How it works
- 1
Paste a channel or a video
A channel link, an @handle, or any video link (we check its channel and estimate that video's earnings).
- 2
We check the requirements
Subscribers, watch hours over 12 months and Shorts views over 90 days against the Partner Program thresholds.
- 3
See the earnings estimate
RPM for the channel's niche, language and Shorts share, times its daily views.
The YouTube Partner Program requirements
A channel earns money from ads only once it joins the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). To apply for ad revenue, a channel needs:
- 1,000 subscribers, and
- 4,000 public watch hours on long videos over the last 12 months, or
- 10 million public Shorts views over the last 90 days.
How this checker works
Only the channel's owner sees its real monetization status in YouTube Studio, so every monetization checker estimates. Returbe does it from public data: the subscriber count, the views of each upload, their length and format. Watch hours are estimated from views × video length × the share of a video people usually watch.
For channels Returbe tracks, the estimate uses the full upload history and the channel's measured daily views. For other channels, it reads the latest uploads live, so watch hours and Shorts views are lower bounds: they can confirm a channel is eligible, not prove it isn't.
Under 1,000 subscribers the answer is sure: a channel can't show ads before that.
How much does a YouTube channel earn?
Ad revenue depends on RPM, the money a creator keeps per 1,000 views. It changes a lot with the niche (finance and tech pay several times more than gaming or entertainment), the audience's country and the format: Shorts pay a few cents per 1,000 views, long videos a few dollars.
The estimate shows a low and a high figure because two channels with the same views can earn very different amounts. Sponsorships, memberships and products aren't included.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a YouTube channel is monetized?
Only its owner sees the status in YouTube Studio. From outside, you can check whether it meets the Partner Program requirements (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours or 10M Shorts views) and whether its videos show ads. This checker estimates the first from public data.
How many subscribers do you need to get monetized?
1,000 subscribers for ad revenue, plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. An expanded tier opens at 500 subscribers, but it only gives fan funding (memberships, Super Thanks), not ad revenue.
How accurate is the earnings estimate?
It is a range, not a statement: views per day × the RPM usually seen in the channel's niche and language, with Shorts weighed separately. Real RPM can be lower or higher depending on the audience's country, the season and how many ads the creator allows.
What is a good RPM on YouTube?
For long videos with a US-heavy audience, roughly $1.50 to $8 per 1,000 views in gaming and entertainment, and $6 to $30 in finance and business. Non-English audiences usually earn less. Shorts earn about $0.03 to $0.10 per 1,000 views.
Why does it say it can't confirm a channel is monetized?
For channels Returbe doesn't track yet, only the latest uploads are read, so their watch hours are a minimum. If that minimum is under 4,000 hours, the channel may still qualify with older videos. Returbe starts tracking the channel, so the next check is more complete.
Is the monetization checker free?
Yes. You get free checks without an account, and unlimited checks with a free Returbe account.
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