How Much YouTube Paid Me for 20 Million Views

Understanding Revenue Differences [0:00]

• A video with nearly 23 million views generated approximately $3,000 in revenue, while a video with 1 million views generated nearly $30,000.
• Another million-view video generated nearly $9,000, and a fourth with a million views earned $3,700.
• The wide range of revenue for the same number of views is not random; specific factors influence it.

This section highlights the significant disparity in revenue generated by videos with similar view counts, setting the stage for an explanation of the factors contributing to this variance.

The same amount of views, wide range of revenue. And you might be wondering, why is all the revenue all over the place? And I'm here to tell you that it's not random.

Defining RPM and Key Influences [1:40]

• RPM stands for "revenue per mille," or revenue per 1,000 views. It's a metric indicating how much YouTube pays per thousand views for a specific video.
• Several factors influence RPM, which will be discussed.

This segment introduces the core metric for understanding video revenue and hints at the multiple variables that affect it.

You probably already know what this is, but if you don't, that's revenue per millie or for every thousand views. And this is a metric that we're going to talk about that you need to understand because this is how much YouTube pays you for every thousand views depending on your video.

Longs Versus Shorts [2:02]

• Long-form videos generally generate more revenue than short-form videos, especially when comparing videos with the same number of views.
• Shorts are excellent for accelerated growth and discoverability but typically have lower RPMs.
• A short video with 23 million views had an RPM of $0.16.
• A long-form Pokémon video with 1 million views generated about $9,000, with an RPM of $8.40.
• Longs are better for deeper storytelling and building longer-term audience relationships, while shorts are good for consistent visibility and becoming known.

This comparison demonstrates the direct financial impact of content format on earnings, while also acknowledging the strategic benefits of each type.

RPMs are going to be much higher for longs. What's better, $8.40 or 16?

Audience and High-Paying Niches [3:46]

• The audience watching your videos is a major factor determining RPMs.
• The highest-paying niches for RPMs include finance and investing (upwards of $30-$50 per 1,000 views), education and test preparation, tech and AI, and digital marketing and business.
• A podcasting tutorial video with 1 million views generated approximately $27,732, with an RPM of $26.89.
• In contrast, a comparable Pokémon video (28 minutes long) with almost the same number of views had lower RPMs because it was more entertainment-based.
• Lowest paying RPM categories include kids' specific content, gaming, music, comedy, and non-English videos. These categories do not necessarily mean creators should avoid them, but revenue per view will be lower.

This section elaborates on how the interests and spending power of the target audience, as reflected in specific content niches, directly correlate with higher advertising payouts.

So, finance and investing RPMs, I've seen upwards of $30 to $50 for every,000 views compared to, like I said, with shorts, 16 cents or even less. So, let me show you some of the lowest paying RPMs. Again, this doesn't mean to avoid them. It just means you're going to not make as much money from the number of views that you have.

Where the Money Comes From [5:32]

• Advertisers are the source of revenue; they pay YouTube to get in front of specific audiences.
• Advertisers choose creators, niches, categories, or keywords to target.
• YouTube keeps 45% of the revenue, and the creator receives 55%.
• Advertisers are willing to pay more to reach audiences interested in products or services within their niche (e.g., tech, AI, finance).

This part demystifies the origin of YouTube revenue, emphasizing the role of advertiser demand and the revenue split between the platform and creators.

An advertiser is where the money comes from. A company that wants to get in front of audiences and they will pay YouTube a certain amount of money to get in front of specific audiences, right? They don't just pay YouTube and go, "Okay, like just put it to anybody."

Seasonality and Demographics [6:32]

• Revenue is generally higher towards the end of the year due to increased advertising budgets for the holidays, compared to the beginning of the year.
• Viewer demographics, particularly geographic location, significantly impact revenue. Views from certain countries may be less valuable to advertisers than others.
• For example, a podcasting tutorial video showed that while India contributed 4.5% of total viewership, it accounted for only 0.3% of total revenue.
• If a significant portion of views comes from low-paying regions, the overall revenue can be skewed despite a high number of views.
• Creators can check viewer geography in advanced analytics to understand revenue contributions by country.
• Considering dubbing videos into languages of high-paying countries can be an advanced strategy.

This segment highlights how the timing of content release and the geographical origin of viewers directly influence how much revenue a video can generate.

So, for example in this case for this particular piece of content if I get a load of views coming from India it's not going to pay that much. So I might have a skewed number with millions of views just not a lot of money coming in.

Alternative Revenue Streams [8:24]

• Beyond advertising, creators can generate revenue by selling products or services.
• Platforms like Stan store can be used to create online courses, offer consultations or coaching, and build email lists with lead magnets.
• The speaker recommends smartpassiveincome.com/stan for a free month of service.
• This approach diversifies income beyond ad revenue.

This section broadens the perspective on monetization, encouraging creators to explore direct sales and lead generation as supplementary income sources.

And one of those ways is to sell something. And if you want the easy way to sell something, I'd recommend something like Stan store.

Video Length and Ad Breaks [9:13]

• For long-form videos (over 8 minutes), creators can enable mid-roll ads.
• The longer the video, the more opportunities there are to include ad breaks, increasing potential revenue.
• A 28-minute Pokémon video with 1 million views generated about $9,000, partly due to its length and numerous ad slots.
• An 11-minute Pokémon video with 1 million views generated $3,700, less than half, attributed to its shorter length and fewer ad break opportunities.
• Creators can manage and add ad slots manually, but YouTube ultimately decides which ads to play based on viewer behavior.

This point reinforces the financial advantage of longer content, as it allows for a greater number of monetized ad placements.

The longer the video in general, the more money you can make. And I think this is obvious, but the reason is because you get to include more ad breaks. There's just more opportunities to include ads. As you can see, there's just a few. We could probably add a few more if we wanted to.

Engagement and Content Quality [10:41]

• Engagement, including comments, likes, shares, reposts, and saves, positively impacts video performance and RPMs.
• Directly, more engagement can lead to increased pay from YouTube.
• Indirectly, engaging videos are better for viewers, leading to higher watch times and more ad impressions.
• Higher watch time signals to YouTube that the content is valuable, which can lead to more promotion of the video.
• On shorts, longer watch time also contributes to more impressions.

This section emphasizes that audience interaction is a key indicator of content quality, which in turn drives both algorithmic favorability and direct revenue.

The more comments, likes, shares, reposts, and saves in general, the more you have of that kind of activity, the better your videos will perform and the higher the RPMs will be. Because your videos are that great, um, the more they're going to help you, right?

The "Fun Factor" and Strategy [12:05]

• If the creator is having fun making the video, the audience is more likely to enjoy watching it.
• This leads to increased engagement, more word-of-mouth sharing, and more opportunities.
• Success on YouTube doesn't necessarily require millions of subscribers; a clear plan is essential.
• Consistency and clarity in showing up for the audience are important.
• A plan should also include directing viewers from videos to other offerings, like products or lead magnets, to build an email list.
• Using tools like Stan store can facilitate this.

This concluding part stresses the importance of passion in content creation and outlines a strategic approach to building a sustainable presence and income on the platform.

If you are having fun creating these videos, your audience is going to have more fun watching them, which leads to more engagement and all the things we just talked about, and more people are going to talk about them, and more opportunities will happen as well. You just need a plan. And your plan could be staying consistent and and being clear and showing up for your audience every single day or however often you can do that within your schedule, but also a way to bring people from those videos to something else like an offer that you have or lead magnet to generate an email list.