Free tool·Data as of 30 October 2026
YouTube money calculator: what your views earn in 2026
YouTube pays creators a median $2.30 per 1,000 engaged views on long videos and a few cents on Shorts, across 300 channels from May 2025 to May 2026. Since August 24, 2026, the view counter counts plays from the first frame, so only about 60% of the views you see earn money. Enter your numbers to get the range for your niche or audience country.
1M views: $480–2,420, median $1,380
How much YouTube pays for 1 million views in 2026
A million long-form views on the counter is about 600,000 engaged views. At the median RPM of $2.30 they bring $1,380, and the middle half of channels earn $480–2,420. A million Shorts views pay 10–20 times less.
| Views on the counter | Shorts | Videos: bottom quarter | median | top quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100K | $4.14–19 | $48 | $138 | $242 |
| 1M | $41–193 | $480 | $1,380 | $2,420 |
| 10M | $414–1,930 | $4,800 | $13,800 | $24,200 |
All niches, 60% engaged views. Videos: AIR RPM, median $2.30; the edges are the medians of the bottom and top quarters of ten niches ($0.80 and $4.03, our calculation). Shorts: 3–14% of long-form RPM per AIR.
YouTube RPM by niche in 2026
Education pays over 4 times the typical niche and kids content 7 times less. Most niches have a median of $2–3, but the spread inside a niche is larger than the gap between niches: the middle half of entertainment channels earn from $0.88 to $5.02. Pick a niche to recalculate.
| Niche | Median | 1M views | Middle half of channels | Shorts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.22 | $6,440 | $2.31–19.50 | ≈ 3–14% | |
| $2.98 | $1,700 | $1.77–5.24 | $0.16–0.28 | |
| $2.43 | $1,460 | $0.88–5.02 | $0.07–0.12 | |
| $2.39 | $1,430 | $1.00–3.90 | $0.11 | |
| $2.33 | $1,070 | $0.70–3.71 | ≈ 3–14% | |
| $2.28 | $1,370 | $1.35–4.16 | $0.97–1.48 | |
| $2.05 | $1,150 | $0.70–3.62 | $0.15–0.17 | |
| $2.01 | $1,210 | $0.73–5.17 | ≈ 3–14% | |
| $1.23 | $640 | $0.72–1.53 | ≈ 3–14% | |
| $0.33 | $198 | $0.16–0.88 | $0.02–0.11 | |
| $2.30 | $1,380 | $0.80–4.03 | ≈ 3–14% |
Long-form RPM: AIR Media-Tech, 300 channels, 3,595 channel-months, May 2025 – May 2026, Studio data. Shorts: AIR, 274 channels; niches without their own data use 3–14% of long-form RPM. “1M views” is on the counter, with Agentio’s engaged share for the topic (46–63%, otherwise 60%). * Fewer than 10 channels: directional.
YouTube RPM by country
Where viewers live moves revenue more than the niche: the same million views from the US brings $2,000–3,000, from India about $400. There is no open data on niche and country together, so the calculator estimates by niche or by country, not both. Where sources disagree, you see the range rather than one “exact” number.
| Country | Videos RPM | 1M views | Shorts |
|---|---|---|---|
| $7.08Dynamoi 7.08 | $4,250 | $0.19 | |
| $6.60Dynamoi 6.60 | $3,960 | — | |
| $6.35Dynamoi 6.35 | $3,810 | — | |
| $5.04Dynamoi 5.04 | $3,020 | $0.17 | |
| $4.65Dynamoi 4.65 | $2,790 | $0.17 | |
| $4.42Dynamoi 4.42 | $2,650 | $0.21 | |
| $3.46–5.12Dynamoi 5.12 · AIR 3.46 | $2,080–3,070 | $0.33 | |
| $1.37–5.53Dynamoi 1.37 · our channel 5.53 | $822–3,320 | $0.16 | |
| $3.39Dynamoi 3.39 | $2,030 | — | |
| $2.91Dynamoi 2.91 | $1,750 | — | |
| $2.60Dynamoi 2.60 | $1,560 | $0.14 | |
| $2.32Dynamoi 2.32 | $1,390 | — | |
| $2.22Dynamoi 2.22 | $1,330 | $0.19 | |
| $1.49Dynamoi 1.49 | $894 | — | |
| $1.46Dynamoi 1.46 | $876 | — | |
| $1.33Dynamoi 1.33 | $798 | $0.10 | |
| $1.07–1.39AIR 1.39 · our channel 1.07 | $642–834 | — | |
| $0.91our channel 0.91 | $546 | — | |
| $0.80our channel 0.80 | $480 | — | |
| $0.27–1.14Dynamoi 0.27 · AIR 1.14 | $162–684 | $0.040 | |
| $0.67Dynamoi 0.67 | $402 | $0.023 | |
| $0.63AIR 0.63 | $378 | $0.008 | |
| $0.18Dynamoi 0.18 | $108 | $0.024 | |
| $0.17AIR 0.17 | $102 | — | |
| $0.14Dynamoi 0.14 | $84 | $0.012 | |
| ads paused | ≈ $0 | — | |
| Brazil | no data | — | $0.045 |
Other countries (34)
| Country | Videos RPM | 1M views |
|---|---|---|
| $5.78Dynamoi 5.78 | $3,470 | |
| $4.72Dynamoi 4.72 | $2,830 | |
| $4.50Dynamoi 4.50 | $2,700 | |
| $4.27Dynamoi 4.27 | $2,560 | |
| $4.00Dynamoi 4.00 | $2,400 | |
| $3.63Dynamoi 3.63 | $2,180 | |
| $3.51Dynamoi 3.51 | $2,110 | |
| $3.01Dynamoi 3.01 | $1,810 | |
| $2.57Dynamoi 2.57 | $1,540 | |
| $2.04Dynamoi 2.04 | $1,220 | |
| $1.92Dynamoi 1.92 | $1,150 | |
| $1.70Dynamoi 1.70 | $1,020 | |
| $1.61Dynamoi 1.61 | $966 | |
| $1.47Dynamoi 1.47 | $882 | |
| $1.40Dynamoi 1.40 | $840 | |
| $1.06Dynamoi 1.06 | $636 | |
| $0.97Dynamoi 0.97 | $582 | |
| $0.86Dynamoi 0.86 | $516 | |
| $0.83Dynamoi 0.83 | $498 | |
| $0.79Dynamoi 0.79 | $474 | |
| $0.78Dynamoi 0.78 | $468 | |
| $0.75Dynamoi 0.75 | $450 | |
| $0.72Dynamoi 0.72 | $432 | |
| $0.55Dynamoi 0.55 | $330 | |
| $0.45Dynamoi 0.45 | $270 | |
| $0.37Dynamoi 0.37 | $222 | |
| $0.37Dynamoi 0.37 | $222 | |
| $0.29Dynamoi 0.29 | $174 | |
| $0.24Dynamoi 0.24 | $144 | |
| $0.21Dynamoi 0.21 | $126 | |
| $0.19Dynamoi 0.19 | $114 | |
| $0.19Dynamoi 0.19 | $114 | |
| $0.18Dynamoi 0.18 | $108 | |
| $0.17Dynamoi 0.17 | $102 |
Videos RPM: Dynamoi, AdSense of music channels to October 21, 2026, countries with 20K+ views; AIR, the median of small channels (under 10K subscribers) by main audience country, January 2024 – April 2026, 10+ channels; our channel, Studio, October 1–28, 2026. Shorts: AIR averages for 2025; CPM: AIR averages across 3,000+ channels. “1M views” is on the counter with 60% engaged.
Russia is a special case: Google and YouTube paused ads there in March 2022, so views from Russia earn no ad revenue. On our channel in October 2026, Russia gave 32% of engaged views and 0.1% of revenue. If many of your viewers are in Russia, enter their share under More: the calculator removes those views from revenue.
How much YouTube Shorts pay
Shorts pay $0.02 to $1.48 per 1,000 engaged views, 3–14% of long videos in the same niche. That follows from how the money works: Shorts Feed ads run between videos, revenue goes into a pool shared by views, and the creator keeps 45% of their allocation. A long video keeps 55% of watch-page ads, and one view can carry several ads.
- Music: $0.97–1.48, the highest, because the pool also pays for the music used.
- Lifestyle $0.16–0.28, gaming $0.15–0.17, crafting $0.11, entertainment $0.07–0.12.
- Kids content: $0.02–0.11, since ads are not personalized.
- By country: US $0.33, UK $0.17, Germany $0.16, India $0.008 (AIR, 2025).
From February 1, 2027, only channels with 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days will earn from the Shorts pool. Check your channel in the YouTube monetization 2027 calculator.
Why the view counter overstates earnings since August 24, 2026
Since August 24, 2026, YouTube counts a view as soon as a video starts to play, in every format. Revenue and RPM still follow engaged views, meaning viewers who stayed past the first seconds, without loops. For long videos these numbers used to be nearly the same. Now they differ.
- Agentio, 75,000 videos after August 24: 60% of the counter is engaged. Large channels 67%, mid-size 57%, small 54%.
- By topic: education 63%, entertainment 60%, lifestyle 57%, gaming 56%, fitness 52%, tech 46%.
- By placement: the home feed and autoplay 20%, the watch page 85%.
- Our channel, October 1–28, 2026: 22,105 views and 11,058 engaged views, 50%.
So by default the calculator takes 60% of the counter (or the topic’s share) and lets you enter your own. Find yours in Studio: Analytics → Advanced mode, metrics Views and Engaged views. If you enter engaged views directly, switch “These views are” to engaged views.
Season: when YouTube pays more
The median RPM climbs to $2.35 in November and drops to $1.56 in January, by a third. Advertisers spend the most before the holidays and the least right after. In Q4, business and finance rise the most (+60%) and entertainment the least (+4%).
How the calculator works
revenue = views × engaged share × (1 − Russia share) ÷ 1,000 × RPM
- By niche: the AIR median and the middle half of channels, from the bottom to the top quarter.
- By country: the country’s RPM from the sources; the range runs from the lowest to the highest.
- By my RPM: your RPM from Studio. It already reflects your countries, so the Russia share is not removed. The calculator shows where your RPM stands in the niche.
- The month adjusts RPM by AIR’s seasonal curve. A year is the average month × 12.
This is a model, not YouTube data. The figure is estimated revenue before US tax withholding and the final adjustment early next month. What changes on the way to the payout: estimated vs finalized earnings.
Where to find your RPM in Studio
- Analytics → Revenue → the Content performance card: RPM for videos and Shorts separately.
- Advanced mode → the RPM metric: by day, video and traffic source.
- Advanced mode → Geography: revenue and CPM by country. Studio does not show RPM by country: divide a country’s revenue by its engaged views.
The Monvilo dashboard collects revenue, RPM and ad impressions from Studio on its own, with no exports, and shows why revenue changed: viewers, the share of views with ads, ads per view or ad prices.
FAQ
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million views in 2026?
About $1,380 for 1 million long-form views on the counter at the median RPM of $2.30, if 60% of them are engaged views. The middle half of channels earn $480–2,420. A million Shorts views pay about $40–190. Education channels earn several times more, kids content several times less.
How much do YouTube Shorts pay per 1,000 views?
From $0.02 to $1.48 per 1,000 engaged views depending on the niche, or 3–14% of long-form RPM (AIR, 274 channels). Music Shorts pay the most ($0.97–1.48), kids content the least ($0.02–0.11). By country, US Shorts average about $0.33 and India about $0.01 (AIR, 2025).
Why does the calculator count only part of my views?
Since August 24, 2026, YouTube counts a view from the first frame, while revenue and RPM follow engaged views, meaning viewers who stayed past the first seconds. Agentio measured 60% engaged views across 75,000 videos; on our channel it was 50%. Multiplying RPM by the full counter overstates earnings.
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views in India?
AIR measured a median of $0.63 per 1,000 views for small channels whose main audience is in India (13 channels) and an average CPM of $0.74. Shorts in India average about $0.008 per 1,000 views. One million long-form views from India bring roughly $380.
How much do YouTubers make per subscriber?
Nothing directly: YouTube pays for views with ads and for Premium, not for subscribers. If a channel with 1 million subscribers gets 2 million long-form views a month at the median RPM of $2.30, that is about $2,760 a month. The same channel in education would earn several times more.
Does YouTube pay for views from Russia?
No ad revenue: Google and YouTube paused ads in Russia in March 2022. Those views still count in the RPM denominator, so a channel with a large Russian audience has a low RPM even when ads in other countries pay well.
Is this what YouTube will pay me?
No, it is estimated revenue. YouTube finalizes it early the next month, withholds US tax on earnings from US viewers, and pays through AdSense once you pass the threshold. The numbers you enter never leave your browser.
Sources
Checked 30 October 2026: AIR, RPM by niche, AIR, RPM by month, AIR, Shorts by niche, AIR, Shorts by country, AIR, small channels by country, AIR, CPM by country, Dynamoi, RPM by country, Agentio, engaged view rate, YouTube Help: view counting from August 24, 2026, YouTube Help: RPM and CPM, YouTube Help: 55% and 45% shares, YouTube Help: ads in Russia. Exchange rates: Bank of Russia, October 31, 2026. Our channel: Studio, October 1–28, 2026.