"Only about 0.6 won per episode based on views"
"If it hits 1 million views, (earnings) are about 600,000 won"
Competition intensifies as entry barriers lower
A YouTuber with 2.01 million subscribers has attracted attention by revealing the earnings from their YouTube channel.
The YouTube channel '1bunmiman' recently shared details about their earnings in a video titled "I will clarify," stating, "I want to correct misunderstandings about monthly view count earnings."
"Even with 1 million views, earnings are 600,000 KRW... Mid-roll ads are unavoidable"
A video titled "Let Me Explain" was recently uploaded on the YouTube channel "1bunmiman." This video aims to clarify misunderstandings about the formula for monthly views. [Photo by YouTube channel "1bunmiman" capture]
1bunmiman said, "If you search online, it shows that our channel's monthly view count earnings are about 40 million to 68 million KRW," adding, "But some people ask, 'If you make that much money, why do you upload sponsored videos?' so I want to tell the truth."
He continued, "The YouTube system only attaches mid-roll ads and increases earnings several times when the video length exceeds 8 minutes," and explained, "(However) 1bunmiman's content is made very short, around 1 minute, focusing only on the core of the video." Because the videos are short, mid-roll ads have to be included.
Then 1bunmiman explained, "The earnings per view are only about 0.6 KRW," and said, "If I spend three days making one video and get 1 million views, the earnings are about 600,000 KRW. From this, I have to deduct various costs required for video production and share with the team members who help with the work."
He added, "Realistically, it is difficult to maintain the channel without external support. So even if sponsored videos appear occasionally, I hope people will view them kindly as they are for a healthy channel."
According to his calculations, 1bunmiman, who produces about 10 videos per month, earns a profit of approximately 6 million KRW. Many YouTubers, including 1bunmiman, reportedly do not earn as much monthly income from views as is commonly believed.
YouTubers who jumped in... selling used cameras and laptops, ending in bankruptcy
In fact, according to data released by the National Tax Service in May on the "Income status of one-person media creators (YouTubers, etc.)," among 34,219 one-person media creators who reported income in 2021, the top 1% (342 people) earned an average of 713 million KRW annually. On the other hand, the bottom 50% reportedly earned an average annual income of 400,000 KRW.
Used goods platforms are continuously listing secondhand items necessary for YouTuber activities, such as video recording equipment. Pawnshops are seeing an increase in young people in their 20s and 30s pawning laptops, smartphones, cameras, and more.
Meanwhile, YouTube recently significantly lowered the eligibility criteria for joining the "Partner Program," which allows creators to monetize their activities, to about half of the previous standards: "500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, 3,000 hours of watch time in the past year, or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days." With the lowered entry barriers for YouTubers, competition is expected to become even more intense.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
