What is the difference between CPM and RPM?

CPM is what an advertiser pays for a thousand ad impressions, while RPM is what a creator receives per thousand video views after the platform's share is deducted. Because not every viewer sees an ad and the platform takes a cut, RPM is usually a fraction of CPM.

UGC stands for user-generated content — content made by ordinary people rather than a brand's production team. In paid work, a 'UGC creator' usually means someone paid to make natural-looking video for a brand to run in its own ads, rather than to post on their own account.

What does whitelisting mean in a brand deal?

Whitelisting means giving a brand permission to run paid ads that appear to come from your account. It is worth considerably more than a single post, because the brand can show it to a much wider audience for a long period, so it is reasonable to price it separately.

Is this list complete?

No — it holds the terms that come up most often in a creator's ordinary work, not the industry's entire vocabulary. New terms keep appearing, particularly on the advertising side.

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Creator Glossary

Look up any term that turns up in an analytics dashboard or a brand's offer email.

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What this is

A creator glossary is a list of the abbreviations and jargon that video platforms, advertisers and agencies use when talking about content and payment. These terms matter not because they are complicated but because they appear in negotiations: someone who does not know the difference between CPM and RPM can easily accept an offer that sounds large and is not. Every definition here is written to be understood without reading another entry first.

How it works

The two most commonly confused terms are CPM and RPM, and the gap between them is money. CPM is what an advertiser pays per thousand ad impressions; RPM is what actually reaches the creator per thousand video views — after the platform takes its share and after accounting for viewers who saw no ad at all. RPM is nearly always far smaller than CPM.

Brand-deal terms carry real legal consequences. Exclusivity limits who else you may work with and for how long; whitelisting lets a brand run paid ads from your account; usage rights set how long and where your video may be reused. All three are often mentioned in passing in an email, and each changes what the deal is worth.

How to use it

Type the term you are looking for The search matches definition text too, not only the term itself.
Filter by group Money, reach, production, or brand-deal terms.
Copy a definition if you need it Useful when explaining a term to a client or a teammate.

Common questions

What is the difference between CPM and RPM?: CPM is what an advertiser pays for a thousand ad impressions, while RPM is what a creator receives per thousand video views after the platform's share is deducted. Because not every viewer sees an ad and the platform takes a cut, RPM is usually a fraction of CPM.
What is UGC?: UGC stands for user-generated content — content made by ordinary people rather than a brand's production team. In paid work, a 'UGC creator' usually means someone paid to make natural-looking video for a brand to run in its own ads, rather than to post on their own account.
What does whitelisting mean in a brand deal?: Whitelisting means giving a brand permission to run paid ads that appear to come from your account. It is worth considerably more than a single post, because the brand can show it to a much wider audience for a long period, so it is reasonable to price it separately.
Is this list complete?: No — it holds the terms that come up most often in a creator's ordinary work, not the industry's entire vocabulary. New terms keep appearing, particularly on the advertising side.

Notes

The definitions are general explanations, not legal or financial advice.