What is RPM?
RPM (revenue per mille) is the single number that tells you how much money your YouTube channel actually earns per 1,000 views, after Google takes its cut.
RPM vs CPM
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. It's a gross number — before YouTube's 45% revenue share, before unmonetized views, and measured against impressions, not views.
RPM is what hits your account. It's calculated as (total earnings / total views) × 1,000. It already includes the YouTube split, ad fill rate, and Premium subscription revenue. RPM is always lower than CPM.
What moves RPM up
- • Long-form content (8+ min) unlocking mid-rolls
- • Audience in tier-1 countries (US, UK, CA, AU, DE)
- • High-intent niches advertisers pay a premium for
- • Quarter 4 (October–December) seasonal ad spend
- • Skippable + non-skippable + bumper ads stacked together
What pushes RPM down
- • Shorts (~$0.05–$0.10 RPM)
- • Made for kids content (limited ads)
- • Demonetization or limited monetization (yellow icon)
- • Content advertisers avoid (politics, violence, controversy)
Try it on the calculator
Adjust the niche dropdown to see how the effective RPM changes your monthly revenue at your view count.
Open calculator