YouTube revenue calculator
Two things sit between a view and a dollar: not every view shows an ad, and YouTube keeps 45% of what advertisers pay. This accounts for both.
Where the money goes
Advertisers pay against monetized playbacks, not total views — ad blockers, skipped pre-rolls and unsuitable content mean a large share of your views never carry an ad at all. The default of 55% is a reasonable middle estimate; your real figure is in YouTube Studio and is worth checking, because it varies enormously by audience and topic.
Of what advertisers do pay, YouTube keeps 45% on long-form videos and hands you 55%. That split is fixed and non-negotiable, which is why the "effective RPM" row — what you actually earn per thousand views of any kind — lands so far below the advertiser RPM people quote in videos about earnings.
RPM swings wildly by niche and season. Finance, software and business audiences command many times what gaming or entertainment does, and Q4 rates are far above January's. If you're modelling a year, use a low RPM for the quiet months rather than annualising a December figure.
Ad revenue is also the least reliable income a channel has. Channels that make real money usually make most of it from sponsorships, memberships or products — all of which scale with audience trust rather than raw view count.
Questions
What RPM should I use?
Check YouTube Studio for your own figure rather than guessing. As rough anchors, gaming and entertainment run low, while finance, software and business run several times higher — and every niche peaks in Q4.
Do Shorts pay the same?
No. Shorts use a separate revenue pool with a different split and dramatically lower effective rates. This calculator models long-form ad revenue.
Is this what I'll actually be paid?
Treat it as an upper bound. It ignores regional variation in your audience, which can move earnings by several times, and AdSense pays out only once you clear the payment threshold.