Wouldn’t life as a creator be so much easier if someone invented a magical calculator that would tell you how much money you could make on YouTube?
Meet our YouTube Money Calculator — it tells you how much money you stand to earn on YouTube, easily. No dealing with complex analytics or spreadsheets.
Sound good? Scroll on to figure out your estimated YouTube earnings right now!
YouTube ad revenue and creator earnings calculator
In a nutshell, our YouTube Money Calculator tells you how much money you can earn through your YouTube channel. All you need to do is punch in a few numbers easily found on your YouTube channel page.
Here’s how it works: Simply fill your total number of views, videos, and subscribers (or type in your YouTube handle) and our YouTube Money Calculator will provide you with your overall estimated earnings from YouTube ad revenue-sharing, as well as from brand deals and digital product sales.
*Note that these totals are only estimates based on average YouTube ad revenue earnings, which differ by advertiser, niche, country, and more.
How YouTube calculates creators’ ad revenue shares
The most popular way to earn money as a YouTube creator is through the platform’s ad revenue-sharing program. You know, those pre-roll and mid-roll ads that play during your YouTube videos? You’re earning a cut of the money paid to YouTube for running those ads. So, how does it all work?
CPM
Let’s take it from the top. To get their ads on the platform, advertisers pay YouTube a sum per 1,000 impressions. This amount is called the “cost per mille” or CPM. Basically, it’s the revenue YouTube receives from advertisers.
CPM rates vary between advertisers. But they also vary according to niche (some topics, like finance, earn more views and, thus, increase competition between advertisers) and even by country (with Norway boasting some of the highest YouTube monetization rates in the world).
RPM
YouTube pays creators 55% of this total ad revenue. This new sum is referred to as your “revenue per mille” or RPM. Essentially, it’s how much money video creators are paid for running ads on their YouTube channel.
It’s important to note that, through ad revenue sharing, YouTube pays creators based on ad impressions (or ad “views”) rather than total video views. Some views might contain more than one ad, and some might not contain any. A range of factors determine whether a video view contains ads or not, including the viewer’s location and demographic. The most crucial factor in ensuring your YouTube videos contain ads (and, thus, are monetized) is to make sure they comply with YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines.
That’s a lot to take in! Especially when you start thinking of all the different variables that come into play. Our YouTube Money Calculator makes things simple by using an average CPM to provide you with a set of estimated earnings based on your personal metrics. This gives you a great idea of how much to expect in terms of monthly YouTube earnings.
How much money can you make on YouTube?
That’s the age-old question, isn’t it? The truth is there’s no cut-and-dry answer to the question, “How much money can I make on YouTube?” The answer varies according to a number of factors, including how many subscribers you have, the kind of content you’re creating, the number of YouTube monetization features you choose to leverage, and more.
Of course, big YouTubers like MrBeast and Emma Chamberlain are able to command tens of thousands of dollars in ad revenue per video. However, YouTubers with much smaller followings are able to earn a good living through ad revenue as well. It all depends on how much effort you’re willing to put in to boost your number of views per YouTube video. Oh, and to make sure your videos comply with ad-friendly content guidelines, too!
How to make money on YouTube
Looking to maximize your YouTube earnings? There are so many ways to make money through YouTube — ad revenue-sharing is just the beginning.
Earn ad revenue
Ad revenue is many YouTubers’ bread and butter when it comes to making money on the platform.
We’ve already walked you through how YouTube’s ad revenue-sharing program works. Essentially, creators earn money for running ads on their videos, and more views equal more income. However, in order to earn ad revenue from your videos, you need to enroll in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
Who’s eligible for earning YouTube ad revenue?
To start earning YouTube ad revenue, you must meet either of the following eligibility criteria of the YPP:
- Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.
or - Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
To join the YPP, you’ll also need to:
- Follow the YouTube channel monetization policies.
- Live in a country where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your YouTube channel.
- Enable 2-Step Verification on your Google Account.
- Have advanced features access on YouTube.
- Have an active AdSense account.
Exploring short-form video? Grab our free YouTube Shorts Monetization Guide for 8 ways to make money from this new format!
How to Join the YouTube Partner Program
Eligible to join the YouTube Partnership Program? Great! Now, you just need to apply (which you can do directly through your desktop or mobile device). Here’s how:
On mobile:
- Open the YouTube Studio app.
- From the bottom menu, tap Earn.
- Select Apply to get started.
- Click Start to review and accept base terms.
- Click Start to set up an AdSense account or link an existing one.
- You’ll see “In Progress” in the “Get Reviewed” step, which means YouTube has received your application!
On desktop:
- Sign in to YouTube.
- In the top right, click your profile picture.
- In the left menu, click Earn.
- Select Apply to get started.
- Click Start to review and accept base terms.
- Click Start to set up an AdSense account or link an existing one.
- You’ll see “In Progress” in the “Get Reviewed” step, which means YouTube has got your application.
Brand deals and sponsorships
Of course, you can also earn money through brand partnerships. Today, YouTubers hold considerable sway over audiences’ buying habits, making them a crucial marketing tool for brands looking to sell their products. Many brands engage in influencer marketing campaigns, paying YouTube influencers to promote their goods and services in their videos.
Generally, creators and brands entering into a partnership will agree on a set fee per sponsored YouTube video. The amount you can earn from a brand partnerships depends on a number of factors, including your number of subscribers, total number of views, and more. Naturally, creators with more subscribers and YouTube views can command more cash from their brand deals.
Curious how much you could make from brand deals? Use our YouTube Money Calculator to calculate your potential earnings!
Sell digital products
Creating and selling digital products is fast becoming one of the most popular — and profitable — ways for creators to make money online.
So, what exactly is a digital product? A digital product is anything you can sell online as a downloadable file. Think ebooks, online courses, templates, digital artwork, and everything in between. Basically, if you can dream it and download it, you can sell it online.
Click here to start creating and selling digital products with The Leap. It’s free!What are the benefits of selling digital products?
Selling digital products is a fairly low-effort way to earn money as a YouTube creator. This is because digital products require relatively little investment (of both time and money) to create and sell.
For one, digital products live online, which means there’s no need for you to rent a brick-and-mortar store or maintain a physical inventory to sell them. Secondly, digital products only need to be produced once. After that, copies can be sold over and over. This all means digital products are a powerful source of passive income.
If you’re a YouTuber with digital products to sell, you’ll definitely want to leverage your YouTube account to maximize your monthly earnings. Promote your products through your video content and descriptions. And don’t forget to addd your store’s link to your YouTube channel. Then, watch the sales roll in!
Create and sell digital products in minutes using The Leap!
Want to start selling digital products?
So, we bet you want to start selling digital products, like, right now. And you know what? You totally can. The Leap is an AI-powered authoring tool that allows you to create digital products in just 30 minutes. Even better: The Leap doubles as a link-in-bio storefront, meaning you can build and sell your digital products all from one platform, in no time.
Want to cash in on digital products? The Leap’s AI-powered authoring tool helps you create and sell digital products, quickly and easily. Try The Leap for free now.
YouTube channel memberships
YouTube channel memberships allow your subscribers to support you through monthly payments, while receiving members-only content and other perks. Essentially, they’re paid subscriptions and a great source of recurring monthly income.
If you’ve joined the YouTube Partner Program and meet other eligibility requirements, you can start making cash through channel memberships.
Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks
Super Chat and Super Stickers are great ways to connect with your fans during live streams and Premieres — all while earning revenue directly from them. How it works is that fans purchase Super Chats to highlight their message within your live chat, or Super Stickers to get an animated image that surfaces in your live chat.
Super Thanks also allow creators to earn revenue from viewers who want to show them a little extra gratitude for their Shorts and long-form videos. In a nutshell, your fans pay to view an animation and have their message highlighted in your YouTube video or Short’s comments section. Then, you’ll earn 70% of your Super Thanks revenue after deductions.
Earn from YouTube Premium
Did you know you can earn money from YouTube Premium? That’s right: whenever a YouTube Premium user watches one of your videos, you earn an income.
You might be wondering, “How can that be possible since Premium members aren’t served ads on my videos?” Well, instead of earning ad revenue from Premium subscribers views, you’ll earn a slice of their monthly membership fee. Best of all? The more Premium viewer watches your YouTube video gets, the more money you make.
YouTube Shopping
Got merch to sell? Why not sell it through YouTube Shopping?
Merch is a great way to earn money while engaging your audience. Think of your YouTube merch like a sport jersey. When your followers buy these pieces of branded merchandise, they’re showing their support and supporting you with cold hard cash. It’s a win-win situation.
YouTube Shopping allows creators to promote and sell their merchandise directly through YouTube from a number of locations on the platform, including their channel’s store, and through videos and live streams.
Join affiliate programs
Want to max out your YouTube earnings? You might want to join an affiliate program. Through affiliate marketing, creators will promote products for brands and earn a commission on each sale.
On YouTube, creators will recommend products in their videos and place affiliate links in their videos’ descriptions. When viewers make a purchase through these links, the creator will earn a percentage of the sale. In short, affiliate marketing is a great source of passive income. What’s not to love?
Want to start earning on YouTube?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how much money you can make on YouTube. But that also means there’s no limit!
You can use our handy YouTube Money Calculator to calculate your estimated earnings and see where you’re at right now.
Looking for more tips to earn on YouTube? Get our free YouTube Shorts Monetization Guide to learn how to make money with short-form videos.
YouTube Money Calculator FAQ
How much money do you get for 1,000 views on YouTube?
There’s no set amount of money that YouTubers earn per 1,000 video views based on ad revenue-sharing. This sum is calculated according to a creator’s unique CPM (cost per mille), which is determined by a number of factors, including location, video length, and subscriber count.
Hubspot estimates that the average CPM in the U.S. is $7 to $10. After deducting YouTube’s 45% share, this means U.S. creators earn, on average, $3.85 to $5.50 per 1,000 YouTube views.
You can also find out your estimated YouTube earnings per 1,000 views with our YouTube Money Calculator.
How much money can you make per 1 million views on YouTube?
Based on Hubspot’s estimated average CPM of $7 to $10, U.S. YouTubers stand to make $3,850.00 to $5,500.00 per 1,000,000 views.
You can also find out your estimated YouTube earnings per 1,000,000 views with our YouTube Money Calculator.
Do YouTubers still get paid if viewers skip ads?
No, YouTube creators don’t get paid if viewers skip ads. This is because advertisers don’t get charged for an ad when it’s skipped before the 5-second mark.
Follow The Leap on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more monetization tips for creators. We also make a newsletter.
Further reading
- YouTube Monetization Requirements: How to Monetize Your Videos in 2024
- YouTube Shorts Monetization: How To Start Earning (Even Without 1,000 Subscribers)
- 11 Tips for Getting Your First 1,000 YouTube Subscribers
- TikTok vs. YouTube Shorts vs. Instagram Reels: Which One Makes You Money in 2024?
This article was originally published in May 2023, and updated in April 2024 with additional information.
