YouTube Monetization Requirements in 2027
YouTube officially announced on August 10, 2026 that it’s raising the entry bar for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), effective February 1, 2027 (YouTube Blog; YouTube Help: Changes to YPP).
Confirmed by YouTube
| Until Jan 31, 2027 | From Feb 1, 2027 (new applicants) | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 1,000 | 1,000 (unchanged) |
| Long-form path | 4,000 qualified watch hours / 12 months | 8,000 qualified watch hours / 365 days |
| Shorts path | 10M qualified Shorts views / 90 days | 20M qualified Shorts views / 90 days |
| Fan funding / Shopping tier | 500 subs + 3,000 hrs or 3M Shorts views | Unchanged |
- Existing members are not affected. Help page: “If you are already in YPP, your status is not impacted by this update.” (source)
- Current members must accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by Jan 31, 2027, or they stop earning from the associated features until they do (source).
- Shorts revenue: starting Feb 1, 2027, earning from the Shorts Creator Pool requires 10M qualified Shorts views over the last 90 days. Channels that fall below that number stay in YPP (Blog).
- New “active” rules: 1,000 watch hours in 365 days, or 1M Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts uploaded every 90 days (source).
Not confirmed by YouTube
- Applications still in review on Feb 1. YouTube hasn’t said whether a pending application is judged against the 4,000-hour bar or the 8,000-hour bar. Some third-party blogs say anything submitted by Jan 31 counts under the old rules. That is unverified.
- Studio lag. YouTube hasn’t published anything about hours that show up in Studio after Feb 1.
What this means for you
Reviews take “typically in about 1 month” (YPP overview). If you’re under 4,000 hours, give yourself a private deadline around late December 2026 so you have buffer for the review and any rejection.
FAQ
Do Shorts views count toward the 8,000 hours? No. Watch hours from the Shorts feed don’t count toward the watch-hour path (source). I’m already monetized. Do I need 8,000 hours? No, but you do need to accept the new terms by Jan 31, 2027 (source). Did the subscriber requirement change? No. It’s still 1,000.
Check your pace for free: Enter your subscribers, qualified watch hours, and daily pace in the YPP Pace calculator. It tells you whether you’ll cross 4,000 hours before Jan 31, 2027 and what daily pace you need. Not affiliated with YouTube.