How much does YouTube Shorts pay for 1 million views?
By the VIRAL AI team · Updated · 2 min read
The short answer
YouTube Shorts typically pay around $20 to $100 for 1 million views, though some creators report higher earnings depending on audience location and music use. Shorts revenue is pooled and shared, so earnings per view are much lower than long-form.
If your audience is concentrated in high-CPM countries and you use original audio, you can reach the upper range. For the same million views, long-form videos commonly earn $1,000 to $10,000. That is why many creators use viral Shorts to grow subscribers who then watch long-form content.
Step-by-step plan
Use original audio to maximise your share.
Target audiences in high-CPM countries.
Add pinned comments linking to long-form videos.
Turn successful Shorts into longer deep-dives.
Track Shorts revenue separately.
Example: a Short with 1.5 million views at a $0.06 RPM earns about $90. If 2% of those viewers tap the related video link and watch a long-form video with a $5 RPM, those 30,000 views add another $150.
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
Assuming viral Shorts will cover expenses. Plan income around long-form and partnerships.
Pro tip
Turn your best-performing Short into a long-form video on the same topic and link it with the related video feature. It converts cheap Shorts views into high-RPM long-form views.
Check it before you post
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