To become a YouTube Partner, meet the requirements for the YPP tier you want, apply in YouTube Studio’s Earn area, and pass YouTube’s channel-wide policy review. As of October 3, 2026, full ad and YouTube Premium revenue sharing requires 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million qualified public Shorts views in the past 90 days. A lower expanded-YPP tier can unlock some fan-funding and Shopping features, but reaching its 500-subscriber threshold does not qualify you for ad revenue sharing.
How do I become a YouTube Partner?
Build qualified public activity, check that your channel and account meet YouTube’s requirements, then apply through YouTube Studio. Hitting a subscriber or viewing threshold is not automatic acceptance: YouTube reviews the channel as a whole against its monetization policies.
- Choose a format and audience promise you can sustain. For a video-game channel, that might mean original reviews, guides, challenge runs, commentary, or livestream highlights for a clearly defined audience. A consistent promise helps viewers understand why to return; no particular topic, schedule, video length, or title style guarantees growth or acceptance.
- Track the qualifying route you are pursuing. In YouTube Studio, open Earn to check eligibility progress and available application steps. Distinguish public long-form watch hours from Shorts Feed views; total lifetime views are not the same as qualified activity.
- Review the channel before applying. Check YouTube’s channel monetization policies, including whether the channel’s videos are original and add meaningful value. Review the channel as a whole, not just its best-performing uploads.
- Confirm the account checklist. You need to live in a country or region where YPP is available, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, enable 2-Step Verification, have access to advanced features, and link or set up one active AdSense for YouTube account.
- Complete the Earn-area signup steps. Follow the application status and any notices shown in YouTube Studio. Regional availability and feature access can differ.
- After acceptance, review the relevant modules. YPP membership alone does not turn on every earning feature. Accept the applicable terms or modules for the monetization features you want to use.
YouTube’s current checklist and process are described in its Partner Program overview and eligibility requirements and expanded YPP overview.
Which YouTube Partner Program tier do you need?
YouTube has an earlier-access expanded YPP tier and a higher tier for Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads, and YouTube Premium revenue sharing. These are separate thresholds with different benefits. The figures below are YouTube program requirements checked on October 3, 2026; they are not estimates of how quickly a channel will grow.
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| Route | Subscriber and activity requirements | What it can unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded YPP, where available | 500 subscribers, three valid public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 qualified public watch hours in the previous 12 months or 3 million qualified public Shorts views in the previous 90 days. | Some fan-funding features and Shopping, subject to separate feature requirements, country availability, and terms. This tier alone does not unlock ad and Premium revenue sharing. |
| Full ad and Premium revenue tier | 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified public Shorts views in the last 90 days. | Eligibility to earn from Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads, and YouTube Premium, subject to relevant terms, policies, and feature availability. |
The expanded tier may provide access to channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks, eligible livestream gifts, and Shopping. Availability depends on the feature, location, and applicable requirements. YouTube explains the feature distinctions in Choose how you want to monetize and the expanded YPP overview.
How many subscribers do you need to get monetized on YouTube?
For the expanded YPP tier, the threshold is 500 subscribers, alongside three valid public uploads in 90 days and one of its qualifying activity thresholds. For full ad and YouTube Premium revenue eligibility, it is 1,000 subscribers plus either the watch-hour or Shorts-view route. In both cases, meeting the numbers only makes a channel eligible to apply; YouTube still reviews the channel and account.
What counts toward the YPP activity thresholds?
Public watch-hour route
The 4,000-hour full-revenue route counts qualified watch hours from public long-form videos within the rolling 12-month period. Shorts Feed watch time does not count toward those hours. Private, unlisted, or deleted videos, ad-campaign activity, Shorts, and certain livestreams do not contribute to this threshold.
Shorts-view route
The Shorts route counts qualified views of public Shorts in the Shorts Feed within the previous 90 days. Private, unlisted, or deleted Shorts and ad-campaign views are excluded. YouTube says views and watch time generated through paid ad campaigns do not count toward eligibility thresholds; eligible organic activity after promotion is a different matter.
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So, Do Shorts views count toward 4,000 watch hours? No. Shorts Feed watch time is excluded from that watch-hour threshold. Shorts have their own qualified-view route.
See YouTube’s eligibility details and feature overview for the activity rules.
Should you focus on long-form videos or Shorts?
Neither route is universally easier. Choose based on the format you can make consistently while keeping the content original and policy-compliant. The measurement windows and qualifying activity differ:
| Route toward full revenue eligibility | Measurement window | Qualifying activity | Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-form | Previous 12 months | Qualified public watch hours from long-form videos | 4,000 hours |
| Shorts | Previous 90 days | Qualified views of public Shorts in the Shorts Feed | 10 million views |
For gaming creators, long-form guides or commentary may suit topics that need explanation, while Shorts may suit concise clips or tips. That is a format choice, not a promise that one path will qualify faster. Compare your own qualified progress in Studio’s Earn area rather than treating raw view totals as equivalent.
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How to grow toward YPP without chasing empty numbers
Give the channel a clear promise
Make it obvious what viewers can expect and who the videos are for. A channel focused on beginner-friendly boss strategies, for example, sets a clearer expectation than an assortment of unrelated uploads. Narrowing the promise can help people decide whether to watch another video.
Make useful, original videos
Bring your own explanation, analysis, performance, or creative direction to gameplay footage. A compilation or minimally changed reused material can create both audience and policy problems; do not assume that having permission to use material automatically makes a channel eligible for monetization. YouTube assesses the channel against its monetization policies.
Package each video accurately
Use a title and thumbnail that tell the viewer what the video actually delivers. A strong promise can earn a click, but misleading packaging risks disappointing viewers. Make the opening quickly establish the topic and get to the payoff without unnecessary setup.
Build a sustainable publishing rhythm
Choose a pace you can maintain without sacrificing usefulness or originality. YouTube’s thresholds specify qualifying activity windows, not a required weekly upload schedule. Review which videos bring viewers back and use that learning to refine future topics and formats.
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Use promotion carefully
Paid campaigns can expose a video to viewers, but ad-campaign views and watch time do not count toward YPP eligibility thresholds. Do not treat buying promotion as buying progress toward monetization.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens after YouTube accepts your application?
Acceptance makes eligible monetization features available under their respective terms; it does not mean every feature is active automatically. Review the relevant modules in Studio and enable the features for which your channel and location qualify.
For Shorts ad revenue sharing, YouTube requires creators to accept the Shorts Monetization Module. Eligible Shorts views accrue for revenue sharing only from the date the creator accepts that module. Non-original Shorts and artificial or fake views are examples of views that are ineligible for payment under YouTube’s Shorts monetization policy. Read YouTube Shorts monetization policies before relying on Shorts earnings.
Current thresholds and the announced 2027 change
As of October 3, 2026, the thresholds described above are the current rules. YouTube has announced that, starting February 1, 2027, the full ad and Premium entry thresholds for new creators will rise to 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. The announcement says the lower fan-funding and YouTube Shopping thresholds will remain unchanged. This is a scheduled future change, not the rule in force on the date of this guide. Check YouTube’s announcement on YPP changes and the current Studio Earn page if applying on or after that date.
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Or let it run in the cloud
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does reaching the YPP threshold guarantee approval?
No. YouTube reviews the whole channel against its monetization policies, and the account must meet the program checklist.
Can paid promotion count toward YPP eligibility?
No. Views and watch time from ad campaigns do not count toward the eligibility thresholds.
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Do I earn from Shorts views before accepting the Shorts Monetization Module?
No. Eligible Shorts views accrue for ad revenue sharing only from the date you accept the module.
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