YouTube will make it harder for new creators to reach ad and Premium revenue through the YouTube Partner Program from February 1, 2027. The platform will require 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 eligible public watch hours over 365 days or 20 million eligible Shorts views over 90 days—double the current 4,000-hour and 10-million-Shorts thresholds.
The more consequential change for Shorts creators is an ongoing eligibility test. A channel will need at least 10 million eligible Shorts views during the preceding 90 days to receive its monthly share of the Shorts Creator Pool and Shorts-related YouTube Premium revenue. Falling below that mark does not remove a channel from YPP or disable long-form monetization, but it does make the channel ineligible for Shorts pool payments for that month.
Existing YPP members will not have to meet the higher entry thresholds to retain monetization on standard videos. YouTube will also retain its lower access tier for fan-funding features, YouTube Shopping and Creator Partnerships: 500 subscribers plus either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million eligible Shorts views in 90 days.
Revenue shares stay, but their calculation bases differ
| Revenue source | Creator share | Basis described in the updated terms |
|---|---|---|
| Standard video advertising | 55% | Creator revenue share for monetized standard videos |
| Shorts Creator Pool | 45% | Creator share of the amount allocated from the pooled Shorts revenue system |
| Channel Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks | 70% | Net revenue associated with the direct fan-funding feature |
The percentages do not all apply to the same pool of money. Shorts ads shown between videos in the Shorts feed continue to feed a shared Creator Pool, with creators receiving revenue based on their portion of eligible views and then keeping 45% of their allocated amount.
YouTube is also introducing Targeted Shorts Ads. Where an advertiser targets a campaign at no more than five channels, eligible creators can receive 45% of that ad’s net revenue directly, on top of their usual Creator Pool earnings.
Licensed music can reduce the revenue entering the Shorts pool before it is distributed. YouTube’s examples allocate half of the relevant revenue to licensing when one music track is used, while a Short using two tracks sends one-third into the pool. However, creators still receive view credit for all eligible views on their Short, and their 45% revenue share remains unchanged.
Premium and Premium Lite use separate creator funds rather than passing a fixed percentage of a subscriber’s payment directly to an individual channel. YouTube says 30% of net YouTube Premium subscription revenue will go into a creator fund, while Premium Lite will contribute 60% of net subscription revenue to its equivalent fund. Distribution depends on consumption of creators’ content, after which the regular 55% rate for standard videos or 45% rate for Shorts applies to the allocation.
The terms also allow YouTube to exclude separately licensed services or content from the calculation of a creator fund in potential higher-priced Premium packages. A more expensive subscription, therefore, would not necessarily increase the revenue base paid to creators by the full difference in price.
New activity rules and an acceptance deadline
From February 1, 2027, YouTube will classify a YPP channel as active if it meets at least one of several recent performance or publishing measures. Channels deemed inactive will receive an additional 90 days to regain at least 1,000 eligible watch hours or 1 million eligible Shorts views.
- Accumulate 1,000 eligible watch hours in the past 365 days.
- Reach 1 million eligible Shorts views in the past 90 days.
- Publish two standard videos or five Shorts during each 90-day period.
Creators must accept the updated modules in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027. Missing the deadline will stop revenue from features tied to an unaccepted module beginning the next day, although the channel will not automatically be removed from YPP and can resume that monetization after accepting the terms.
For established long-form channels, the higher entry bar may have limited immediate effect. For channels built primarily around Shorts, however, the new rules turn 10 million eligible views from a one-time YPP entry milestone into a rolling requirement for monthly pool revenue.
