Monetization

YouTube Money Calculator: Estimate How Much You Can Make on YouTube

by Kelsey McLellan · Published May 16, 2023

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 — this easy-to-use tool 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!

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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 in just a few clicks and keystrokes.

To get into the nitty-gritty, our YouTube revenue calculator computes your total estimated earnings as a YouTube creator. 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.

It’s that simple! And the best thing is you can use our YouTube Money Calculator through your mobile or web browser — no download required. Scroll down to get started.

*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.

youtube money calculator ad revenue sharing brand deals earnings digital products

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. Let’s dive in.

Earn ad revenue

youtube money calculator ad revenue sharing brand deals earnings digital products

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.)

In order to earn ad revenue from your videos, you need to enroll in the YouTube Partner Program.

Who’s eligible for the YouTube Partner Program?

To join the YouTube Partner Program, you must meet either of the following eligibility criteria:

  • 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, you’ll also need to:

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

Are you eligible? Great! Now, you can apply to join the YouTube Partner Program. You can sign up directly through your web or mobile device. Here’s how:

On mobile:

  1. Open the YouTube Studio app.  
  2. From the bottom menu, tap Earn.
  3. Select Apply to get started.
  4. Click Start to review and accept base terms.
  5. Click Start to set up an AdSense account or link an existing one.
  6. You’ll see “In Progress” in the “Get Reviewed” step, which means YouTube has received your application!

On desktop:

  1. Sign in to YouTube.
  2. In the top right, click your profile picture.
  3. In the left menu, click Earn.
  4. Select Apply to get started.
  5. Click Start to review and accept base terms.
  6. Click Start to set up an AdSense account or link an existing one.
  7. You’ll see “In Progress” in the “Get Reviewed” step, which means YouTube has got your application.

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.


Brand deals and sponsorships

youtube money calculator ad revenue sharing brand deals earnings digital products

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.


Sell merch

youtube money calculator ad revenue sharing brand deals earnings digital products

Merch is a great way to make money while engaging your audience. Think of your YouTube merch like sport jerseys. When your followers buy these pieces of branded merchandise, they’re showing their support and supporting you with money. It’s a win-win situation.

Got physical merch to sell? Why not sell it through YouTube Shopping? This feature 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.


Sell digital products

Selling digital products is fast becoming one of the most popular — and profitable — ways for creators to make money online. The digital media market is poised to reach $624 billion this year, making digital products some of the hottest commodities in the creator economy. This is one stream of income you won’t want to miss out on.

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.

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.

Are you a YouTuber with digital products to sell? You’ll definitely want to leverage your YouTube account to maximize your earnings. Promote your digital products through your YouTube videos and descriptions, and don’t forget to add your store’s link to your YouTube channel. Then, all you need to do is sit back and watch the cash roll in.

Want to cash in on digital products? Our AI-powered tool helps you create and sell digital products, easily. Try The Leap for free now.


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 ad revenue sharing brand deals earnings digital products

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 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 $0.38. After deducting YouTube’s 45% share, this means U.S. creators earn, on average, $0.20 per 1,000 views.

How much money can you make per 1 million views on YouTube? 

Based on Hubspot’s estimated average CPM of $0.38, U.S. YouTubers stand to make $209 per 1,000,000 views.

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.

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Further reading

kelsey mclellan
About the author

Kelsey McLellan

Kelsey McLellan is a writer and editor based in Toronto.
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