How to Calculate How Much Money a YouTube Video Makes
Understanding how much money a YouTube video makes can be a complex task, especially when considering the various factors that contribute to the revenue. Whether you’re a content creator looking to monetize your videos or a viewer curious about the financial side of your favorite channels, this guide will walk you through the process step by step.
Understanding YouTube Monetization
Before diving into the specifics of calculating earnings, it’s important to understand how YouTube monetization works. YouTube’s Partner Program allows creators to earn money from their videos through various methods, including:
- Ad revenue: Creators earn money when ads are displayed before, during, or after their videos.
- Super Chat: Viewers can pay for special messages to appear in the chat during a live stream.
- Merchandise sales: Creators can sell branded merchandise through their YouTube channel.
- YouTube Premium: Creators earn a share of the revenue from subscribers who watch their videos on YouTube Premium.
Calculating Ad Revenue
The most common way creators earn money from YouTube is through ad revenue. Here’s how to calculate it:
- Ad Revenue Per View: This varies depending on the country, the type of ad, and the length of the ad. According to TubeBuddy, the average ad revenue per view in the United States is around $0.18.
- Estimated Views: Multiply the estimated number of views by the ad revenue per view. For example, if your video has 10,000 estimated views, your ad revenue would be $1,800 (10,000 views $0.18 per view).
Keep in mind that this is just an estimate, as actual earnings can vary based on the factors mentioned earlier.
Other Revenue Streams
In addition to ad revenue, there are other ways to make money from YouTube:
Super Chat
Super Chat allows viewers to pay for special messages to appear in the chat during a live stream. The cost of Super Chat messages varies, but they typically range from $1 to $50. To calculate earnings from Super Chat:
- Number of Super Chat Messages: Multiply the number of Super Chat messages by the cost of each message.
Merchandise Sales
Merchandise sales can be a significant source of income for creators. To calculate earnings from merchandise:
- Number of Items Sold: Multiply the number of items sold by the price of each item.
YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium subscribers can watch videos without ads and access exclusive content. Creators earn a share of the revenue from subscribers who watch their videos on YouTube Premium. To calculate earnings from YouTube Premium:
- Number of YouTube Premium Subscribers: Multiply the number of subscribers by the revenue share per subscriber.
Calculating Total Earnings
Once you have calculated earnings from each revenue stream, simply add them together to get your total earnings. For example:
| Revenue Stream | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Ad Revenue | $1,800 |
| Super Chat | $500 |
| Merchandise Sales | $300 |
| YouTube Premium | $200 |
| Total Earnings | $2,800 |
Remember that these calculations are just estimates, and actual earnings can vary based on a variety of factors. Additionally, YouTube takes a percentage of the revenue from each revenue stream, so your final earnings may be lower than the calculated amounts.
Conclusion
Calculating how much money a YouTube video makes requires a thorough understanding of the various revenue streams and the factors that influence earnings. By following this guide, you can gain a clearer picture of your YouTube earnings and make
