1. YouTube: A creator economy and powerful platform
Since its founding in 2005 and acquisition by Google in 2006, YouTube has experienced rapid growth. Its advertising income as of the end of 2024 was $36.1 billion, up 14.6% from 2023 Business of Apps Resourcera. An extra $14.5 billion came from subscription services, such as YouTube Premium, Music, and other products, increasing the platform's overall income to $54.2 billion. According to experts, YouTube's overall revenue might reach $70 billion by 2025, of which about $30 billion would come from Barron's subscriptions.
Wikipedia states that despite YouTube's continued dominance in streaming, producers usually receive approximately 55% of ad revenue, with YouTube keeping roughly 45%.
2. Understanding CPM and RPM in relation to ad profits
According to recent estimations, creators can make:
Simple: $5 to $15 per 1,000 views (RPM) on average.
Others show a wider range: $1 to $5 per 1,000 views, contingent on audience and niche Deliver My Tune.
According to lower-end estimations, Investopedia should pay between $0.10 and $0.30 for every 1,000 views.
Geographical position is important.
According to data from March 2025, the average RPM in the US is $11.03. Exploding Topics.
Australia ($8.24), Norway ($7.56), and the UK ($7.02) are among high-paying countries; Pakistan and comparable areas often have substantially lower Exploding Topics prices.
Revenue from shorts is substantially lower:
Only ¢1 to ¢7 are paid to creators for every 1,000 views (1–7¢).
3. Sources of income other than advertisements
Creators diversify their revenue streams to increase profits:
Sponsorships & Brand Deals: Top-tier channels may fetch $10,000–$50,000 or more every sponsored video, while mid-tier artists make $2,000–$5,000.
Affiliate Marketing: By using OnlyCreators affiliate links, tech and beauty artists can make $500 to $2,000 a month.
product: OnlyCreators' product sales generate over $30,000 for certain creators each month.
Fan Funding: For an OnlyCreators LinkedIn channel with 100,000 subscribers, channel memberships, Super Chat, etc., can bring in $1,000 to $5,000 a month. During livestreams, Super Chats and Stickers can generate hundreds to thousands of LinkedIn connections per session.
Crowdfunding (via Patreon, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo): Particularly lucrative for artists with active fan bases; prosperous campaigns can finance large-scale artistic endeavors WP Tonic.
4. The spectrum of creative salaries in the real world
Leading creators:
YouTube was lead by MrBeast with $85
Creators diversify their revenue streams to increase profits:
Sponsorships & Brand Deals: Top-tier channels may fetch $10,000–$50,000 or more every sponsored video, while mid-tier artists make $2,000–$5,000.
Affiliate Marketing: By using OnlyCreators affiliate links, tech and beauty artists can make $500 to $2,000 a month.
product: OnlyCreators' product sales generate over $30,000 for certain creators each month.
Fan Funding: For an OnlyCreators LinkedIn channel with 100,000 subscribers, channel memberships, Super Chat, etc., can bring in $1,000 to $5,000 a month. During livestreams, Super Chats and Stickers can generate hundreds to thousands of LinkedIn connections per session.
Crowdfunding (via Patreon, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo): Particularly lucrative for artists with active fan bases; prosperous campaigns can finance large-scale artistic endeavors WP Tonic.
4. The spectrum of creative salaries in the real world
Leading creators:
YouTube was lead by MrBeast with $85
Matt Rife ($50m), Dhar Mann ($45m), Rhett & Link ($36m), and others are also great earners.
Business of Apps
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Mid-sized and smaller creators:
While the CPM for a Pakistani educational channel with a moderate subscriber base was between $0.50 and $2.50, views from a foreign audience could bring in $4 to $10 on Reddit.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, a creator from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or India makes only $3 per day from 5,000 views, whereas those from western nations earn far more.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, artists in genres like photography or passive income made between $4.48 and $21.20 for every 1,000 views.
5. Summary: The bigger picture
YouTube earnings might vary greatly:
Scale of Creator Revenue Sources Estimated Earnings.
Business of Apps
.
Mid-sized and smaller creators:
While the CPM for a Pakistani educational channel with a moderate subscriber base was between $0.50 and $2.50, views from a foreign audience could bring in $4 to $10 on Reddit.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, a creator from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or India makes only $3 per day from 5,000 views, whereas those from western nations earn far more.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, artists in genres like photography or passive income made between $4.48 and $21.20 for every 1,000 views.
5. Summary: The bigger picture
YouTube earnings might vary greatly:
Scale of Creator Revenue Sources Estimated Earnings.
Top creators Ads, merch, sponsorships, licensing Tens of millions annually (e.g., MrBeast: $85M).
Small channels AdSense, potentially fan support or merchandiseDozens to under a few thousand per month
Areas with lower incomesLocal audience, cheaper CPM AdSenseQuite low: perhaps a few bucks for per thousand views
The major source of income is still ad revenue (through CPM/RPM), but the true financial prospects are found in diversified revenue streams including merchandising, fan fundraising, affiliate marketing, and sponsorships.
With over $36 billion in ad revenue and over $14 billion in subscription revenue, YouTube's massive worldwide platform offers a thriving marketplace for producers, but strategy, audience growth, and specialty emphasis are still necessary for success.
Areas with lower incomesLocal audience, cheaper CPM AdSenseQuite low: perhaps a few bucks for per thousand views
The major source of income is still ad revenue (through CPM/RPM), but the true financial prospects are found in diversified revenue streams including merchandising, fan fundraising, affiliate marketing, and sponsorships.
With over $36 billion in ad revenue and over $14 billion in subscription revenue, YouTube's massive worldwide platform offers a thriving marketplace for producers, but strategy, audience growth, and specialty emphasis are still necessary for success.