YouTube monetisation gets tougher with doubled watch time requirement

Earning from YouTube is set to become harder for new content creators. From February 1 next year, the platform is introducing major changes to eligibility for ad revenue and YouTube Premium income. Under the new rules, creators will need at least 8,000 hours of watch time over the past 12 months to enable ad revenue. Alternatively, they must meet the requirement of 20 million eligible Shorts views within 90 days. Currently, these limits are 4,000 hours and 10 million views respectively.

The existing requirement of 1,000 subscribers remains unchanged. At the same time, Shorts creators who already have monetisation benefits will face increased pressure to maintain regular views. If eligible Shorts views drop below 10 million within 90 days, ad and subscription revenue from Shorts will be temporarily suspended. However, this will not cancel the entire channel's monetisation. If the required views are later achieved, revenue from Shorts will be reactivated.

This change is being seen as a major step in YouTube's monetisation system. This is the first time since 2018 that the platform has made such a significant change to monetisation requirements. With Shorts growing rapidly in popularity, competition among creators in this segment has also intensified. Currently, over 20 billion Shorts are viewed daily on YouTube, up from around 7 billion daily views in 2024.

However, YouTube is also keeping alternative earning pathways for smaller creators. The platform plans to offer additional financial benefits through YouTube Shopping, brand collaborations and new types of content creation. The details of these benefits and their terms have not yet been disclosed. While ad revenue may require more time or views, the platform is keeping other earning opportunities open for new creators.

Meanwhile, YouTube is not changing the rules for its earlier monetisation tier. Creators with 500 subscribers, at least three public uploads in the last 90 days, and 3,000 hours of watch time or 3 million Shorts views can join this programme. However, this tier will not offer ad revenue or YouTube Premium income.

YouTube is also planning to create new earning opportunities through its Premium service. The platform is planning to launch Premium Lite in countries where YouTube Premium is available, with 60 percent of the net subscription revenue allocated to creators, compared to 30 percent for full YouTube Premium. Revenue will be distributed based on how long viewers watch each creator's content. Thus, while monetisation requirements are becoming stricter, YouTube is simultaneously trying to expand alternative revenue streams for creators.