RPM Calculator
Calculate your RPM (Revenue Per Mille) from total revenue and views.
Total revenue earned ($)
Total views
Your RPM
$2.50
per 1,000 views
Per 100k views
$250
Per 1M views
$2,500
Est. CPM (×1.8)
$4.50
What is RPM?
How creator revenue is actually calculated — and why it differs from what advertisers pay.
RPM (Revenue Per Mille) is the amount a creator earns per 1,000 video views. It is calculated by dividing total revenue by total views, then multiplying by 1,000. Crucially, RPM is based on all views — including views where no ad was shown — which makes it a more honest representation of a channel's true earning power than CPM.
CPM (Cost Per Mille), by contrast, is the rate advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions and is always higher than RPM. YouTube keeps approximately 45% of ad revenue before paying creators, and not every view results in a monetized impression — ad blockers, short views, and viewers in low-demand regions all reduce the pool of monetized impressions. As a result, RPM is typically 30–60% lower than the advertiser CPM for the same content.
CPM (Cost Per Mille), by contrast, is the rate advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions and is always higher than RPM. YouTube keeps approximately 45% of ad revenue before paying creators, and not every view results in a monetized impression — ad blockers, short views, and viewers in low-demand regions all reduce the pool of monetized impressions. As a result, RPM is typically 30–60% lower than the advertiser CPM for the same content.
Average RPM by niche (YouTube)
RPM varies enormously by content category — finance and tech channels can earn 5–10× more than entertainment channels.
Finance & investing
Tech & software
Business & marketing
Health & fitness
Gaming
Entertainment & vlogs
General / mixed
Your channel
Typical 2024 ranges. RPM fluctuates by season, audience geography, and monetization settings.
What affects your RPM
Understanding these levers helps you make content decisions that improve earnings per view.
Audience geography is the single biggest driver of RPM variation. Viewers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia generate significantly higher ad rates because advertisers pay more to reach those markets. A channel with 80% US viewership can easily earn 3–5× more per view than an equivalent channel with mostly South Asian or Southeast Asian traffic.
Content niche matters because advertisers bid more for viewers with high purchasing intent. A video about budgeting software attracts financial services ads with CPMs of $20–$50. A gaming video attracts gaming peripheral ads at $2–$5 CPM. The niche determines the advertiser pool competing to reach your audience.
Seasonality creates predictable swings: RPM typically peaks in Q4 (October–December) as brands exhaust holiday advertising budgets, then drops sharply in January. Q1 is typically the weakest quarter of the year. Planning uploads and monetization pushes around this cycle can meaningfully impact annual earnings.
Video length and ad format also play a role. Videos over 8 minutes qualify for mid-roll ads, which significantly increase the number of ads per view. Enabling all ad formats (skippable, non-skippable, bumper) gives YouTube's algorithm more inventory to fill — though non-skippable ads can affect watch time.
Content niche matters because advertisers bid more for viewers with high purchasing intent. A video about budgeting software attracts financial services ads with CPMs of $20–$50. A gaming video attracts gaming peripheral ads at $2–$5 CPM. The niche determines the advertiser pool competing to reach your audience.
Seasonality creates predictable swings: RPM typically peaks in Q4 (October–December) as brands exhaust holiday advertising budgets, then drops sharply in January. Q1 is typically the weakest quarter of the year. Planning uploads and monetization pushes around this cycle can meaningfully impact annual earnings.
Video length and ad format also play a role. Videos over 8 minutes qualify for mid-roll ads, which significantly increase the number of ads per view. Enabling all ad formats (skippable, non-skippable, bumper) gives YouTube's algorithm more inventory to fill — though non-skippable ads can affect watch time.
Frequently asked questions
Formula / How it works
RPM = (Revenue / Views) × 1000 RPM is what you actually receive per 1000 views after the platform takes its cut (YouTube keeps 45%). RPM differs from CPM which is the advertiser rate. Typical YouTube RPM: $1–$5 for general content, $5–$15 for finance/tech.