YouTube monetization gets tougher as new earning rules emerge

YouTube has become a major income source for creators around the world. Through the YouTube Partner Program, eligible users can earn from advertisements, memberships, Super Chat and other features.

However, the reported changes mean new creators may have to achieve higher targets before qualifying for YouTube monetization.

Watch time target increases

Under the reported YouTube monetization requirements, the watch-time target for long-form videos is set to increase from 4,000 hours to 8,000 hours over 12 months.

Creators will still need to meet the required subscriber threshold along with the new YouTube watch time target.

The higher YouTube monetization requirements could make it more difficult for smaller channels to qualify, especially those that are still building their audience.

Creators may need to focus on videos that keep viewers watching for longer rather than relying only on frequent uploads.

Shorts target doubles

The biggest change is expected for YouTube Shorts monetization.

According to the reported YouTube earning rules, creators seeking earnings through Shorts will need more than 20 million views within 90 days.

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The previous target was 10 million views, meaning the requirement has effectively doubled.

This could make YouTube Shorts monetization much harder for smaller creators who depend mainly on short-form content.

The new YouTube earning rules may encourage creators to focus more on audience retention, consistency and content quality.

Changes coming in 2027

The reported changes are expected to take effect from February 1, 2027.

Creators who are already part of the YouTube Partner Program will reportedly not be directly affected by the initial changes.

However, Shorts creators will still need to maintain the required 10 million views within 90 days to continue earning from Shorts.

If they fail to maintain the target, they can remain in the YouTube Partner Program and continue earning from long-form videos.

They would need to reach 10 million Shorts views again within 90 days to restart Shorts earnings.

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Why the rules are changing

YouTube says its platform is growing rapidly. More than 200 billion Shorts are reportedly watched every day, while users watch around one billion hours of YouTube content daily on television screens.

This huge level of activity may be one reason behind the updated YouTube monetization requirements.