What is a good RPM on YouTube?

RPM of $1–$4 is typical for entertainment/gaming content. $4–$10 is solid for lifestyle and tech. $10–$30 is excellent and typically seen in business, finance, and B2B content. Your RPM in YouTube Studio is your single most important monetization benchmark.

Why is my CPM so low?

Low CPM is typically caused by audience geography (viewers outside US/UK/AU/CA earn far less), niche (entertainment attracts lower advertiser bids than B2B), video length (under 8 minutes limits mid-roll ads), seasonality (January/February are historically the lowest CPM months), or high invalid traffic rates.

What is a good RPM on YouTube?

RPM of $1–$4 is typical for entertainment/gaming content. $4–$10 is solid for lifestyle and tech. $10–$30 is excellent and typically seen in business, finance, and B2B content. Your RPM in YouTube Studio is your single most important monetization benchmark.

Why is my CPM so low?

Low CPM is typically caused by audience geography (viewers outside US/UK/AU/CA earn far less), niche (entertainment attracts lower advertiser bids than B2B), video length (under 8 minutes limits mid-roll ads), seasonality (January/February are historically the lowest CPM months), or high invalid traffic rates.

YouTube

YouTube CPM Calculator

Convert between CPM, RPM, and total earnings. Understand the difference between what advertisers pay and what creators receive.

What would you like to calculate?

Advertiser CPM ($)

Cost per 1,000 impressions paid by advertisers

Monetized Views

Not all views are monetized (typically 70–80%)

CPM & RPM Results

Creator Earnings

$550.00

Your RPM

$5.50

Advertiser CPM

$10.00

Total Ad Revenue Generated

$1,000.00

YouTube's 45% Revenue Share

$450.00

CPM vs RPM

CPM (Cost Per Mille) is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is what you actually earn per 1,000 views after YouTube's 45% cut. RPM is always lower than CPM.

How the Formula Works

Formula

RPM = CPM × (1 − 0.45) Earnings = (Views / 1,000) × RPM CPM = (Earnings / Views) × 1,000 / (1 − 0.45)

Variables

CPMCost Per Mille — what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions

RPMRevenue Per Mille — creator earnings per 1,000 total views

0.45YouTube's revenue share (45% of gross ad revenue)

Worked Example

If YouTube Studio shows your RPM as $4.50, your advertiser CPM is approximately $4.50 / 0.55 = $8.18. A video with 200,000 views earns $4.50 × 200 = $900.

•RPM shown in YouTube Studio already accounts for YouTube's cut — it is your actual take-home per 1,000 views

•CPM fluctuates throughout the year — typically 30–60% higher in Q4 than Q1

CPM vs. RPM: The Essential Distinction

CPM is a metric that belongs to advertisers. RPM is your metric as a creator. When a brand says "we pay a $15 CPM," they mean $15 per 1,000 impressions to run their ad. You receive 55% of that — your RPM is $8.25. The gap matters when evaluating your channel's business performance.

Why Your RPM Changes

RPM fluctuates due to seasonality (Q4 advertising spend is highest), niche (high-value audiences command more advertiser spend), viewer location (US/UK viewers are worth significantly more), content format (longer videos with mid-rolls earn more), and the age of your videos (older content still generating views at lower engagement may have lower fill rates).

Frequently Asked Questions

A good CPM depends heavily on niche. Personal finance and investing channels see $15–$45 CPM. Tech channels see $8–$20. Gaming channels often see $2–$8. "Good" means anything above the niche average for your audience geography.