YouTube is increasing the eligibility requirements for creators seeking to monetise their content, meaning new channels will need to build larger audiences before they can start earning from advertising and subscriptions.
Under the new rules, creators will need at least 8,000 qualified watch hours during the previous 12 months or 20 million qualified Shorts views within 90 days to qualify for monetisation.
The current requirements are 1,000 subscribers combined with either 4,000 watch hours over the previous year or 10 million Shorts views over a 90-day period. The updated thresholds will take effect from February 1 and will not apply to creators who are already members of the YouTube Partner Programme.
YouTube is also introducing additional requirements for creators earning revenue through the Shorts Creator Pool. Channels will need to generate at least 10 million Shorts views within a 90-day period to continue receiving Shorts-related revenue.
Creators who fall below the Shorts threshold will remain part of the YouTube Partner Programme and can continue earning from long-form videos. Shorts revenue will resume once their channels reach the 10 million-view requirement again.
YouTube said the changes reflect the rapid growth of its platform, which now records more than 200 billion Shorts views each day and more than one billion hours of viewing on television screens.
The higher monetisation thresholds are expected to make it more challenging for new creators to qualify for the programme, increasing the need for channels to consistently attract larger audiences before generating income from their content.
