YouTube Shorts RPM Calculator: Estimate Your Shorts Revenue Fund Earnings
YouTube Shorts monetization operates on a fundamentally different model than long-form video ads, and the revenue gap is staggering. While long-form YouTube videos earn creators $3-$12 RPM on average, Shorts RPM sits between $0.03 and $0.10 per 1,000 views in 2026. That means a Short that racks up 1 million views earns roughly $30-$100, compared to $3,000-$12,000 for the same view count on a standard video. This 50-100x revenue gap exists because Shorts ads are served in a shared feed rather than directly on individual videos, and the ad revenue pool is split across all qualifying Shorts creators based on their share of total Shorts views.
YouTube introduced Shorts revenue sharing in February 2023, replacing the earlier Shorts Fund. Under the current model, music licensing costs are deducted from the ad revenue pool first (since many Shorts use copyrighted music), and the remaining revenue is allocated to creators based on their view share. Creators then receive 45% of their allocated revenue — a lower split than the 55% share on long-form content. In practice, this means the effective payout per Shorts view is 50-100x lower than a long-form view, making Shorts a poor primary monetization strategy but an excellent growth and discovery channel.
This calculator helps you estimate Shorts earnings at realistic RPM levels so you can set accurate expectations. Use it to understand how many Shorts views you actually need to generate meaningful revenue, and to compare Shorts earnings against long-form content to build a balanced channel strategy that uses Shorts for audience growth while relying on long-form for income.
Key Data & Benchmarks
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Shorts RPM (all creators) | $0.03 - $0.10 |
| Top-Performing Shorts Creators RPM | $0.08 - $0.15 |
| Shorts Using Licensed Music (lower RPM) | $0.01 - $0.04 |
| Shorts with Original Audio (higher RPM) | $0.05 - $0.12 |
| Long-Form YouTube RPM (for comparison) | $3.00 - $12.00 |
| Creator Revenue Share (Shorts) | 45% of allocated revenue |
| Creator Revenue Share (Long-Form) | 55% of ad revenue |
| Shorts Views Needed to Match 100K Long-Form Views | 5M - 30M views |
Revenue Examples
| Scenario | Views | RPM | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viral Short (100K views) | 100,000 | $0.05 | $5.00 |
| Growing Shorts Creator (1M views/mo) | 1,000,000 | $0.06 | $60.00 |
| Established Shorts Channel (10M views/mo) | 10,000,000 | $0.07 | $700.00 |
| Top Shorts Creator (50M views/mo) | 50,000,000 | $0.08 | $4,000.00 |
| Mega Viral Short (100M views) | 100,000,000 | $0.05 | $5,000.00 |
Calculate Your RPM
Revenue Data
Earnings = (RPM x Page Views) / 1,000
Who Uses This Calculator?
Shorts-only channel revenue modeling
Calculate the view volume needed to generate meaningful income from Shorts alone, helping you set realistic expectations — most Shorts-only creators need 10M+ monthly views to earn even a modest side income.
Long-form vs. Shorts revenue comparison
Compare the revenue from investing time in one polished long-form video versus multiple Shorts to determine the optimal content mix for your channel's growth and monetization balance.
Shorts as a funnel strategy
Model how Shorts drive subscriber growth that converts into long-form views, calculating the indirect revenue value of Shorts through increased long-form viewership rather than direct Shorts earnings.
Music licensing impact analysis
Compare RPM for Shorts using licensed music versus original audio to decide whether the reach boost from trending sounds justifies the revenue reduction from music licensing deductions.