YouTube Premium Revenue Explained: What US Creators Actually Earn

YouTube Premium costs $13.99/month in the US (individual plan) or $22.99/month for a family plan. From each subscription, YouTube allocates a portion to a creator revenue pool. This pool is then distributed to creators based on how much Premium subscribers watch their content.

The formula is straightforward: your share of Premium revenue equals your share of total Premium subscriber watch time. If a Premium member watches 10 hours of YouTube in a month and 1 hour is your content, you receive approximately 10% of the revenue allocated from that subscriber's fee.

YouTube does not publicly disclose the exact percentage of Premium subscriptions that goes to creators versus the company. Based on creator reports and estimates from industry analysts, approximately 55-60% of Premium subscription revenue is allocated to the creator pool — similar to the 55% ad revenue split.

Practical impact: A Premium subscriber watching your video is worth more than an ad-supported viewer in many cases because there are no ad blockers reducing monetization, and the effective per-view payment can exceed what ads would generate. However, the total number of Premium subscribers (estimated at 100 million globally) is small compared to YouTube's 2+ billion monthly users.

YouTube Premium revenue typically represents 5-15% of a US creator's total YouTube income. Here are representative examples:

Small channel (50K monthly views):
- Total monthly revenue: $300
- Premium portion: $25-$45 (8-15%)

Mid-size channel (500K monthly views):
- Total monthly revenue: $3,000
- Premium portion: $200-$400 (7-13%)

Large channel (5M monthly views):
- Total monthly revenue: $30,000
- Premium portion: $2,000-$4,500 (7-15%)

The Premium percentage varies based on your audience demographics. Channels with older, higher-income US audiences tend to have a higher percentage of Premium viewers. Tech, finance, and education channels typically see Premium revenue at the higher end (12-15%) because their audiences are more likely to pay for Premium.

Conversely, channels targeting younger audiences (gaming, entertainment) tend to have fewer Premium viewers, resulting in Premium revenue at 5-8% of total.

You can see your Premium revenue separately in YouTube Analytics > Revenue > Revenue sources. The line item is labeled "YouTube Premium revenue" and is distinct from ad revenue.

Since Premium revenue is allocated based on watch time, the strategies to increase it are largely the same as increasing overall watch time:

Create longer content. A viewer watching a 20-minute video contributes 4x the watch time of a 5-minute video. Premium subscribers who prefer ad-free viewing may be more inclined to watch longer content, since they do not face ad interruptions.

Increase session time. Use end screens, cards, and playlists to keep Premium viewers watching your content sequentially. If a Premium subscriber watches 3 of your videos in a session instead of 1, your share of their subscription fee triples.

Focus on retention. Videos with high average view duration generate more Premium watch time per view. Invest in strong openings and engaging content throughout.

Target demographics likely to be Premium subscribers. US viewers aged 25-54 with higher incomes are more likely to subscribe to YouTube Premium. Content targeting this demographic (career advice, investing, productivity, home improvement) naturally generates more Premium revenue.

Post consistently. Regular uploads keep Premium subscribers coming back to your channel, maintaining your share of their watch time across months.

One caveat: do not optimize exclusively for Premium revenue. It is a secondary income stream that follows naturally from creating engaging, longer-form content for an educated US audience.