YouTube Changes Partner Program Rules: New Creators Will Need 8,000 Watch Hours or 20 Million Shorts Views

YouTube introduced the Partner Program (YPP) way back in 2006, and next year in 2026, it will have completed two decades from when it was first introduced. The tech giant has over the years kept on making some modifications and updates to its Partner Program policies and its revenue sharing model for the creators on its platform. YouTube has now made an update to its YouTube Partner Program terms, and the tech giant claims that this is the first time it is making such a modification since 2018. Under this revision, the company has raised the ad and premium eligibility thresholds for new creators wanting to join the partner program.

On Monday, the video streaming platform announced that it is updating its YouTube Partner Program terms. It described this as the "first major change since 2018" to ensure YPP remains a leader in the creator economy. The company said it expects to pay creators "even more" in 2027 than in 2026. As part of these updates, the company has revised the requirements for new creators applying to the Partner Program.

According to these rules, which will come into effect on February 1, 2027, new creators applying to be part of the Partner Program must have 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past year or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the past 90 days. The tech firm clarified that there have been no changes to the entry limits for its Fan Funding and Shopping products.