YouTube is making it harder for new creators to make money, doubles watch-hour requirements

YouTube is changing the requirements for new creators to make money from the platform. Now, creators need to have double the watch-hours than before to become eligible.YouTube is making it harder for new creators to get monetised. (Photo: Reuters)YouTube is making it harder for new creators to earn money. The platform has announced changes to the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP) which allows creators to earn money from videos. Going forward, anyone who wants to become eligible for the programme will need to have double the watch hours than before, as well as more YouTube Shorts views. This move comes as YouTube continues to see a rise in watch-time across the platform. YouTube sees about 200 billion daily Shorts views and over a billion hours of watch time on TV every day. This change is the first major change to the partner programme since 2018. The programme already has over 3 million creators.What are the changes for YouTube creators?In a blog post, YouTube stated the new criteria for creators. From February 1, 2027, new applicants will need either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the previous 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days to qualify for ad and YouTube Premium revenue sharing.Before, this threshold stood at 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views. The 1,000 subscriber requirement stays unchanged. Creators who are already part of YPP are not affected. New rule for YouTube ShortsBut there is one more change that does impact new and old creators alike. YouTube has also introduced a new rule for Shorts earnings. From February 1, creators will need 10 million qualified Shorts views over a rolling 90-day period to remain eligible for ad and subscription revenue sharing on Shorts. Channels that fall below that mark will stay in the partner programme and can continue earning from long-form videos. However, their earnings from YouTube Shorts will only resume once they meet the 10 million criteria again. The Google-owned platform says that creators who already earn significant revenue from Shorts are unlikely to be affected by the new 10 million-view rule. Creators will be able to review and sign the new terms in YouTube Studio before they take effect.For channels below that threshold, YouTube said it plans to add other earning options, including bonuses tied to YouTube Shopping, incentives for brand deals, and earnings boosts for starting and growing trends.The lower level of the partner programme will remain unchanged for fan funding and shopping tools. These are available to creators with 500 subscribers, three public uploads in 90 days, and either 3,000 qualified watch hours or 3 million Shorts views.YouTube expands Premium LiteYouTube has also expanded Premium Lite to all countries where YouTube Premium is available. The subscription offers uninterrupted, offline and background viewing of most content. Premium Lite is available in India since November 2025, and costs Rs 89 per month, as opposed to Rs 149 for the standard plan.Under YouTube’s revenue model, 30 per cent of net subscription revenue from Premium and 60 per cent from Premium Lite will go into separate creator pools after accounting for operating and promotion costs, including payments to music partners. That money will then be distributed based on member watch time and views, with creators receiving 55 per cent for long-form videos and 45 per cent for Shorts.YouTube says that creators can expect higher earnings from this change as “when a user signs up for Premium, partners, on average, earn more than when the user was watching ads.” The company also said it expects to pay more to creators in 2027 than it did in 2026. The move comes as other platforms are also revising creator payout systems. X has changed its creator payout rules to reward only original content, while Facebook launched a new monetisation programme earlier this year.- EndsPublished By: Armaan AgarwalPublished On: Aug 11, 2026 09:33 IST