YouTube is making it tougher for new creators to start earning money.
Starting February 1, 2027, you'll need either 8,000 watch hours in the past year or 20 million Shorts views in three months: double what was required before.
If you're already part of the YouTube Partner Program, don't worry; these changes won't affect you.
YouTube adds 10 million Shorts pool requirement
For those earning through the Shorts Creators Pool, there's now a rolling 90-day requirement of 10 million Shorts views. Drop below that and your Shorts earnings pause (but you can still earn from long-form videos until you're back on track).
YouTube's also rolling out its cheaper Premium Lite subscription to all countries where YouTube Premium is available, splitting subscription revenue with creators: long-form gets 55%, Shorts gets 45%.
The move comes as YouTube hits massive growth, think over 200 billion daily Shorts views and over a billion hours of watch time on TV every day.