YTMoneyCalcCPM vs RPM, explained plainly
CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions. RPM is what the creator actually receives per 1,000 views, after YouTube's revenue share and after accounting for views that showed no ad at all. RPM is the only number a creator can budget with.
The three gaps between CPM and RPM
First, the split: creators in the Partner Program keep 55% of ad revenue; YouTube keeps 45%. Second, not every view is monetised — ad blockers, limited ads, Premium views (paid from a separate pool) and unfilled impressions all dilute the per-view figure. Third, CPM is quoted per ad impression, and a single view can carry zero, one or several ads.
A worked example
A video with a $20 CPM does not pay its creator $20 per 1,000 views. After the 55% share that is $11 per 1,000 monetised impressions — and if only 70% of views served an ad, effective RPM lands near $7.70. That is why headline CPM lists always overstate creator income, and why this site's calculator is built entirely on reported RPM bands.
Which should you track?
Creators: RPM, in YouTube Studio under Revenue analytics — it is your real rate. Advertisers and media buyers: CPM. If a page quotes you earnings from CPM without the split, halve it mentally before believing it.
See RPM in action on the money calculator.