PostEaseThe short answer
The YouTube Partner Program, or YPP, is how creators earn from YouTube. YouTube’s Help Center says it “gives creators greater access to YouTube resources and monetization features, and access to our Creator Support teams. It also allows revenue sharing from ads being served on your content.”
A channel qualifies one of two ways: 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. It then applies in YouTube Studio and goes through a review.
What you need to join
Before the thresholds, YouTube lists these requirements:
| Requirement | What YouTube says |
|---|---|
| Policies | Follow the YouTube channel monetization policies. |
| Location | Live in a country/region where the YouTube Partner Program is available. |
| Strikes | Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel. |
| Account security | Make sure 2-Step Verification is turned on for your Google Account. |
| Features | Have advanced features access on YouTube. |
| Payments | Have one active AdSense for YouTube account linked to your channel |
The two ways to qualify
A channel needs to meet one of these, in YouTube’s words:
| Route | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Long-form video | Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months |
| Shorts | Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. |
Shorts and watch hours do not mix
The two routes are counted separately. YouTube notes that “any qualified watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed won’t count towards the 4,000 qualified public watch hours threshold.” A channel that posts both should track each route on its own and apply on whichever it reaches first.
Shorts revenue from February 2027
Joining is one threshold; earning from Shorts each month will soon have its own. YouTube’s Shorts monetization policies say: “Starting February 1, 2027, to be eligible to earn a share of Shorts ad revenue from the Creator Pool and YouTube Premium revenue for each month, you will need to have at least 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.” The views are measured over the 90 days ending on the 15th of the month before the one being paid.
Advanced features first
Applying for monetization is one of YouTube’s advanced features. YouTube’s page on feature access says a channel qualifies through its history, or by verifying its identity with a valid ID or a video, so a newer channel may need to verify before it can apply.
Content YouTube will not pay for
Meeting the thresholds is not enough on its own: the channel must follow YouTube’s monetization policies, and stays under review after it joins. In a July 2025 update, YouTube renamed its “repetitious content” policy “inauthentic content” to make clear it covers content that is repetitive or mass-produced, and said “This type of content has always been ineligible for monetization under our existing policies, where creators are rewarded for original and authentic content.”
Questions
How many subscribers do you need to join the YouTube Partner Program?
1,000, together with either 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Do Shorts views count towards watch hours?
No. YouTube says watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed don’t count towards the 4,000-hour threshold; Shorts have their own route, 10 million qualified views in 90 days.
How do I apply?
In YouTube Studio, open Earn, select Apply Now, accept the base terms and set up or link an AdSense for YouTube account. YouTube then reviews the channel.
Can AI-made or repeated videos be monetized?
Not if they are repetitive or mass-produced. YouTube calls this inauthentic content and says it has always been ineligible for monetization.
Sources
- YouTube, YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, YouTube channel monetization policies, July 2025.
- YouTube, Learn about feature access for YouTube Creators, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, YouTube Shorts monetization policies, checked October 2026.