What is a YouTube Shorts earnings calculator?
A Shorts earnings calculator estimates what YouTube Shorts pay, from your monthly Shorts feed views and a Shorts RPM. Shorts are paid differently from long videos: ad revenue from the Shorts feed is pooled, part goes to music licensing, and the rest is shared among creators by their share of views, who keep 45%.
Licensed music matters: a Short with one licensed track sends half its share to the creator pool, and one with two tracks sends a third. The calculator applies that split so you can see what music costs. Shorts RPMs are usually a few cents per 1,000 views, so it starts with a typical range of $0.02 to $0.08, or takes your own figure from YouTube Studio.
How to estimate YouTube Shorts earnings
1.Enter monthly Shorts views
Type how many views your Shorts get in a month. Only views in the Shorts feed earn Shorts revenue.
2.Set the RPM
Keep the typical range or type your own Shorts RPM from YouTube Studio.
3.Choose the music
Pick whether your Shorts use licensed music, which takes part of their revenue.
Example: 5 million Shorts views a month
Using the typical Shorts RPM of $0.02 to $0.08:
- Monthly Shorts views
- 5,000,000
- No licensed music
- $100 – $400 a month
- One music track
- $50 – $200 a month
- Two music tracks
- $33 – $133 a month
earnings = views ÷ 1,000 × RPM × music share
5,000,000 ÷ 1,000 × $0.02 = $100. One track halves that, and two tracks keep a third of it.
How Shorts revenue is shared
Shorts don't earn per ad like long videos. YouTube pools the ad revenue from the Shorts feed, sets part of it aside for music licensing, and shares the rest among monetizing creators by their share of views. Creators keep 45% of what's allocated to them.
Music changes the split: a Short with one licensed track sends half its share to the creator pool and half to music licensing; with two tracks, a third goes to the pool. Shorts RPMs are usually a few cents per 1,000 views, much lower than long videos.
Frequently asked questions
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million Shorts views?
At the typical Shorts RPM of a few cents per 1,000 views, roughly $20 to $80, and less if the Shorts use licensed music. Your own RPM in YouTube Studio gives a better figure.
Why is Shorts RPM so much lower than long videos?
Fewer ads are shown between Shorts than inside long videos, the revenue is shared across all Shorts creators, and creators keep 45% rather than 55%.
Does my Studio RPM already include the music deduction?
Yes. If you type your RPM from YouTube Studio, choose No licensed music, or the deduction is counted twice. Use the music setting with the typical range or an RPM from Shorts without music.
Do Shorts views count toward monetization?
Yes. 1,000 subscribers and 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days is one way to qualify for the Partner Program.
Related tools
Monetization Checker
Check a channel against the YouTube Partner Program requirements.
Money Calculator
Estimate YouTube ad earnings per day, month and year from views and RPM.
CPM & RPM by Country
Rough RPM tiers by viewer country, and how CPM and RPM differ.
Highest Paying YouTube Niches
Rough RPM ranges for 17 YouTube niches, highest first.
Playlist Length Calculator
Total duration of any playlist at any speed, for all or part of it.
Playlist Study Planner
Turn a playlist into a day-by-day schedule with a finish date.