13 Best Ways to Get Paid to Watch Movies in 2023

Sit around and watch movies or make money? Most people think you should choose between one or the other, but that’s not the case at all. There are more than a dozen ways to make money watching movies, TV, or ads.

So if you love to watch movies and want to make money, this guide explains more than a dozen ideas. You’ll learn how to get started, how much you’ll make, and more. 

Let’s get to it — you’ve got movies to watch! Here’s how you can get paid to watch movies in 2022. 

1. MyPoints

Earn $10 when you sign up today

MyPoints is a market research company, meaning they pay people for their opinions. And, new users can earn a $10 bonus reward for signing up today.

Participating in market research is a popular way to make a little extra money. Companies want to know what you think about their products and services, which sometimes includes watching videos and movies.

MyPoints users can get paid to watch movies on their phone, tablet, laptop, or with the MyPoints TV app. You can earn up to 500 points per day while watching video playlists on MyPoints.

Your points are redeemable for gift cards to over 70 retail and restaurant brands, cash via PayPal or Visa prepaid card, or United travel miles. 

While this is a super easy way to make extra money (I mean who doesn’t want to get paid for something so easy!?), you’re not going to get rich watching videos. 

Each point you earn on MyPoints is worth $0.005 to $0.007 each. So that means if you earn the full 500 points per day watching movies, that’s only $2.50 to $3.50 you’re getting paid per day. 

However, that adds up — you could make up to $105/month watching movies on MyPoints.

MyPoints has even more ways to make money:

• Taking surveys
• Shopping online
• Reading email
• Taking surveys
• Surfing the web
• Playing games
• Referring friends

2. InboxDollars

Claim your $5 bonus for signing up today

InboxDollars is another popular market research company that pays users to watch videos, take surveys, play games, and more. They do market research for some of the most trusted brands, including Netflix, Target, H&R Block, and more, so you know they’re legit.

Once you’ve signed up for Inbox, the way it works is that you select a playlist of videos to watch. These can be a few minutes long to half an hour. Of course, you’ll have to watch the entire playlist to get paid.

InboxDollars pays in cash, not points, so there’s no confusion about how much you can expect to make. You’ll also see the exact dollar amount (down to the exact cent) before you watch a video or take a survey.

You can realistically expect to earn anywhere from $20-$100/month on InboxDollars, but there’s a high minimum payout requirement of $15. 

3. Swagbucks

Earn a $10 sign-up bonus today

Swagbucks has been one of my favorite market research companies for a while, and they’re owned by Prodege, the same company that owns InboxDollars and MyPoints. Swagbucks alone has already paid out over $676,000,000 in rewards.

It’s no surprise then that Swagbucks has similar rewards programs to InboxDollars and MyPoints — you can get paid to watch movies, take surveys, shop online, play games, and more. 

Savvy users turn a video on their computer while taking surveys on their phone — you’re essentially getting paid double. 

Despite the double earnings, Swagbucks still doesn’t pay a ton. This is common with most market research rewards programs. But, if you want an incredibly mindless way to make extra money, watching videos and taking surveys on Swagbucks is a solid choice.

You’re paid in points that convert to PayPal cash or gift cards, and you only need to earn $5 worth of points.

4. Get paid to write about movies

Earn up to $1,000/month or more as a freelance movie writer

Get paid to watch movies and write reviews — this is every movie lover’s dream.

There are tons of websites out there that will pay you for movie reviews. Here are just a few of them:

• Screen Rant - This site is looking for movie buffs to write in-depth, premium content about movies, TV, gaming, and tech.
• Taste of Cinema - ToC pays writers based on the number of clicks your content gets, and they have a “Write For Us And Get Paid” tab at the top of the site.
• Slant Magazine - This online magazine is open to unique pitches if you’re interested in writing about movies, TV, or music.

Those are just a handful of websites that pay writers for movie reviews and other film-centric content. 

If there’s a site you currently love reading and want to know how to become a contributor, search “write for [name of website].” Each site has its own contributor guidelines and application process. 

5. Join a movie focus group

Watch movies for free and make a little extra cash

Movies cost millions and millions of dollars to make, so studios use focus groups to test them before they premier. People in focus groups provide studios with feedback and suggestions that can significantly impact the film's final version.

Most participants in a movie focus group are unpaid, although you do get to watch the movie for free. However, some audience members will be asked to participate in a paid in-depth discussion. 

If you’re interested, you can check out Gofobo and iScreeningRoom to find screenings in your area.

6. Get paid to do in-theater checks

Watch new movies for free AND get paid

Doing in-theater checks is a little bit like being a mystery shopper for movies. It’s more than just watching the movie — you’ll have to report back on certain things like audience demographics or the number of people attending the movie.

Market Force is one company that hires Certified Field Agents (CFAs) to perform theater checks. Here are some of the assignments you might get:

• Trailer Checks: Watch and report back on all trailers before the movie premiers.
• Open Checks: Count the number of patrons who attend the movie and collect box office information at the end of the day.
• Blind Checks: You covertly count the number of patrons attending all showtimes on the assigned day.
• Advertisement Checks: Watch and record all ads that show before the movie starts.
• Sneak Checks: Get paid to watch a sneak preview of an upcoming release and collect reactions and demographic information.
• Comprehensive Checks: Watch new releases and collect information on sound and visual quality, trailers shown, patron counts, and ticket prices. 

7. Join Nielsen

Passively earn $50 a year

Nielsen is a global data and market research company, but you might recognize the name for Nielsen TV Ratings. The point is: this is a very legit company!

You can download Nielsen’s Computer and Mobile app to make a little passive income watching movies online like you usually do. 

The app runs in the background tracking your watching tendencies to determine audience ratings. It’s not storing or sharing any of your data with third parties.

You’re not going to make a ton of money, just $50 a year. But Nielsen will also enter your name in $10,000 monthly sweepstakes.

8. Watch ads with AdWallet

Watch ads and earn $0.50 to $3 per video

AdWallet is a direct-to-consumer marketing and research platform that pays people to watch short videos with ads in them. 

You’ll earn $0.50 to $3 per video, and you can make an additional $1 for every friend you refer. AdWallet lets you cash out your earnings once your account hits $10. You can cash out with a Mastercard Prepaid card, eGift cards, or charitable donations. 

9. Work as a Netflix tagger

Make around $17/hour watching Netflix

Netflix taggers are essentially editorial analysts who get paid to watch movies and shows and assign specific metadata or descriptions. This includes data points like language, release date, or genre.

While it sounds like a fun job if you’re already watching a lot of Netflix, many taggers report that it really does start to feel like work. 

You can find these jobs on the Netflix job board, but know that these jobs fill up quickly.

10. Check out FlexJobs

Find remote jobs getting paid to watch movies and more

FlexJobs is an online job board specializing in remote, hybrid, or flexible work options. You can find all kinds of jobs on FlexJobs, including ones related to watching movies. 

Here are a few recent options where you can make money watching movies:

• Movies Writer 
• Freelance TV and Movies Editor
• YouTube Content Producer working with channels like Screen Rant, CBR, and TheRichest
• News and Entertainment writer
• SEO Entertainment Content Writer
• Senior Video Production Specialist
• Videographer
• Video Producer and Editor

You can search for jobs for free on FlexJobs, but you’ll need a membership to apply for them. A FlexJobs membership comes with free skills testing, expert job search tips and resources, email alerts when new jobs are posted, and more.

There are weekly, monthly, and annual memberships, and you can cancel as soon as you find a job.

11. Start a YouTube channel 

Create your own content about movies

If you love talking to your friends about movies and want to share your joy, consider starting a YouTube channel. 

You can do movie reviews, talk about upcoming films, offer predictions, point out plot holes, talk about what the actors are wearing, and more. There are so many different niches you can fill. 

There will be a lot of competition on YouTube, but you’re in charge of the content you create. 

You’ll need to consistently produce high-quality content to grow your following and start to make money. Learn how to get started in How to Create a YouTube Channel & Make Money.

12. Blog about movies

Learn how to start a film blog and make money

Starting a YouTube channel takes a lot of work, and there’s a steep learning curve if you’re not already familiar with how to edit and produce videos. Writing about movies for your own blog could be a much easier option.

You can start a movie blog and write reviews, write fan fiction, talk about upcoming films, write about the actors, anything movie-related! 

Bloggers make money in a lot of different ways, like affiliate income, display ads, and sponsored posts. Overall it’s a slow business model, but blogging is an incredibly flexible way to make money. 

Blogging legit changed my life— I quit a job I didn’t love, my wife retired early, we travel more than ever, and my site regularly brings in 6-figures a month.

Interested in learning how to start a blog? Check out these resources:

• Bluehost – I highly recommend Bluehost for starting a blog. This is the exact host I used when I got started, and you’ll get WordPress for free.
• How to Start a Blog: This step-by-step guide will teach you how to start your blog today.
• Launch That Blog: This is a free installation and setup service where my team will set up your Bluehost blog for free when you sign through my exclusive link.

13. House sit

Watch movies, house sit, and make money

You probably didn’t expect to see “house sit” on a list of ways to make money watching movies, but hear me out.

Some people want to make money sitting around and watching movies all day. You can do that as a housesitter. 

Housesitters make around $25-$50 a day, and you can hang out in someone else’s house, and you might even get to play with some cats or dogs. 

This sounds like a pretty sweet and easy gig, which it is, but don’t forget about other responsibilities. You’ll have to take in the mail, water plants, make sure the house stays in good shape, and so on.

The final word on how to get paid to watch movies

There are over a dozen different ways to get paid to watch movies, and the amount you make really varies on what you do. For example, you can make a full-time living working as a film editor or writer — check out FlexJobs for opportunities. 

Then there are options like getting paid to watch videos on MyPoints or InboxDollars. You’re not going to earn much at all with these options, but they’re incredibly easy and approachable for anyone.

For even more ways to make money, check out 40 Best Side Hustle Ideas for 2022 (Make $1,000+ A Month or More).