California : YouTube has announced stricter eligibility criteria for new content creators seeking to earn money through its YouTube Partner Program (YPP), raising the requirements for monetization on the platform.
According to US-based technology website TechCrunch, the revised rules will come into effect on February 1, 2027.
Under the new policy, aspiring creators will have to secure at least 8,000 eligible watch hours within the previous 365 days or achieve 20 million eligible views on YouTube Shorts within 90 days to meet the required threshold.
Previously, creators could qualify by completing 4,000 watch hours or reaching 10 million Shorts views within a 90-day period.
However, YouTube has decided not to increase the subscriber requirement. New creators will still need a minimum of 1,000 subscribers along with the required watch hours or Shorts views to become eligible for the Partner Program.
The updated requirements will apply only to new creators. Those who are already enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program will not be affected by the changes.
YouTube said the stricter criteria were introduced in response to the rapid expansion of both content production and viewership on the platform.
The YouTube Partner Program currently provides a source of income for more than three million creators worldwide.
