New Delhi: YouTube is raising the eligibility requirements for new creators seeking to earn advertising and YouTube Premium revenue through the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP), making it significantly harder for smaller channels to qualify.

From February 1, 2027, new applicants will need either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the previous 365 days or 20 million qualified YouTube Shorts views in the previous 90 days to become eligible for ad and YouTube Premium revenue sharing.

The new requirements are double the existing thresholds of 4,000 watch hours and 10 million Shorts views.

The 1,000-subscriber requirement will remain unchanged.

YouTube said the changes come as viewing activity on its platform continues to expand. The company says Shorts now generate around 200 billion views each day, while viewers watch more than 1 billion hours of YouTube content on television every day.

The changes represent the first major overhaul of the main Partner Programme eligibility requirements since 2018.

New creators face higher monetisation requirements

Under the revised rules, creators starting their monetisation journey will need to meet substantially higher viewing thresholds.

From February 2027, a creator applying for the main YPP revenue-sharing programme will need:

  • 1,000 subscribers, plus
  • 8,000 qualified public watch hours in the previous 365 days, or
  • 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days.

Previously, creators needed 4,000 qualified watch hours or 10 million Shorts views.

The increase means creators focusing on long-form content will need twice as much qualifying watch time before they can access advertising and YouTube Premium revenue sharing.

Shorts creators face a similar increase in the initial eligibility threshold, with the requirement rising from 10 million to 20 million qualified views over 90 days.

For new creators, reaching these figures could require significantly more consistent content production and audience growth.

YouTube’s Partner Programme already includes more than 3 million creators, making the policy change relevant to a large and growing creator economy.

Existing YPP creators are not affected by the initial change

YouTube has clarified that creators who are already members of the YouTube Partner Programme will not be affected by the higher entry requirements.

This means existing YPP members will not suddenly need to achieve 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views simply to remain in the programme.

However, a separate change to Shorts monetisation will affect both new and existing creators.

YouTube is introducing a minimum performance requirement for continued access to advertising and subscription revenue from Shorts.

Starting February 1, creators will need to generate 10 million qualified Shorts views during a rolling 90-day period to remain eligible for Shorts ad and subscription revenue sharing.

Shorts creators face a new ongoing requirement

The new Shorts rule is different from the higher entry requirement.

A channel that is already part of YPP can remain in the programme even if it falls below the 10 million Shorts views threshold.

However, if the channel does not meet the requirement, its Shorts revenue-sharing eligibility will be suspended.

The creator can continue earning money from eligible long-form content, but Shorts earnings will resume only after the channel reaches the required 10 million qualified views within a rolling 90-day period.

This creates a continuing performance requirement for creators who rely heavily on Shorts revenue.

YouTube said creators already earning substantial amounts from Shorts are unlikely to be significantly affected by the rule.

The company will allow creators to review and accept the updated terms through YouTube Studio before the new requirements come into effect.

YouTube offers other monetisation options

YouTube also says it plans to introduce additional earning opportunities for channels that do not maintain the new Shorts threshold.

These could include bonuses connected to YouTube Shopping, incentives for brand deals and financial incentives associated with creators who start and grow trends.

The company appears to be positioning these options as alternative ways for smaller creators to generate income even when they do not qualify for Shorts advertising revenue sharing.

The lower level of the YouTube Partner Programme will also remain unchanged.

Creators can currently access fan-funding and shopping features at a lower threshold of:

  • 500 subscribers
  • At least three public uploads in 90 days
  • Either 3,000 qualified public watch hours or 3 million qualified Shorts views

This lower tier allows creators to access tools such as fan funding and shopping without meeting the higher requirements for full advertising revenue sharing.

YouTube expands Premium Lite globally

Alongside the YPP changes, YouTube is expanding its Premium Lite subscription to all countries where the standard YouTube Premium service is available.

Premium Lite provides uninterrupted viewing, along with offline and background playback for most content.

The subscription has been available in India since November 2025 and costs ₹89 per month, compared with ₹149 per month for the standard YouTube Premium subscription.

The expansion is also relevant to creators because YouTube shares part of its subscription revenue with eligible creators.

Under the company’s revenue model, 30% of net subscription revenue from YouTube Premium and 60% from Premium Lite goes into separate creator pools after accounting for operating and promotional costs, including payments to music partners.

The funds are then distributed according to member watch time and views.

Creators receive 55% for long-form video revenue and 45% for Shorts under the stated model.

YouTube expects creator payouts to rise

Despite making it harder for new creators to qualify for full monetisation, YouTube says the overall creator economy will continue to expand.

The company expects to pay creators more in 2027 than it did in 2026.

YouTube also argues that Premium subscribers can generate greater earnings for creators than advertising-supported viewers.

The company said that, on average, partners earn more when a user signs up for Premium compared with when that user watches content supported by advertisements.

The expansion of Premium Lite could therefore create another revenue stream for creators, particularly as YouTube increases the number of subscribers paying for access to its content without conventional advertising.

Why YouTube is changing its rules

The changes come as YouTube’s viewing numbers continue to climb.

The platform says it now records approximately 200 billion daily Shorts views, demonstrating the enormous scale of short-form video consumption.

At the same time, television has become an increasingly important viewing platform for YouTube, with more than 1 billion hours watched on TVs every day.

With millions of creators competing for attention, increasing the monetisation threshold could help YouTube ensure that channels receiving advertising and subscription revenue have established audiences and substantial engagement.

However, the change could make it more difficult for emerging creators to turn content creation into a source of income.

Creators who are already struggling to reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours will now have to achieve twice the watch-time requirement or significantly more Shorts views.

Creator economy becomes more competitive

YouTube’s changes come as other major social platforms also revise their monetisation systems.

X has moved towards rewarding original content under its creator payout structure, while Facebook has introduced new monetisation initiatives aimed at attracting established creators and high-performing content producers.

The broader trend suggests that social media companies are becoming more selective about how they distribute advertising and subscription revenue.

Platforms are increasingly looking for original, high-engagement content that keeps users watching for longer periods.

For creators, this could mean that simply publishing frequently is no longer enough. Building a loyal audience, generating sustained viewing and producing original content will become increasingly important.

What the changes mean for creators

For new YouTubers, the most important change is the doubling of the main monetisation threshold.

The move from 4,000 to 8,000 watch hours and from 10 million to 20 million Shorts views could significantly extend the time required for smaller channels to qualify for advertising revenue.

Existing YPP creators are protected from the new entry thresholds, but Shorts-focused channels will have to monitor their rolling 90-day performance.

Creators who fall below 10 million qualified Shorts views will not lose their entire YPP membership, but their Shorts revenue sharing will be paused until they regain eligibility.

For smaller creators, YouTube’s shopping, fan-funding and brand-related tools could therefore become increasingly important.

Conclusion

YouTube’s decision to double the main watch-hour and Shorts-view thresholds for new Partner Programme applicants marks a significant change in its creator monetisation strategy.

From February 2027, new creators will need 8,000 qualified watch hours or 20 million qualified Shorts views, along with 1,000 subscribers, to access advertising and YouTube Premium revenue sharing.

While existing YPP members are not affected by the higher entry requirements, Shorts creators will face a new ongoing 10 million-view threshold for Shorts revenue sharing.

The changes underline YouTube’s growing emphasis on sustained audience engagement as the platform’s viewing figures continue to rise. For aspiring creators, the message is clear: building a monetisable YouTube channel is likely to require a larger and more engaged audience than before.