YouTube will raise the bar for new Partner Program applicants on February 1, 2027. New channels that want ads and Premium revenue sharing will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past year or 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. Existing partners keep their status. Shorts revenue sharing will also need about 10 million rolling Shorts views.
The change comes from YouTube’s own announcement on the YouTube Blog (August 10, 2026). Today’s long-form path is 4,000 watch hours. The new path doubles that figure. The Shorts path moves from 10 million views in 90 days to 20 million. Fan funding and Shopping entry rules stay the same. Channels already in the Partner Program do not have to re-qualify for membership.
For Shorts ads and Premium share, YouTube will require 10 million qualified Shorts views over the last 90 days starting the same date. A channel that falls under that line stays in the program and can still earn on long-form. Shorts revenue sharing resumes when the channel crosses the line again.
Discovery platforms can raise the gate when they grow. That is their choice. Creators who want a steadier base still need a relationship they control, such as an email list and a site where the work and the earnings stay with them. Platform rules will keep moving. An owned audience is harder to take away.
Source: YouTube Blog, “New opportunities to earn and changes to the YouTube Partner Program,” August 10, 2026.
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