RPM YouTube Calculator by Category, Country & Shorts

Confused about how much YouTube really pays? You're not alone in the YouTube industry. Figuring out whether RPM or CPM matters more, and estimating your actual earnings, can be frustrating.

This free YouTube RPM calculator helps you instantly estimate your channel revenue, compare RPM by category and country, and understand your true earning potential—without needing to dig through YouTube Analytics.

YouTube RPM Calculator

Calculated RPM

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Based on these numbers, your channel earns an average of £0.00 for every 1,000 views.

How it works

Select from the tabs above what you want to calculate. If you know your revenue and views, you can work out your RPM, estimate future earnings, or see benchmark RPMs for different niches and countries (such as the UK, US, or India).

RPM vs CPM

What is the difference between RPM and CPM?

  • CPM: How much advertisers pay YouTube per 1,000 ad impressions.
  • RPM: How much you actually earn per 1,000 views after YouTube takes its cut (usually 45%) and factors in views where ads did not appear.

By category

Your content niche heavily impacts your earnings. Finance and business channels often see the highest RPMs because advertisers pay a premium to reach those audiences. Entertainment and gaming channels usually have lower RPMs but compensate with higher view counts.

By country

Audience location is just as important as your niche. Tier 1 countries like the UK, US, and Australia generate higher ad revenue per view. If a large portion of your audience is in India or developing regions, your average RPM will be lower, even in a high-paying category.

Shorts RPM

Shorts monetise differently from long-form videos. Instead of pre-roll ads, revenue is shared from ads shown in the Shorts feed. Because they are short, the RPM is significantly lower—often between £0.01 and £0.05 per 1,000 engaged views.

The Math Behind Your RPM

A simple breakdown of why your final RPM is always lower than the initial CPM.

1. Gross CPM

What advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions.

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2. Ad Fill Rate

Not all views show ads (adblockers, premium users).

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3. Creator Share

You keep 55%, YouTube takes 45% of the revenue.

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4. Net RPM

Your actual take-home earnings per 1,000 total views.

Frequently Asked Questions

RPM stands for Revenue Per Mille. It represents your total estimated earnings per 1,000 views on your channel.

YouTube calculates RPM by dividing your total estimated revenue by your total views, then multiplying by 1,000.

Your CPM only looks at monetised playbacks (views with ads) and represents what advertisers pay. Your RPM looks at all views and represents what you keep after YouTube’s 45% share.

Yes. Shorts revenue comes from a pooled fund based on ads shown between videos in the Shorts feed, which results in a much lower RPM than long-form content.

Absolutely. Advertisers bid different amounts depending on the viewer's location. A view from the UK typically generates more revenue than a view from regions with lower ad spend.

Yes. Advertisers pay more to reach audiences in niches like personal finance, software, or real estate compared to general entertainment or vlogs.

This tool provides estimates based on industry benchmarks and standard formulas. Actual YouTube earnings depend on seasonality, ad suitability, and audience demographics.

You can use the CPM to RPM converter in this tool. As a rough rule, your RPM is often around 30% to 50% of your CPM, depending on your monetised playback rate.

They all work together. A high RPM in a small niche can earn as much as a low RPM with massive views. Creators who compare performance assets may also use a youTube thumbnail downloader to review thumbnails during content optimisation, helping them maximise clicks and overall revenue.