What you earn on YouTube is views times RPM, the revenue per 1,000 views after YouTube’s share. YouTube pays creators 55% of ad revenue from long videos and publishes no averages. With our assumptions, 100,000 views a month (20% Shorts, entertainment, mixed worldwide audience) bring roughly $73 to $400. Tax is due where you live, and for US viewers Google asks non-US creators for Form W-8BEN.
When does YouTube start paying?
Money from YouTube only comes through the YouTube Partner Program. It has two levels:
| Level | Threshold | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Fan funding | 500 subscribers, 3 uploads in 90 days, 3,000 hours in 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days | 70% of memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks |
| Ad revenue | 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days | 55% of long-video ad revenue, 45% of your share of the Shorts pool |
| New from 1 Feb 2027 | new applicants: 1,000 subscribers and 8,000 hours or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days; existing partners stay | Shorts share only with 10 million Shorts views in 90 days on an ongoing basis |
Sources: YouTube Help, YPP eligibility, expanded YPP, partner earnings overview, YPP changes 2027 · As of 15 Oct 2026
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
RPM is your revenue per 1,000 video views after YouTube’s share. CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions, before YouTube’s share. For planning, RPM is what counts. YouTube publishes no averages, so our calculator uses open assumptions from industry data (300 channels, Studio data May 2025 to May 2026):
| Niche | Long-video RPM (USD, mixed worldwide) |
|---|---|
| Gaming | 0.70 – 3.50 |
| Entertainment | 0.90 – 5.00 |
| Lifestyle & vlog | 1.50 – 5.00 |
| Tech | 0.70 – 4.00 |
| Education | 2.00 – 12.00 |
| Finance & business | 1.00 – 8.00 |
Your audience shifts the range: US and Canada about × 1.8, UK × 1.4, DACH × 1.2, Hong Kong and Taiwan × 0.9, Southeast Asia × 0.4. Season, video length and ad blockers are not included; January RPMs are usually well below November.
Sources: YouTube Help, RPM, partner earnings, AIR Media-Tech, RPM 2026 · Assumptions, not official figures
Shorts or long videos: what counts from 2027
Shorts earn only a fraction per view, usually 0.01 to 0.30 US dollars per 1,000 views. From 1 February 2027 YouTube only shares Shorts revenue with channels that have 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. Channels below that stay in the Partner Program and keep earning from long videos. For most channels this means: plan with long videos, use Shorts for reach.
Sources: YouTube Help, YPP changes 2027, AIR Media-Tech, Shorts RPM
Tax on your YouTube earnings
Two layers. At home, your income is taxed under the rules of your country of residence. And on earnings from US viewers, Google withholds US tax: 0 to 30% with a valid Form W-8BEN, depending on the tax treaty, and up to 24% of worldwide earnings if an individual submits no tax information. Check your country’s thresholds with a local tax adviser.
Sources: YouTube Help, US tax requirements · As of 15 Oct 2026
Where you legally keep more
Two levers, both honest:
- The right US tax form. Without information, Google may withhold 24% of an individual’s worldwide earnings. With W-8BEN (individual) or W-8BEN-E (company) it is 0 to 30% only on earnings from US viewers, depending on the treaty. It is the quickest saving. Which form you need: the form finder
- Where the company sits. When the channel grows into a business, a company pays the tax of its location: Hong Kong 8.25% on the first HKD 2 million and 16.5% above, only on profits sourced in Hong Kong; Singapore 17%; a US LLC with a foreign owner is generally transparent. You only pay less tax overall when your residence and the place of management fit; if you live in a high-tax country and run the company from there, you pay there.
| Company location | Company tax | Fits if … |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 8,25 % / 16,5 % | money comes from many countries |
| Singapore | 17 % | brands are in Southeast Asia |
| US (LLC) | generally transparent | mainly US platforms and brands pay |
Sources: IRS, W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, Hong Kong IRD, IRAS
When a company pays off
Usually not for AdSense alone. A company pays off once there is a trigger: a brand wants to contract with a company, money comes from several platforms and countries, you pay a team, or you move abroad. A company then brings everything into one business account and makes you a contracting partner on equal footing with brands.
Creator Check: company or not, and if so, where?
Four questions, instant result, no email needed.
Frequently asked questions about YouTube earnings
How much does YouTube pay per 1,000 views?
That is your RPM: revenue per 1,000 views after YouTube’s share. YouTube publishes no averages. Our calculator assumes roughly 0.70 to 12 US dollars for long videos, depending on niche and audience, and roughly 0.01 to 0.30 US dollars for Shorts. Your real RPM is in YouTube Studio under Analytics, Revenue.
When do you start earning money on YouTube?
Ad revenue comes with the YouTube Partner Program: currently from 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. From 1 February 2027 new applicants need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views. Memberships and Super Chat open earlier: 500 subscribers, three uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 hours or 3 million Shorts views.
How much do you earn with 1 million views?
With 1 million long-video views and a mixed worldwide audience, our calculator assumes roughly 700 to 12,000 US dollars, depending on the niche: gaming towards the lower end, education towards the upper end. A US or Canadian audience pays more, Southeast Asia less. Shorts earn far less for the same number of views.
How much do YouTube Shorts pay?
Little per view: creators get 45% of their share of the Shorts pool, which industry data puts at roughly 0.01 to 0.30 US dollars per 1,000 views. From 1 February 2027 YouTube only shares Shorts revenue with channels that have 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. Long-video revenue continues as normal below that.
Do I have to pay tax on YouTube earnings outside the US?
Yes, in your country of residence, under its rules. On top of that, Google withholds US tax on earnings from US viewers: with a valid Form W-8BEN it is 0 to 30% depending on the tax treaty; without tax information Google may withhold 24% of an individual’s worldwide earnings. Submitting the form is the quickest saving.
Which tax form does YouTube need from me?
As an individual outside the US you submit Form W-8BEN in AdSense; a company outside the US submits W-8BEN-E. With valid information Google withholds 0 to 30% only on earnings from US viewers, depending on the tax treaty. Without it, 24% of worldwide earnings may be withheld.
Where can I see my YouTube earnings?
In YouTube Studio under Analytics, Revenue. There you see your RPM, the ad CPM and revenue by source. Payouts run through AdSense.
Is a company worth it for a YouTuber?
Not for AdSense alone. It pays off when brand deals should run through a company, several income streams come together, you pay a team or you move abroad. A Hong Kong company pays 8.25% or 16.5% on profits sourced in Hong Kong; whether you pay less tax overall depends on your residence and where the company is run from. The Creator Check shows it in one minute.
Review note
- Editorial
- Strasia Group
- Sources
- YouTube Help, IRS, IRD, IRAS
- Assumptions
- AIR Media-Tech 2026
- Updated
- Next review
- February 2027 (new YouTube rules), assumptions in April 2027
Your channel is growing into a business?
In a free first consultation (60 minutes) we clarify whether a company in Hong Kong, the US or Singapore fits your residence and income, and we also tell you if you do not need one.
Read on: What a Hong Kong company can and cannot do · US LLC: Form 5472 · All guides
Sources
- YouTube Help · YouTube partner earnings overview
- YouTube Help · YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility
- YouTube Help · Expanded YouTube Partner Program
- YouTube Help · Changes to the YouTube Partner Program (2027)
- YouTube Help · Revenue per mille (RPM)
- YouTube Help · US tax requirements for YouTube earnings
- IRS · About Form W-8BEN
- IRS · About Form W-8BEN-E
- Inland Revenue Department Hong Kong · Profits tax
- IRAS · Corporate income tax rate
- AIR Media-Tech · YouTube RPM 2026 (assumptions)