Key facts
- YouTube has doubled the required watch hours for creators to join its Partner Program.
- Long-form video creators now need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past 12 months, up from 4,000.
- Short-form content creators need 20 million qualified Shorts views in the past 90 days, up from 10 million.
- The new requirements go into effect on February 1.
- Creators must maintain at least 1,000 subscribers to qualify for monetization.
YouTube is significantly raising the entry requirements for its Partner Program (YPP), the platform's primary advertising revenue-sharing scheme. Effective February 1, creators will need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past 12 months for long-form videos, a doubling from the previous 4,000-hour threshold. Similarly, creators focusing on short-form content will need 20 million qualified Shorts views within 90 days, up from 10 million. In both cases, a minimum of 1,000 subscribers is still required. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and VP of creator product Amjad Hanif announced the changes, with Hanif stating the adjustments are due to the "growth of the creator ecosystem" and a desire to reward creators who consistently drive engagement. The platform also plans to diversify monetization offerings with new initiatives like incentive-based payouts and shopping bonuses, moving beyond sole reliance on ad revenue. Creator Austen Tosone expressed concern that the increased requirements could make it "so much tougher for small creators."