Updated October 28, 2026. Thresholds come from YouTube Help and YouTube’s announcements; they differ by country, so check the Earn tab in YouTube Studio for your channel.
YouTube monetization requirements, in short: Today, ad revenue on YouTube needs 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. From February 1, 2027, new applicants need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours or 20 million qualified Shorts views. In supported countries a lower tier at 500 subscribers unlocks fan funding and Shopping, but not ads.
The two YouTube Partner Program tiers right now
| Requirement | Tier 1: fan funding and Shopping | Tier 2: ad and Premium revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 1,000 |
| Recent uploads | 3 public uploads in the last 90 days | Check the Earn tab; sources differ on whether the upload rule applies |
| Long-form path | 3,000 public watch hours in 12 months | 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months |
| Shorts path | 3 million Shorts views in 90 days | 10 million Shorts views in 90 days |
| What it unlocks | Channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Shopping | Everything in Tier 1 plus Watch Page ads, Shorts Feed ads and YouTube Premium revenue |
The long-form and Shorts paths do not combine. A channel with 3,000 watch hours and 6 million Shorts views qualifies under neither route for Tier 2, because neither number reaches its own threshold.
What changes on February 1, 2027
YouTube has announced that from February 1, 2027, channels applying for ad and Premium revenue sharing will need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Both performance thresholds double; the subscriber requirement stays at 1,000. The metrics are also renamed from “valid public” to “qualified” watch hours and views.
In practical terms, the long-form path moves from roughly 11 hours of watch time per day, sustained for a year, to roughly 22 hours per day. If your channel is close to 4,000 hours, applying before the change matters.
The same update introduces an activity rule for channels already in the program: a channel counts as active if it has 1,000 qualified watch hours in the past year, 1 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days, or uploads at least 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days.
Requirements that are not about numbers
- You live in a country where the YouTube Partner Program is available. The 500-subscriber tier is available in fewer countries than the main tier.
- 2-Step Verification is on for your Google account.
- Advanced features are enabled in YouTube Studio.
- No active Community Guidelines strikes.
- A linked AdSense account for payments.
- Your channel follows YouTube’s monetization policies, which a human reviewer checks after you apply.
The “inauthentic content” rule: why channels get rejected
Since July 15, 2025, YouTube has called mass-produced and repetitive videos “inauthentic content”. The rule itself is not new; YouTube has always required original, authentic content for monetization. What changed is the name and the enforcement. Videos that follow a template with minimal variation, are easy to produce at scale and show little author input are not eligible.
YouTube has said channels that use AI tools remain eligible when the content is authentic and adds value. Reaction videos, clips and compilations still fall under the separate reused-content policy, which allows monetization when you add significant commentary, editing or educational value.
The lesson matches what happened to many websites after Google’s spam updates: scale without a point of view is now a liability on every major platform.
How to apply
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Earn tab. It shows your live progress toward each threshold.
- When you are eligible, select Apply and accept the base terms.
- Connect an existing AdSense account or create one.
- Wait for review. YouTube checks your channel’s overall theme, most-watched videos and newest uploads against its policies. Decisions usually take from a few days to a few weeks.
- After approval, turn on the modules you want: ads, Shorts revenue, memberships, Super Thanks, Shopping.
How to reach the thresholds faster without risking rejection
- Pick one path. Long-form and Shorts are counted separately, so splitting effort evenly slows both.
- Make series, not one-offs. A playlist that answers related questions keeps viewers on your channel, which builds watch hours faster than unrelated uploads.
- Improve the first 30 seconds. Retention early in the video affects how far YouTube recommends it.
- Test titles and thumbnails with YouTube’s Test & Compare tool, which picks winners by watch time share. See our guide to thumbnail best practices.
- Avoid shortcuts. Bought views, sub-for-sub schemes and looped videos do not count as valid watch time and put the channel at risk.
Bottom line: Meeting the YouTube monetization requirements is the start, not the finish. Check the YouTube monetization requirements and policies again before each application or review, because YouTube monetization requirements and policy details can change during the year.
Frequently asked questions about YouTube monetization requirements
How many subscribers do you need to get paid on YouTube?
500 for fan funding and Shopping in supported countries, and 1,000 for ad revenue.
Do Shorts watch hours count toward the 4,000 hours?
No. Shorts have their own views-based path; Shorts feed watch time does not count toward long-form watch hours.
Will channels already in the Partner Program lose monetization in 2027?
The new entry thresholds apply to channels applying from February 1, 2027. Channels in the program must meet the activity rule described above to stay eligible.
Can AI-generated videos be monetized?
Yes, if they are original and add value. Mass-produced, template-driven videos with little human input are treated as inauthentic content and are not eligible.
Sources
- YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview and eligibility
- PPC Land: New YouTube creators face an 8,000-hour bar from February 2027
- Search Engine Journal: YouTube clarifies its inauthentic content update
Related: How the YouTube algorithm works · The state of the creator economy
