YouTube has just doubled the requirements for creators to begin earning money from ads.
Embarking on a YouTube career? Earning revenue is about to become significantly more challenging.
Breaking into YouTube and monetizing that success requires considerable metrics even now, and starting next year, creators will face even greater challenges. YouTube has announced major modifications to its Partner Program, which will double two of the conditions new creators must meet to be eligible for ad and Premium revenue sharing.
YouTube is effectively doubling the numbers
New creators will be required to have 1,000 subscribers alongside either 8,000 qualified public watch hours accumulated over the previous year or 20 million qualified Shorts views within 90 days to qualify for ad and Premium revenue sharing.
Currently, the requirement stands at 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours over a year or 10 million valid Shorts views within 90 days. In essence, the subscriber threshold remains the same, while the viewing metrics for both avenues are effectively doubled.
On a different note, fan funding and Shopping features will not see any changes. Therefore, these large metrics won’t impact all sources of revenue for creators, allowing for other avenues of income without the need to meet these heightened benchmarks. YouTube also stated that this marks the first significant change to the Partner Program since 2018, with the platform currently hosting over three million creators in the YPP.
Shorts creators have additional metrics to consider
Starting February 1, 2026, existing creators will also be required to achieve 10 million qualified Shorts views over the prior 90 days to be eligible for Shorts ad revenue and subscription sharing. Falling short of this requirement will not remove a creator from the YPP or halt earnings from long-form videos, as Shorts revenue sharing will automatically resume once the channel regains eligibility.
Creators are required to maintain either 1,000 watch hours annually or one million Shorts views, and consistently publishing content can help keep a channel in good standing. Channels that go longer than six months without new uploads may be dropped from the program.
YouTube is enhancing the announcement by expanding Premium Lite to every country where YouTube Premium is available and introducing further creator incentives regarding Shopping, brand partnerships, and trends. Despite these updates, the company anticipates paying creators more in 2027 than in 2026.
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YouTube has just doubled the requirements for creators to begin earning money from ads.
YouTube is increasing its watch-time and Shorts-view thresholds for new creators aiming for ad revenue, significantly raising the bar for entry into its Partner Program starting in 2027.