YouTube Shorts are a powerful tool for rapidly increasing subscribers and views due to their explosive viral potential. However, many creators are surprised to find that their earnings are much lower than expected compared to long-form videos.
The reason lies in the “Creator Pool,” a unique monetization system for Shorts that functions fundamentally differently from standard YouTube videos. This article explains how Shorts ad revenue is collected, distributed among creators, and the specific calculation steps involved. Understanding this “45% distribution” structure is essential for anyone looking to monetize Shorts effectively.
The Mechanism of YouTube Shorts Monetization
1. Where Ads Appear and the Revenue Pool
In the Shorts feed, ads appear between videos as users swipe through content.
The revenue generated from these ads is first aggregated into a single large fund called the “Creator Pool.” From this pool, costs such as music licensing fees are deducted before the remaining balance is prepared for distribution.
2. How Creator Earnings are Calculated
The pooled revenue is distributed to creators through the following steps:
- Step A: Calculating Your Share of Contribution Your share is determined by your channel’s percentage of the total views among all monetizing creators in a specific country for that month.
- Example: If your videos account for 5% of the total monetized Shorts views in Japan for the month, you are allocated 5% of the Creator Pool revenue.
- Step B: Applying the Revenue Share Percentage Once your share is allocated, YouTube’s fixed revenue share is applied. For Shorts, the creator receives 45% of their allocated amount (regardless of whether music was used).
Calculation Example:
- The Creator Pool has a total of 1,000,000 yen.
- Your contribution share is 5%, so 50,000 yen is allocated to you.
- Your final payout is 45% of that 50,000 yen = 22,500 yen.
3. Key Differences: Shorts vs. Long-form Videos
| Feature | YouTube Shorts | Long-form Videos |
| Ad Placement | Between videos (in-feed) | Before, during, or after the video |
| System | Pool System (Revenue shared based on total view ratio) | Individual System (Revenue based on specific video performance) |
| Distribution Rate | Creator receives 45% | Creator receives 55% |
| Revenue per View | Low (approx. 0.003 to 0.01 yen) | High (approx. 0.1 yen on average) |
Summary
While the revenue per view for YouTube Shorts is relatively low, their strength lies in their massive reach. The trade-off for lower unit prices is the ability to achieve explosive view counts that would be difficult to reach with long-form content alone.
