Global Video Platforms and Monetization (2005–2025)

YouTube (Google)

• Growth & Usage: Launched in 2005, YouTube became the largest global video platform. It has over 2.7 billion monthly users (by 2025), reaching 90%+ of internet users in major marketstubebuddy.com. YouTube’s share of online video viewing is unparalleled in the US, Europe, India, Latin America and many parts of Africa.

• Monetization Structure: YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP) allows creators to earn from ads on their videos. Google’s policy is to pay creators 55% of ad revenue, taking 45% for itselfsupport.google.comtubebuddy.com (this “watch page” share applies to long-form videos; Shorts pays 45% to creators). YouTube reports having paid creators over $70 billion in the past three yearstubebuddy.com.

• Earnings (CPM/RPM): Advertiser CPMs on YouTube average around $13–15 per 1,000 impressions (Q4 2022–Q4 2023)tubebuddy.com. After the 45% cut, creator RPM (earnings per 1,000 ad views) averages about $5–7tubebuddy.com, though this varies widely by niche, geography, and season. High-value niches (finance, tech) can yield much higher CPMs. In practice, a million views typically earns a creator $1,200–$6,000 in ad revenuetubebuddy.com (before platform cut).

• Regional Notes: YouTube dominates in all regions. India now has one of the largest YouTube audiences (hundreds of millions of users), though its ad CPMs are generally lower than in the US/Europe. In developed markets (US/Europe), CPMs and RPMs tend to be at the high end of the rangetubebuddy.com.

 YouTube’s long-form ad-based model yields significantly higher RPM (often $5–7 per 1000 monetized views) than newer short-video platforms. Creators earn 55% of ad revenue on regular videossupport.google.comtubebuddy.com.

TikTok (ByteDance)

• Growth & Usage: TikTok (global version of Douyin) exploded after 2017, reaching ~1.6 billion MAUs by 2025backlinko.com. It’s extremely popular in the US (≈118 M users in 2025) and across Asia-Pacific and Latin America. India is a notable exception (ban since 2020) despite having ~190 M users pre-banthesocialshepherd.com. TikTok’s short, viral format drives massive engagement, but its monetization model has evolved only recently.

• Monetization Structure: Unlike YouTube, TikTok historically did not share advertising revenue with creators, instead paying limited fixed “Creator Fund” payouts. In 2022 TikTok introduced TikTok Pulse, an ad product that shares 50/50 ad revenue with eligible creators (top ~4% of videos)techcrunch.com. Only creators with ≥100k followers and qualifying content can earn via Pulse. Otherwise, TikTok pays creators through its Creator Fund (closed pool) or affiliate programs, not directly via viewer ads.

• Earnings (CPM/RPM): Creator earnings on TikTok remain low. The Creator Fund paid only about $0.02–0.04 per 1,000 views (roughly $20–$40 for 1 million views)demandsage.com – far below YouTube rates. This reflects TikTok’s newer ad system and large global user base. By comparison, TikTok advertiser CPMs have been reported around $3–$6 (for in-feed ads)businessofapps.com, but creators see only a fixed fund payout or Pulse share. In practice, even viral TikTok videos often earn a few tens of dollars per million views from the Fund.

• Regional Notes: TikTok is blocked in India (pre-ban user base lost), but elsewhere it competes strongly with YouTube. It is especially potent in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, etc.), Latin America, and fast-growing in Africa. Its CPM-driven Pulse program launched in the US firsttechcrunch.com and is gradually expanding, so US/Western creators have been earliest to benefit (50% ad share)techcrunch.com.

Twitch (Amazon)

• Growth & Usage: Twitch (spun out of Justin.tv in 2011) is the leading live-streaming platform, heavily focused on gaming (but also music, IRL, etc.). As of 2025 it boasts ~240 million monthly users (with ~35 million daily actives)demandsage.com and 7.3 million monthly streamers. The US is its largest market (≈36 M users by 2025demandsage.com, ~20% of total viewership). Twitch viewers spent over 20 billion hours in 2024, underscoring its engagement.

• Monetization Structure: Twitch monetizes primarily through subscriptions, bits (tips), and ads. For ads, Affiliates/Partners earn a revenue share. By default, creators start with 30% of ad revenue and can climb to 55% by meeting criteria (e.g. showing ≥3 minutes of ads per hour under the Ads Incentive program)app.hexeum.net. That means initially Twitch keeps ~70% of ad dollars, rising to 45%. (Subscribers and Bits have their own splits: typically 50/50 split on subsapp.hexeum.net, up to 70/30 for top-tier Partners.)

• Earnings (CPM/RPM): Twitch’s average CPM is lower than YouTube’s, roughly $3–$6 per 1,000 ad impressionsapp.hexeum.netapp.hexeum.net. After share, creators earn roughly $1.5–$3 per 1,000 ad views (depending on their revenue split). For example, one Twitch streamer noted earning about $3.5 per 1,000 ad viewsreddit.com. Because streams are live, viewers can see multiple ads per session; but in practice many streamers report only modest ad earnings (often under $10–20 monthly for small channels). Subscriptions and donations (outside ad scope) usually dominate Twitch income.

• Regional Notes: Twitch is most popular in North America and Europe; usage in Asia (outside Japan/Korea) is smaller. CPMs similarly track local ad markets. U.S. Twitch viewers (20.6% of global viewershipdemandsage.com) may command slightly higher ad rates, but precise regional CPM data is scarce. Twitch’s more niche audience means fewer advertisers (and often ad inventory) compared to global platforms like YouTube.

 Twitch’s massive scale (over 240 million MAUs globallydemandsage.com) makes it the leading live-stream platform. However, Twitch ad RPM is modest: Affiliates start with ~30% of ad revenue, rising to 55%, on a typical $3–$6 CPMapp.hexeum.netapp.hexeum.net.

Meta Platforms (Facebook Watch & Instagram)

• Facebook Watch (In-Stream Ads): Facebook offers In-Stream Ads (mid-roll video ads on watchable videos) to eligible Pages. Like YouTube, Facebook traditionally shared 55% of ad revenue with creators/publishers (45% kept by Meta)musicbusinessworldwide.com (the same “industry standard” noted for IGTV). Since 2017 Facebook has paid creators billions; as of 2024 Meta disclosed over $2 billion paid to creators across videos, Reels, posts, etc., in the past yearabout.fb.com. In October 2024 Facebook consolidated its monetization into a unified “Content Monetization” program (merging in-stream, Reels, etc.) but kept the same performance-based modelabout.fb.com. Ad rates mirror market norms: Facebook ad CPMs are often ~$10–$12 in the US, so creator RPMs (after 45% cut) might average $5–7.

• Instagram Video (Reels/IGTV): Instagram has experimented with creator ads. IGTV (Instagram TV) ads launched in 2020 with a 55% revenue sharemusicbusinessworldwide.com (same as Facebook). However, IGTV and other paid programs were wound down by 2025businessinsider.com, and Instagram currently relies on creator bonuses (e.g. Reels Play Bonus) rather than a sustained ad-share model. Instagram Reels now occasionally pays out limited-time bonuses for high-performing short videos. In short, Instagram does not consistently share platform ad revenue with creators as YouTube does, beyond those past pilots.

• Earnings (CPM/RPM): Facebook’s in-stream ad CPMs have been reported in the $7–$15 range (depending on region); with a 55% cut, creators roughly net $4–$8 RPM from Facebook video ads. For Instagram Reels, Meta’s model is not CPM-based; creators rely on periodic bonus pools (payouts per view, capped and variable).

• Regional Notes: Facebook has ubiquitous global reach – e.g. over 300 M users in India, ~175 M in the US (2024)socialpilot.co – making it a major ad platform worldwide. Facebook Watch ads are active in most major markets. Instagram’s user base (2B+) extends globally, so any revived ads program could have worldwide reach. Regions like Latin America and Africa have high Facebook engagement, so these could offer additional ad inventory (though local CPMs are lower).

Vimeo and Others

• Vimeo: Vimeo is a professional video hosting platform with a very different model. It does not run its own ad network or share ad revenue by default. Instead, Vimeo promotes its OTT (over-the-top) platform for creators: one can use Vimeo OTT to build a subscription or pay-per-view channel. Through this, a creator can include ads (AVOD) but on their own branded channelvimeo.com. Vimeo’s tools let creators choose SVOD/TVOD/AVOD models, but Vimeo takes no fixed “cut” like YouTube/FBvimeo.com. Essentially, Vimeo is about letting creators sell access or ads directly, rather than hosting free content with split ad revenue. Its user base is a niche of professionals and businesses, mostly in the US and Europe.

• Other Platforms: (Not requested but for context) Platforms like Snapchat or LinkedIn have video features, but their monetization is limited to ads or brand deals, not direct creator revenue sharing. Chinese apps (e.g. Bilibili) have their own models (often PPV or bilibili coins).

Regional Comparisons

The relative popularity and ad earnings of these platforms vary by region:

• United States & Europe: Here YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitch all have large audiences. YouTube and Facebook dominate video watch time, and advertisers pay premium CPMs (often $10–$15+). TikTok and Instagram compete fiercely for young audiences (each with ~$1–2 billions users globally), and US CPMs on TikTok ads are competitive, but creator payouts remain low outside the Pulse program. Twitch is strong among gamers/streamers in NA/EU (≈35 M US Twitch usersdemandsage.com), with CPMs similar to global average. Content creators in these markets generally earn the most per view (reflecting advertiser spend).

• India & Southeast Asia: YouTube is by far the dominant video platform in India (hundreds of millions of users). TikTok is banned in India but huge in countries like Indonesia and the Philippines. Facebook and Instagram also have massive reach (each 200–300 M users in India). However, average CPMs in India/SEA are much lower. For example, Indian YouTube RPMs often run under $2–3 per 1000 views. In Southeast Asia, TikTok usage is sky-high but creator earnings from views are still low (as above). Facebook Reels and Shorts may pay a fixed sum, but the true CPM-equivalent is generally under $1–2 in these markets.

• Latin America: Video consumption is very high (time spent on Facebook/YouTube often exceeds Europe). YouTube’s reach is ~90%+ of internet users in countries like Brazil and Mexico. TikTok is also growing fast. Ad rates (CPM) in LATAM are below US/Europe but higher than India – YouTube CPMs typically $6–10. Facebook and Instagram have large audiences (especially Instagram Reels popularity). Creators here monetize via both Facebook in-stream and short-video programs (where available), but RPMs remain modest.

• Africa & Middle East: YouTube and Facebook dominate video use. Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa all have many YouTube viewers; TikTok is also growing. Ad markets are smaller: CPMs might be only $2–5 for Facebook/YouTube ads. Local monetization programs exist (e.g. Facebook’s Reels Bonus tested in some regions), but many creators still rely on global platforms’ programs. For example, Kenyan/Indian YouTubers often mention RPMs around $1–3.

Monetization Comparison

Platform	Creator Ad Revenue Share	Typical CPM (Advertiser side)	Creator RPM/CPM (After Split)	Key Notes
YouTube	55% (standard videos)support.google.com (Shorts 45%)	~$13–15 (US Q4 2022–23)tubebuddy.com	~$5–7 (long-form)tubebuddy.com	广告 by views, 1000 subs & 4000h required.
TikTok	50% (via Pulse for top clips)techcrunch.com; otherwise none (Creator Fund pays flat)	~$3–$6 (in-feed ads)	~$0.02–0.04 (via Creator Fund)demandsage.com	Ad revenue share only for top ~4% videos; otherwise earnings via fund/bonuses.
Twitch	30% base (up to 55% via ad incentives)app.hexeum.net	~$3–$6app.hexeum.net	~$1.5–3 (depending on split)	Live-streaming model; subs (50% split) and bits supplement income.
Facebook/Meta	~55% (in-stream video ads, Reels ads)	~$7–$12 (US)	~$4–8	Meta funds (Reels Bonus) exist, but main video ads still 55/45 split.
Instagram	55% (IGTV ads, defunct)musicbusinessworldwide.com; 0% on Reels (only bonuses)	Similar to Facebook	Only via limited bonuses; no ongoing ad share	IGTV ad program ended in 2022businessinsider.com. Reels use bonus pools (paused 2023, relaunched 2024).
Vimeo	0% (no built-in ads share)	N/A	N/A	Creators use Vimeo OTT to sell ads/subscriptionsvimeo.com; Vimeo offers no revenue split on free content.

Sources: Official partner programs and industry reportssupport.google.comtubebuddy.comtechcrunch.comdemandsage.comapp.hexeum.netabout.fb.commusicbusinessworldwide.comvimeo.com.

Takeaways: YouTube and Facebook (Meta) offer the most reliable ad revenue: established 55% splits and high CPMs in top markets. TikTok only recently began ad-sharing (half of ad dollars, but only for top content)techcrunch.com. Twitch provides moderate ad income (low CPM but bundled with subs). Instagram currently pays creators via bonuses rather than ads. Vimeo does not share ad revenue directly – creators rely on pay/subscription modelsvimeo.com. Regional ad market differences mean RPM can vary widely: US/Europe rates are far higher than India/Africa.