To qualify for full YouTube ad-revenue sharing under the rules current on October 3, 2026, a channel needs 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the previous 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the previous 90 days. Hitting a threshold lets you apply; YouTube still reviews the whole channel, so approval is not automatic. An earlier, expanded YouTube Partner Program (YPP) tier offers some fan-funding and Shopping features in eligible regions, but it is not the full ad-revenue tier.
How to Become a YouTube Partner: Tips to Qualify
Start by checking the Earn tab in YouTube Studio. It shows your channel’s progress toward available YPP options and is the best place to confirm which requirements apply to your channel. YPP is available only in supported countries and regions; meeting the numbers alone does not make a channel eligible everywhere. The thresholds below reflect YouTube Help’s guidance accessed October 3, 2026. Check YouTube’s YPP overview and eligibility requirements for current details.
Choose the right YPP eligibility tier
There are two distinct thresholds. The expanded tier provides earlier access to certain features, while the higher tier is required for Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads, and YouTube Premium revenue. Within each tier, the viewing requirement is an either-or choice: qualify through long-form watch hours or through Shorts views.
| Goal | Subscribers and uploads | Viewing requirement | What it can unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expanded YPP early access | 500 subscribers and at least 3 valid public uploads in the previous 90 days | Either 3,000 valid public watch hours in the previous 12 months or 3 million valid public Shorts views in the previous 90 days | Eligible fan-funding and Shopping features, subject to each feature’s rules and availability |
| Full ad-revenue eligibility | 1,000 subscribers | Either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the previous 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the previous 90 days | Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads, and YouTube Premium revenue, subject to applicable terms and requirements |
YouTube’s expanded YPP overview and monetization feature guidance explain the early-access tier and its feature-specific conditions. Do not treat 500 subscribers as the ad-revenue threshold: the expanded tier is separate from full ad-revenue eligibility.
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What counts toward the viewing thresholds
Public watch hours
The 4,000-hour route is based on qualifying public long-form watch time within the previous 12 months. Shorts Feed watch time does not count toward this total. Watch time from private, unlisted, or deleted videos; ad campaigns; and livestreams that are unlisted, deleted, or not converted to video on demand does not count toward the public watch-hour threshold. For a livestream, make sure the resulting video is public and remains available as a video on demand if you want its eligible watch time to count.
Shorts views
The Shorts route counts eligible views from public Shorts appearing in the Shorts Feed within the previous 90 days. Private, unlisted, or deleted Shorts and views generated by ad campaigns do not count. YouTube also distinguishes organic follow-on views after promoted content from paid campaign views; do not assume that paid promotion contributes to the threshold. See YouTube’s feature guidance for details.
Track eligible progress, not just headline analytics
Use the Earn tab in YouTube Studio rather than estimating from lifetime channel totals. YPP uses rolling time windows and qualifying views or hours, so the numbers displayed in other analytics views may not correspond to your eligibility progress. Buying subscribers or views is not a shortcut: the thresholds are for qualified metrics, and YouTube reviews channels against its monetization policies.
Meet the requirements beyond subscribers and views
YouTube’s full YPP overview lists requirements in addition to the numerical thresholds. The expanded tier has its own listed requirements, and individual monetization features can impose further conditions. Check the requirements shown for your channel and each feature in Studio.
- Your channel must follow YouTube’s channel monetization policies.
- You must live in a country or region where the relevant YPP tier or feature is available.
- Your channel must have no active Community Guidelines strikes for full YPP signup.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for the Google Account associated with the channel.
- Your channel must have access to YouTube advanced features.
- Link one active AdSense for YouTube account, or set one up in YouTube Studio.
Some features have extra age, location, content-suitability, or contract-module requirements. For example, certain fan-funding features require users to be at least 18 and to be in a location where the feature is offered. Ad revenue also requires compliance with advertiser-friendly content guidelines and acceptance of relevant terms. YouTube’s earning guidance and the Earn tab can help you check feature-specific eligibility.
Apply through YouTube Studio
- Sign in to YouTube and open YouTube Studio.
- Select Earn from the left-hand menu.
- When the channel is eligible, select Apply Now.
- Review and accept the base terms.
- Set up an AdSense for YouTube account in Studio or link an existing active account.
- Return to the Earn tab to check the application and review status.
After signup is complete, YouTube places the channel in a review queue. Automated systems and human reviewers assess the channel as a whole against the applicable policies and guidelines. YouTube states in its YPP overview: “If I meet the threshold, do I automatically get into YPP?” The answer is “No. Every channel that meets the threshold will go through a standard review process.” If your counts fall after you have applied, YouTube says it will still review your channel; changing video privacy or deleting videos may affect the application.
Make the channel review-ready
There is no guaranteed formula for approval, but creators can reduce avoidable problems by checking that the channel itself meets the policies, not merely that its numbers meet a threshold. YouTube’s channel monetization policies apply to Shorts, long-form videos, and livestreams.
- Review your videos and channel presentation for compliance with monetization policies before applying.
- Do not rely on private, unlisted, deleted, or paid-promotion metrics to reach the threshold.
- Keep qualifying public videos available during review; changing privacy settings or deleting videos can affect an application.
- Check for active Community Guidelines strikes and resolve account-security or advanced-feature requirements before applying.
- Confirm the specific feature terms and regional availability for the revenue stream you want.
Know about the announced 2027 threshold change
YouTube has announced higher thresholds for new creators seeking full ad and Premium revenue eligibility, scheduled to begin February 1, 2027: 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the prior 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the prior 90 days. YouTube says the change will not affect the status of creators who are already YPP members. These are future-dated requirements, not the thresholds current on October 3, 2026. The announcement also describes future activity requirements, so check YouTube’s YPP changes announcement and the channel’s Earn tab if applying on or after the effective date.
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Qualifying once does not remove the need to follow YouTube’s policies. YouTube says it may turn off monetization for a channel that has not uploaded a video or posted to the Posts tab for six months or more. Monetization can also be removed for policy violations regardless of subscriber or watch-hour totals. See the channel monetization policies for the standards that apply across formats.
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What a 24/7 stream can—and cannot—do for qualification
A 24/7 stream is not a shortcut around YPP thresholds. Only watch time that meets YouTube’s qualifying rules can count toward the public watch-hour route; unlisted or deleted livestreams, and streams not converted to video on demand, do not count. A public, qualifying livestream may contribute eligible watch time, but it still must comply with YouTube’s policies and does not guarantee approval. A useful stream must offer viewers original value rather than simply running to inflate a metric.
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For a YouTube livestream built from uploaded videos, the setup is: upload your recording or playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; your upload streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot, and StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card (one free day per account). Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. A cloud stream does not change YPP eligibility rules, copyright responsibilities, or the need for content that complies with monetization policies.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both 4,000 watch hours and 10 million Shorts views?
No. For the full ad-revenue threshold, those are alternative viewing routes; both require 1,000 subscribers.
Can a channel apply for YPP if it has not reached either viewing threshold?
The expanded YPP tier may be available at a lower threshold in supported regions, but it does not provide full ad-revenue sharing.
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