YouTube Dramatically Changes Monetization Requirements for Content Creators

Google-owned YouTube has announced that monetization requirements for new creators will become significantly stricter. These changes mean that creators aiming to earn money on the platform for the first time will need twice as much time and activity, sparking major debate in the digital creator community. This was reported by Techcrunch.com .

According to ixbt.com, under the new rules, creators must accumulate at least 8,000 hours of watch time over the past year or reach 20 million views through Shorts videos within the last 90 days to join the YouTube Partner Program and start earning from ads and subscriptions. Previously, the requirements included 4,000 hours of watch time and 10 million Shorts views.

The changes are scheduled to take effect on February 1 of this year. However, company representatives say they will not affect existing creators who have already joined the YouTube Partner Program. Their monetization requirements will remain unchanged.

New Requirements for Shorts Creators

YouTube also announced that creators must maintain the 10 million-view threshold during each 90-day period to continue earning through the YouTube Shorts Creators Pool. If a channel falls below this figure, it will remain in the Partner Program and continue earning from long-form videos, but Shorts revenue will be restored only once the metrics recover.

According to the company’s official statement, these restrictions are being introduced to keep pace with YouTube’s rapid growth. Today, the platform records more than 200 billion Shorts views per day, while over one billion hours of content are watched on television screens.

Market Context and Other Platforms

The new rules will make it harder for new creators to enter and remain in YouTube’s monetization program. This could place additional pressure on young creators to attract large audiences consistently and limit newcomers’ chances of earning money quickly.

At the same time, YouTube announced that it is expanding its more affordable Premium Lite subscription service to all countries where YouTube Premium is available. Of the revenue from this subscription, 55% will be allocated to long-form video creators and 45% to Shorts creators.

It is worth noting that social media companies and digital platforms are actively reviewing their incentive programs. For example, X, formerly Twitter and led by Elon Musk, has updated its creator rewards to focus exclusively on original content, while Facebook has launched new programs to attract creators from TikTok and YouTube.