YouTube Partner Program Raises Shorts Bar to 10 Million Views and Doubles YPP Entry in 2027
First major YPP changes in eight years: Shorts revenue sharing needs 10 million views per 90 days, new creator entry doubles to 8,000 watch hours, and Premium Lite launches globally.
YouTube Partner Program changes arrive February 1, 2027. YouTube announced three updates today - raising the Shorts revenue threshold to 10 million views per 90 days, doubling the watch hours required for new YPP entry, and expanding Premium Lite globally with a dedicated revenue pool. August 10 marks the program's first significant changes in eight years; YouTube says it expects to pay creators more in 2027 than in 2026.
Shorts Revenue Sharing Moves to a 10 Million View Threshold in February
Smaller Shorts channels lose ad and subscription revenue share starting February 1, 2027. Only creators with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days will qualify for Shorts ads and subscription revenue; channels below that threshold stay in YPP and keep earning on long-form content. Shorts revenue sharing resumes automatically once a channel crosses 10 million again. YouTube is replacing the revenue gap with new incentive programs - bonuses for YouTube Shopping, incentives for brand deals, and earnings boosts for starting and growing trends. YouTube has not yet published details on those programs. A 10 million view threshold means Shorts creators earning today must sustain that pace every 90 days to remain eligible - the system rewards consistent output, not occasional viral moments.
New Creators Need 8,000 Watch Hours to Join YPP - Double the Previous Standard
8,000 watch hours - that's the new entry bar for YouTube Partner Program ads and Premium revenue sharing, up from the previous 4,000. New creators must show 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, to access ad and Premium revenue; fan funding and shopping thresholds remain unchanged. Existing members face no disruption. YouTube's case for raising the bar rests on scale: over 1 billion hours of watch time now flows through TV screens daily, alongside 200 billion Shorts views every 24 hours, drawing more creators into the program than ever before. Patreon cut 93 staff in July as its creator monetization model faced pressure - YouTube raising the entry bar suggests it sees creator quality as the durable competitive edge, not raw membership numbers.
Premium Lite Expands Globally - 60% of Subscription Revenue Goes to the Creator Pool
Premium Lite goes global. YouTube is expanding it to every country that currently offers YouTube Premium, giving subscribers uninterrupted, offline, and background playback of most content while opening a new revenue stream: a dedicated pool receiving 60% of net Lite subscription revenue - versus 30% for standard Premium. Both pools distribute to creators based on member watch time and views, then split as 55% revenue share for long-form video and 45% for Shorts. YouTube Partner Program members can review and sign updated terms inside YouTube Studio now; all three changes take effect simultaneously on February 1, 2027.
