Keep the two denominators apart.
A format decision is an economic decision as well as an editorial one. A short video may be inexpensive to make, but that does not make it inexpensive to sustain. A longer production may earn more per view in your records, but take more time than you have. Compare both sides of the invoice.
The example above uses invented RPMs. It is deliberately adjustable. Use long-form views with long-form RPM, and Shorts engaged views with Shorts RPM. YouTube’s ad-revenue definitions, checked 9 September 2026, use engaged views for the Shorts RPM denominator. Do not put a newer, broader Shorts view count beside an RPM measured on engaged views.
Equal revenue is one question.
First calculate the long-form example’s revenue. Then divide that revenue by the Shorts RPM and multiply by a thousand. This tells you the Shorts engaged views needed to match the example’s revenue at the assumed rate. It says nothing about the likelihood of reaching that audience.
The ratio is local to your assumptions. It changes when the rates change. If the Shorts RPM is zero, there is no finite number of Shorts engaged views that matches positive revenue in this model. If the long-form example itself earns zero, zero Shorts revenue already matches it.
Recovering the cost is another.
Divide a format’s production cost by its RPM and multiply by a thousand. This is its simplified revenue break-even view count. Include your labor value in the cost if you want that labor covered. Keep any sponsorship or other income separate so you can see whether it is carrying the production.
Build a comparison that belongs to you.
- Select the same date range for each format, and record the retrieval date.
- Record format-specific revenue, RPM and the matching view count.
- Time a complete production cycle for each format, including research, review and revisions.
- Compare the revenue requirement with the time and cash you can allocate. Repeat with lower RPM assumptions.
A niche table describes its sample, if it has one. It does not price your channel. In Long or Short, the useful habit is to build a dated record from your own exports and keep audience geography, format and costs visible beside the rate.
Adapted from Long or Short, chapter 7 and Appendix B, the category audit. RPM definitions checked 9 September 2026. The examples are estimates, not reported market rates.