{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Dataset",
  "name": "Why is my YouTube RPM so low?",
  "description": "Low RPM is driven by 5 things: niche (entertainment/gaming = low CPMs), audience country (Tier-3 = low CPMs), Shorts-heavy mix (pool dilution), video length (under 8 min = no mid-roll), and season (Q1 ad spend drops 30–50% vs Q4).",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/questions/why-is-my-youtube-rpm-low",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "creator": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "RevenueLab",
    "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi"
  },
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "distribution": {
    "@type": "DataDownload",
    "contentUrl": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/page.json?path=questions%2Fwhy-is-my-youtube-rpm-low",
    "encodingFormat": "application/json"
  },
  "json": {
    "type": "question",
    "question": "Why is my YouTube RPM so low?",
    "shortAnswer": "Low RPM is driven by 5 things: niche (entertainment/gaming = low CPMs), audience country (Tier-3 = low CPMs), Shorts-heavy mix (pool dilution), video length (under 8 min = no mid-roll), and season (Q1 ad spend drops 30–50% vs Q4).",
    "ranges": [
      {
        "label": "Tier-1 audience (US/UK/CA/AU)",
        "low": "$4",
        "typical": "$8",
        "high": "$25+"
      },
      {
        "label": "Tier-2 audience (EU, JP, KR)",
        "low": "$2",
        "typical": "$4",
        "high": "$10"
      },
      {
        "label": "Tier-3 audience (LatAm, SEA, India)",
        "low": "$0.30",
        "typical": "$1",
        "high": "$2.50"
      },
      {
        "label": "Shorts-only RPM",
        "low": "$0.04",
        "typical": "$0.06",
        "high": "$0.10"
      },
      {
        "label": "Q1 (Jan–Mar)",
        "low": "−40%",
        "typical": "−30%",
        "high": "−15%"
      },
      {
        "label": "Q4 (Oct–Dec) bump",
        "low": "+15%",
        "typical": "+30%",
        "high": "+60%"
      }
    ],
    "caveats": [
      "RPM lags 24–48 hours in Studio — don't panic on a single bad day.",
      "Demonetization on a single video can drop channel RPM noticeably for weeks.",
      "Switching to 8+ minute videos with mid-rolls is the single biggest lever most creators ignore."
    ],
    "calculator": {
      "label": "YouTube RPM Calculator",
      "to": "/youtube-rpm-calculator"
    },
    "related": [
      {
        "label": "YouTube RPM benchmarks",
        "to": "/stats/youtube-rpm"
      },
      {
        "label": "RPM vs CPM explained",
        "to": "/compare/rpm-vs-cpm"
      },
      {
        "label": "YouTube RPM by niche",
        "to": "/youtube-rpm-by-niche"
      }
    ]
  }
}