Monetized YouTube channels can earn anything from a little up to thousands of dollars per month. There is no set amount you’ll get based on how many subscribers you have. Instead, the main factors will be how many views you are receiving, what country your audience is located in, what type of content you are using, what advertisers want to advertise, engagement, and what type of monetization you’re using.
Currently, creators earn 55% of net ad revenue from long-form content and live streams through the Watch Page Ad monetization module, while Shorts creators receive 45% of the revenue allocated from the Shorts Creator Pool. If you're exploring ways to grow your presence, choosing to buy YouTube channel can also be an option to consider.
Creators can earn from other sources too such as YouTube Premium, channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Shopping, sponsorships, affiliate marketing and their own products/services.
This is why two channels with the same amount of subscribers could earn very different amounts per month.
Understanding RPM, CPM and What Affects Your Income
It’s important to understand the difference between CPM and RPM.
CPM means that advertisers will pay roughly the listed price for 1,000 impressions. RPM is a better metric for creators to look at as it shows an estimate of how much you’ll earn for every 1,000 total video views received. After taking YouTube’s share of the money.
So for example a channel earns $300 from 100,000 views, its approximate RPM would be $3.
RPM = (Estimated Revenue / Total Views) x 1000
A channel with 500,000 views per month would earn $3 RPM could therefore generate approximately $1500 in estimated revenue.
However, this can vary drastically. With finance, business, software, education, technology and professional content you could earn more from advertisers wanting to advertise on your content.
If your audience is coming from countries with strong advertising markets then your revenue may be higher than someone who is receiving less from their region.
Your video length, watch time, age demographic, season, competition from advertisers, suitability of ads, percentage of monetized views, and content type can all affect how much you earn.
How Much Can You Earn Per View?
The best way to work out how much you could earn from your channel is to think about multiple scenarios with your RPM.
Let’s say you have a long-form channel with 100,000 views per month.
With an RPM of $1 RPM, estimated monthly revenue would be around $100.
With an RPM of $3 RPM, it would be around $300.
With an RPM of $5 RPM, it would be around $500.
If you had 1 million views per month with your channel then you could earn roughly $1,000 at a $1, $3,000 at a $3 and $5,000 at a $5 RPM.
These are just examples of how much you could earn. You may earn more or less than this.
You should also consider how much you’re earning from your Shorts, especially if you have a monetized YouTube channel. Shorts have a different monetization structure, so don’t assume that 1 million views from Shorts will earn you the same amount as 1 million views from long-form content. Instead, revenue is first distributed among creators through the Creator Pool.
Subscribers are an important factor but this doesn’t mean the more subscribers you have the more money you’ll earn. A channel with 50,000 subscribers and millions of views per month could earn more than a channel with 500,000 subscribers but very little traffic now.
How To Work Out How Much A Monetized Channel Can Earn
When looking at your own channel or purchasing an existing monetized channel make sure you don’t focus on the lifetime earnings.
Look at recent earnings.
Have a look at how much you’ve been earning in the last 28 days, 90 days, 6 months and 12 months. How does this compare to how many views you have per month? Are you earning steady, increasing or decreasing amounts?
Look at your RPM and estimated earnings within YouTube Studio. Also check what traffic sources you’re receiving, which videos are performing well, what countries your audience are from, how many people are returning to watch your content, average watch time, and if you’re relying on just one or two videos to earn most of your money.
If you’re only earning $1,000 per month consistently from many videos may be more dependable than a channel that earned $1000 because one of your videos has recently gone viral.
Conclusion
Buyers looking to sell YouTube channel or purchase one should also check whether the content is original, if there are any copyright or Community Guidelines issues, and whether the existing videos are still suitable for monetization. YouTube continues to review channels in the Partner Program to ensure they comply with its monetization policies.
The most useful thing to look out for is how much you’re earning per month, RPM, steady traffic, quality content, quality audience, future content potential and extra monetization opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How much does YouTube pay per 1000 views?
A: There isn’t a set amount. This depends on your RPM, content type, where your audience is from, what advertisers want to advertise, and video type.
Q2: How much can I earn per month from a monetized channel?
A: Anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on how many views you have, RPM, your audience, niche and extra income.
Q3: Does YouTube pay based on subscribers?
A: No. There isn’t a set amount you’ll receive for having subscribers. They can help you gain recurring views but how much you actually earn will depend more on monetized traffic and generating income.
Q4: Can I make good money from a smaller channel?
A: Yes. If you have quality content, good views, high value audience, good RPM, sponsorship opportunities or affiliate income then you could earn more than a much bigger but inactive channel.
Q5: Do Shorts earn the same as long-form content?
A: No. Shorts will have a different ad and monetization system. You should look at how much you’re earning from this section separately.