The changes, announced this week by the Google-owned video site, will expand the ways established creators can earn while making it harder for new creators to qualify for a payout in the first place.
For readers unfamiliar with the system: the YouTube Partner Program, or YPP, is the mechanism that allows creators to share in advertising and subscription revenue once their channel meets certain viewership requirements. Launched nearly 20 years ago, it is the backbone of what has become a global creator economy worth billions of dollars.
More ways to earn from subscriptions
YouTube said it will roll out Premium Lite, a cheaper, ad-light subscription tier, to every country where YouTube Premium is currently sold. Creators are paid out of a dedicated revenue pool tied to each subscription type, receiving 30% of net revenue from full Premium subscriptions and 60% from Premium Lite, split between long-form video and Shorts. The company said creators typically earn more from a viewer who subscribes to Premium than from one who simply watches ads.
A higher bar for Shorts monetization
Starting February 1, 2027, creators will need at least 10 million qualified Shorts views over a rolling 90-day period to unlock ad and subscription revenue sharing specifically on Shorts, YouTube's short-form video format. Channels that fall short of that mark stay in the Partner Program and continue earning from their regular, long-form videos, with Shorts payouts resuming automatically if their view count climbs back above the threshold. YouTube said creators who already earn substantial Shorts income are unlikely to notice a difference.The company also said it plans new incentive programs, bonuses tied to shopping features, brand-deal integrations and viral trends, for smaller creators who fall under the Shorts threshold, though further details have not yet been released.
Tougher entry requirements for new applicants
New creators applying to join the Partner Program for the first time will need 8,000 watch hours in the past year, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the past 90 days, up from the program's earlier entry bar. YouTube said the change does not affect creators already accepted into the program, and that requirements for its separate Fan Funding and shopping tools are unchanged.
Creators can review and accept the updated terms inside YouTube Studio ahead of the February 1, 2027 effective date.
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