Yes, YouTube Shorts generally pay much less than long videos. Shorts RPM is typically a few cents per 1,000 views, while long-form RPM often ranges from $1 to $10 or more.
Shorts revenue comes from a pooled ad model with a 45% creator share and adjustments for music licensing, while long-form creators keep 55% of ad revenue from their own videos. Shorts are excellent for discovery and growth, but long-form content drives most ad income. Use both: Shorts to attract viewers and long videos to monetize them.
Step-by-step plan
Use Shorts for discovery and subscriber growth.
Create long-form content for ad revenue.
Link Shorts to related long-form videos.
Compare RPM for Shorts and long-form in Studio.
Plan income around long-form and partnerships.
Example: a creator posts the same tutorial as a Short with 400,000 views at a $0.05 RPM ($20) and as a 10-minute video with 80,000 views at a $5 RPM ($400). The long version earns 20 times more from a fifth of the views.
Why this works
YouTube pays from ad revenue, so earnings depend on RPM: what you keep per 1,000 views after YouTube's share. Long-form creators keep 55% of ad revenue and commonly see RPMs between about $1 and $10, with finance, software and business niches above that. Shorts share a pooled revenue model at 45% and usually earn a few cents per 1,000 views. Audience country, season, video length and how many views are monetized all move the number.
Common mistake to avoid
Focusing only on Shorts for income. Long-form content usually earns far more per view.
Pro tip
Use Shorts to test ideas cheaply, then remake the winners as long-form. The Short validates demand while the long video captures the higher revenue.
Check it before you post
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