YouTube Shorts RPM in India (2026): What Creators Actually Earn

Since YouTube launched Shorts monetization through the Partner Program revenue sharing model, Indian creators have reported these RPM figures:

| Niche | Shorts RPM (₹) | Long-form RPM (₹) | Shorts as % of Long-form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | ₹20-40 | ₹40-110 | 25-50% |
| Technology | ₹15-35 | ₹30-80 | 35-50% |
| Education | ₹12-30 | ₹25-65 | 35-50% |
| Business | ₹12-28 | ₹30-75 | 30-40% |
| Health | ₹10-25 | ₹20-55 | 35-50% |
| Cooking | ₹8-20 | ₹12-40 | 50-65% |
| Motivation | ₹8-18 | ₹15-45 | 35-45% |
| Gaming | ₹5-15 | ₹8-28 | 45-60% |
| Entertainment | ₹5-12 | ₹5-22 | 50-70% |
| Comedy | ₹5-10 | ₹5-20 | 60-75% |

Average Shorts RPM in India: ₹8-20 per 1,000 views

Shorts RPM is roughly 30-50% of long-form RPM in most niches. The gap is smaller in entertainment and comedy niches because even long-form CPMs are low there.

YouTube Shorts monetization uses a revenue pool model, which is different from long-form ads:

1. Ad revenue pool — All ads shown between Shorts in the feed contribute to a collective revenue pool
2. Music licensing deduction — If your Short uses licensed music, the pool is split between you and the music rights holder
3. Creator share — Your portion of the pool is based on your share of total Shorts views
4. YouTube's cut — YouTube takes 45% of the creator's allocated share

Important implications:
- Using original audio (your own voice) gives you a larger share than using trending music
- Shorts with no music earn the most per view
- Views from countries with lower ad spend (India) contribute less to the pool
- The pool fluctuates based on total ad spending, making RPM unpredictable month-to-month

This is why many creators report their Shorts RPM varies wildly — from ₹3 one month to ₹25 the next — even with similar view counts.

Here's what Indian Shorts creators can expect at various view levels (using average RPM of ₹12):

| Monthly Shorts Views | Estimated Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|
| 100,000 | ₹800-₹2,000 |
| 500,000 | ₹4,000-₹10,000 |
| 1 million | ₹8,000-₹20,000 |
| 5 million | ₹40,000-₹1,00,000 |
| 10 million | ₹80,000-₹2,00,000 |
| 50 million | ₹4,00,000-₹10,00,000 |

Reality check: To earn ₹50,000/month from Shorts ad revenue alone, you need approximately 3-6 million monthly Shorts views. This is why Shorts should be part of a broader strategy, not your only revenue source.

The real value of Shorts is subscriber growth — Shorts can drive massive subscriber gains that then watch your monetized long-form content. Many creators report Shorts are responsible for 60-80% of their new subscriber growth.

Strategies specifically designed to increase your Shorts earnings:

1. Use original audio — Shorts without licensed music earn more because you don't share the revenue pool with music rights holders. Voiceover-based Shorts with background music you own are ideal.

2. Create in high-CPM niches — Finance, tech, and education Shorts earn 2-4x more than entertainment Shorts per view.

3. Post consistently (1-3 Shorts daily) — Volume matters with Shorts. More uploads = more chances for algorithm picks = more total views.

4. Hook viewers in 1 second — Shorts completion rate affects how many viewers see ads. Higher completion = more ad impressions = higher RPM.

5. Drive subscribers to long-form — End every Short with a CTA to watch your related long-form video. This is where the real money is.

FluxNote makes creating Shorts fast and efficient — generate professional short-form videos with AI-powered scripts, voiceover, and captions in minutes, allowing you to maintain a consistent posting schedule without spending hours on each video.