YouTube pays most creators through Google AdSense on eligible videos. Understanding RPM (revenue per mille) and CPM (cost per mille) helps you interpret earnings and diagnose weak videos.
CPM is what advertisers pay per thousand ad impressions. RPM is what you earn per thousand views after YouTube's share and factors like ad blockers. RPM is the number in YouTube Analytics that matches your deposit.
Audience geography, season (Q4 is often higher), video length (more mid-rolls on 8+ minute videos), niche (finance and business often beat generic vlogs), and brand safety of content.
Affiliate links, sponsorships, memberships, and digital products usually outgrow ad revenue for established channels. AdSense is the baseline, not the ceiling.
Export monthly RPM by video. Kill formats that consistently underperform on watch time and RPM unless they strategically feed a product funnel.