YouTube is making it harder for creators to start earning money

YouTube is introducing stricter criteria to join its primary monetization program, the Partner Program. This program, which pays creators a percentage of ad revenue, has been instrumental in helping many creators build successful careers. Beginning in February, the threshold for qualifying will become more challenging. YouTube announced on Monday that it is raising the entry requirements for the main tier of its YouTube Partner Program (YPP).

The most significant changes will be for creators who earn money from ad revenue sharing. These changes particularly affect creators who post short-form content, known as Shorts. Currently, to be eligible for ad revenue shares, creators need 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months. However, starting February 1, the requirement will increase to 8,000 qualified watch hours. The minimum 1,000 subscriber requirement will remain unchanged.

For creators who primarily post short-form content, the threshold for eligibility in YouTube's Shorts revenue-share program will also double to 20 million qualified Shorts views within the last 90 days. Creators must maintain this threshold over the next 90 days to continue earning money from their Shorts content. However, they will still need at least 1,000 subscribers to qualify for the Shorts revenue-share program.

Once accepted, Shorts creators will face the same 10 million qualified view limit over a 90-day period to maintain their earnings.