Some creators still hesitate with Shorts. We get it. The RPMs aren’t as high as long-form. It’s a different format, with a different feel. And if your channel has been built on 10-minute storytelling or tutorials, vertical video might feel like a detour.
But here’s what we see every day, working with 3,000+ YouTube creators:
Shorts work. They’re the engine that fuels discovery, restarts stalled growth, and drives traffic to long-form videos.
And yes, Shorts generate revenue. Let’s break it down.
Shorts RPM in 2025: What to Expect
Let’s talk numbers. The monetization model for Shorts is still evolving, but we’ve been tracking real-world RPMs from across AIR Media-Tech partners. This is what creators are actually earning per 1,000 views:
- United States – $0.328
- Switzerland – $0.205
- Australia – $0.193
- South Korea – $0.185
- United Kingdom – $0.166
- Canada – $0.165
- Germany – $0.163
- Hong Kong – $0.147
- Japan – $0.144
- Taiwan – $0.140
Even though Shorts RPMs are lower than traditional video CPMs, the scale is unmatched. A Short can hit 1M views in days. It might only generate $150–$300 in ad revenue at that level, but here’s the interesting part:
→ That Short is feeding traffic to your long-form videos, where your RPMs are often 10x higher.
→ That Short is bringing in new subs, pushing you into Browse and Suggested, and surfacing your back catalog.
→ That Short is fueling overall channel earnings.
We’ve seen it happen again and again. Here are just a few examples from AIR partners.
What We’ve Done for Our Partners: Shorts in Action
To show how powerful Shorts can be when used strategically, let’s look at a few of the creators we’ve worked with and the results we achieved together:
+64% Revenue Growth from Shorts (Arts & Crafts Channel)
One creator in the clay sculpting and resin art niche hit a plateau. Long-form uploads were solid, but the algorithm had cooled.
We recommended Shorts. There was hesitation and concern about format mismatch, low RPMs, and Shorts “cannibalizing” long-form.
But on September 4, they started posting.
30 days later:
- +41.8% in views
- +64.1% in revenue
Shorts didn’t pull attention away from long-form; they reignited traffic, drove binge sessions, and put the whole channel back into YouTube’s recommendation engine.
+125M Views from Dubbed Shorts & Localization (Kids Channel)
A kids' content creator had a thriving English-language channel. Then we added dubbed audio tracks to Shorts in 11 languages, testing demand with localized subs and real-time data.
Top-performing dubs:
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Indonesian
- Portuguese
We fully dubbed 70% of their back catalog in 6 core languages before the next premiere and dropped every new Short with dubs live from day one.
The result?
- 125.5M extra views in 5 months
- 30% of all views now come from dubbed audio tracks
- Higher average view durations on dubbed Shorts vs. English (Spanish: 8:24 vs. English: 6:26)
Retention rose. Reach exploded. Subs skyrocketed. Why? Because Shorts + dubbing + frequency is a winning formula.
Want to see results like these on your channel?
Let’s build your Shorts strategy together. Our team will help you plan, test, and scale your content with the right mix of creation, localization, and monetization support. Contact us to get started.
+52% Channel Views and +33% Revenue Growth from Shorts
This kids’ channel began its journey with Shorts on June 19, 2025, and the results were clear by the end of July, once the strategy had gained traction. Here's what happened:
From June 19 to June 30:
- Total channel views grew by 52%
- Revenue increased by 33%
The visual evidence of success is shown in the graphs, with a significant increase in views, watch time, and subscriber growth once the Shorts were introduced into the content strategy.
By July, the impact of Shorts was already visible, as evidenced by the steady growth in engaged views and total revenue. The data reflects a substantial uptick in traffic following the start of the Shorts strategy, highlighting the power of frequent posting.
+100% Revenue Growth from Shorts
One of our partners started publishing Shorts on May 29, 2025. The results have been remarkable, especially in terms of revenue growth. Here’s how it played out:
Period: May 29 to September 30, 2025
Estimated partner revenue:
- May (pre-Shorts): $31.90
- June: $62.83
- July: $97.33
- August: $108.96
- September: $79.11
Revenue doubled during this period.
Results:
→ Total views for Shorts increased significantly, driving engaged views and video performance to new heights.
→ The revenue growth was aligned with increased engagement, as shown in the viewership and revenue data during the period.
This shows how Shorts, even with lower RPMs, can supercharge revenue by driving consistent traffic and increasing overall channel engagement.
+48% Revenue Growth After Shorts Launch (Arabic Channel)
This Arabic-language channel began publishing Shorts on June 3, 2025, and the change in performance became clear soon after:
- Shorts published: 43
- Views: 20.8M
- Engaged views: 9.5M
- Watch time: 69,050 hours
Overall channel revenue:
- $259.56 = Shorts-only test revenue.
- $6,380.11 → $9,473.56 = Total channel revenue growth after Shorts launch (+48%).
- Grew steadily month over month.
- Saw the strongest increase in the last quarter, as Shorts became a consistent part of the upload schedule.
Key insight:
The real growth appeared after several weeks of consistent posting. While early Shorts provided moderate traction, sustained posting frequency helped YouTube’s algorithm recognize and promote the channel’s content more widely.
By the end of the quarter, both views and partner revenue showed a clear upward trend, confirming that consistent Shorts publishing drives long-term visibility and monetization gains.
Creators in the AIR ecosystem who uploaded daily or even multiple Shorts per day experienced:
- Higher overall reach. Each Short reinforces previous ones, keeping your content visible in the feed.
- Better audience retention. Frequent posting helps YouTube understand your audience faster and deliver your content to the right viewers.
- Increased long-form traffic. Shorts viewers who engage regularly are more likely to click through to your main videos.
Vertical Livestreams: The Next Big Thing
After you’ve built consistency in your Shorts posting schedule, consider adding vertical livestreams to expand your reach even further.
With the mobile audience growing every month, vertical livestreams are quickly becoming one of the most relevant tools for creators looking to expand reach and boost engagement.
The reason is simple: the vertical format feels native to mobile. It fills the screen, keeps the focus tight, and makes the viewer feel closer to the creator.
So, why do vertical livestreams work?
#1. Vertical livestreams perform best in cases where the focus is on a single character, face, or close-up scene. This setup creates a more personal viewing experience and encourages higher engagement compared to standard widescreen streams.
#2. The format also aligns with how users consume content on Shorts, Reels, and TikTok. Viewers scrolling through vertical content are far more likely to stop and interact with a livestream that matches the format they’re used to.
At AIR Media-Tech, we’ve analyzed data across thousands of partner channels, and the conclusion is clear: launching vertical livestreams makes the most sense for channels where Shorts are already a major traffic driver.
What We’ve Seen in the Data
When implemented strategically, the impact of vertical livestreams can be dramatic:
- Reach increases of up to 25% across participating channels.
- Revenue growth ranging between 10%–27%.
- On smaller or previously inactive Shorts channels, revenue multiplied several times over, literally bringing the channels back to life.
- Subscriber growth of up to 10%, as livestreams draw new viewers into the community and re-engage existing ones.
These results show that vertical livestreams are a growth engine for 2025. For creators already producing Shorts, adding vertical livestreams builds a powerful ecosystem: Shorts bring viewers in, livestreams deepen the connection, and long-form content captures loyalty and higher revenue.
Let’s Build Your Shorts Strategy
Want to grow your channel, revive your views, or monetize globally with Shorts?
Contact us today and get a strategy tailored to your niche. We’ll help you test frequency, experiment with dubbing, and build a real plan for your growth.
