Monetizing on YouTube to Become Harder: Watch Time Requirement Doubled; New Rules for Shorts Creators

YouTube has revised the rules for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), making it more challenging for new creators to start earning revenue. Creators will now need to accumulate 8,000 hours of watch time or 20 million Shorts views. A target of 10 million views every 90 days has also been set for monetization through Shorts.

Earning money on YouTube is set to become somewhat more difficult for new creators. The platform has introduced significant changes to the rules of its YouTube Partner Program (YPP), the program through which creators monetize their videos. Under the new rules, creators must complete double the previous number of watch hours to qualify for the YPP. Additionally, they will need to garner a higher number of views via YouTube Shorts.

What changes for YouTube creators?

YouTube announced major changes to monetization rules for creators via a blog post. Starting February 1, 2027, it will be harder for new creators to join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) and earn revenue from ads and YouTube Premium.

Under the new rules, new creators must accumulate a total of 8,000 hours of watch time on their videos over the past 365 days to start earning on YouTube. Meanwhile, Shorts creators will need to generate 20 million views over the past 90 days.

Previously, the threshold was 4,000 hours of watch time or 10 million Shorts views. However, the requirement for 1,000 subscribers remains unchanged. On a positive note, creators who are already part of the YouTube Partner Program will not be affected by these new rules.

New rule for YouTube Shorts

YouTube has introduced another significant change that could impact both new and existing creators. The company has implemented a new rule regarding monetization through Shorts. Starting February 1, creators must garner at least 10 million views every 90 days to earn money from ads and subscriptions on Shorts. This means that if a creator's Shorts do not reach the 10-million-view mark within a rolling 90-day period, their earnings from Shorts could be affected.

Channels that fail to reach this 10-million-view threshold will not be removed from the YouTube Partner Program. They will be able to continue earning from their long-form videos just as before. However, earnings from Shorts will be paused until the channel once again meets the 10-million-view requirement.

New Earning Avenues for Shorts Creators

YouTube states that creators already earning significant revenue through Shorts are unlikely to be affected by this new rule. Before the new rule takes effect, creators must visit YouTube Studio to review and accept the updated terms.

Meanwhile, YouTube is preparing to expand other monetization avenues for channels that do not reach the 10-million-view mark on Shorts. These options could include bonuses linked to YouTube Shopping, incentives for brand deals, and extra earnings for starting or driving new trends.

Requirements for the Entry-Level YPP Remain Unchanged

The entry-level tier of the YouTube Partner Program will remain the same. At this level, creators will continue to have access to fan funding and shopping tools. To qualify, a creator's channel must have at least 500 subscribers, three public video uploads in the last 90 days, and meet one of the following criteria: 3,000 hours of qualifying watch time or 3 million Shorts views.