- The three updates YouTube announced for February 2027
- Today versus February 2027, side by side
- A higher bar for new creators
- The new monthly minimum for Shorts Creator Pool earnings
- Premium Lite comes to more countries
- Staying active once you're in
- The terms to accept by 31 January 2027
- What stays the same
- What I'd do before February
- Frequently asked questions
From 1 February 2027, new creators need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20M qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days to join the ads and Premium tier of the YouTube Partner Program. If you're already in the programme, YouTube says your status isn't affected, but you'll need to accept updated terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027 to keep earning from every feature.
That's the short version, and it comes straight from YouTube's own help page on the changes, as of October 2026. Below I go through each change, what isn't moving at all, and what I'd do now depending on where your channel sits.
If you want today's numbers in full, my guide to the current YouTube monetization requirements has them. This page is only about what's moving.
The three updates YouTube announced for February 2027
YouTube frames the change as three main updates to the programme:
- Expanding Premium Lite to all countries where Premium is available.
- Evolving Shorts earnings and opportunities, including a new monthly minimum for earning from the Shorts Creator Pool.
- Updating the ads and Premium entry thresholds for new creators.
Alongside those, it's rewriting the rules on what counts as an active channel and moving older fan funding contracts onto the current terms. Every date here is dated the way YouTube dates it. YouTube and Meta both change these help pages often, so check the page itself before you make a big decision.
Today versus February 2027, side by side
Here's the before and after in one place. Today means the thresholds on YouTube's overview and choose-how-to-monetize pages as of October 2026.
| Item | Today | From 1 February 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Ads and Premium entry, long-form route | 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months | 1,000 subscribers and 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days |
| Ads and Premium entry, Shorts route | 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days | 1,000 subscribers and 20M qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days |
| Fan funding, Creator Partnerships and Shopping entry | 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 qualified watch hours or 3 million qualified Shorts views | No change |
| Earning from the Shorts Creator Pool | Accept the Shorts Monetization Module to share revenue from ads in the Shorts Feed | Maintain 10M qualified Shorts views over the last 90 days to earn each month |
| Active channel rule | Monetization may be turned off after 6 months or more with no uploads or Posts | Any one of: 1,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days, 1 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days |
A higher bar for new creators
The headline change is that both entry routes double. Watch hours go from 4,000 to 8,000, and Shorts views go from 10 million to 20M. The subscriber count stays at 1,000.
The line that matters most if you're already monetized is short: YouTube says that if you're already in YPP, your status isn't impacted by this update. The higher numbers are for new creators.
The change page only talks about the numbers. What counts as qualified sits on today's overview page: watch hours from long-form videos you've set public count, while private, unlisted and deleted videos, ad campaigns, Shorts, and livestreams that are unlisted, deleted or not converted to video on demand don't. Watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed don't count toward the watch-hours route either. If Shorts are your main format, my explainer on Shorts monetisation today covers how that side works now.
The new monthly minimum for Shorts Creator Pool earnings
This is the catch most summaries skip. To earn each month from the Shorts Creator Pool, creators will need to maintain 10M qualified Shorts views over the last 90 days. It isn't a one-off entry test. It's a rolling bar you have to stay above to keep earning from the pool.
YouTube is clear about what happens if you dip below it: you won't be removed from YPP, and it won't affect your other earnings in the programme, long-form video included. What's at stake is the Shorts Creator Pool payment for that month.
Two more Shorts changes sit alongside it:
- New Shorts incentive programmes that may offer bonuses for YouTube Shopping, production credits for brand deals and earnings boosts for cultural trend activations. Eligible creators will get direct notifications on how to opt in as each one launches.
- Targeted Shorts ads: if an advertiser targets an ad to a group of five or fewer channels, eligible creators can earn a direct revenue share from those placements, paid on top of their standard Shorts Creator Pool earnings. YouTube states the share on its page.
Premium Lite comes to more countries
YouTube is expanding Premium Lite to all countries where Premium is available. Its reasoning is that, on average, creators earn more per user from Premium than from ads, based on 2026 performance.
Creators share in pools of net subscription revenue for Premium Lite and for Premium views, and YouTube gives the size of each pool on the change page. One practical note: in YouTube Analytics, Premium Lite earnings are included in your standard YouTube Premium metrics, so don't go hunting for a separate line.
Staying active once you're in
From 1 February 2027, your channel counts as active if it meets any one of these:
- 1,000 qualified watch hours in the past 365 days
- 1 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days
- 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts uploaded every 90 days
The third option is the one I like. A channel that keeps posting on a steady rhythm meets the rule through uploads, whatever its views did that quarter.
If you drop below, YouTube says there's now an extended 90-day window to get back over either 1,000 qualified watch hours in the past 365 days or 1 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Notice that the upload route isn't on that restore list. YouTube also says most creators in YPP already meet the activity thresholds.
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The terms to accept by 31 January 2027
This is the one job every existing partner has. YouTube asks you to review and accept the updated modules in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027: the Watch Page Monetization Module, the Shorts Monetization Module and, where it applies, the Commerce Product Module.
If you switched on fan funding such as channel memberships or Super Chat before 2023, you may still be on the older Commerce Product Addendum. YouTube is moving everyone to the current Commerce Product Module, and it says there are no changes to eligibility thresholds, how the products work or revenue share.
Here's how to accept, using YouTube's own steps:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on desktop or mobile.
- Find the terms notification on your YouTube Studio dashboard, or open the Earn tab.
- Select Review for each updated module.
- Tick the box to accept and select Next.
- Select Submit once you've reviewed all the updated modules.
Miss the date and you aren't kicked out. From 1 February 2027 you'd stop earning from the features tied to any module you haven't accepted, and accepting later brings them back. You can accept some modules and not others, though YouTube encourages accepting all of them.
If your channel sits in a Multi-Channel Network, it depends on the setup. For owned-and-operated channels, the managing network accepts the terms by January 31, 2027. Affiliate channels have to accept the terms themselves in YouTube Studio, and if they miss the deadline they can still accept later to get the features back.
What stays the same
The early tier isn't moving. YouTube says there are no changes to the eligibility requirements for fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships or YouTube Shopping. They still open at 500 subscribers and either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last year or 3M qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, and YouTube's choose-how-to-monetize page adds 3 public uploads in the last 90 days.
That tier gives you channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks and Shopping. It's the bit of good news worth holding on to: a smaller channel can still start earning from its own audience well before the new ads threshold. If you're in India, my guide to YouTube monetization in India covers today's rules from an Indian creator's point of view.
What I'd do before February
If you're already close to today's numbers, I'd apply before 1 February 2027. YouTube's overview page says reviews typically take about 1 month and delays are possible, so earlier is better than later. Check where you stand first with the YouTube monetization checker.
Skip rushing a channel that has no real audience yet. Paying for views won't help: views and watch time from paid ad campaigns don't count toward the thresholds, and YouTube's reviewers look at your channel as a whole. Aim for the 500-subscriber tier instead, which isn't changing.
If you're already in, put the new terms on your list for January. It's a few clicks in YouTube Studio, and it's the only thing standing between you and a gap in earnings on 1 February.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose monetization if I'm already in the YouTube Partner Program?
No. YouTube says that if you're already in YPP, your status isn't impacted by the new entry thresholds. You do need to accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027 to keep earning from every feature.
What are the new YouTube monetization requirements for 2027?
From 1 February 2027, new creators need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20M qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days for the ads and Premium tier.
Is the 500-subscriber tier changing?
No. YouTube says there are no changes to the eligibility requirements for fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships or YouTube Shopping.
What happens if my Shorts fall below 10M views in 90 days?
You won't meet the bar for earning from the Shorts Creator Pool, but YouTube says you won't be removed from YPP and your other earnings, including long-form video, aren't affected.
What if I don't accept the new terms in time?
From 1 February 2027 you'd stop earning from the features linked to any module you haven't accepted. Accept them later in YouTube Studio and those features come back; your YPP status isn't affected.
