Question 1

How do I calculate total creator earnings across platforms?

Accepted Answer

To calculate total earnings, you must sum the net revenue from each platform after its specific fees (e.g., Twitch's 50% sub split, YouTube's 30% Super Chat cut). Then, aggregate all these net amounts and deduct global expenses like agent/manager fees and taxes. This calculator automates that entire process for you.

Question 2

How much does a Twitch sub pay after platform & tax?

Accepted Answer

For a standard $4.99 Tier 1 sub, Twitch takes a 50% cut, so the streamer receives ~$2.50. From that $2.50, if your tax rate is 25%, you would owe $0.63 in taxes, leaving you with a net take-home of approximately $1.87 per sub.

Question 3

What RPM should I use for YouTube VOD & Shorts in 2025?

Accepted Answer

RPM (Revenue Per Mille) varies greatly. For long-form VODs, a gaming channel with a US/UK audience might have an RPM of $4 - $8. For YouTube Shorts, the RPM is much lower, typically ranging from $0.04 to $0.07. It's best to use the actual RPM from your YouTube Studio analytics for the most accurate calculation.

Question 4

How to estimate TikTok creator fund & live gift earnings?

Accepted Answer

TikTok's Creator Fund is notoriously variable, but a rough estimate is $20-$40 per million views. Live Gifts are more direct; viewers buy coins, and creators receive a portion of the value when gifts are sent. A good estimate for active live streamers is to model it similarly to Twitch donations, starting with a few hundred dollars per month and scaling up with viewership.

Question 5

How much of sponsorship money goes to managers or agents?

Accepted Answer

A manager or agent typically takes a commission of 10% to 20% on all deals they negotiate for you. This includes cash sponsorships, brand deals, and sometimes even a cut of merchandise revenue if they manage that part of your business. This is a standard industry cost for professional representation.

Question 6

How to combine donations and subscriptions into a single income forecast?

Accepted Answer

You should treat them as separate but additive streams. Subscriptions provide a more predictable, recurring baseline revenue, while donations are more volatile. To forecast, you can use your average monthly donation amount and add it to your projected subscription revenue, then apply a growth rate to the combined total.

Question 7

Are merch revenues taxable and how to estimate taxes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, profit from merchandise sales is taxable income. To estimate taxes, you first need to calculate your net profit (Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold - Fees). This net profit is then added to your other income, and your overall tax rate is applied to it. This calculator's tax slider helps you model this.

Question 8

How to estimate net take-home after taxes and manager cuts?

Accepted Answer

The correct order of operations is: Gross Revenue - Manager Cut = Taxable Income. Then, Taxable Income * Tax Rate = Taxes Owed. Finally, Taxable Income - Taxes Owed = Net Take-Home Pay. This calculator follows this sequence to provide an accurate estimate.

Question 9

How many views translate to $1000 on YouTube Shorts?

Accepted Answer

With an average RPM of $0.05, you would need approximately 20,000,000 (twenty million) views on YouTube Shorts to earn $1,000 in ad revenue. This highlights why Shorts monetization relies on extremely high volume compared to traditional long-form content.

Question 10

How to handle overlapping audiences across platforms (attribution)?

Accepted Answer

This is a key challenge. While you can't perfectly de-duplicate, a conservative approach is to assume a significant overlap. A common assumption is that your core 'true fans' will support you across multiple platforms, but that the wider audience is distinct. Advanced modeling might apply a discount factor to revenue from secondary platforms.

Question 11

How to forecast creator earnings for the next 12 months?

Accepted Answer

To forecast, establish your current monthly net income, then apply a realistic monthly growth rate. Our calculator does this by taking your calculated monthly net and compounding it for 12 months using the 'Monthly Growth Rate' slider, giving you a dynamic annual projection.

Question 12

How much do top 1% creators earn monthly across platforms?

Accepted Answer

The top 1% of creators are high earners, often making over $100,000 per month. Their income is highly diversified across Twitch subs (tens of thousands), massive YouTube ad revenue, six-figure annual sponsorship deals, successful merchandise lines, and other business ventures, showcasing the power of a multi-platform strategy.

Creator Multi-Platform Earnings Calculator — Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, Patreon & Merch Income (2025)

How Multi-Platform Creators Earn Money — subs, ads, shorts, tips, sponsorships & merch explained