YouTube

NEW YORK : YouTube has announced major changes to its YouTube Partner Program (YPP), introducing new earning opportunities for creators and updated requirements for monetisation from 2027. The changes, announced on August 10, are the first major updates to the Partner Program since 2018. YouTube said the goal is to "meaningfully reward active creators" and expects to pay creators more in 2027 than it did in 2026. YouTube said more than 3 million creators are currently part of the Partner Program. YouTube Premium Lite expands YouTube is expanding Premium Lite to all countries where YouTube Premium is available. Creators will receive a share of revenue generated from Premium and Premium Lite subscriptions. According to YouTube, 30% of net subscription revenue is allocated to the Premium creator pool, while 60% is allocated to the Premium Lite pool. From that pool, creators receive a 55% share for long-form videos and 45% for Shorts, based on factors including watch time and views. New Shorts monetisation rule One of the biggest changes affects YouTube Shorts. Starting February 1, 2027, creators will need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days to remain eligible for ads and subscription revenue sharing on Shorts. YouTube said channels below the threshold will remain in YPP and can continue earning from long-form content. Shorts revenue sharing will resume once a channel reaches the 10 million-view requirement again. YouTube is also planning new ways for smaller Shorts creators to earn. These include potential YouTube Shopping bonuses, incentives for brand deals and earnings boosts for creators who start and grow trends. The company said more details about these programmes will be announced later. Higher monetisation requirements for new creators YouTube is also raising the requirements for new creators who want access to advertising and Premium revenue sharing. Under the new rules, new YPP applicants will need either: 8,000 qualified watch hours in the previous 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days. YouTube said these changes will not affect creators who are already part of YPP. The existing thresholds for fan-funding and shopping products will also remain unchanged. YouTube said the changes are designed to support more ways for creators to build businesses beyond traditional advertising. Creators can review and sign the updated YPP terms through YouTube Studio. The new terms will take effect on February 1, 2027.