The YouTube monetization requirements come in two tiers. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) opens fan funding at 500 subscribers, 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 qualified watch hours in 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. Ad revenue needs 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million qualified public Shorts views in 90 days.
Every channel in either tier also has to live in a YPP country or region, follow the channel monetization policies and have no active Community Guidelines strikes. It also needs 2-Step Verification turned on and one active AdSense for YouTube account linked. YouTube says the review decision typically comes in about one month.
Both YouTube Monetization Tiers Compared
YouTube has two monetization tiers, and the higher tier is the only one that pays ad revenue. Each tier asks for a subscriber count plus one of two activity counters. You need to clear only one counter per tier.
| Requirement | Expanded YPP (fan funding) | Ad revenue sharing |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 1,000 |
| Recent uploads | 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days | Not listed as a separate rule |
| Watch-time path | 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months | 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months |
| Shorts path | 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days | 10 million qualified public Shorts views in the last 90 days |
| What it opens | Channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Shopping | Ad revenue on your videos and YouTube Premium revenue |
| Revenue share | Your share of each fan purchase, shown in Studio | 55% of ad revenue on long-form, 45% of your Shorts pool allocation |
The 55% figure means long-form creators keep 55% of the ad revenue their videos earn. Shorts work differently. Revenue goes into a shared Shorts creator pool, and you receive 45% of your allocation, which is split by share of engaged views after music licensing costs. The full mechanics are in YouTube Shorts monetization.
Use the YouTube monetization checker with your Analytics numbers to see which counter in which tier you are closest to.
What the Watch Hour and Shorts View Rules Count
Qualified means public, counted inside the window, and outside the excluded sources. Three rules decide whether a view counts:
- Public only. The ad tier counts qualified public watch hours and public Shorts views. Private and unlisted videos add nothing.
- Shorts-feed hours are excluded from the 4,000 hours. Time people spend watching Shorts in the Shorts feed does not count toward the long-form threshold. Shorts count only on the Shorts path.
- Rolling windows. Watch hours count over the last 12 months. Shorts views count over the last 90 days. Views older than the window drop off the total.
The rolling window matters most on the Shorts path. A channel can cross 3 million Shorts views in one strong month and fall below it 90 days later if new Shorts do not replace those views. Apply as soon as you qualify, rather than waiting to see whether the number holds.
The 3-upload rule on the expanded tier means a channel with a big old library and no recent activity cannot join until it uploads again. Three public uploads within 90 days is roughly one a month. That is a low bar, but it rules out dormant channels.
Account Requirements for Every Channel
Every channel in either tier has to meet five account and standing rules. These apply on top of the subscriber and view counts, and any one of them can block an application that has the numbers.
- Live in a YPP country or region. YouTube only runs the program in listed countries. A channel based elsewhere cannot join.
- Follow the channel monetization policies. These cover what kinds of videos can earn money (see the next section).
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes. A strike has to expire or be removed before you can apply.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification. Do this on the Google Account that owns the channel. It also protects the channel if your password leaks.
- Link one active AdSense for YouTube account. AdSense is how YouTube pays you. You can have only one active account.
Use your legal name and real mailing address on AdSense. Payment and tax paperwork go to that identity, and a mismatch can hold up the first payout. In the US, YouTube income is self-employment income. The Modern Wallet has a plain walkthrough of YouTube taxes for your first year of payments.
The Content Policies Reviewers Check
The channel monetization policies decide whether a channel that meets the numbers can earn money. YouTube reviews the channel as a whole, so one category of weak uploads can affect the whole application.
- Inauthentic content. In July 2025, YouTube renamed its repetitious content policy to inauthentic content. Mass-produced, repetitive, template-made videos cannot monetize.
- Reused content. Clips, compilations and reuploads of other people’s material need meaningful added value, such as your own commentary, teaching or editing that changes the meaning.
- Community Guidelines and advertiser-friendly rules. Videos that break the Community Guidelines block monetization, and some topics earn limited ads even on approved channels.
YouTube also said in July 2025 that using AI and being faceless are not banned. Channels that add original commentary or value remain eligible. A narrated explainer series with original research passes that test. A channel posting the same stock-footage template with swapped titles does not. Our YouTube automation guide shows where faceless channels tend to cross the line.
YouTube also asks creators to disclose realistic altered or synthetic content through the label in the upload flow, which has applied since 2024. Labeling realistic AI footage correctly keeps a faceless channel inside the rules.
How the Review and Reapplying Work
You apply from the Earn section of YouTube Studio once a counter is met, and YouTube says a decision typically comes in about one month. During the review, YouTube checks the channel against the monetization policies above.
If YouTube approves the channel, the features for your tier switch on and earnings begin to accrue in AdSense. If YouTube denies it, the decision shows in Studio. After a first rejection you can appeal within 21 days or reapply after 30 days. After a repeat rejection the wait is 90 days. The repair steps for that wait are in how to get monetized on YouTube.
Approval is not permanent either. YouTube can remove monetization from a channel that later breaks the policies, so the same rules apply after you join.
The February 2027 YPP Terms Update
YouTube has updated its Partner Program terms. The new terms take effect February 1, 2027. Creators must accept them in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027 to keep fully monetizing.
Some third-party blogs claim higher thresholds are coming. YouTube’s help page does not say so. Plan around the numbers in the table above, and check the YPP eligibility page before you build a plan around any change.
Who These Requirements Do Not Fit
Some channels should not plan around the YouTube monetization requirements at all. If you live outside a YPP country, ad revenue is closed to you, and sponsors or affiliate income are the realistic route. If your channel is built on reused clips, fix the format before you count hours.
If you need income in weeks, look at the other streams in how to make money on YouTube, including brand deals that do not require YPP. If you are starting from zero, begin with how to get monetized on YouTube, which turns these rules into a plan.
Your next step is to open the Earn tab in YouTube Studio, compare your counters with the YouTube monetization requirements in the table, and enter them in the monetization checker.