Tier 1: fan funding
500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days.
This tier unlocks channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Thanks and Shopping, but not a share of ad money.
Tier 2: ad revenue
1,000 subscribers, and either 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. This is the tier that pays a share of ads, including the Shorts ad pool.
Shorts views and long-video watch hours count separately - you can't add them together.
What changes on 1 February 2027
YouTube has announced that the ad-revenue tier doubles for new applicants: 8,000 watch hours in 12 months or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days. Applications that reach YouTube before the end of 31 January 2027 are judged at today's numbers.
Channels already in the programme aren't thrown out, but earning from the Shorts ad pool will need 10 million Shorts views in each rolling 90 days, checked monthly.
The content rules that matter more than the numbers
Hitting the numbers gets you a review, not a yes. A person at YouTube looks at your channel, and the most common reason for a no in 2026 is inauthentic content: videos that are mass-produced, made from a template with little change, or near-identical to each other.
In July 2026 YouTube named the kinds it targets most: generic, repetitive AI or template output; content made to shock or manipulate; and AI personas posing as experts on money, law or health.
Reaction, commentary and compilation videos are still fine when a reviewer can see what you added. The test is simple: would a viewer notice if your channel disappeared?
How to plan around the thresholds
If you're close to the current numbers, it's worth finishing before the end of January 2027, when the ad-revenue tier doubles for new applicants.
If you're starting now, aim for Tier 1 first. It needs far fewer views, it lets you earn from your most loyal viewers, and getting there proves your format works.
Shorts and long videos count separately, so pick the route that suits your channel rather than splitting your effort between both.
What the review looks at
When you apply, a person reviews a sample of your channel: your most-watched videos, your newest ones, and the ones with the most watch time. They check the channel as a whole meets YouTube's monetisation policies, not just one video.
Titles, thumbnails and descriptions count too. Misleading thumbnails, spammy tags and repeated descriptions can all count against you.
If you're turned down, YouTube usually tells you which policy, and you can apply again after 30 days - or 90 days if you've been refused before. Use the wait to fix the reason rather than reapplying unchanged.
Other ways to earn before you qualify
Affiliate links in your description, your own products, sponsorships from brands in your niche, and sending viewers to a newsletter or website all work before the Partner Program does.
Keep them honest and relevant: YouTube requires paid promotions to be declared, and viewers notice when a channel sells things that don't fit.
Questions
Do Shorts views count as engaged views?
Monetisation uses engaged views, which are stricter than the raw view count in your dashboard, so plan for the real figure to be lower.
Can AI-made videos be monetised?
Yes, if they're original and add something. YouTube's rule is about mass-produced, repetitive content, not about which tool made it. You also have to label realistic altered or synthetic content when YouTube asks.