YouTube Revenue Structure and Platform Policy Changes Are Also Variables
No to Ad Revenue Alone, Diversification of Income Is Essential
Recently, there has been growing attention on a domestic mukbang YouTuber whose face has never been revealed, following projections that she could earn as much as 230 billion KRW annually.
Faceless YouTuber Jane ASMR is attracting attention with projections that she could earn 230 billion KRW annually. Photo by Jane ASMR YouTube screenshot
According to NoxInfluencer, a social media data analytics company, on the 19th, YouTuber 'Jane ASMR Jane' is estimated to have an annual income of approximately 231.63 billion KRW. Her monthly income is projected to be 19.04 billion KRW, and her daily income is estimated at 634.61 million KRW.
This channel, which has 18.4 million subscribers, is known for its ASMR content featuring colorful foods such as chocolate, candy, and macarons. She uploads daily mukbang videos that only show her mouth, never her face, and most viewers are from overseas. However, experts caution that these numbers may be misleading and warn against taking them at face value.
NoxInfluencer estimated on the 19th that YouTuber Jane ASMR Jane's annual income is approximately 231.63 billion won. Photo by NoxInfluencer
YouTube Revenue Structure and Platform Policy Changes Are Also Variables
According to the official YouTube Partner Program (YPP), creators' ad revenue depends on several factors: ▲ cost per mille (CPM), ▲ the viewer's country, and ▲ ad view and click-through rates. The actual revenue paid out (RPM) is lower than CPM, and there can be more than a tenfold difference depending on the content genre.
ASMR and mukbang are genres with some of the lowest ad rates. Global market research firm Statista and the Korea Communications Agency (KCA) explain that the global average CPM for ASMR content is only between $2 and $7. In contrast, finance, IT, and business content can have CPMs ranging from $20 to $50, showing a significant difference. If the proportion of domestic viewers is high, revenue becomes even lower.
Industry insiders estimate that the actual monthly income of the 'Jane ASMR' channel is around 2 billion to 5 billion KRW. Tzuyang, a leading domestic mukbang YouTuber with 10 million subscribers, has also stated in the past that her monthly income is "in the hundreds of millions of KRW." Moon Bokhee, with over 3 million subscribers, is in a similar situation.
The annual ad revenue of 'gentlewhispering,' a leading global ASMR channel, is also estimated to be only about 170 million to 500 million KRW. Although it is the number one channel in terms of ASMR subscribers, the scale of ad revenue is limited.
An industry official said, "Mukbang and ASMR content have inherently low ad rates, making it structurally impossible to earn hundreds of billions of KRW solely from YouTube ad revenue," and added, "It is structurally impossible to achieve top-tier global ad revenue in a genre with such low CPM."
Platform policy must also be considered. Since 2025, YouTube has implemented a policy restricting ad revenue for repetitive or non-authentic content. The YouTube Policy Center states, "Content for monetization must be creative and original." There are concerns that content which does not show a face and only provides simple ASMR sounds may fall under these restrictions.
No to Ad Revenue Alone, Diversification of Income Is Essential
The need for diversified income streams is also being emphasized. A study by Tianyuan Hua's research team in the Department of Computer Science at New York University, titled "Analysis of Alternative Monetization Strategies on YouTube" (2022), concluded that "it is difficult for YouTube channels to achieve stable, high income from ad revenue alone," and that diversification through sponsorships, partnerships, and merchandise is essential.
In reality, successful YouTubers secure various sources of income beyond ad revenue, including brand sponsorships, personal merchandise sales, and fan support. The Korea Communications Agency (KCA) also explained, "YouTube ad rates can vary more than tenfold depending on content genre and viewer country," highlighting the limitations of relying solely on ad revenue.
Limitations of Estimates: NoxInfluencer, which released these income estimates, is also not free from controversy regarding the accuracy of its projections. YouTube's official policy takes a similar stance. Its monetization guide page clearly states, "Revenue estimates are for reference only and may differ from actual earnings." Many creators repeatedly testify that "there is a significant gap between estimated earnings and the actual amount received."
An MCN industry official analyzed, "It is misleading to determine a YouTuber's income based solely on views and subscriber numbers," and added, "For an accurate interpretation, one must also consider genre, country, and changes in platform policy. Claims that hundreds of billions of KRW have been earned solely from ad revenue are unrealistic given the structure of the platform."
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