How to Make Money on YouTube Shorts (2026): Revenue Share, RPM, and Monetisation Stacking

YouTube Shorts crossed 70 billion daily views. That’s billion with a B. The audience is enormous, the algorithm is aggressive at distributing new content, and YouTube now shares ad revenue directly with Shorts creators.

But here’s the part most “YouTube Shorts money” articles skip: the RPM (revenue per thousand views) on Shorts is drastically lower than long-form content. A long-form YouTube video might earn $5–$15 per 1,000 views. A Short typically earns $0.04–$0.10 per 1,000 views from the ad revenue share.

That means a Short with 1 million views earns $40–$100 from YouTube directly. Compare that to a long-form video with 1 million views earning $5,000–$15,000.

So why would anyone focus on Shorts?

Because Shorts aren’t a monetisation strategy by themselves — they’re a traffic and growth engine. When you combine Shorts with affiliate links, product sales, sponsorships, and funnel-building, the math changes completely.

First — This Is Important…

Hey, my name is Mark.

After 15+ years testing income methods, YouTube Shorts are powerful for audience building — but the direct ad revenue is pocket change. The real money is in what you sell to that audience.

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Now — here’s how to actually make money with YouTube Shorts.

YouTube Shorts Monetisation: How It Works in 2026

Ad Revenue Share (YouTube Partner Programme)

YouTube pools ad revenue from all Shorts viewed in the Shorts feed, allocates a portion to music licensing (if applicable), and then distributes the remaining creator pool based on your share of total Shorts views.

Eligibility requirements: 1,000 subscribers + 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days. This is the Shorts-specific path into the YouTube Partner Programme. Alternatively, you qualify with 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 long-form watch hours.

What you actually earn:

• Creator share: approximately 45% of ad revenue allocated to your Shorts
• Music usage reduces your share proportionally (using copyrighted music means you split with the rights holder)
• Effective RPM: $0.04–$0.10 per 1,000 views on average

Reality check: 10 million views/month × $0.07 RPM = $700/month from ad revenue. That’s significant volume for modest income. Ad revenue alone isn’t the play — it’s the floor, not the ceiling.

Channel Memberships and Super Thanks

Once in the YouTube Partner Programme, you can enable channel memberships (recurring monthly payments from fans, typically $4.99–$24.99) and Super Thanks (one-time tips on videos). These work on Shorts just as they do on long-form content.

Realistic expectation: A channel with 100K subscribers might have 200–500 paying members at $4.99/month = $1,000–$2,500/month. Building to this level takes significant audience development.

RPM Breakdown: Shorts vs. Long-Form

Metric	YouTube Shorts	Long-Form Video
Avg RPM	$0.04–$0.10	$5–$15
Views needed for $1,000	10–25 million	67K–200K
Production time per video	15 min–2 hours	5–40 hours
Algorithm distribution	Aggressive for new creators	Favours established channels
Audience retention	Seconds	Minutes to hours
Subscriber conversion	Low per view	Higher per view

The key insight: Shorts are 50–100x less profitable per view than long-form, but they’re also 10–50x faster to produce. The calculus works when you produce volume and monetise beyond ad revenue.

The Real Money: Monetisation Stacking

Ad revenue from Shorts alone won’t replace a salary. The creators making real money from Shorts stack multiple revenue streams:

1. Affiliate Marketing ($500–$10,000+/month)

Use Shorts to demonstrate or review products, then direct viewers to affiliate links in your channel description, pinned comment, or dedicated landing page.

Example: A tech reviewer creates 30-second Shorts showcasing gadgets. Description links to Amazon affiliate products. With 2 million monthly views and a 0.1% click-through rate, that’s 2,000 clicks. At a 5% conversion rate with $8 average commission: $800/month from affiliate revenue on top of ad revenue.

Best niches for Shorts affiliate marketing: Tech reviews, beauty/skincare, fitness equipment, kitchen gadgets, book recommendations, software tools. See affiliate marketing for the complete framework.

2. Sponsorships ($200–$5,000+ per deal)

Brands pay Shorts creators for dedicated content or integrated mentions. Sponsorship rates are based on subscriber count, niche, and engagement rather than pure views.

Typical Shorts sponsorship rates:

• 10K–50K subscribers: $100–$500 per sponsored Short
• 50K–250K subscribers: $500–$1,500 per sponsored Short
• 250K–1M subscribers: $1,500–$5,000 per sponsored Short
• 1M+ subscribers: $5,000–$20,000+ per sponsored Short

How to attract sponsors: Consistent niche content (brands want relevant audiences), a media kit showing your demographics and engagement rates, and proactive outreach to brands via email or platforms like Grin, AspireIQ, or BrandConnect.

3. Product Sales (Digital or Physical)

Use Shorts as a top-of-funnel awareness engine driving traffic to your own products: courses, e-books, templates, merchandise, or consulting services.

Example: A personal finance creator publishes daily Shorts with money tips. Bio link leads to a $47 budgeting course. With 5 million monthly Shorts views and 0.05% conversion: 2,500 landing page visits → 2% purchase rate = 50 sales × $47 = $2,350/month from course sales.

4. Funnel to Long-Form Content

The most sophisticated strategy: use Shorts to build your subscriber base, then monetise through long-form videos (which earn 50–100x more per view in ad revenue).

The cycle: Short goes viral → subscriber gains → subscribers watch long-form → long-form earns real ad revenue. Many creators earn 80%+ of their YouTube income from long-form while using Shorts purely for audience growth.

For the long-form monetisation model, see how to make money on YouTube and YouTube revenue per 1,000 views.

Income Math: Realistic Scenarios

Scenario 1: New creator (Month 6, 5K subscribers)

• Shorts ad revenue: ~$30–$80/month (1–3 million views)
• Affiliate income: $50–$200/month
• Sponsorships: $0 (too small for most brands)
• Total: $80–$280/month

Scenario 2: Growing creator (Month 12, 50K subscribers)

• Shorts ad revenue: $200–$500/month (5–10 million views)
• Affiliate income: $400–$1,200/month
• Sponsorships: $500–$1,500/month (1–2 deals)
• Long-form spillover: $300–$800/month
• Total: $1,400–$4,000/month

Scenario 3: Established creator (Month 24+, 250K subscribers)

• Shorts ad revenue: $500–$1,500/month (15–30 million views)
• Affiliate income: $1,000–$3,000/month
• Sponsorships: $2,000–$6,000/month (2–4 deals)
• Product sales: $2,000–$5,000/month
• Long-form revenue: $2,000–$8,000/month
• Total: $7,500–$23,500/month

Growth Strategy: Getting Views on Shorts

Hook in the first second. Shorts viewers decide within 1–2 seconds whether to keep watching or swipe. Your opening must be immediately compelling — a question, a surprising statement, or visual that demands attention.

Optimal length. 30–45 seconds performs best in most niches. Long enough to deliver value, short enough to maintain retention. YouTube measures completion rate — a Short that gets watched to the end outperforms a longer Short with 50% dropout.

Post volume matters. Successful Shorts creators post 1–3 Shorts daily. The algorithm rewards consistency and volume. One viral Short can drive millions of views, but you can’t predict which one goes viral — so you increase your odds by publishing frequently.

Trend participation. Use trending sounds, formats, and topics when they align with your niche. The algorithm boosts trend-aligned content.

Niche consistency. The algorithm learns what your channel is about and shows your Shorts to people interested in that topic. Mixing unrelated niches confuses the algorithm and reduces distribution.

Call to action. End every Short with a reason to follow: “Follow for more [niche] tips.” Subscriber conversion from Shorts is low (0.1–0.5% of viewers), but at millions of views, even low conversion rates build your channel.

Content Repurposing: Maximum Output, Minimum Effort

The most efficient Shorts creators don’t create unique content for every Short — they repurpose.

Long-form to Shorts pipeline. Film a 15-minute video. Extract 3–5 of the best moments as standalone Shorts. One production session creates a week of content across formats.

Podcast clips to Shorts. If you host or guest on podcasts, clip the most engaging 30–60 second segments. Add captions and visual elements. One hour-long podcast produces 5–10 potential Shorts.

Blog/article to Shorts. Take key points from written content and present them on camera. A single listicle article can become 5–8 individual Shorts, each covering one point.

Cross-platform repurposing. The same Short can be posted to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook Reels. Adjust aspect ratios if needed and remove platform-specific watermarks (TikTok watermark on YouTube Shorts reduces distribution).

Batch filming. Dedicate one day per week to filming all Shorts. Set up your filming space once, change outfits between batches to simulate different days, and record 10–20 Shorts in 2–3 hours. Edit and schedule throughout the week.

Analytics That Matter

Understanding your Shorts analytics helps you create more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Key metrics to track:

Metric	What It Tells You	Target
View count	Raw reach	Trending upward
Average view duration	Content retention	Above 80% of Short length
Swipe-away rate	First-second hook quality	Below 30%
Likes/comments ratio	Engagement quality	Above 3–5% of views
Subscriber gains	Channel growth conversion	Trending upward
Traffic source	Where views come from	Shorts feed dominant

The feedback loop. Post a Short → Check analytics after 48 hours → If retention is high, create similar content → If swipe-away rate is high, improve your hook. The creators who grow fastest iterate based on data, not gut feeling.

Content Strategy by Niche

Niche	Content Formula	Monetisation Focus
Personal Finance	Tips, myths debunked, number breakdowns	Affiliate (bank apps, investing platforms)
Tech	Quick reviews, comparisons, hidden features	Affiliate (Amazon, brand deals)
Cooking	30-second recipe highlights	Cookbook sales, kitchen affiliate links
Fitness	Exercise demos, form corrections, myths	Programme sales, supplement affiliates
Business/Entrepreneurship	Tips, case studies, motivation	Course sales, coaching, affiliates
Beauty	Quick tutorials, product reviews	Affiliate, brand sponsorships
Education	Facts, explanations, “Did you know?”	Course sales, tutoring services

Reality Check

Ad revenue alone is not viable for most creators. You need millions of monthly views to earn meaningful ad revenue from Shorts. The creators earning full-time income from Shorts are monetising through stacked revenue streams, not ad share alone.

Growth is unpredictable. You can post 100 Shorts and get minimal traction, then have one go viral and gain 50K subscribers overnight. Consistency and patience are non-negotiable.

Burnout from volume. Posting 1–3 Shorts daily is demanding. Content batching (filming 10–20 Shorts in one session) helps, but the creative output requirement is high.

Platform dependency. Your income is subject to YouTube’s algorithm changes, policy updates, and ad market fluctuations. Diversifying income streams (and platforms) protects against this.

Music licensing reduces your cut. Using popular music means splitting ad revenue with rights holders. Original audio or royalty-free music preserves your full creator share.

Common Mistakes New Shorts Creators Make

Mistake 1: Focusing only on views. A Short with 5 million views and zero monetisation infrastructure earns almost nothing. Build your affiliate links, landing pages, and product offers before going viral — not after.

Mistake 2: Ignoring the hook. The first 1–2 seconds determine whether someone watches or swipes. “Hey guys, so today I wanted to talk about…” is an instant swipe. Lead with the most interesting, surprising, or useful moment.

Mistake 3: Inconsistent posting. The algorithm rewards creators who post regularly. Posting 10 Shorts one week and zero the next confuses the algorithm and reduces distribution. Consistency beats intensity.

Mistake 4: Copying trending formats without adding value. Trends get initial distribution, but only unique takes get engagement. Don’t just recreate what’s trending — add your perspective, expertise, or twist.

Mistake 5: Neglecting long-form content. Shorts build your audience, but long-form content monetises it. Creators who only post Shorts leave significant revenue on the table. Use Shorts to drive subscribers to your long-form videos where the real ad revenue lives.

Mistake 6: No clear niche. Posting random content about random topics means the algorithm can’t identify your audience. Pick a niche and stick with it. The algorithm shows your Shorts to people who watch similar content — but only if your content is consistently about that topic.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Massive audience reach potential, aggressive algorithm for new creator distribution, low production cost (smartphone is sufficient), fast content creation (15 minutes to 2 hours per Short), powerful subscriber growth engine, stackable with multiple monetisation methods, compounds with long-form content strategy, no minimum production quality required to start.

Cons: Very low ad RPM ($0.04–$0.10 per 1K views), requires high volume for meaningful ad revenue, unpredictable viral patterns, algorithm dependency for distribution, creative burnout from daily posting, music licensing reduces revenue share, low per-view subscriber conversion, platform policy changes affect income.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many views do I need to make $1,000/month from Shorts? From ad revenue alone: 10–25 million views/month. With stacked monetisation (affiliates, sponsors, products): 2–5 million views/month can generate $1,000+ when combined.

Can I monetise Shorts without 10 million views? You can’t earn ad revenue without meeting YPP requirements (1K subs + 10M Shorts views in 90 days). But you can earn from affiliate links, products, and sponsorships at any subscriber count.

What equipment do I need? A smartphone with a decent camera. That’s it. Many viral Shorts are filmed on phones with no additional equipment. A ring light ($20–$30) and phone tripod ($15) help but aren’t required.

Should I focus on Shorts or long-form? Both. Use Shorts for growth and long-form for revenue. The combination is more powerful than either alone.

How often should I post Shorts? Daily is ideal. 3–5 per week minimum. The algorithm rewards consistent creators, and volume increases your chances of viral distribution.

The Bottom Line

YouTube Shorts are a growth and audience-building engine, not a standalone income source. The ad revenue is too low per view to sustain most creators on its own. But when you stack Shorts with affiliate marketing, sponsorships, product sales, and long-form content strategy, the total income potential is substantial.

The creators earning $5,000–$20,000+/month from Shorts-centric strategies aren’t just creating content — they’re building monetisation systems around their audience. That’s the real skill.

For a bigger-picture view of content monetisation, see digital assets that pay monthly, best business model for long-term income, and local lead generation.

And if you want recurring income that doesn’t depend on algorithms or daily content creation — here’s the model I recommend for building websites that show up in Google and generate leads on autopilot.