YouTube is changing the rules for getting paid, and the clock is running. New applicants who apply from February 1, 2027 will face higher thresholds for ad revenue, roughly double what applies today. If you're close to qualifying, the next few months matter.
This guide lays out every YouTube Partner Program (YPP) tier as of November 2026, what the February change means, and what actually counts toward your numbers. Requirements shift, so confirm the live figures on the Earn tab in YouTube Studio before you plan around them.
The Two Current YPP Tiers
Tier 1: Early Access (500 Subscribers)
Subscribers: 500
Uploads: At least 3 public uploads in the last 90 days
Plus One Of: 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days
What It Unlocks: Fan-funding features such as memberships and Super Chat, plus other non-ad perks. Not ad revenue sharing
Tier 2: Full Monetization (1,000 Subscribers)
Subscribers: 1,000
Plus One Of: 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days
What It Unlocks: Ad revenue sharing and Premium revenue sharing, on top of everything in Tier 1
What Changes on February 1, 2027
YouTube announced that new applicants for the full monetization tier will need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, alongside the same 1,000 subscribers. Those figures apply to new applicants from February 1, 2027. The 500-subscriber early-access tier keeps its current thresholds.
Anyone who applies before the change is evaluated under today's rules. If you're within reach of 4,000 hours or 10 million Shorts views, getting there before February is a meaningful advantage.
Watch Hours and Shorts Views Don't Combine
This is the most common planning mistake. You qualify through one path or the other, never a mix. A channel with 3,500 long-form watch hours and 8 million Shorts views meets neither threshold. Shorts watch time also doesn't count toward the long-form watch hour requirement.
What Counts as Qualified
Public Content Only: Private, unlisted, and deleted videos don't count
Long-Form Watch Hours: Time spent watching your public long-form videos
Shorts Views: Public Shorts views from engaged viewers, counted on their own separate path
Ads and Non-Archived Streams: Videos watched as an ad and live streams that aren't archived don't count toward watch hours
Account Requirements Beyond the Numbers
Hitting the thresholds isn't enough on its own. You'll also need an account in good standing with no active strikes, content that follows YouTube's monetization policies, 2-step verification enabled, and an AdSense account to receive payments. Many rejected applications fail on these rather than on the numbers.
How to Reach the Numbers Faster
Pick One Path and Commit: Decide whether you're a long-form or Shorts channel for monetization purposes and build toward that threshold
Fix Your Titles and Thumbnails: Click-through rate decides whether anyone watches at all
Work on Retention: A viewer who watches 6 minutes of a 7-minute video is worth far more watch time than a viewer who leaves at 30 seconds
Build Playlists and End Screens: Sending viewers to the next video multiplies watch hours per visitor
Upload on a Schedule: Consistency helps both the audience and YouTube's recommendations
Collaborate: Appearing on a channel with an overlapping audience is one of the quickest ways to find new subscribers
Where Growth Services Fit, and Where They Don't
Be careful here. Qualified watch hours and engaged Shorts views have to come from genuine viewing, and attempts to inflate them with bots or fake traffic can get a channel disqualified from the Partner Program. Don't build a monetization plan around anything that claims to manufacture watch time.
What a growth service can legitimately help with is social proof. A channel showing 12 subscribers and 40 views looks unproven, and new visitors hesitate. A credible baseline makes real viewers more willing to subscribe and stay, which supports the real watch time you need. LunarSMM lists the quality, drop rate, and refill terms for its YouTube services so you know what you're buying.
A Realistic Timeline
Reaching 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours organically usually takes a consistent channel six to eighteen months, depending on niche and upload frequency. A Shorts-led channel can move faster or slower, since the 10 million views target needs a few strong performers. Under the new rules the long-form bar doubles, so earlier action is cheaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many subscribers do I need to monetize on YouTube?
You need 500 for early access features like memberships, and 1,000 for ad revenue sharing, in each case alongside the watch hour or Shorts view requirements.
Do Shorts views count toward 4,000 watch hours?
No. Shorts views have their own separate path of 10 million qualified views in 90 days. The two paths don't combine.
Will the new requirements affect channels already in the Partner Program?
The February 1, 2027 thresholds apply to new applicants. Check YouTube's current guidance for how existing partners are treated.
Can I buy watch hours to get monetized?
Not safely. Inflating watch time with fake traffic violates YouTube's terms and can lead to permanent disqualification from the program.
Where can I check my progress?
Open YouTube Studio and go to the Earn tab. It shows live counters for subscribers, watch hours, and Shorts views against each tier.
Create a Free Account and give your channel the credibility that helps real viewers subscribe.