In depth
RPM stands for Revenue per Mille — Latin for revenue per 1,000 views. It represents the net amount a creator earns for every 1,000 video views, after the host platform (YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, etc.) takes its share and after factors like non-monetized views, ad blockers, and skipped ads are accounted for.
RPM is different from CPM. CPM is what advertisers pay the platform per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is what the creator keeps. On YouTube, the typical relationship is roughly RPM ≈ CPM × 0.55 because YouTube takes a 45% cut on long-form video and a smaller cut on Shorts.
RPM varies dramatically by niche, audience country, video length, and seasonality. Finance, B2B SaaS, insurance, and legal niches routinely report RPMs above $20, while gaming, entertainment, and meme channels often sit between $1 and $4.
What affects RPM (Revenue per Mille)
- Niche / topic — finance, tech, and insurance pay 5–10× more than entertainment.
- Audience geography — US, UK, AU, CA, and DE traffic earns the highest RPM.
- Video length — long-form video monetizes more ad slots than Shorts.
- Seasonality — Q4 (Oct–Dec) RPMs run 30–60% higher than Q1.
- Watch time and audience retention — higher retention triggers more mid-roll ads.