YouTube is raising the monetization threshold for new creators, doubling the requirements for advertising and subscription revenue. Starting in February 2024, creators must achieve either 8,000 hours of watch time in the past year or 20 million views on Shorts in the last 90 days to qualify for monetization.
As of now, the requirements are 4,000 hours of watch time or 10 million views on Shorts within the same time frame. The subscriber requirement of 1,000 remains unchanged.
The new criteria will apply to creators who join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) after the changes take effect. Channels already enrolled in YPP will not be affected, even if they do not meet the new standards. This marks the first significant adjustment to YPP monetization criteria since 2018.
With the increased monetization threshold, it is expected that new and smaller creators will find it more challenging to generate revenue. YouTube stated, "We have adjusted the monetization system to align with the growth of Shorts and TV viewership."
YouTube is also expanding its low-cost subscription service, 'Premium Lite,' to all countries where YouTube Premium is available. When Premium Lite users watch videos, a portion of the subscription fee will be allocated to creators, similar to the standard Premium service.
YouTube will allocate 30% of the net revenue from Premium subscriptions and 60% from Premium Lite to creator earnings, which will then be distributed based on user viewership.
YouTube noted that daily Shorts views have surpassed 20 billion, and daily TV watch time has exceeded 1 billion hours, expressing optimism that the changes will lead to increased earnings for creators.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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