Estimate your monthly YouTube ad revenue based on views, niche, and audience location. See what you could be earning from AdSense.
Total views across all videos per month
Higher-value niches earn more per view
Where most of your viewers are located
Longer videos earn more per view
CPM (Cost Per Mille) is how much advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions on your videos. YouTube keeps 45% and pays creators 55% of this amount. Your actual earnings depend on your niche, audience location, video length, and how engaged your viewers are. Understanding your CPM helps you project earnings and optimize your content strategy for higher revenue.
Different content niches command dramatically different CPM rates. Finance and business channels earn $10-$25 CPM because their audiences make purchasing decisions and have higher disposable income. Tech content earns $8-$18 CPM due to high-value products and services in the space. Gaming content, despite massive view counts, typically earns $3-$8 CPM because of younger demographics with less purchasing power. Lifestyle and vlog content sits at $2-$6 CPM.
Smart creators in lower-CPM niches supplement AdSense income with brand sponsorships, which often pay 5-10x more per video than ad revenue alone.
Geographic location dramatically impacts your YouTube earnings. US, Canadian, UK, and Australian viewers generate the highest CPM rates because advertisers pay premium prices to reach these markets. Western European audiences typically earn 70% of Tier 1 CPM rates. Indian and Southeast Asian audiences, despite large populations, generate 20-40% of Tier 1 CPM rates due to lower advertising spending in these regions.
If your channel has a global audience, your effective CPM will be a weighted average based on where your views come from. Check your YouTube Analytics to see your top geographic sources.
Long-form content (8+ minutes) earns significantly more than shorter videos because it can include multiple ad breaks. Mid-form content (4-8 minutes) earns about 80% of long-form CPM. YouTube Shorts earn approximately 10% of traditional video CPM—sometimes less—because they show fewer ads and have different monetization mechanics.
This is why many creators use Shorts for audience growth but focus on long-form content for revenue generation. The ideal strategy combines both: Shorts for discovery, long-form for monetization.
Successful YouTube creators rarely rely solely on AdSense income. Brand sponsorships typically pay 5-10x more per video than ad revenue, especially for channels with engaged audiences. A channel earning $500/month from AdSense could earn $2,000-$5,000 per sponsored video with the same view count.
Other revenue streams include affiliate marketing, digital products, online courses, merchandise, channel memberships, and Super Thanks. The most financially successful creators treat AdSense as baseline income while building multiple additional revenue streams. Use our brand deal calculator to estimate what you could charge for sponsorships.
Earnings vary by niche and location but typically range from $1-$15 per 1,000 views after YouTube's 45% cut. Finance channels earn $5-$14, tech earns $4-$10, gaming earns $1.50-$4, and lifestyle/vlog content earns $1-$3 per 1,000 views. Use our calculator above for personalized estimates.
A "good" CPM depends on your niche. For gaming content, $5-$8 is good. For tech, $12-$18 is good. For finance/business, $15-$25 is good. If your CPM is significantly below these benchmarks, focus on creating content that appeals to Tier 1 audiences and enables more ad placements.
Take your monthly views, divide by 1,000, multiply by your average CPM, then multiply by 0.55 (YouTube's revenue share). For example: 100,000 views Ă· 1,000 = 100 Ă— $8 CPM Ă— 0.55 = $440/month. Our calculator does this automatically with niche and location adjustments.
Low CPM typically results from: younger audiences (18-24 demographics), Tier 2/3 geographic traffic, short video lengths preventing mid-roll ads, controversial content limiting advertiser demand, or posting during low-advertising seasons (January is notoriously low). Check your YouTube Analytics for demographic and geographic breakdowns.
Both. AdSense provides consistent passive income, while brand deals offer much higher per-video earnings. Most successful creators use AdSense as baseline revenue while actively pursuing sponsorships. Once you have 1,000+ subscribers and decent engagement, brands become viable. Calculate potential sponsorship rates with our brand deal calculator.
CreateAlike connects you with brand partnerships that pay 5-10x more than YouTube ads. Track your metrics, showcase your value to brands, and diversify your creator income beyond AdSense.
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