YouTube Doubles Monetisation Watch-Hour Requirement From February 2027

YouTube is set to significantly raise the requirements creators must meet to earn money through its YouTube Partner Program (YPP), with the new rules taking effect on February 1, 2027.

Under the revised requirements, creators seeking to monetise their channels through advertising and subscriptions will need at least 1,000 subscribers and must achieve either 8,000 eligible public watch hours within the previous 12 months or 20 million eligible Shorts views within 90 days.

The new threshold represents a major increase from the current YPP requirements. At present, creators with 1,000 subscribers can qualify by recording 4,000 watch hours over the previous 12 months or generating 10 million Shorts views within 90 days.

YouTube will also require creators participating in the Shorts monetisation system to maintain at least 10 million Shorts views within 90 days to continue earning from the Shorts Creator Pool. However, creators who fall below that figure will not automatically be removed from the YouTube Partner Program.

Alongside the higher entry requirements, YouTube is expanding access to its lower-cost Premium Lite subscription. The service is expected to become available in every country where YouTube Premium is offered.

YouTube distributes part of its subscription revenue to creators according to factors such as watch time and views. The company currently allocates 55 per cent of the relevant revenue to long-form content and 45 per cent to Shorts.

According to YouTube, creators could potentially earn more as Premium membership expands because subscribers may generate greater revenue for partners than viewers who are served advertisements.

The changes come as YouTube continues to position itself as more than a traditional online video platform. The company is increasingly competing for viewers’ attention with major streaming services such as Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+, while seeking to strengthen its subscription-based business.

YouTube is also introducing additional activity requirements for creators who want to remain eligible to earn through advertising and subscriptions.

Under the new rules, creators will need to maintain at least one of the following levels of activity: 1,000 watch hours during the previous 12 months, one million Shorts views, or regular uploads consisting of at least two long-form videos or five Shorts every 90 days.

The platform already has a policy allowing it to remove channels from the YPP when creators have not uploaded a video or made a post on the Community Posts tab for six months or longer.

Creators who are already members of the YouTube Partner Program will also have to accept the updated terms by January 31, 2027, if they want to continue earning money from their content under the programme.

The new rules mean creators, particularly those relying on long-form videos or Shorts for income, will have to significantly increase their audience engagement and content activity to remain eligible for YouTube monetisation from February 2027.

Source: The Verge