“YouTube Shorts can go viral instantly, but how much do they actually pay?”
If you are used to the earnings from standard long-form videos, the revenue from Shorts might come as a shock. While Shorts excel at discoverability, their revenue per view (RPM) is characterized by being extremely low.
In this article, we reveal the estimated earnings per view based on data shared by active creators and provide a simulation of earnings across different view counts. Furthermore, we will break down the “Creator Pool” system—the unique distribution logic that keeps Shorts payouts significantly lower than traditional videos.
Estimated Earnings per View for Shorts
Based on data reported by various creators, the estimated revenue per view is as follows:
| Video Format | Estimated Revenue per View (RPM) |
| YouTube Shorts | 0.003 yen – 0.01 yen |
| Long-form Videos | 0.05 yen – 0.7 yen |
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As shown above, the revenue unit price for Shorts is generally less than one-tenth of that for standard videos.
Revenue Simulation by View Count
Assuming an average rate of 0.005 yen per view, here is what the potential earnings look like:
| Total Views | Estimated Earnings |
| 100,000 views | 500 yen |
| 1,000,000 views | 5,000 yen |
| 10,000,000 views | 50,000 yen |
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💡 Key Point: To generate substantial income from Shorts alone, you need to consistently hit millions or even tens of millions of views.
Why is the Revenue per View for Shorts So Low?
The low unit price is a direct result of the unique “Creator Pool” distribution system. There are three primary reasons:
- Limited Ad Inventory Unlike long-form videos, where ads play before, during, or after the content, Shorts ads only appear between videos in the feed. This naturally limits the total amount of ad revenue generated.
- Distribution from a Global Pool All ad revenue from the Shorts feed is pooled together. This total sum is then divided among all creators based on their “share” (percentage) of total views. Your earnings aren’t just about your performance; they depend on your contribution relative to the entire platform’s traffic.
- Lower Distribution Rate The revenue share for creators is set at 45% for Shorts, which is lower than the 55%share allocated for long-form videos.
Because of this structure, no matter how many views an individual video gets, the payout is determined by your “contribution to the total monthly Shorts views,” which keeps the unit price per view significantly suppressed.
