Earning ad revenue, memberships and sponsorships from a channel with a real presenter.
BRI Score
out of 100
Still the largest creator payout pool, but a long game. Pick a topic with buyers behind it and plan for a year before it pays.
Suits
People who can publish consistently for 6–12 months before it pays.
Not for
Anyone who needs income in the first few months.
What would change our view: A new distribution channel or a policy change that removes low-quality sellers could reopen it.
One person in the US, about 10 hours a week, after 12 months
Recalculated daily from the latest data; the history chart appears after the second daily update.
60% the method's unit economics ($16 a month for an active practitioner), 40% the US side-hustle distribution.
| Creator RPM (pay per 1,000 views)Mid-niche quartiles; global sample, US audiences skew higher. | $2–$6 | Source |
| Gear, music and software | 0.05 | BRI assumption |
| Monetized views a month after 12 monthsBRI assumption: about one video a week; most new channels do not reach monetization in year one. | 5,000 | BRI assumption |
From February 2027 new Partner Program applicants need 8,000 watch hours; creators keep 55% of long-form ad revenue
YouTube Official BlogMedian long-form RPM across 300 monetized channels: Lifestyle $2.98 (P25–P75 $1.77–5.24), Education $10.22
AIR Media-TechMore than $100B paid to creators since 2021
ShacknewsYouTube says it paid creators more than $100B between 2021 and 2025.
