Monetization

CPM

Cost Per Mille (thousand). The amount advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions on your video. YouTube CPM varies from $0.50 to $30+ depending on niche, audience location, and advertiser demand. You don't receive the full CPM - see RPM.

RPM

Revenue Per Mille. The actual amount you earn per 1,000 views after YouTube's 45% cut. RPM = CPM × 0.55 (approximately). This is the number that matters for your earnings.

Ad Revenue

Income generated from advertisements shown on your videos. YouTube places ads and shares 55% of the revenue with creators. Ad types include pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, and display ads.

YouTube Partner Program (YPP)

YouTube's monetization program that allows creators to earn money from ads, memberships, and Super Chats. Requirements: 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours (long-form) or 10M Shorts views in the past 12 months.

Super Chat

Paid messages viewers send during live streams to get highlighted in chat. Amounts range from $1 to $500. YouTube takes 30%, you keep 70%. Popular on 24/7 streams where viewers want to stand out.

Channel Memberships

Monthly subscriptions viewers pay ($0.99-$99.99) for perks like badges, emojis, and exclusive content. YouTube takes 30%. Memberships provide stable recurring income independent of view counts.

Mid-Roll Ads

Ads that play during videos (not just at start or end). Available on videos 8+ minutes long. More mid-roll ads = more revenue, but too many hurts viewer experience. 24/7 streams can have mid-rolls every 8-10 minutes.

Streaming

24/7 Streaming

Continuous live streaming that runs around the clock without stopping. Popular for music, ambient sounds, and compilation content. Generates massive watch hours and attracts viewers across all time zones.

Live Streaming

Broadcasting video content in real-time to viewers. YouTube Live allows unlimited stream duration, making it ideal for 24/7 broadcasting. Live streams can be monetized with ads, Super Chats, and memberships.

Bitrate

The amount of data transmitted per second in your stream, measured in Kbps (kilobits per second). Higher bitrate = better quality but requires more bandwidth. YouTube recommends 4,500-9,000 Kbps for 1080p.

Stream Key

A unique code that connects your streaming software to your YouTube channel. Keep it secret - anyone with your stream key can broadcast to your channel. Found in YouTube Studio under Live > Stream.

RTMP

Real-Time Messaging Protocol. The standard protocol for streaming video to YouTube and other platforms. Your streaming software sends video via RTMP to YouTube's ingest servers.

Encoding

The process of converting raw video into a compressed format for streaming. Common encoders include x264 (CPU) and NVENC (NVIDIA GPU). Good encoding balances quality and file size for smooth streaming.

Resolution

The dimensions of your video in pixels (width × height). Common resolutions: 720p (1280×720), 1080p (1920×1080), 1440p (2560×1440), 4K (3840×2160). Higher resolution requires more bitrate.

Frame Rate (FPS)

Frames Per Second - how many images display per second. 30fps is standard for most content. 60fps is smoother for gaming/action. Higher FPS requires more bitrate and processing power.

Loop

Content that repeats seamlessly, creating continuous playback. 24/7 streams rely on looped video/audio. Good loops are imperceptible - viewers shouldn't notice the restart point.

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software)

Free, open-source streaming software. OBS captures video, adds overlays, encodes, and sends to YouTube. Powerful but requires technical setup. Needs a computer running 24/7 for continuous streaming.

Analytics

Watch Hours

Total hours viewers spend watching your content. YouTube requires 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months for monetization. 24/7 streams with 10 concurrent viewers generate ~7,200 watch hours/month.

Watch Time

The total amount of time viewers spend watching your videos. Key metric for YouTube's algorithm. Longer watch time = better recommendations. Live streams excel at accumulating watch time.

Concurrent Viewers

The number of people watching your stream at the same moment. Key metric for live stream health. More concurrent viewers = more ad impressions and higher revenue potential.

Retention

The percentage of your video viewers watch. 50% retention on a 10-minute video means average watch time is 5 minutes. Higher retention = YouTube promotes your content more.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Percentage of people who click your video after seeing the thumbnail. Average CTR is 2-10%. Higher CTR means your title/thumbnail are compelling. YouTube promotes high-CTR content.

Impressions

How many times your video thumbnail was shown to potential viewers. More impressions = more opportunity for clicks. YouTube shows videos with high CTR to more people.

Technical

Thumbnail

The preview image that represents your video/stream. Custom thumbnails significantly impact CTR. For streams, use consistent branding so viewers recognize your content.

Algorithm

YouTube's recommendation system that decides which videos to suggest. Factors include watch time, CTR, engagement, and viewer history. 24/7 streams benefit from accumulated watch time signals.

Monetization Threshold

Requirements to join YouTube Partner Program: 1,000 subscribers AND 4,000 watch hours (or 10M Shorts views) in past 12 months. 24/7 streaming is the fastest way to reach watch hour requirements.

Copyright Strike

A penalty from YouTube when you use copyrighted content without permission. Three strikes = channel termination. Use royalty-free music and original content to avoid strikes.

Content ID

YouTube's automated system that identifies copyrighted content. Results in claims (revenue goes to copyright holder) or blocks. Avoid by using licensed or original content.

Royalty-Free

Content (music, images, video) you can use without paying per-use royalties. Often requires one-time license purchase. Sources: Epidemic Sound, Artlist, Freesound.org.