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YouTube RPM and CPM explained: what a creator actually earns

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YouTube Studio shows two figures per 1,000 views that look alike and are not: CPM and RPM. CPM is what advertisers pay; RPM is what you earn. Mixing them up is the most common reason an earnings estimate comes out several times too high. This guide uses YouTube’s own definitions and figures.

CPM: what advertisers pay

YouTube defines CPM as how much advertisers spend for 1,000 ad impressions. It is measured before YouTube takes its share, and it counts only views where ads were shown. One view can carry more than one ad, so YouTube also shows a playback-based CPM, per 1,000 monetized playbacks.

YouTube’s own example: a video gets 5,000 views; 1,000 of them show one ad and 500 show two. That is 1,500 monetized playbacks and 2,000 ad impressions. If advertisers paid $7 in total, the CPM is $7 ÷ 2,000 × 1,000 = $3.50, and the playback-based CPM is $7 ÷ 1,500 × 1,000 = $4.67.

RPM: what you earn

RPM, revenue per mille, is what you earned for every 1,000 views. It is measured after YouTube’s share, it counts all views, including the many that showed no ad, and it adds every source of revenue YouTube pays you: ads, channel memberships, YouTube Premium, Super Chat and Super Stickers.

In the example above, with the 55% share for long videos and no other revenue, you would receive $7 × 55% = $3.85, an RPM of $3.85 ÷ 5,000 × 1,000 = $0.77. The advertisers’ CPM was $3.50. That gap is normal, and it is why only RPM should go into an earnings estimate.

YouTube earnings calculator

CPM and RPM side by side

CPMRPM
Who it describesWhat advertisers spendWhat you earn
YouTube’s shareBeforeAfter
Views countedOnly views with ads (per 1,000 impressions)All views
Revenue includedAds and YouTube PremiumAds, memberships, Premium, Super Chat and Super Stickers

How YouTube shares the money

Creators in the YouTube Partner Program receive 55% of the revenue from ads on their long videos and 45% for Shorts. Shorts are paid differently: each month the ad revenue from the Shorts feed goes into a Creator Pool, which is divided by each creator’s share of engaged views in each country, and creators keep 45% of their part. Using music in a Short does not reduce your part of the pool.

Who can earn, now and from February 2027

Today a channel can join the ad revenue sharing with 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Hours from views in the Shorts feed do not count towards the 4,000.

New terms start on 1 February 2027 and have to be accepted in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027. New applicants will need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days; channels already in the programme are not affected. And Shorts revenue sharing will be paid only in months when a channel has had 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days; below that, it keeps earning from its long videos.

Estimating a month of earnings

Multiply the views you expect by your own RPM from YouTube Studio (Analytics, Revenue), separately for long videos and Shorts, because their RPMs are very different:

These RPMs are an example, not averages: RPM depends on who watches, where they live and what advertisers want to reach. Use your own.

YouTube earnings calculator

Sponsorships are priced differently

A sponsorship is agreed with the brand, so its price does not come from your RPM. Many creators quote it as a CPM of their own on their average views: 25,000 views at a CPM of 18 make 450 for one integration, while the same 25,000 views at an ad RPM of 2.50 bring 62.50. Usage rights, exclusivity and an agency’s commission come on top. A paid promotion has to be declared in the video’s details on YouTube, which shows viewers a label.

Sponsorship rate calculator

Frequently asked questions

Why is my RPM so much lower than the CPM?

Because RPM is after YouTube’s share, and because it divides your earnings by all views, including the many that showed no ad. CPM counts only ad impressions and is before the share.

Does RPM include YouTube Premium and memberships?

Yes. RPM adds ads, channel memberships, YouTube Premium, Super Chat and Super Stickers. CPM includes only ads and YouTube Premium.

Do Shorts views count towards the 4,000 watch hours?

No. Qualified watch hours from views in the Shorts feed do not count towards the 4,000 hours; Shorts have their own path, 10 million qualified views in 90 days.

What changes on 1 February 2027?

New applicants need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views, and Shorts revenue sharing requires 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, checked every month. Channels already in the programme keep their long-form earnings, and everyone has to accept the new terms by 31 January 2027.

Can I use another channel’s RPM?

Only as a rough guess. RPM depends on the audience, its countries and the topic, so the figure in your own YouTube Studio is the one to use.

References

  1. YouTube Help — Revenue per mille (RPM) and cost per mille (CPM)
  2. YouTube Help — YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility
  3. YouTube Help — YouTube Shorts monetization policies
  4. YouTube Official Blog — YouTube Partner Program, explained (3 February 2025)
  5. YouTube Official Blog — YouTube Partner Program updates for 2027 (10 August 2026)
  6. YouTube Help — Add paid product placements, sponsorships & endorsements

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