Compare livestream and regular-video RPM in YouTube Analytics using the same date range, then check revenue sources and views before interpreting the difference. RPM is a creator-revenue measure—not an ad-only rate—so a higher figure does not by itself show that livestream ads pay better.
What RPM measures—and what it does not
YouTube defines RPM as creator revenue per 1,000 views after YouTube’s revenue share. Depending on the channel and enabled features, it can include advertising, YouTube Premium, channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers. It also includes views that did not generate revenue, so a larger share of unmonetized views can lower RPM even when total revenue has not fallen. YouTube’s guide to ad revenue analytics explains the distinction.
Do not substitute CPM for RPM. CPM describes advertiser spending per 1,000 ad impressions before YouTube’s revenue share; RPM measures creator revenue per 1,000 views and can combine several revenue sources. They have different denominators and meanings.
How to make a fair comparison
- Choose one reporting window. Set the same start and end dates for both formats in YouTube Analytics. A comparison across different periods can reflect seasonality, audience changes or other channel activity rather than format.
- Compare format-specific RPM. Use Analytics’ content-format reporting for livestreams and regular videos. Compare RPM with RPM—not with CPM, estimated ad revenue or revenue per hour. YouTube reports performance and RPM across videos, Shorts and livestreams. Its Android revenue-reporting instructions describe content performance and RPM reporting.
- Check views alongside RPM. YouTube counts a view when playback starts for long-form video and live formats. Compare the view totals as well as the rates, and be cautious about drawing a conclusion from a small or unusually mixed group of streams or videos.
- Open the revenue-source breakdown. Determine whether the difference comes mainly from ads, Premium, memberships, Super Chat or Super Stickers. The Live filter can show ad-revenue breakdowns for livestreams and replays. YouTube’s live monetization guidance covers live and replay reporting.
- Record relevant monetization changes. Note whether live ad settings changed during the period, and whether the share of views that did not monetize changed. These can affect the result without indicating a change in advertiser rates.
Why the two RPM figures can differ
Ad delivery and live mid-rolls
When monetization is enabled, livestreams can have pre-roll and display ads; mid-roll ads can be set to automatic or manual. An ad slot is not a guaranteed impression: YouTube’s systems decide whether to fill it. Differences in ad delivery can therefore affect live ad revenue, but the RPM figure also reflects views that produced no ad revenue.
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Non-ad revenue and audience mix
Eligible channels that enable the relevant features may also earn from Super Chat, Super Stickers and memberships during livestreams. Premium revenue can contribute as well. If one format has more of these sources—or a different proportion of monetized and unmonetized views—its total RPM may differ even if ad performance is similar.
A platform figure that is not an RPM benchmark
YouTube reported that, across 207 countries in January 2024, creators who chose live automatic mid-roll ads had an average increase of over 20% in instream ad revenue per hour compared with channels that had not turned them on. That is a specific average about ad revenue per hour, not a promised result, not a livestream-versus-regular-video comparison, and not a general RPM forecast. YouTube’s live monetization guidance provides the context.
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How to explain the result accurately
Report the observed difference as applying to your channel, the selected content and the date range. State whether you mean total RPM or a particular revenue source, and include the view totals and any relevant monetization-setting changes. There is no universal livestream RPM or regular-video RPM established by the cited YouTube guidance; the comparison is specific to a channel and period.
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