YouTube Shorts Monetization: Requirements, Pay, 2027 Changes

YouTube Shorts monetization works like this: you join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), accept the Shorts monetization terms, and receive a share of Shorts feed ad revenue. As of October 5, 2026, ad revenue sharing requires 1,000 subscribers and 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days (or 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months). Creators receive 45% of the allocated revenue. From February 1, 2027, the bar for new applicants rises to 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views.

YouTube Shorts monetization requirements: ad revenue and fan funding

Shorts views alone can get you into two tiers. The first is fan funding (features like channel memberships, where viewers support you directly), which opens at 500 subscribers. The second is ad revenue sharing, which opens at 1,000 subscribers. These are the numbers in Google's monetization overview.

Tier	Subscribers	Requirement met with Shorts	Requirement met with long-form videos
Fan funding (channel memberships, etc.)	500	3 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days	3,000 long-form watch hours in the last 365 days, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days
Ad revenue sharing	1,000	10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days	4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months

You need more than the numbers. According to the YPP eligibility page, you must follow the monetization policies, live in a supported country, and have no active Community Guidelines strikes. 2-Step Verification must be on for your Google account, and you need an active AdSense account.

Not every view counts. The Shorts monetization page says valid views exclude unoriginal Shorts, views inflated by auto-clicking or scrolling bots, and views on Shorts that do not follow the advertiser-friendly content guidelines. When you check your progress, use the valid views shown in Studio.

Shorts monetization requirements change on February 1, 2027

Google announced the YPP change in its blog post on August 11, 2026. New YPP applicants will need 8,000 eligible watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million eligible Shorts views in the last 90 days. Creators already in YPP are not affected. The 1,000 subscriber requirement stays the same.

Item	Now	From February 1, 2027
New applicants: watch time	4,000 hours in the last 12 months	8,000 hours in the last 365 days
New applicants: Shorts views	10 million in the last 90 days	20 million in the last 90 days
Subscribers	1,000	1,000
Channels already in YPP	No change	Keep YPP membership; Shorts revenue sharing is paid when you have 10 million Shorts views in 90 days

Channels already in the program should check the Shorts side too. The same announcement says that from February 1, 2027, creators with more than 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days qualify for ad and subscription revenue sharing on Shorts. Channels below that level stay in YPP and keep earning from long-form videos. If they pass 10 million again, Shorts revenue sharing resumes automatically.

Current partners also need to handle the updated terms. Google's help page says to review and accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027.

How YouTube Shorts revenue is calculated: the creator pool and 45%

Shorts do not earn from ads attached to each video, the way long-form videos do. According to the Shorts monetization page, the ad revenue shown between videos in the Shorts feed over one month is added up and split between the creator pool and music licensing costs. The pool is distributed to individuals based on the valid views and music usage across all Shorts uploaded by monetized creators, and creators receive 45% of the amount allocated to them. The creator pool is the share of Shorts feed ad revenue set aside to pay monetized creators.

Google's help page gives a worked example. In one country, Shorts get 100 million views and ad revenue is $100,000, so the creator pool is $90,000. If your Shorts get 1 million views (1% of the total), $900 is allocated to you, and you receive 45%, which is $405. This is the official example. Your views were 1% of the total, so you were allocated 1% of the pool.

Music used in the Short	Creator pool share of that video's revenue	Music licensing share
1 song	One half	One half
2 songs	One third	Two thirds

Using music reduces the share of a video's revenue that goes to the creator pool. But the same page says music use does not affect a creator's pool allocation or the 45% rate.

How to apply for YouTube Shorts monetization and where to check

You apply from your channel. According to the YouTube Partner Program overview, you can apply to join once you reach 500 subscribers, and on-screen wording and menu locations may change. After you apply, the review usually takes about one month.

1. Check that your subscribers, Shorts views in the last 90 days, and watch hours pass the thresholds in the table above.
2. Apply to join YPP from your channel.
3. Prepare an active AdSense account. An active AdSense account is part of the eligibility requirements.
4. Once you are approved after review, accept the Shorts monetization module. The help page says you must accept these terms before Shorts ad revenue sharing can start.

Check whether earnings have started in YouTube Analytics. According to the help page, estimated daily Shorts feed ad revenue is shown in YouTube Analytics from the day you start earning or begin monetizing with Shorts ads. If you accepted the terms and see no numbers, first check whether valid views have built up.

Common mistakes with YouTube Shorts monetization requirements

Mixing Shorts views and watch hours in one count. The official page says to meet one of two goals: 10 million Shorts views or 4,000 long-form watch hours.

Reposting other channels' videos. Views on unoriginal Shorts are removed from valid views. Even with high view counts, they may not count toward the requirements.

Expecting Shorts revenue from watch hours alone after February 2027. Google's announcement sets Shorts ad and subscription revenue sharing from February 1, 2027 for creators with 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. If Shorts are your main format, check this number every month.

Frequently asked questions

When can I reapply if my YPP application is rejected?

According to the YPP eligibility page, you can reapply after 30 days if rejected for the first time, and after 90 days if rejected repeatedly.

Does monetization stop if I do not upload Shorts?

The same page says channels that have not uploaded a video in more than 6 months may lose monetization.

Can I earn from Shorts with 500 subscribers?

Ad revenue starts at 1,000 subscribers. But at the 500 subscriber tier, if you reach 3 million Shorts views and 3 public uploads, you can use fan funding such as channel memberships.

What to check today

Open YouTube Studio Analytics and check your Shorts views for the last 90 days and your subscriber count. If you have passed 10 million views and 1,000 subscribers, apply to YPP from your channel. If you are already a partner, accept the updated terms in Studio before January 31, 2027. If you are at 3 million views and 500 subscribers, meet the fan funding requirements first.