YouTube Money
Calculator

YouTube pays creators through RPM (Revenue Per Mille), which averages $3-5 per 1000 views in the US. This varies significantly by niche - finance channels can earn $15-30 per 1000 views, while gaming channels might earn $2-4 per 1000 views.

We use industry CPM rates and apply multipliers for niche, country, and video length. Actual earnings can vary based on ad rates, seasonality, and audience demographics. Our estimates are within ±30% of actual earnings for most creators.

YouTube Shorts have a different monetization model with an RPM of around $0.03-0.06 per 1000 views (compared to $3-5 for regular videos). This is because Shorts compete with TikTok and have limited ad inventory. Shorts are better for growth than revenue.

CPM (Cost Per Mille) is what advertisers pay per 1000 ad impressions - the gross rate. RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is what creators earn per 1000 views after YouTube's 45% cut. RPM = CPM × 55% × ad fill rate.

Finance, Business, and Technology pay the most ($15-30 CPM) because advertisers in these niches have high customer lifetime values. Insurance and legal content can pay even more ($25-50 CPM). Gaming and Music pay the least ($2-5 CPM).

100% free, no login required. Calculate earnings for unlimited videos and channels. No credit card, no account creation needed. We believe all creators deserve access to free earnings estimation tools.

At average RPM ($5), 1 million views = approximately $5,000. However, this ranges from $500-$1,500 for music/gaming content to $15,000-$30,000 for finance/tech content with primarily US audiences. Niche and audience location are the biggest factors.

Yes, significantly. Videos over 8 minutes can include mid-roll ads, potentially 2-3x earnings per view. A 15-minute video might show 3-4 ads while a 5-minute video shows only 1. Our calculator factors in video length multipliers for accurate estimates.

Advertisers pay dramatically different rates by country. US/UK/Australia audiences command $20-40 CPM while India/Southeast Asia audiences earn $1-3 CPM. Same video, same views - up to 20x difference in earnings based purely on where viewers are located.

YouTube pays around the 21st-26th of each month for the previous month's earnings. You need to reach the $100 minimum threshold. Earnings are finalized around the 10th, then processed for payment. First payment typically arrives 6-8 weeks after your first monetized video.

Top strategies: Create videos 8+ minutes for mid-roll ads, target US/UK audiences, stay advertiser-friendly (avoid yellow $), upload in Q4 when CPMs peak, improve watch time and retention, consider higher-CPM niches, and add multiple revenue streams (memberships, sponsorships).

Common reasons: 1) Majority audience from low-CPM countries, 2) Videos under 8 minutes (no mid-roll), 3) Q1 seasonal slump (Jan-Mar), 4) Limited ads (yellow $) on content, 5) Low viewer retention reducing ad impressions, 6) Gaming/music niche with lower CPM.

Yes! Paste any public channel URL, video URL, or @handle. Great for researching competitors, analyzing niche potential, or estimating what top creators in your space might be earning. We use public view counts and industry CPM data.

YouTube Premium subscribers don't see ads, but you still earn from their views. Premium revenue is distributed based on watch time. Some creators report Premium paying similar or slightly higher than ad revenue per view, especially for longer videos that Premium members watch fully.

Yes! Our calculator uses current 2026 industry CPM rates across all niches and countries. We update our data regularly based on creator reports and industry benchmarks. Rates shown reflect current advertiser spending patterns and YouTube's revenue share.