It was pretty hard for a video to reach one million views a couple of years ago, but with today’s increase in YouTube users, it is possible to reach the 1 million mark even in a couple of hours.
So without further ado, let us dive into how much YouTube pays for 1 million views, how revenue is calculated, and factors that determine how YouTubers with a million views vary among others.
How Much Does YouTube Pay for 1 Million Views?
Basically, the average YouTube pay for 1 million views is around $2,000 -$5,000 for ads on video views.
However, it can be less or more depending on different factors.
As you know, YouTube pays for ad views based on the CPM rate or cost per 1,000 video ad views.
CPM or cost per mile varies and even though YouTubers may have the same 1 million views, they get to be paid different amounts. Don’t forget that the CPM changes due to various factors.
These factors usually are:
1. Watch Time
Watch time basically is the time your viewers watch time your videos and the more time they spend watching the videos the more money the video makes.
2. The Length of the Video
The length of the video is another factor that affects YouTube’s earnings of 1 million views. The reason being longer videos allow you to include more YouTube ads in the video which increases your earnings. With a 10-minute-long video, it is possible to place two to four advertisements which definitely bring in more ad revenue than a video with one advert.
3. Location of Your Viewers
Different countries have different CPM rates. Therefore, Youtubers with 1 million views get to earn differently. For instance, videos with a lot of viewers from developed countries like the US or UK, get more CPM rate, unlike viewers from developing countries like India or Pakistan.
Note that, this depends on buying power. If you are not targeting countries with high buying power, then it seems the 1 million views will still mean a relatively small amount of money despite anything else.
Here’s the list of the highest average CPM countries:- Norway – $43.15
- Germany – $38.85
- Australia – $32.85
- Moldova – $29.50
- Algeria – $24.50
- Sweden – $18.18
- United Kingdom – $13.75
- Finland – $14.90
- Canada – $13.50
- United States – $13.00
4. Content
Content is another vital factor in deciding how much YouTube pays. Advertisers want to place their ads on YouTube channels that are more appropriate for their target demographic.
So, anything that is not within the targeted demographic result in limited monetization as well as lower CPMs.
Examples of content not suitable for ads are like
- Violent content
- Inappropriate language
- Adult content
- Dangerous or harmful acts
- Hateful or derogatory content
- Recreation drugs and drug-related content
Therefore, ensure you make your videos to be ad-friendly to avoid losing YouTube ad revenue.
5. Niche
There are many types of YouTube niches and all vary when it comes to CPM. That means some niches pay more than others because of the high amount paid by advertisers.
This usually comes about the popularity of the niche. For instance, there are many cooking channels compared to Real Estate ones, meaning advertisers have a variety of cooking channels to choose from.
Nonetheless, Real Estate has fewer channels which means advertisers have to pay more to get a placement.
We highly recommend checking the most popular and highest-paid YouTube niches here.
| Niche | Average CPM |
|---|---|
| Insurance | $16.00 |
| Investing/Finance | $13.00 |
| Business | $13.00 |
| Real Estate | $12.00 |
| Health | $14.00 |
| Social Media | $12.00 |
| IT | $10.00 |
| Gaming | $7.00 |
| Tech reviews | $6.00 |
| Lifestyle | $5.00 |
| DIY | $3.50 |
| Makeup/Beauty | $6.00 |
Note that: These are CPM from the US only. Other countries have different CPM rates
6. Seasonal Advertisers
Just like any other business, YouTubers also experience seasonal advertisers. With every month not being the same, this becomes an essential factor when it comes to how much YouTube pays for 1 million views.
For instance, some brands have fewer advertisements in some parts of the year. The reason behind this may be because they are saving the adverts for the holiday season or special occasions within the year. This, therefore, affects the YouTuber’s earnings.
How Much YouTubers Earn Per 1 Million Views: Comparison
| YouTuber | Country | Video Type | Revenue | RPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Finance/Education | $24,000.00 | $24.00 | |
| United States | Finance/Education | $17,700.00 | $17.77 | |
| New Zealand | Finance/Business | $16,007.00 | $16.07 | |
| United States | Finance/Education | $9,000.00 | $9.00 | |
| United States | Education/Social Media | $8,717.00 | $8.71 | |
| United States | Education | $4,681.00 | $4.68 | |
| Croatia | Watch Reviews | $4,390.00 | $4.39 | |
| United States | How-to | $3,222.00 | $3.22 | |
| Ghana | People | $1,849.00 | $1.84 | |
| India | Music | $1115.00 | $1.11 |
- Biaheza is one of the most favorite YouTubers and a great example of what niche selection and top-quality content could do. In one of these videos he breakdown his earnings and his storyline of increased RPM. This is a perfect example of how much you could earn selecting a trending topic in highly-paid niches.
- Videos with a clearly defined market have considerably higher earning potential. This is seen in Zach Highley’s case where he earned $4,681.91 with his why I’m able to study 70+ hours a week and not burn out video. Apart from his earnings, he got sponsors reaching out to him for deals and other YouTubers wanting collaborations.
- The locations of your viewers play a huge role in YouTube earnings due to the different CPM. This is clearly from The Acheampong Family video. Although the YouTuber is from Ghana, the majority of his 1.7 million video views on food prices in Ghana’s market video came from India.
- Language is also a great factor in YouTube earnings and with English being a universal language, YouTuber’s RPM is based on the location of the audience, Sultan Nation RPM is low in the above list as their videos are not English based meaning their viewers are from India. Moreover, you could keep in mind that the music niche is not the highest-paid at all.
- JMG ENTERPRISES clearly demonstrates that one can earn higher ad revenue with less than 1 million views due to the difference in RPM. For example, one video had 1.2 million views and earned $3,969.18 while another video had 980.8K views which earned him $6,909.83. This is because of the different RPM, the former video has an RMP of $3.22 and the latter RPM is $7.07.
- Most YouTube ad revenue is higher in countries with higher CPM since companies invest more in advertising in those countries.
- The finance and education niches are highly competitive, but they also have high returns.
- Payments for YouTube views do not depend on the number of your subscribers. If you pay attention, several channels from the list have only up to 100,000 subscribers, and an average of 20-30 thousand views, but choosing the right topic can make your video viral.
What are The New YouTube Monetization Options for YouTubers?
- Channel Membership
Just like Twitch’s subscriptions, YouTube now has a paid channel membership. This option allows viewers to join your YouTube channel through monthly payments and get access to various perks like badges, custom emojis, live chat access, and exclusive live streams among other goods.
Requiring a monthly payment, the membership pay usually varies depending on the channel, location as well as membership level the subscriber goes with. Note that, the YouTube channel needs to have 1000 subscribers to qualify for this monetization option.
- Merchandise Shelf
This monetization option is for YouTubers with merchandise to sell. Unlike before YouTubers don’t have to add links to their stores and products in the video description. Now all the YouTuber needs to do is showcase their merchandise below each video by adding images, price, and a short description of the product.
Do note that the merchandise shelf displays up to 30 products to the viewers, and its items are automated based on various factors such as popularity, availability, and price.
- Super Chat and Super Stickers
Super Chat and Super Stickers are another great way to increase your earnings on YouTube. This option enables viewers to purchase Super Chats to highlight their message while you are broadcasting a live video.
Other than that, they can purchase Super Stickers to see a digital or animated image that pops up in the live chat feed. With these two features, the viewers get to have their names and messages stand out in the chat during the broadcasting. The comments are pinned to the top of the feed depending on how much one spends.
Point to note:
The Super Chat and Super Stickers are not available if the live chat is turned off or on age-restricted videos, unlisted, made-for-kids videos, or private videos.
- YouTube Premium
YouTube offers a monthly subscription to YouTube users who want an ad-free experience, YouTube Music, and even offline viewing in this monetization option. There are three different plans available.
- Standard – $11.99 per month
- Family – $17.99 per month
- Student – $6.99 per month
With these subscriptions, YouTubers get a share of the ad revenue based on how much their content is viewed by the YouTube Premium members. This supposedly includes demonetized videos too.
Note that: You may still see still promotional links, merchandise shelves, and branding or promotions embedded in the videos.
The Other YouTube Income Alternatives are:
- Affiliate Links: By placing links on your YouTube videos, you earn a commission by promoting other products. This provides a small but potentially steady source of revenue.
- Brand Sponsorships: With the right niche and a great YouTube following (from 100K subscribers), brand sponsorship is a great way to increase your YouTube revenue. Just keep in mind, that most brands usually pay a one-time sum of money for sharing their products. The good news is that if the product gets a lot of exposure through your videos, the brands can become existing clients thus enabling you to earn more.
FAQ
Which is the First YouTube Video to Hit 1 Million views?
When are YouTubers Paid by YouTube?
How Often Does YouTube Update View Count?
What are the Benefits of Having 1 Million YouTube Views?
Do YouTubers Get Paid for Skipped Ad Views?
Why are YouTube Views Important?
All in All
As you can see, how much YouTube pays per 1 million views depends on several factors which we have clearly laid it out for you. The most popular and highest-paid niches still are finance, insurance, business and IT in general.
This suggests that if you choose the right audience and a popular niche and topic that answers important questions, you can expect at least $10 per 1,000 views, which means 10,000.00 per 1 million views.
Glen Beker
I am Glen and I’m a 100% tech-addicted guy, Blogger, Video Editor and Entrepreneur. I spent a lot of my time learning how to properly edit videos, I've tested a lot of vlogging equipment and now with my team, I share all these tips with you.
