YouTube will raise the main entry thresholds for ad-revenue sharing on February 1, 2027. New applicants will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified public watch hours in the previous 365 days or 20 million qualified public Shorts views in the previous 90 days. Existing members of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) will not have to requalify under those higher entry thresholds, but a separate ongoing Shorts threshold can affect their Shorts revenue sharing.
The changes were announced by YouTube on August 10, 2026 and take effect in 2027. This guide explains the practical difference between joining YPP, remaining in YPP and earning from Shorts.
YouTube monetization requirements in 2027
| Route to full ad-revenue sharing | Through January 31, 2027 | From February 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form route | 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 valid public watch hours in 12 months | 1,000 subscribers + 8,000 qualified public watch hours in 365 days |
| Shorts route | 1,000 subscribers + 10 million valid public Shorts views in 90 days | 1,000 subscribers + 20 million qualified public Shorts views in 90 days |
The subscriber requirement remains 1,000. The watch-hour and Shorts-view requirements double for creators applying for full YPP ad-revenue sharing after the change. YouTube says its systems determine which watch hours and views qualify, so the totals shown in YouTube Studio are the relevant figures.
TechCrunch independently reported the same thresholds and effective date when YouTube announced the update.
Who the higher YPP entry threshold affects
The higher 8,000-hour and 20-million-view thresholds apply to creators seeking full advertising and YouTube Premium revenue sharing from February 1, 2027. A creator who has not reached full YPP eligibility before that date should plan around the new requirements.
Creators already in YPP are not required to earn 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views to keep their overall program membership. That distinction matters: the new application threshold and the separate Shorts revenue-sharing rule are not the same test.
What changes for Shorts revenue sharing
From February 1, 2027, a creator needs at least 10 million qualified Shorts views during the previous 90 days to receive advertising and YouTube Premium revenue sharing on Shorts. YouTube says the calculation is rolling, meaning the eligibility window moves each day.
If a YPP creator falls below that 10-million-view level, YouTube says the channel remains in YPP and can continue earning from eligible long-form videos. Shorts revenue sharing pauses until the channel again reaches the threshold. That makes the change especially important for channels whose business relies mostly on Shorts rather than long-form viewing.
For context on YouTube’s separate originality rules for short videos, see our guide to the YouTube Shorts original-content update.
What does not change
YouTube says the lower entry requirements that unlock features such as fan funding and Shopping remain unchanged. Reaching those earlier-access thresholds does not automatically unlock the full advertising revenue-sharing tier; creators still need to meet the applicable full-YPP threshold.
The core revenue-share rates also remain unchanged: YouTube says creators receive 55% of recognized revenue from eligible long-form watch-page ads and 45% of the allocated Shorts creator pool. The company also announced an expanded Premium Lite model, but that does not reduce the new qualification thresholds.
Creators who use channel memberships can also review our explanation of the YouTube memberships update for news channels.
What creators should do before February 1
- Check the Earn tab in YouTube Studio. Use the figures YouTube marks as qualified rather than relying on third-party analytics.
- Separate long-form and Shorts planning. A channel can stay in YPP while losing Shorts revenue sharing, so track both income streams independently.
- Review the updated terms. YouTube’s Bangladesh help page says existing partners should accept the new terms by January 31, 2027.
- Avoid rushing low-value uploads. Watch time or views still need to qualify, and YouTube’s monetization policies continue to apply.
- Keep records. Save screenshots of the Earn tab and any notices in Studio if your eligibility status changes around the transition date.
A planning example: turning thresholds into daily targets
The following calculations are hypothetical planning examples, not a prediction of earnings or a claim about any creator’s results. Reaching a total does not guarantee acceptance: YouTube must count the activity as qualified and the channel must meet its other requirements.
- New Shorts applicant: 20 million qualified views over 90 days averages about 222,222 views per day.
- Shorts revenue-sharing threshold: 10 million qualified views over 90 days averages about 111,111 views per day. This is a rolling window, not a lifetime total.
- Long-form applicant: 8,000 watch hours equals 480,000 watched minutes. At a hypothetical average of five qualified minutes per view, that would require 96,000 views. Actual requirements in views vary with viewing duration and qualification.
These averages help explain the scale of the thresholds. They are not separate daily rules: performance can vary from day to day, and creators should use the qualified totals in YouTube Studio’s Earn tab.
The key distinction
The simplest way to read the 2027 update is this: new applicants face a higher bar for full ad-revenue sharing, while current partners keep YPP membership but may need to maintain 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days to continue earning from Shorts. Long-form revenue is not switched off merely because an existing partner falls below that Shorts-specific threshold.
Featured image: YouTube’s former headquarters in San Mateo, California, photographed October 2, 2006, by Coolcaesar. Archival image via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. The photograph predates the 2026 announcement.
