YouTube will raise the threshold for creators seeking to monetize content through the YouTube Partner Program starting February 1st, 2027, as reported by TechCrunch. Creators applying for monetization will need 1,000 subscribers and either 8,000 qualified watch hours over the previous 12 months or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the preceding 90 days.
The revised figures double the current requirement of 4,000 annual watch hours and double the 10 million Shorts views benchmark. To earn money from the Shorts Creators Pool, partners must maintain 10 million Shorts views over 90 days, though falling short of that target will not cause removal from the overall partner program.
Existing members of the program must accept the new terms by January 31st, 2027, to remain eligible for ad and subscription revenue. Continued participation requires maintaining either 1,000 watch hours over the past year, 1 million Shorts views, or uploading two long-form videos or five Shorts every 90 days. YouTube will continue to remove creators who fail to upload a video or publish a post to the Posts tab for six consecutive months.
YouTube is also expanding its cheaper Premium Lite subscription tier to every country where Premium is available. Subscription revenue is split with creators based on watch time and views, allocating 55 percent to long-form content and 45 percent to Shorts. YouTube stated that partners earn more on average when a viewer subscribes to Premium than when that viewer watches advertisements.
The higher requirements come as YouTube expands efforts to compete directly with subscription services including Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney Plus. The platform recently signed agreements to broadcast shows from Trevor Noah and launched a feature that lets creators organize uploaded videos into structured seasons.
