How Much Does YouTube Pay for 1 Million Views?

There’s no secret that you can make money on YouTube.

And getting to millions of views require a lot of hard work, consistency, and dedication.

You need to create engaging and high-quality content, build an audience, and continually promote your channel to attract advertisers and sponsors.

First Things First: Join the YouTube Partner Program

There is no shortcut to success, and earning from YouTube videos is not one of those get-rich-quick schemes.

YouTube values quality content, and it is an excellent channel to build your audience and earn a second income.

However, before learning how much YouTube pays for a million views, you must join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).

Regardless of the quality of your video content, the number of subscribers, or the view count, you won’t earn a penny unless you join the YPP.

Members of the YPP are entitled to a share of the revenue from ads served with their video content. They also get access to a variety of monetization features, YouTube resources, and support from creator support teams.

To become a YPP member, YouTube content creators must fulfill certain conditions:

• In the last 12 months, their YouTube channel must have acquired at least 1000 subscribers and 4,000 valid watch hours.
• Alternatively, they can have 10 million valid views of their Shorts in the preceding three months (90 days), along with 1000 subscribers.
• Content creators must also connect an active AdSense account to their YouTube channel and abide by the platform’s policies and guidelines.

Once you have fulfilled these conditions, you are all set to earn from your YouTube channel.

How Much Does YouTube Pay for 1 Million Views: The Magic Number

On average, YouTube pays 4,000 USD for 1 million views, however that number will vary on factors such as the topic of the video, the demographics or your audience or the geographical location of the viewers. Based on those factors, YouTube can pay you up to several tens of thousands of dollars for 1 million views.

One Million Views is the magic figure that guarantees a large paycheck for YouTube content creators. However, how much you earn for a million views depends on several factors, which we will discuss soon.

Some content creators have even earned five-figure sums from a single video after crossing the one million views mark.

In an interview, content creator Shelby Church revealed that one of her Amazon FBA videos, which has 1.8 million views so far, had increased her bank balance by $30,000.

She also mentioned that her Revenue per Mille (RPM) – revenue per 1000 views – is one of the highest among YouTube creators in the same niche.

YouTube Partner Program members can earn up to 55% of a video’s advertisement revenue.

However, YouTube has a slightly different revenue-sharing model for Shorts (YouTube’s short-form videos).

An undisclosed percentage of the revenue from all Shorts content is first paid to record labels (for their music). From the remaining revenue earned from ads used in Shorts, the content creator receives 45% of the amount.

YouTube Terms That Matter: Understanding RPM, CPM, and CPC

If you’re a novice to the YouTube Partner Program, familiarizing yourself with three key metrics will aid in determining your video ad revenue.

Revenue per Mille

Revenue per Mille (RPM) is a metric that represents your earnings per 1000 views, combining all the revenue streams from YouTube, such as Super Thanks, Super Stickers, and Super Chat. RPM serves as a useful indicator for measuring the success of your monetization strategy on YouTube.

However, it’s important to note that this metric doesn’t account for revenue earned through merchandise sales, sponsorships, brand deals, consultation fees, and other non-YouTube sources.

Despite its limitations, RPM remains a valuable metric for assessing your overall ad revenue on the platform.

Cost per Mille

Cost per Mille (CPM) measures the amount advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their ads, which means the cost they pay for displaying their ads 1,000 times. This metric covers ads that appear before and during YouTube videos.

Why does CPM matter? A higher CPM signals that advertisers are willing to invest more money in displaying their ads on your videos.

Advertisers typically pay more for videos they deem valuable, as high-quality content attracts a quality audience that can help them achieve their business objectives.

Therefore, a high CPM indicates that your content is performing well and is valued by advertisers, making it an essential metric for content creators to keep an eye on.

Cost per Click

Cost per Click (CPC) is another essential metric to track. This measures the amount that an advertiser pays for each click on their ad. Businesses often opt for the CPC model for ads placed on the video page, but not within the video itself.

Factors that Influence the Pay-per-Million Views

YouTube Channel	Revenue per Million	Revenue per Mille (1,000)	Niche
Reyes The Entrepreneur (US)	$3,360	$3.36	Business
Shelby Church (US)	$1,650	$1.65	Tech and Lifestyle
Web Hacks (India)	$240	$0.24	Lifestyle
Akosi Dogie (Philippines)	$560	$0.56	Lifestyle
Matt Brighton (UK)	$12,860	$12.86	Make Money

As shown in the table above, not all YouTubers earn the same amount per 1 million views. What causes such differences in revenue, and what factors determine the RPM? Let’s explore and find out.

Niche

The niche you choose has a huge role to play in how much the advertisers are willing to pay, and consequently, the money you earn per million views.

YouTube channels focused on business, entrepreneurship, and finance typically command higher ad rates than those centered around gaming, lifestyle, and other topics.

According to an analysis of 50 articles on ‘How Much YouTube Pays Me,’ gaming channels generate an average RPM of $2, while videos about entrepreneurship can earn up to $5 per 1,000 views.

The reason for this discrepancy is straightforward: advertisers perceive greater revenue potential in some niches (such as finance and entrepreneurship) and are willing to pay more to reach these audiences.

Length of the Video

YouTube’s ad policies allow for only one ad to be included in videos that are less than 8 minutes long. However, if your video exceeds this length, you can insert one or multiple mid-roll ads to boost your revenue. By placing ads strategically throughout your video, you can enhance your overall earnings potential.

For example, the Coco Lili (US) channel earned $460 from a brief video (less than 5 minutes) that contained only one ad. In contrast, a slightly longer video (just over 10 minutes) with multiple mid-roll ads generated $2126 per million views.

Geographic Location

Advertisers often seek a higher return on their investments and are therefore more willing to pay YouTubers based in specific regions.

Generally, creators based in higher-income countries tend to earn more revenue from advertisers. Additionally, videos in English and several other European languages typically generate higher RPM than those in Asian or African languages.

For instance, advertisers from high-GDP per capita countries like Germany and Norway may offer rates as high as $40 per 1000 views.

Meanwhile, Jessica Os, a Ghanaian YouTuber who creates content on relationships, commands a relatively high RPM ($5.71) despite being based in a low-income country. This is due to the fact that her videos are in English, making them accessible to English-speaking audiences worldwide.

Audience Demographics

To secure higher payments per 1 million views, the advertisers must find your audience valuable. The demographics of your audience, such as their age, gender, location, and financial status, play a significant role in determining the RPM of your video.

For instance, business-related videos tend to command higher RPM rates because they typically appeal to an audience with greater disposable income. This audience demographic typically consists of people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who tend to spend more money both online and offline.

In contrast, teenagers tend to have lower spending power, resulting in lower RPM rates for gaming niches compared to business, finance, and entrepreneurship content.

Success Stories

Nay Nichole

Nay Nichole is a 28-year-old entrepreneur and lifestyle and beauty content creator from the United States. Since starting her YouTube channel in 2019, she has amassed an impressive 60 million views. Recently, she shared a video detailing how much she earned from YouTube for a million views. Check it out!

Matt Brighton

Matt Brighton is a YouTuber whose videos on personal finance and property investment have garnered an impressive 20 million views. Known for his high RPM, Matt has successfully monetized his content and in a recent video, he shares insights into his YouTube earnings, including how much he was paid for a million views. Tune in to learn more!

Shelby Church

Shelby Church, a popular content creator on YouTube, boasts an impressive subscriber base of 1.77 million. Known for her tech and lifestyle videos, many of her content pieces have amassed millions of views. In a video, Shelby sheds light on her YouTube earnings, specifically on how much she makes per million views. Watch it out!

Graham Stephan

Graham Stephan, a successful real estate agent and investor, boasts a massive following of over 4 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. In his videos, he shares valuable insights, success tips, and pitfalls to avoid in the real estate industry. He shared how much he earned from YouTube for a viral video. Find out more!

Final Thoughts

Based on the information you’ve read thus far, it’s likely you’ve learned how to calculate the amount YouTube pays per 1 million views.

Several factors, including the video’s niche, length, YouTuber location, and audience demographics, play a significant role in calculating earnings.

To establish a dependable income stream, it is essential to produce high-quality video content, engage in promotional activities, and track the YPP metrics.

So, keep creating great content and monitoring your performance to ensure a sustainable income from your YouTube channel.