Udemy

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Become a Udemy Instructor

How Does Udemy Work for Instructors?

Udemy allows instructors to create courses on topics they are knowledgeable about. After creating an account, you can upload video lectures, quizzes, and other resources. Once your course is live, you can set your price or opt for Udemy’s promotional pricing, which often attracts more students.

Udemy takes care of hosting, payment processing, and marketing (to a degree), making it easier for instructors to focus on teaching. However, keep in mind that Udemy takes a percentage of your earnings, which varies depending on how students find your course. We’ll discuss this on a more in-depth level below.

Is Udemy Legit?

Yes, Udemy is a legitimate platform with millions of users worldwide. It is well-established and has earned a reputation as a trusted provider of online courses. Instructors are responsible for creating their course content, and while quality can vary, Udemy has tools and guidelines to help instructors produce high-quality material.

Is Udemy Worth it for Instructors?

Udemy can be a worthwhile platform for instructors, particularly if you are just starting in online teaching or looking to supplement your income. However, it may not be the best option for those seeking full control over pricing and student interactions. For many, it’s a good stepping stone to building a broader online teaching career.

Udemy Instructor Salary

Earnings on Udemy vary widely. Some instructors earn a few hundred dollars per year, while top performers make six figures. Factors influencing earnings include course quality, topic demand, and marketing efforts. It’s important to manage expectations and view Udemy as part of a diversified teaching strategy.

Can You Make a Living Teaching on Udemy?

While it’s possible to make a living teaching on Udemy, it requires significant effort, multiple high-quality courses, and consistent self-promotion. Many instructors use Udemy as a supplementary income source rather than a primary one.

Udemy Commission

Udemy's commission structure can be a bit complex because it varies depending on how the student discovers the course and whether you, the instructor, use any promotional methods. Here's a breakdown of how Udemy's commission works:

1. Instructor-Promoted Sales (Your Referral Link)

• If you promote your course through a personal referral link or any other promotional effort (e.g., email campaigns, social media posts), you receive 97% of the revenue.

• This is the most favorable commission rate for instructors because Udemy is not involved in the initial marketing or acquisition of the customer. You get the majority of the earnings.

2. Organic Sales (Udemy’s Marketing Channels)

• If the student finds your course through Udemy’s organic marketing (e.g., through Udemy's website, search results, or newsletters), you receive 37% of the revenue.

• Udemy takes a larger portion of the earnings because they are responsible for marketing the course and attracting the student.

3. Sales Through Udemy Ads

• If a sale is made through Udemy's ads (e.g., paid advertising on Google or Facebook), you receive 25% of the revenue.

• In this case, Udemy is covering the cost of the ad campaign to drive traffic, so they take a larger share of the sale.

4. Udemy for Business (B2B Sales)

• If your course is sold through Udemy's enterprise offering, Udemy for Business, the revenue split is typically 50/50.

• This is because Udemy handles the relationship with the business clients and the associated volume of users.

5. Coupon Code Sales

• If you create and share a coupon code for your course, and a student buys using that code, you typically earn 97% of the revenue, similar to promoting the course through a referral link.

Important Notes:

• Discounted Courses: If Udemy runs promotions or discounts for your course (e.g., a seasonal sale), the revenue share remains the same based on how the student found the course. However, the amount of revenue you earn will be lower since the course price is discounted.

• Revenue Share for Udemy's Marketing: Udemy has invested heavily in marketing campaigns, so if they are using their resources to drive sales (through ads or their own marketing efforts), they typically take a larger share to cover those costs.

• Instructors in High-Traffic Categories: If you teach in a category that is highly competitive, you may rely more on Udemy's marketing efforts and thus receive a lower commission share, but the volume of sales might compensate for that.

How to Become a Udemy Instructor

If you’re thinking about sharing your knowledge on Udemy, it’s a pretty straightforward process, albeit time consuming, because you have to create a whole course. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Plan Your Course:

• Pick your topic: Choose something you’re passionate about. Use Udemy’s Marketplace Insights tool to check demand and refine your idea.

• Know your audience: Think about who your course is for. Knowing this helps you tailor the content to what your learners need.

• Set your objectives: Be clear about what you want students to achieve by the end of your course. This will keep things on track.

• Write a script: You’ll want to keep your energy up during the lessons, so having a script to follow makes a big difference.

2. Produce Your Course:

• Get your setup right: You don’t need high-end gear to get started. Just make sure your space is quiet and well-lit, and check out Udemy’s recommendations for basic equipment.

• Test video: Before diving into full production, upload a test video to get feedback on quality. It’s a good way to make sure you’re on the right track.

• Record the course: Once you’ve got everything in place, block out some time and start recording your lessons.

3. Polish Your Course:

• Upload videos: Once everything’s recorded, use the bulk uploader to save time. Don’t forget to include any extra resources like PDFs or worksheets.

• Finish up the details: Add a course description, image, and set your price. Just double-check everything before submitting for review.

4. Publish Your Course:

• Submit for review: Udemy will check everything to make sure it meets their guidelines. They’ll give you feedback if anything needs changing.

• Make any updates: If you get feedback, make your changes and submit again. Once it’s approved, your course will go live, and you’ll officially be an instructor.

Pros and Cons of Creating a Course on Udemy

Pros

• Wide Reach: Access to millions of potential students worldwide.

• Ease of Use: User-friendly platform for course creation and management.

• Marketing Assistance: Udemy promotes courses through its platform and email campaigns.

• No Upfront Costs: Free to create and upload courses.

Cons

• Revenue Share: Udemy takes a significant portion of course sales.

• Competition: Thousands of courses are available, making it hard to stand out.

• Price Control: You have limited control over course pricing, especially during promotions.

What other instructors are saying about Udemy

We gathered instructor reviews from a number of popular online forums to see what real Udemy instructors are saying about creating courses on the platform.

It seems like creating and selling courses can be challenging without a significant following. Key takeaways from their insights include:

1. Course Quality Matters: You need to have high-quality content that stands out, especially with great audio and video quality. Udemy values these aspects, and they are crucial for retaining students and getting positive reviews.

2. Free Courses Can Backfire: Offering free courses to get reviews can sometimes hurt the course's visibility. One user noted that their free course was not promoted, and many students didn't even engage with the content after signing up. This suggests that providing free access might not lead to the organic growth you'd expect.

3. Slow Growth: Udemy can take a long time to gain traction, especially for new instructors without an existing audience. Some mentioned earning only a small amount despite being ranked highly or offering free courses. Building a course and promoting it might be a long-term investment rather than an immediate source of income.

4. Udemy’s Revenue Split: Udemy takes a significant portion of the sales, sometimes leaving only a small percentage for instructors, especially when Udemy promotions lower the price of the course.

5. Market Insights and Engagement: Tools like Udemy's marketplace insights can be useful for understanding demand and competition, but even with a good topic, you'll need to engage with students and promote your course actively.

For someone starting without an audience, building your own brand and traffic—outside of platforms like Udemy—may prove more beneficial for long-term success. If you're aiming for passive income from courses, these insights underscore the importance of audience-building and course quality from the outset.

Udemy Alternatives

To recap all that we have discussed so far:

Udemy:

• Allows teachers to create and sell courses on any topic.

• Great for practical, skill-based content.

• Teachers set their own pricing and course structure.

• Marketing is largely up to the instructor, though Udemy offers some promotional tools.

• Ideal for reaching a broad audience without formal requirements.

Udemy vs. Coursera

Coursera:

• Partners with universities and organizations to offer accredited courses.

• More academic-focused, ideal for credentialed or specialized topics.

• Teachers can develop courses but often require institutional backing.

• Offers certificates and degrees that add prestige but can come with higher costs.

• More structured, with a focus on formal, recognized learning pathways.

Udemy vs. Teachable

Teachable:

• Offers more control over the creation and pricing of courses.

• Best for instructors who already have a following or those who want full ownership of their brand.

• Teachers can customize their course structure, branding, and marketing.

• No upfront fees for listing courses, but Teachable charges a monthly subscription fee.

• Marketing tools are available, but instructors must drive their own traffic.

• Revenue share model is more favorable, with Teachable taking a smaller cut than Udemy.

• Ideal for instructors focused on building a long-term brand rather than one-time sales.

Learn more about Teachable here.

Udemy vs. Skillshare

Skillshare:

• Focuses on creative fields such as design, photography, and writing, but also includes business and tech topics.

• Teachers are paid based on student engagement (minutes watched), rather than course sales.

• Ideal for instructors who focus on smaller, community-driven courses rather than formal or academic learning.

• Skillshare handles all marketing and offers a large community of learners, but instructors must still work to engage and retain students.

• Teachers must provide a certain level of content quality and engagement to maintain a strong position within the platform.

• No upfront fees, but revenue is based on a subscription model (memberships), which means income is less predictable and dependent on audience retention.

Final Thoughts: Should You Teach on Udemy?

Udemy offers an excellent platform for instructors to share their knowledge with a global audience. It’s particularly well-suited for those new to online teaching or looking to test course ideas. However, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons and align Udemy with your broader teaching goals.

Not sure if Udemy is right for you?

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