YouTube has announced a significant change to its monetization requirements for creators under the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), aiming to make it easier for more creators to access monetization tools. The company is expanding its shopping affiliate program and lowering the subscriber and watch hour thresholds for eligibility.
Previously, creators needed at least 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours in the past year or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days to qualify for the YPP. Now, creators with 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the past year or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days can apply for YPP membership.
By meeting these new requirements, creators gain access to various monetization tools such as Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers, channel memberships, and YouTube Shopping to promote their merchandise. This change aims to empower more creators by offering them revenue-generating opportunities and a wider range of tools to engage with their audience.
The adjustment to the eligibility criteria is currently applicable in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea. YouTube plans to roll out the new requirements to other countries where the YPP is available.
Additionally, YouTube is expanding its Shopping affiliate pilot to more creators in the U.S. Creators with over 20,000 subscribers who are already part of the YPP will be able to tag products in their videos and Shorts and earn commissions through affiliate marketing.
YouTube is set to provide further details about these new programs during the upcoming VidCon conference. These updates follow YouTube’s recent changes to its profanity policy, which reduced the time limit for disqualifying videos that use profanity at the start from 15 seconds to 7 seconds.
As YouTube continues to expand its monetization offerings, it aims to support creators in their content creation journey and enhance their ability to earn revenue from their videos, including the increasingly popular Shorts format.
