New YouTube monetisation rules will raise viewing thresholds for creators seeking advertising and Premium revenue.
YouTube is set to introduce stricter eligibility requirements for new creators seeking to earn advertising and Premium revenue through its Partner Program, with the changes scheduled to take effect on February 1, 2027.
Under the updated requirements, creators applying to join the YouTube Partner Program for advertising and Premium revenue will need to achieve either 8,000 qualified watch hours during the previous 12 months or 20 million qualified Shorts views within 90 days.
The revised thresholds will apply only to creators who submit applications after the new rules come into force. Existing members of the Partner Program will not be affected by the changes.
YouTube said the updated requirements are intended to recognise active creators and reflect the platform’s continued growth. The company said Shorts now generate more than 200 billion views per day, while users watch more than 1 billion hours of content on television each day.
The changes represent the first major revision to the Partner Program’s eligibility criteria since 2018.
YouTube adds Shorts monetisation requirement
YouTube is also introducing a separate requirement for creators earning money through the Shorts Creator Revenue Pool.
Creators will need to maintain at least 10 million qualified Shorts views within a 90-day period to continue receiving revenue from the programme.
Channels that fall below the 10 million-view threshold will not be removed from the YouTube Partner Program. Instead, they will lose access to Shorts monetisation while remaining eligible to earn revenue from long-form videos.
Shorts monetisation will resume once a channel reaches the required viewing threshold again.
Fan funding and shopping remain unchanged
YouTube said eligibility requirements for Fan Funding and shopping features will remain unchanged under the new rules.
The company also expects to distribute more money to creators in 2027 than in 2026, despite the tighter requirements for advertising and Premium revenue.
The changes are likely to make monetisation more competitive for new creators, particularly those relying heavily on Shorts to build audiences. However, established Partner Program members will continue operating under their existing arrangements.