YouTube Tightens Monetisation Rules For New Creators, Effective 2027

Creators looking to join YouTube's monetisation programme will face tougher entry criteria starting February 2027, the Google-owned platform has announced. The updated eligibility rules for the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP) mark the first major overhaul since 2018 and will apply only to new applicants, leaving existing members unaffected.

From February 1, 2027, creators seeking to earn ad and Premium revenue through YPP must clear one of two benchmarks, either 8,000 qualified watch hours accumulated over the preceding year, or 20 million qualified Shorts views within the previous 90 days. The subscriber requirement of 1,000 remains unchanged. YouTube said the revised criteria are designed to reward creators who are consistently active on the platform while still widening earning opportunities overall. Entry requirements for Fan Funding and shopping-linked features will not be altered, the company confirmed, restricting the new thresholds to ad and Premium revenue sharing alone.

Existing Creators Face Shorts Revision

Separately, YouTube is altering how it calculates Shorts eligibility for creators already inside the programme. Current members will need to maintain 10 million qualified Shorts views across a rolling 90-day window to keep earning from ads and subscriptions on their Shorts content, effective the same date. Falling short of this mark will not remove a channel from YPP altogether, as creators can continue monetising long-form videos, and Shorts earnings will restart automatically once viewership climbs back past the threshold. The company noted that creators already generating substantial income from Shorts are unlikely to notice much change.

To soften the impact on smaller Shorts creators, YouTube said it would roll out new incentive schemes rather than depending solely on ad revenue. These would include rewards tied to YouTube Shopping activity, brand partnership incentives and bonuses for creators who help popularise emerging trends. Further specifics on these programmes are yet to be announced, the company said.

YPP Entry Criteria From February 2027
Subscribers: 1,000
Watch hours: 8,000
Shorts views: 20 million

In a related announcement, YouTube confirmed that its Premium Lite subscription tier will now be available in every market where standard Premium already exists. The tier permits ad-light, offline and background playback across most videos. Revenue from both Premium and Premium Lite is shared with creators according to member watch time, with long-form content earning a 55 per cent split and Shorts earning 45 per cent, per the company. Background play and download support were added to Premium Lite earlier this year in February. In India, the plan costs Rs 89 monthly and functions across phones, laptops and connected televisions.

Notably, YouTube's changes come amid similar moves across the industry. X, under Elon Musk, recently altered its own creator payout structure to favour original content over reposted material. Facebook, too, rolled out a fresh monetisation scheme earlier this year targeting established creators migrating from rival platforms including YouTube and TikTok.