YouTube to Double Monetisation Watch-Hour Requirement for New Creators in 2027

YouTube is doubling the watch-hour requirement for new creators who want to earn from advertising and Premium revenue on the platform.

Starting February 1, 2027, creators applying to the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP) will need 8,000 qualified watch hours over the previous 365 days to qualify for ads and Premium revenue sharing.

The alternative route will require 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days.

The new watch-hour threshold is double YouTube’s current 4,000-hour requirement. The changes will only apply to new creators, meaning channels already in YPP will not be affected.

The changes are part of a broader update to the Partner Programme, which now has more than 3 million creators. YouTube says this is the first significant change to the programme since 2018.

What changes from February 2027

Creators who want to qualify for ads and Premium revenue sharing will need to meet one of two thresholds:

• 8,000 qualified watch hours in the previous 365 days; or
• 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days.

The new rules take effect on February 1, 2027.

YouTube is also changing the requirements for creators already earning from Shorts.

From February 1, creators will need at least 10 million qualified Shorts views over a rolling 90-day period to continue receiving ads and subscription revenue from Shorts.

This is separate from the 20 million-view threshold for new creators applying for full YPP monetisation.

Creators who fall below the 10 million-view threshold will not be removed from YPP. They can continue earning from long-form videos, while Shorts revenue sharing will resume automatically once they cross the threshold again.

Fan funding and Shopping are not affected

The higher requirements do not apply to YouTube’s Fan Funding and Shopping products.

Creators can still qualify for those features under the existing lower entry threshold, which requires 500 subscribers, three public uploads within the previous 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the past year or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days.

This means access to some YouTube monetisation tools will remain easier than qualifying for advertising and Premium revenue sharing.

YouTube introduced the lower YPP entry tier in 2023, giving smaller creators access to features such as fan funding and Shopping before they meet the requirements for full advertising revenue sharing.

YouTube is also expanding Premium Lite

The monetisation changes come alongside an expansion of YouTube Premium Lite.

YouTube said the cheaper subscription will become available in every country where standard YouTube Premium is offered. Premium Lite provides uninterrupted viewing, offline downloads and background play for most content.

YouTube said 60% of net Premium Lite subscription revenue is allocated to its creator revenue pool, compared with 30% for standard Premium.

That pool is distributed based on member watch time and views, with 55% going to long-form creators and 45% to Shorts creators.

YouTube says creators can review and accept the updated YPP terms through YouTube Studio before the changes take effect on February 1, 2027.