Want to become a YouTuber? Check the new rules

• YouTube raises YPP eligibility rules for new creators from 1 Feb 2027
• New applicants need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views
• Existing creators and the 1,000 subscriber requirement remain unchanged

New Delhi: YouTube is making it harder for its new creators to monetise content via its YouTube Partner Programme (YPP). As of February 1st, 2027, new applicants

must have double the number of watch hours or views on their Shorts to qualify for ad and YouTube Premium revenue sharing.

As per YouTube, creators will have to earn 8,000 qualified watch hours within the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views over the past 90 days. The number of subscribers (1,000) will not be affected. These new entry requirements will have no impact on the existing YPP creators.

YouTube raises YPP eligibility criteria

YouTube, the company said, is making the changes as its viewership continues to rise. Shorts now have over 200 billion views daily, and over 1 billion YouTube hours of content are viewed on TV per day.

The new rules are the first big change to YPP eligibility since 2018, the platform said. The programme currently has more than 3 million creators.

New rule for Shorts creators

YouTube will also be setting a minimum threshold for earnings on the Shorts section. The 10 million qualified views in the past 90 days will be the new benchmark from which creators will continue to generate ad and subscription revenue from Shorts, starting Feb. 1.

Creators who fall below the threshold will remain in YPP and can continue earning from long-form videos. Shorts’ revenue will resume once they meet the requirement again.

The creators below the threshold may be eligible for other sources of income, such as bonuses and incentives on YouTube Shopping and YouTube brand deals and trends, YouTube said.

YouTube expands Premium Lite

YouTube Premium Lite has also been rolled out to all markets where YouTube Premium is available. Premium Lite offers a price of Rs 89 per month in India, while the Premium plan will cost Rs 149 per month.

Some of the money generated from the Premium Lite subscriptions will go to creator pools that are based on watch time and views, YouTube said. The company anticipates making more payments to creators in 2027 than in 2026.