YouTube pays creators through a programme with two entry levels, and Shorts revenue is split by a formula that is more involved than a flat percentage. This explainer sets out what YouTube’s own Help pages say, as of 15 October 2026, about the thresholds, the Shorts calculation and a change due in 2027.
It describes YouTube’s rules, which apply to channels in countries and regions where the programme is supported. Other platforms have their own terms, and none of what follows should be read as a universal rule for the creator economy.
What is the YouTube Partner Program?
The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is the route into sharing in advertising revenue on YouTube and unlocking most paid features. According to YouTube Help, membership provides “greater access to YouTube resources and monetization features”, access to Creator Support teams and a share of ad revenue from a channel’s content.
Channels outside the programme can still have ads appear on their videos, but YouTube says they do not receive a share of that revenue until they meet the higher criteria. That distinction matters for anyone budgeting income: views alone do not generate payment without membership.
Which thresholds apply at each tier?
YouTube Help lists two sets of requirements. Meeting the lower set opens fan-funding features; meeting the higher set adds advertising revenue. Figures below are as stated on YouTube’s monetisation eligibility page.
| Lower tier | Higher tier | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 1,000 |
| Public uploads | 3 in the last 90 days | No upload requirement listed |
| Watch time (long-form) | 3,000 qualified hours in the last 365 days | 4,000 qualified hours in the last 365 days |
| Or Shorts views | 3 million qualified views in the last 90 days | 10 million qualified views in the last 90 days |
| Features unlocked | Channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Shopping | Those features plus Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads and YouTube Premium revenue |
A channel needs either the watch-hours figure or the Shorts-views figure, not both. YouTube also says views and watch time from paid ad campaigns do not count towards the thresholds, and that each monetisation feature has its own eligibility requirements, so checking the relevant page before assuming access is sensible.
What else does a channel need besides numbers?
Thresholds are only part of the picture. According to YouTube Help, a channel must also:
- follow the channel monetisation policies;
- live in a supported country or region;
- have no active Community Guidelines strikes;
- turn on 2-Step Verification for its Google Account;
- have access to advanced features; and
- link one active AdSense for YouTube account.
The strike requirement connects to a topic covered in our guide to YouTube copyright claims, Content ID and strikes. A channel with an active strike does not meet the criteria, whatever its audience size.
How does applying work, and how long does it take?
YouTube describes a short sequence in YouTube Studio: open the Earn section, select Apply Now, accept the base terms, then set up or link an AdSense for YouTube account. After submission the review step shows as in progress, and YouTube says reviews typically take about one month.
Rejection is not necessarily final. As of the page’s current wording, after a first rejection a channel can appeal within 21 days or re-apply after 30 days. After a later rejection, the wait before re-applying is 90 days. YouTube also says monetisation may be turned off for channels with no uploads or Posts for six months or more, so the programme rewards continued activity rather than a one-off qualification.
How is Shorts ad revenue actually shared?
Shorts income does not work like a per-view rate. YouTube’s Help page describes four steps:
- Pooling. Revenue from ads between Shorts in the Shorts Feed is combined each month. It funds creator payouts and music licensing.
- The Creator Pool. A Short with no music sends all its associated revenue to the Creator Pool. If a Short uses music, its revenue is divided by the number of tracks; with one track, half goes to the Creator Pool and half covers music licensing, and with two tracks, one-third goes to the Creator Pool.
- Allocation by views. Each creator receives a share of the Creator Pool equal to their share of total engaged views from monetising creators in that country.
- The revenue share. Creators keep 45% of the revenue allocated to them, whether or not their Shorts use music.
Creators must have accepted the Shorts Monetization Module, and YouTube says Shorts ad revenue sharing begins accruing on the date the module is accepted.
What does the Shorts calculation look like in numbers?
YouTube’s own worked example uses US dollars, so the figures below stay in dollars rather than being converted into pounds.
Suppose $100,000 of Shorts Feed ad revenue is pooled in a month, and 20% of Shorts use one music track.
- Revenue attached to music Shorts: 20% of $100,000 = $20,000.
- With one track, half of that, $10,000, covers music licensing.
- The Creator Pool is therefore $100,000 − $10,000 = $90,000.
- A creator with 1% of engaged views is allocated 1% of $90,000 = $900.
- The creator keeps 45% of $900 = $405.
The example shows why two creators with identical view counts can earn different amounts: the result depends on the month’s pool, the share of music in the Shorts feed and the creator’s share of engaged views within their country. It is an illustration of the method, not a prediction of earnings.
What changes on 1 February 2027?
YouTube Help states that updated YPP terms start on 1 February 2027. To keep fully monetising, creators must review and accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027. The eligibility page does not itself list the changes, directing readers to a linked article, so this explainer does not describe them.
A separate change is stated on the Shorts revenue page: from 1 February 2027, eligibility for each month’s Shorts revenue share requires at least 10 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days. That is the same figure as the higher-tier Shorts threshold above. Creators who rely on Shorts income should read the Shorts page directly and compare it with their own analytics.
Why does the tier structure matter for a creator’s business?
Our own reading, rather than YouTube’s, is that the two tiers allow a creator to build income in stages. Fan funding, such as memberships and tips, becomes available at a lower threshold than advertising revenue, which can matter for a niche channel with a small but committed audience. Advertising income, by contrast, depends on scale and on factors outside a creator’s control, including advertiser demand and the formula described above.
That is why platform payouts are usually one stream among several. Our overview of how creators make money covers brand deals, products and other sources, and the guide to how creators set rates for sponsored content explains pricing partnerships independently of platform revenue. UK-based creators may also want to read our UK tax basics for creators, which sets out the HMRC starting points.
Conclusion: read the thresholds, then read the formula
The headline numbers, 500 or 1,000 subscribers plus a watch-time or Shorts-views requirement, are only the start. The Shorts formula, the monthly pool, the music deduction, the country-level view share and the 45% revenue share, determine what a qualifying channel receives. With updated terms arriving on 1 February 2027, YouTube’s own Help pages are the place to confirm current requirements before planning around them.
This article is general information based on published YouTube guidance, not financial, tax or legal advice. Platform rules and policies change, so check the current YouTube Help pages.
Sources: YouTube Help (YouTube Partner Program overview, eligibility and application); YouTube Help (Monetization eligibility and feature thresholds); YouTube Help (Shorts ad revenue sharing)
