There is no honest single number for "how much does YouTube pay per view". It depends on the audience, the topic, the country, the time of year, how many viewers see ads, and more. What you can do is understand the terms, use your own numbers, and make a range.
RPM and CPM in plain words
YouTube's ad revenue analytics help page defines them like this:
- RPM (revenue per mille) is how much you earned per 1,000 video views. It is calculated after YouTube's revenue share. It includes all views, including ones that were not monetized. It covers ad revenue, channel memberships, YouTube Premium revenue, Super Chat and Super Stickers.
- CPM is the cost per 1,000 ad impressions, before YouTube's revenue share. It only counts views that had ads shown and only revenue from ads and YouTube Premium. It is the advertiser's number.
That is why YouTube says RPM is lower than CPM. When someone says "my CPM is $10", your RPM would be lower. RPM is the number that matters for your own planning.
YouTube also notes RPM does not include sponsorships and brand deals (other than YouTube BrandConnect), merch sales, or services you sell because of your channel.
How to estimate YouTube revenue from views and RPM
- Open YouTube Studio, then Analytics, then the Revenue tab. Find your RPM for the last 28 days and for a longer period. If you are not in the Partner Program yet, you will not have one.
- In the Revenue Estimator, enter your monthly long-form views.
- Enter a low RPM and a high RPM. Use a range from your own history, not a number from a video.
- Optionally enter Shorts views and a Shorts RPM. Shorts are usually paid differently from long-form, so keep them separate.
- Read the result: a monthly range, a yearly range at that pace, a midpoint, and a blended figure per 1,000 views.
The tool is simple multiplication: views divided by 1,000, times RPM. The defaults in the boxes are placeholders so the page is not empty. They are not typical RPMs, so replace them.
Why RPM changes
YouTube's help page says RPM is a snapshot of how fast you are earning. It can rise or fall without anything being wrong. For example, RPM can fall if more of your views are not monetized, even when your revenue is the same. It can rise if viewers join memberships. Seasonality also matters: advertiser spending is usually higher at some times of year than others, so one month tells you little.
Things that usually push RPM around, and which the tool cannot see:
- Where your viewers live.
- Your topic, since some audiences are worth more to advertisers.
- Video length and ad placements.
- How many of your views come from Shorts, which are paid differently.
- Whether you use memberships, Super Chat and the other income streams.
You must be in the Partner Program first
Only creators in the YouTube Partner Program earn from ads. See the requirements guide for the thresholds. Until then, the estimator is only a "what if".
What this tool will not do
- It will not tell you what another channel earns. Public data has no revenue figures, so any exact "earnings" number shown for someone else's channel is a guess.
- It does not promise an outcome. It multiplies two numbers you enter.
- It does not include taxes, which depend on where you live.
- It does not include sponsorships, affiliate sales or merchandise.
FAQ
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
It varies a lot. That figure is your RPM, and you can read yours in YouTube Studio under Analytics, Revenue. A range from your own history is more useful than any average.
What is the difference between RPM and CPM?
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions before YouTube's share. RPM is what you earn per 1,000 views after the share, including unmonetized views. RPM is lower.
Does the estimator use real data from my channel?
No. It only uses the numbers you type in.
Do Shorts earn the same as long videos?
Not usually. The tool has a separate Shorts RPM box so you can model them separately. Use real figures from your own analytics.
Can I see how much a competitor makes?
No. Revenue is private to the channel owner and Google.