested in joining the platform. Because Skillshare operates on a paid membership model, converting cold audiences can be challenging. This makes a well-planned marketing strategy essential—whether through social media, a personal website, an email list, or niche communities.
When used effectively, the Skillshare referral program becomes a powerful way to build recurring income. Creators with an engaged following or strong professional network can leverage their influence to drive sign-ups, increase course visibility, and maximize long-term revenue.
How Skillshare Payments Work: Guide to Getting Your Earnings
When students watch your classes on Skillshare, you begin earning revenue—creating a form of ongoing income for instructors. Because Skillshare operates on a subscription model, learners pay an annual membership fee that gives them unlimited access to all available classes, along with extra features such as offline viewing through the mobile app.
Skillshare allocates around 30% of its monthly membership revenue to a teacher royalty pool. Your share of that pool depends on the total number of minutes students spend watching your content. For example, if your classes account for 5% of all premium minutes watched on the platform in a given month, you’ll earn 5% of that month’s royalty pool. In simple terms: the more watch time your courses generate, the more you earn.
To qualify for royalty payouts, you must reach at least 75 paid watch minutes across all your classes within a single month. If you do not meet this threshold, you won’t earn royalties for that month and the watch minutes do not roll over. This requirement can be challenging for new instructors who are still building an audience, which means consistent income is not guaranteed right away.
Skillshare pays out instructor earnings on the 16th of the following month. For example, money earned in June is paid around July 16. The platform supports multiple payout methods, giving you flexibility in choosing how to receive your funds. Payment options typically include PayPal, local bank transfer (ACH), international bank transfer, and electronic checks.
- PayPal: usually within 1 business day
- Local bank transfer (ACH): up to 3 business days
- International e-check: 3–7 business days
- Local bank transfer: often within 1 day
- International bank transfer: typically 1–2 business days
How Much You Can Earn on Skillshare and If It’s Worth Your Time
Skillshare can be a solid income source for creative instructors, but the platform doesn’t guarantee earnings for everyone. While some teachers do make substantial monthly income, reaching the minimum requirement of 75 paid watch minutes can be difficult—especially for new instructors or those without an existing audience.
If you are able to attract consistent traffic to your classes and keep students engaged, you may earn several hundred dollars per month, and potentially more as your catalogue grows. However, this level of success takes time. Meaningful earnings depend on a clear marketing plan, regular promotion of your courses, and continuous improvement in the quality of your lessons to retain viewers.
It’s also important to consider the competitive landscape. Thousands of instructors share a limited monthly royalty pool, which means your earnings are influenced not only by your own watch time but also by how much attention other instructors’ classes receive. In months where competition increases, individual payouts may fluctuate.
Because of this, the return on time invested in Skillshare varies widely. If you don’t have the availability to create polished content or the marketing skills to bring in learners, your results may be underwhelming. In that case, alternative platforms with steadier earning models might be a better fit.
Skillshare tends to reward instructors who have strong teaching abilities, expertise in high-demand skills, and the willingness to promote their content consistently. For creators who meet these criteria, the platform can become a worthwhile long-term investment with growing passive income potential.
Can You Use Skillshare on Mobile? What Instructors Should Know
Skillshare offers a mobile app that makes it easy for students to access classes on the go, but its value is far more limited for instructors. If you’re teaching on the platform, you’ll find that the app provides only basic functionality. You can check referral earnings, review your class statistics, and track your overall payouts, but you cannot create, edit, or upload full courses through the mobile app.
For instructors, producing Skillshare content requires a desktop or laptop computer, especially if you want to record high-quality video, edit lessons professionally, and manage your course materials effectively. The mobile app simply isn’t designed to support the full range of tasks needed to build a polished class.
For students, however, the Skillshare app is a major advantage. It’s available on both Android and iOS and features a clean, intuitive interface that makes browsing, saving, and watching classes straightforward. Students can also download lessons for offline viewing, which is especially useful for learning while traveling or during moments without internet access.
In short, the Skillshare mobile app is an excellent learning tool for students, but it isn’t a complete solution for instructors. Teachers will still need a full computer setup to create and manage their courses professionally.
Who Can Join Skillshare and What Are the Registration Requirements?
Skillshare is available worldwide, which means anyone can apply to become an instructor regardless of location. However, there are a few important details to understand before you sign up.
The registration process is straightforward. You can create an account using Google, Facebook, Apple, or a standard email address. It’s important to note that Skillshare operates on a paid subscription model. This means you’ll need a paid membership to access the full range of features—whether you plan to learn or teach. Skillshare offers a seven-day free trial, giving you the chance to explore the platform before committing to payment. If you’re serious about teaching and earning money, expect a small initial investment just like regular students.
Applying to become a Skillshare instructor, however, is completely free. All you need to do is fill out the application form and answer a few simple questions about your expertise, teaching background, and the type of content you plan to create. Once your application is submitted, the Skillshare team reviews it—typically within about seven business days. Acceptance depends on the platform’s assessment of whether your skills and course ideas offer real value to learners.
Because membership is paid, it’s smart to take advantage of the free trial first. This lets you test the platform, explore existing classes, and gauge whether you can create content that meets Skillshare’s standards before committing any money. It’s a practical way to determine whether teaching on Skillshare is the right fit for you without taking on unnecessary financial obligations.
How to Get Support on Skillshare: Help Options for Instructors
If you run into any issues while using Skillshare or need help managing your account, the platform offers several reliable support options for instructors. The first resource to explore is the Teacher Help Center, a comprehensive knowledge hub that covers nearly every aspect of teaching on Skillshare. It includes detailed guides, frequently asked questions, platform policies, and step-by-step instructions to help you create, publish, and manage your courses effectively.
Beyond the help center, Skillshare provides multiple ways to contact the support team directly. You can reach them by email at help@skillshare.com, submit a support ticket through the platform, or start a live chat if you need faster assistance. These channels allow you to choose the type of support that best matches your situation, whether you're resolving a technical issue, seeking clarification about payments, or having trouble uploading content.Overall, Skillshare offers a well-structured and responsive support system that makes the teaching experience smoother and more dependable. With a rich library of self-help resources and several options for direct communication, instructors can feel confident knowing that help is readily available whenever they need it.
Skillshare Review: Is It the Right Platform for You?
Skillshare is a reputable online learning platform that allows individuals to create virtual courses and earn income from their skills and expertise. While it offers several strong advantages, it also requires a significant investment of time and effort. Evaluating whether Skillshare aligns with your goals and abilities is essential before joining.
- Flexible payment options suitable for a wide range of instructors.
- Available globally, giving teachers from around the world the opportunity to share their knowledge.
- A user-friendly mobile app makes it easy for students to follow courses and for instructors to track basic statistics on the go.
- No guaranteed income, as earnings depend on watch time, engagement, and overall student activity.
- Requires considerable time and effort to produce high-quality courses and achieve meaningful revenue.
- Full access to platform features requires a paid membership.
For those not ready to invest the time or money required, other educational platforms in your region may offer easier entry, with opportunities to earn without significant upfront costs or long preparation time.
Ultimately, if you have previous experience with Skillshare or questions about becoming an instructor, sharing them in the comments can help you connect with the community and benefit from other users’ insights.