YouTube Will Double the Monetization Threshold for New Channels

YouTube is significantly updating its Partner Program terms for the first time since 2018. The new rules will take effect on February 1, 2027, and will apply to creators who are only planning to join YPP.

To earn revenue from ads and YouTube Premium, new channels will need to accumulate 8,000 watch hours over the past 365 days or 20 million Shorts views within 90 days. The 1,000-subscriber requirement remains in place. The new thresholds will not apply to existing YPP members.

Starting February 2027, creators with 10 million Shorts views within 90 days will receive a share of ad and subscription revenue from Shorts. If a channel drops below this threshold, it will remain in YPP and can continue monetizing long-form videos. Shorts revenue sharing will resume once the channel reaches 10 million views again.

For channels that don't meet this threshold, YouTube plans to introduce new monetization options, including YouTube Shopping bonuses, brand partnership programs, and rewards for driving trending content.

YouTube will also expand Premium Lite to all countries where YouTube Premium is available. The platform is allocating a separate revenue pool for this subscription tier, from which creators will receive payouts based on views and watch time.