YouTube Doubles Monetization Gates for New Creators

Overview

• YouTube announced new entry rules that raise the minimum to 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past 12 months or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days for new channels to join the Partner Program.
• The company confirmed the changes apply only to creators who try to join the Partner Program after the rules take effect and will not remove existing channels from the program.
• Channels that already earn from the Shorts Creators Pool must maintain at least 10 million Shorts views every 90 days to continue receiving Shorts pool payouts, though they remain in the Partner Program if they fall short.
• YouTube said it will expand Premium Lite to all countries where Premium is available and detailed subscription revenue sharing, including a Premium Lite fund equal to 60% of net subscription revenue and separate Premium view funds that split roughly 55% to long-form creators and 45% to Shorts creators.
• The change raises the bar for small and Shorts-dependent creators and could shift creator strategies toward sustained audience growth, original long-form content, and subscription-based earnings as platforms compete for high-performing creators.