What makes this useful: A sourced EarnThread field guide written for creators turning attention into an owned business.
YouTube is changing its Partner Program on 1 February 2027, and the YouTube Partner Program changes that matter most to small channels are these. Earning from Shorts ads will need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days, checked every month. New applicants for ad revenue will need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views. Every partner has to accept updated terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027. The 500-subscriber route to fan funding hasn't changed. Everything in this guide comes from YouTube's own pages: the Changes to the YouTube Partner Program help article (opens in a new tab), the YouTube Blog announcement of 10 August 2026 (opens in a new tab) and the linked help centre policies. Where YouTube hasn't published details yet, we say so.
Key takeaways
- From 1 February 2027, Shorts Creator Pool and Premium earnings need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, checked each month.
- New applicants for ad revenue will need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days; existing partners are unaffected.
- The 500-subscriber tier for fan funding, Creator Partnerships and Shopping is unchanged.
- Every partner must accept the updated modules in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027 or stop earning from those features until they do.
- YouTube hasn't published details of its new incentive programmes for smaller channels, so don't count on them yet.
The YouTube Partner Program changes at a glance
| What | Before 1 Feb 2027 | From 1 Feb 2027 | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ads and Premium entry (new applicants) | 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months, or 10M Shorts views in 90 days | 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days, or 20M qualified Shorts views in 90 days | Channels not yet in YPP |
| Shorts Creator Pool and Premium earnings | Available to monetising partners who accepted the Shorts module | Only in months when the channel has 10M qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days | Every partner with Shorts |
| Fan funding, Creator Partnerships, Shopping entry | 500 subscribers plus 3,000 watch hours in a year, or 3M Shorts views in 90 days | Unchanged | Small channels |
| Premium Lite | Not in every Premium country | Every country where Premium is available | All partners |
| Channel "active" status | Upload or post at least once in 6 months | 1,000 watch hours in 365 days, or 1M Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days | All partners |
| Terms | Current modules | Accept updated modules by 31 Jan 2027 | All partners |
Sources: YouTube Help, Changes to the YouTube Partner Program (opens in a new tab); YPP overview and eligibility (opens in a new tab).
New entry thresholds: double the watch hours, double the Shorts views
From 1 February 2027, new creators applying for ad and Premium revenue sharing need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. The help article confirms the 1,000-subscriber requirement stays. Today's overview and eligibility page (opens in a new tab) lists 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days, so both routes double.
If you're already in the programme, this doesn't touch you. YouTube says that if you're already in YPP, "your status is not impacted by this update."
YouTube explains the change by the scale of the platform. Its blog says YouTube now sees "over 200 billion daily Shorts views". It also says more than 3 million creators are in the programme.
What this means for a channel close to 4,000 hours: if you meet today's threshold before 1 February 2027, you can apply under the current rules. YouTube's overview says reviews typically take about a month, and a channel rejected for the first time can reapply after 30 days. Whether an application already in review on 1 February is judged on the old or the new thresholds isn't covered on YouTube's pages, so treat that as unconfirmed.
The 500-subscriber tier hasn't changed
The help article is explicit that "there are no changes to the eligibility requirements for fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships, or YouTube Shopping." You can still reach those at 500 subscribers plus either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last year or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
For many small channels this tier is the more useful one anyway. Fan funding (channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks) pays creators 70% of net revenue, according to YouTube's partner earnings overview (opens in a new tab). Watch page ads pay 55%. Shorts pay 45% of what's allocated to you from the Creator Pool. A small audience that pays you directly can be worth more than a big one that only watches ads. Our look at what ads, creator funds and views actually pay puts numbers on that.
Shorts: 10 million views in 90 days, checked monthly
This is the change most small Shorts creators will feel. Under the updated Shorts monetisation policy (opens in a new tab), to earn a share of Shorts ad revenue from the Creator Pool and YouTube Premium revenue in any month, you need at least 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
How YouTube measures it: views are counted over "the 90 day period ending on the 15th day of the calendar month preceding the month for which earnings are being calculated." So March 2027's Shorts earnings depend on your qualified Shorts views in the 90 days to 15 February 2027.
What happens if you fall short:
- You stay in YPP. YouTube says missing the threshold doesn't remove you from the programme.
- Long-form earnings carry on. Watch page ads, fan funding and other YPP income aren't affected.
- Shorts revenue sharing restarts automatically once you're back above 10 million, according to the YouTube Blog.
The revenue split itself doesn't change. Creators keep 45% of the revenue allocated to them from the Creator Pool. YouTube's help page includes a hypothetical example: a Short with 1 million engaged views in a country where the Creator Pool is $90,000 for 100 million views is allocated $900, and the creator earns $405 after the 45% share. That example assumes the channel already meets the 10 million threshold.
YouTube is also adding targeted Shorts ads. From 1 February 2027, when an advertiser targets an ad at five or fewer channels, eligible creators earn a direct 45% share of that ad's net revenue, on top of the Creator Pool.
Unconfirmed: the new incentive programmes. YouTube says channels below 10 million views will get new ways to earn: "bonuses for YouTube Shopping, incentives for brand deals, and earnings boosts for starting and growing trends." The help article adds "production credits for brand deals." Eligibility, amounts and launch dates weren't published when we checked, and the blog says "We'll share more details soon." Don't plan income around them yet.
Premium Lite expands, and how Premium money is shared
YouTube is expanding Premium Lite to every country where YouTube Premium is offered. Its blog sets out the money flow:
- Creators share in a pool worth 30% of net subscription revenue for Premium and 60% for Premium Lite.
- That pool is divided by member watch time and views.
- From their share, creators receive 55% for long-form and 45% for Shorts.
YouTube says that, on average, partners earn more when a viewer signs up for Premium than when they watched with ads, based on 2026 performance. Premium earnings from Shorts still sit behind the 10 million monthly threshold, because the Shorts policy ties "Shorts ad and YouTube Premium revenue" to it.
New rules for staying "active"
Today, YouTube may turn off monetisation on channels that haven't uploaded or posted for six months or more. From 1 February 2027, a channel counts as active if it meets any one of these:
- 1,000 qualified watch hours in the past 365 days
- 1 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days
- 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts uploaded every 90 days
A channel that drops below gets a 90-day window to get back to either 1,000 watch hours or 1 million Shorts views. For a small channel, the simplest way to stay safe is the upload rule: two long-form videos a quarter. Our guide to how small YouTube channels reach 1,000 subscribers covers what makes those videos worth making.
The deadline: accept the new terms by 31 January 2027
To keep earning, review and accept the updated modules in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027. The steps on YouTube's help page:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on desktop or mobile.
- Open the terms notification on your dashboard, or go to the Earn tab.
- Select Review for each updated module: Watch Page Monetization, Shorts Monetization and, if you use fan funding, the Commerce Product Module.
- Tick the box to accept, select Next, then Submit.
If you miss the deadline you won't be removed from YPP. You'll stop earning from those features on 1 February 2027 until you accept. Creators who turned on memberships or Super Chat before 2023 may still be on the older Commerce Product Addendum and need to move to the Commerce Product Module. YouTube says there are no changes to eligibility, how those products work or revenue share.
What small channels should do now
| Your channel today | What changes for you | Sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500 subscribers | Nothing yet | Build an email list alongside the channel so viewers can reach you off YouTube |
| 500+ subscribers, fan funding tier | Nothing; thresholds unchanged | Turn on memberships if you qualify, and sell something of your own |
| Near 4,000 hours, not in YPP | From 1 Feb 2027 you'll need 8,000 | Apply as soon as you're eligible, if you reach it before then |
| In YPP, mostly Shorts, under 10M views/90 days | No Shorts ad or Shorts Premium pay in months below the line | Accept the new terms; shift effort to long-form or to direct sales |
| In YPP, mostly long-form | Long-form ad share unchanged | Accept the new terms by 31 Jan 2027 |
The pattern is the same as on other platforms: the platform sets the threshold, and it can move it. A Shorts channel with 8 million views in a quarter earned a Creator Pool share in 2026. From February 2027 that channel earns nothing from Shorts ads in any month it's below the line.
The income that doesn't depend on YouTube's thresholds is income from your own offers: a template, a workshop, a coaching call or a membership, sold to viewers who've joined your list. Start with our first-product selector, which tests demand before you build, then add a lead magnet so a viewer can go from a free download to a paid product. If memberships appeal, compare creator platforms on cost and switching first.
EarnThread gives you a storefront for your channel description, with downloads, bookings, memberships and lead magnets. It also tracks which video drove each sign-up and sale, and pays you into your own Stripe account. The Launch plan is $0 a month with a 5% fee per sale. Start free and put your first offer in your next video description, before 1 February 2027.
Frequently asked questions
What are the YouTube Partner Program changes in 2027?
From 1 February 2027, Shorts ad and Premium earnings need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. New applicants need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views plus 1,000 subscribers. Premium Lite expands, and new activity rules apply. All partners must accept the updated terms by 31 January 2027.
Will I be removed from YPP if I don't get 10 million Shorts views?
No. YouTube says channels below 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days stay in the Partner Program and keep earning from long-form videos and other features. They just don't earn Shorts Creator Pool or Shorts Premium revenue for that month. Shorts revenue sharing resumes automatically once the channel is back above the threshold.
Does the 8,000 watch hours rule apply to channels already monetised?
No. YouTube says the new 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views thresholds apply only to new creators applying from 1 February 2027. If you're already in YPP, your status isn't affected. You still need to accept the updated terms by 31 January 2027 to keep earning from each feature.
Can I still monetise with 500 subscribers on YouTube?
Yes, through fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships and YouTube Shopping. YouTube says their requirements aren't changing: 500 subscribers plus either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last year or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Ad revenue sharing still needs the full Partner Program thresholds.
What happens if I don't accept the new YouTube terms by 31 January 2027?
You won't be removed from the Partner Program, but from 1 February 2027 you'll stop earning from any feature whose updated module you haven't accepted. You regain access as soon as you accept the terms in YouTube Studio. The modules are Watch Page Monetization, Shorts Monetization and, where it applies, the Commerce Product Module.