YouTube raises monetisation requirements for new creators

YouTube is set to make it more difficult for new creators to earn a share of advertising revenue through its YouTube Partner Programme, with significantly higher requirements taking effect from 1 February.

Under the updated rules, creators will need at least 1,000 subscribers and either 8,000 qualified watch hours accumulated during the previous 12 months or 20 million qualified views on YouTube Shorts within 90 days. The changes represent a substantial increase from the platform’s existing requirements and could make it harder for smaller channels to begin earning from their content.

New creators face higher thresholds

The new requirements will effectively double the amount of watch time or Shorts views creators need while leaving the subscriber threshold unchanged. At present, creators seeking to join the YouTube Partner Programme must have at least 1,000 subscribers, along with either 4,000 watch hours over the previous year or 10 million Shorts views during the previous 90 days.

The increase means that creators who rely primarily on long-form videos will need to generate twice as much qualifying watch time to access the programme. Those focused on short-form content will face a similar increase, with the required number of Shorts views rising from 10 million to 20 million.

For Shorts creators who are already part of the programme, maintaining a high level of engagement will also become important. Creators will need to generate 10 million qualified Shorts views within every 90 days to continue receiving revenue from the Shorts advertising pool. Falling below that figure will not automatically remove a creator from the Partner Programme, but revenue from the Shorts pool will be switched off for that period.

The changes could particularly affect smaller and newer channels that have built audiences but have yet to establish a consistent level of traffic. Reaching millions of views within a short period can be difficult even for creators with established audiences, making the new thresholds a significant hurdle for those attempting to turn YouTube into a source of income.

Existing partners will also have to stay active

YouTube is also introducing new requirements for creators who are already members of its Partner Programme. Existing partners will need to generate at least 1,000 watch hours each year or reach 1 million Shorts views to remain eligible under the updated rules.

However, creators can avoid these activity requirements by maintaining a regular publishing schedule. YouTube will allow creators to remain in good standing if they publish at least two long-form videos or five Shorts within 90 days. This gives established channels another way to retain access to the programme without meeting the annual watch-time or Shorts-view thresholds.

The platform is also tightening its rules around inactive channels. Creators who have not uploaded new content for at least six months could be removed from the YouTube Partner Programme. The move appears designed to encourage creators to keep their channels active rather than retaining monetisation access while publishing little or no new material.

YouTube argues that creators could still benefit from other changes coming to the platform, particularly the expansion of its Premium Lite subscription. The company plans to expand Premium Lite to “all countries where we offer YouTube Premium”. The lower-cost subscription allows users to watch videos without advertisements but does not include YouTube’s music streaming service.

YouTube says “with these additional subscribers, creators can expect higher earnings”. The company also says creators will have access to an improved revenue pool generated by views from Premium Lite subscribers. That could provide an additional source of income as the platform increases subscription availability.

YouTube expands its push into streaming

It remains unclear whether the expansion of Premium Lite will generate enough additional revenue to compensate creators for the higher barriers to monetisation. YouTube does not publicly disclose subscriber figures for each subscription tier, making it difficult to assess the potential impact of the change.

The company has reported a combined total of 125 million paid subscribers across its subscription offerings worldwide. At the same time, YouTube attracts nearly 2.7 billion users each month through its free service, giving it a considerably larger audience beyond its paid customer base.

The changes come as YouTube continues to expand beyond its traditional role as a platform for user-generated videos. The company has increasingly positioned the service as a competitor to established streaming platforms such as Netflix and HBO Max, while continuing to build new ways for creators and professional producers to distribute content.

YouTube has secured exclusive broadcasting agreements involving programmes from high-profile figures such as Trevor Noah. The platform has also introduced features that allow creators to organise their videos into “seasons”, bringing its content presentation closer to the structure commonly used by traditional streaming services.

For creators, however, the updated Partner Programme requirements could make the path towards earning advertising revenue considerably longer. While YouTube is expanding its paid services and offering new opportunities for monetised content, smaller creators may now need larger audiences and significantly higher levels of engagement before they can benefit financially from the platform’s advertising business.