YouTube Tightens Monetisation Rules, Making It Harder for Creators to Earn

YouTube content creators will find it more difficult to earn money from the platform. The company recently announced new requirements for channels to qualify for monetisation through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).

Creators must have at least 1,000 subscribers and meet one of two options. The first is 8,000 eligible watch hours in the past year, or 20 million Shorts views within 90 days, according to The Verge on Thursday (13/8/2026).

These new rules will take effect from 1 February 2027.

The updated policy represents a significant increase from the current requirements. At present, channels need 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 watch hours in the past year, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million Shorts views in 90 days.

Creators must also maintain 10 million Shorts views over a 90-day period to qualify for earnings from the Shorts Creator Pool.

Additionally, creators can earn more from the Premium Lite service. YouTube is expanding this to all countries that previously had YouTube Premium.

YouTube shares subscription revenue based on watch time and views, reaching 55% for long-form videos and 45% for Shorts. “With more subscribers, creators can expect higher earnings. When users subscribe to Premium, partners earn more on average than they would from users watching ads,” YouTube explained.