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Part 1/7:
How Much YouTube Paid Me in 2024: A Comprehensive Breakdown
In 2024, I had the opportunity to evaluate my journey as a YouTube creator, particularly in understanding how monetization works, my earnings, and my most successful content. With four years of experience under my belt, I’ve gathered insights into YouTube ad revenue, the intricacies of CPM and RPM, and overall performance metrics based on my content creation throughout the year.
Understanding YouTube Monetization
To access monetization on YouTube, creators must meet specific requirements, including having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time or 10 million views on Shorts within a 90-day period. Once these criteria are met, creators can begin placing ads in their videos.
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YouTube operates on a revenue-sharing model where companies pay to have their advertisements displayed. The payment is dictated by CPM (Cost Per Mille), which represents how much advertisers pay for every thousand views. Creators receive 55% of this revenue, with 45% going to YouTube. However, the money that creators actually see is referred to as RPM (Revenue Per Mille), which accounts for various factors like audience demographics, content niche, and overall engagement.
My Most Viewed Videos of 2024
Interestingly, a video’s view count doesn’t necessarily correlate with its revenue. Here are my top five viewed videos of the year:
Can I Beat All the Men in a 5K - 29,300 views
The End of My Olympic Dream - 20,007 views
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I Won a Pro Track Race vs. Olympians - 20,005 views
I Didn’t Get My Period Until I Was 25 - 19,440 views
I Raced the US Olympic Trials, 3,000 M Steeple Chase - 118,000 views
The emotional depth behind many of these videos significantly contributed to their performance, particularly those related to my Olympic aspirations and personal vulnerabilities.
My Highest Earned Videos of 2024
Earnings, however, told a different story when viewed through the lens of RPM. Here’s how my earnings broke down:
I Won a Pro Track Race vs. Olympians - $1,493.66
I Raced the US Olympic Trials, 3,000 M Steeple Chase - $953.33
I Tried to Run a 5K Personal Best in the Local Turkey Trot - $899.34
The End of My Olympic Dream - $891.00
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- Can I Beat All the Men in a 5K - $855.182
These earnings varied widely due to factors such as video length, viewer retention, and market conditions at the time of posting. For example, the race videos performed exceptionally well partially because they had longer runtimes, allowing for mid-roll ads, which significantly enhances earning potential.
Monthly Earnings Insights
Throughout the year, my earnings fluctuated, revealing my highest and lowest earning months. February was my lowest earning month, where I made $1,390.44 from 1.1 million views. The short month and lower advertising rates contributed to this decline.
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Conversely, June marked my highest earning month, generating $5,231.88 from 2.3 million views, largely spurred by significant events tied to the Olympic trials, which boosted engagement and ad rates due to higher viewer interest.
Total Revenue for 2024
Overall, I posted 165 YouTube Shorts that garnered 19.2 million views, earning approximately $3,831.199. My long-form content, comprising 67 videos, attracted 4.5 million views and made around $31,798. This brings my total revenue for 2024 to $35,515.70, marking not only my highest earning year on YouTube but also surpassing my earnings from the previous three years combined.
Acknowledgments and Future Growth
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While the revenue may not seem enormous, it signifies tremendous growth for me as a creator. The emotional connections and experiences from creating this content have been invaluable. Additionally, sponsorships have played a critical role in supporting me financially. I am continually grateful for the support from brands like Element, which helps maintain a balance in my expenses.
While I intend to continue creating Shorts primarily to expand my audience, traditional long-form videos remain my focus for emotional storytelling and deeper connections with viewers.
Conclusion
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As I reflect on 2024, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards my community and the platform itself. My journey as a creator has been filled with challenges and triumphs, and I look forward to further exploration and connection with my audience. If you have any questions or topics you would like me to cover in future content—be it related to YouTube, professional running, or content creation—feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments. Together, let’s continue this journey of growth and connection.