Direct answer: Starting February 1, 2027, new creators applying for YouTube Partner Program ad and Premium revenue sharing will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the previous 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days. Existing YPP members keep their status under this entry-threshold change, but all monetizing creators should review the updated terms, new channel-activity rules and Shorts revenue requirements.[1][2]
The 60-second action checklist
If your channel earns money from YouTube, do these five things now:
- Open YouTube Studio → Earn and review every updated monetization module.[2]
- Accept the applicable updated terms by January 31, 2027 to avoid an interruption to the associated monetization features.[2]
- Record your rolling 365-day qualified watch hours and rolling 90-day qualified Shorts views.[2]
- Check that your upload schedule meets at least one of YouTube’s new activity tests.[2]
- If you depend on Shorts revenue, build a separate alert for the 10-million-qualified-views-in-90-days requirement.[2]
YouTube monetization requirements: before and after February 1, 2027
| Requirement | From February 1, 2027 | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers for new full YPP applicants | 1,000 | New applicants |
| Qualified watch-hours route | 8,000 in 365 days | New applicants |
| Qualified Shorts-views route | 20 million in 90 days | New applicants |
| Shorts Creator Pool earnings | 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days | Creators seeking monthly Shorts pool earnings |
| Updated terms deadline | January 31, 2027 | Monetizing creators using the affected modules |
YouTube says the higher entry thresholds apply to new creators. If you are already in YPP, your membership status is not changed by the new 8,000-hour or 20-million-view entry bar.[2]
What changes for creators already in YPP?
Existing members do not have to requalify under the new entry thresholds. However, three other items can still affect them.[2]
1. You must review the updated terms
YouTube says creators should accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027. Missing that date does not automatically remove the channel from YPP, but earnings from the associated monetization features stop from February 1 until the relevant terms are accepted.[2]
Where to accept them:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on desktop or mobile.
- Open the notification on the dashboard or go to Earn.
- Select Review for each updated module.
- Accept the applicable terms and select Next.
- Select Submit after reviewing the modules.[2]
2. YouTube is adding channel-activity tests
From February 1, 2027, YouTube considers a channel active when it meets at least one of these conditions:
- 1,000 qualified watch hours in the previous 365 days;
- 1 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days; or
- two long-form uploads or five Shorts uploads every 90 days.[2]
YouTube’s Help page says channels that fall below the activity criteria get an extended 90-day window to restore active status by reaching either 1,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days or 1 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days.[2]
3. Shorts pool earnings get a continuing performance floor
To earn each month from the Shorts Creator Pool, a creator will need 10 million qualified Shorts views over the previous 90 days. Falling below that floor does not remove the channel from YPP and does not stop other YPP earnings such as long-form revenue.[1][2]
This distinction matters:
- 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days is one entry route for new applicants seeking ads and Premium revenue sharing.
- 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days is the continuing minimum for monthly Shorts Creator Pool earnings.
- Dropping below the Shorts earnings floor does not cancel long-form monetization or YPP membership.[2]
What does not change?
YouTube says the early-access thresholds for fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships and YouTube Shopping remain unchanged: 500 subscribers plus either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last year or 3 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days.[2]
That lower tier is not the same as full ads and Premium revenue sharing. Check the exact feature access shown in your own YouTube Studio → Earn tab rather than assuming every monetization product unlocks at the same threshold.[2]
Premium Lite revenue: what YouTube confirmed
YouTube is expanding Premium Lite to every country where YouTube Premium is offered. According to YouTube, creators share in a pool representing 60% of net Premium Lite subscription revenue, compared with a pool representing 30% of net Premium subscription revenue. The creator revenue share distributed from those pools is 55% for long-form videos and 45% for Shorts.[1][2]
These percentages describe YouTube’s pool and revenue-sharing structure; they are not a guaranteed earnings rate for an individual channel. Actual channel revenue depends on eligible viewing and YouTube’s applicable terms.
A practical 90-day readiness plan
Week 1: protect access
- Open the Earn tab and capture a dated screenshot of your current eligibility and module status.
- Review and accept each relevant module rather than waiting for the deadline.
- Export or record current 365-day watch hours and 90-day Shorts views.
- Confirm who controls term acceptance if the channel is connected to a multi-channel network.
For MCNs, YouTube says the managing network handles terms for owned-and-operated channels, while affiliate channels must accept their own applicable modules.[2]
Weeks 2–4: choose the correct growth route
Do not split effort blindly between long-form and Shorts. Use your existing analytics to choose the route with the more credible gap:
- Prioritize long-form when your videos already generate qualified watch time, search traffic and repeat viewing.
- Prioritize Shorts when the channel repeatedly produces qualified Shorts views at scale.
- Use both formats only when each has a defined role, such as Shorts for discovery and long-form videos for deeper viewing.
A new channel should track progress against both 8,000 qualified watch hours and 20 million qualified Shorts views, but should build its content plan around the route supported by actual audience behavior.
Every 30 days: update a simple tracker
Copy this structure into Google Sheets or Excel:
| Check date | Subscribers | Qualified watch hours, last 365 days | Qualified Shorts views, last 90 days | Long videos uploaded, last 90 days | Shorts uploaded, last 90 days | Terms accepted? | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY-MM-DD | Yes/No |
Use YouTube Studio as the source of truth for qualified metrics. Public view counts can differ from the qualified or engaged metrics used for eligibility and revenue decisions.
Mistakes to avoid
Treating all views as qualified views
The rules repeatedly use the word qualified. Do not substitute a public channel view total for the qualified watch-hour or Shorts-view figures displayed in YouTube Studio.[2]
Assuming existing YPP membership protects Shorts income
Existing membership protects your status from the higher entry threshold, but Shorts Creator Pool earnings have a separate 10-million-qualified-views requirement over 90 days.[2]
Waiting until January 31 to review terms
Contract modules can apply to different monetization features. Review them early so you have time to identify the relevant channel owner, MCN relationship or account-access problem.
Buying views or using low-quality traffic
The official rules are based on qualified performance. Artificial traffic also creates policy risk and does not build the returning audience needed for durable revenue.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new YouTube monetization rules start?
The changes take effect on February 1, 2027. YouTube asks monetizing creators to accept applicable updated terms by January 31, 2027.[1][2]
Do existing YPP creators need 8,000 watch hours to stay monetized?
No. YouTube says the 8,000-hour or 20-million-Shorts-view entry threshold applies to new creators, and existing YPP status is not affected by that entry-rule update. Existing channels still need to consider the updated terms, channel-activity criteria and the separate Shorts earnings floor.[2]
What happens if I do not accept the new terms by January 31, 2027?
YouTube says you will stop earning from the associated monetization features beginning February 1. You are not automatically removed from YPP, and you can regain access by accepting the applicable terms later.[2]
Will I lose YPP if my Shorts fall below 10 million qualified views in 90 days?
No. YouTube says Shorts pool earnings pause below that threshold, but the channel remains in YPP and other earnings, including long-form revenue, are not affected.[1][2]
What is the new channel-activity requirement?
A channel is considered active if it reaches 1,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days, 1 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days, or uploads two long-form videos or five Shorts every 90 days.[2]
Did YouTube change the 500-subscriber fan-funding threshold?
No. YouTube says the early eligibility requirements for fan funding, Creator Partnerships and Shopping remain 500 subscribers plus 3,000 qualified watch hours in a year or 3 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days.[2]
Bottom line
New applicants face a higher full-monetization bar from February 1, 2027, while existing partners avoid requalification under that entry change. Every monetizing creator should still review the updated modules before January 31, monitor the new activity criteria and separate Shorts revenue eligibility from overall YPP membership.[1][2]