YouTube Tightens Monetization Barriers for New Creators

YouTube is doubling the entry thresholds for new creators, reshaping ad and subscription revenue streams.

Elevated Bar for Creators

The platform now requires 8,000 qualified watch hours or 20 million Shorts views in the past 90 days, up from 4,000 watch hours and 10 million Shorts views.

■8,000 qualified watch hours (previously 4,000)

■20 million Shorts views in 90 days (previously 10 million)

■Minimum 1,000 subscriber requirement remains unchanged

New Threshold for Shorts Revenue Pool

Creators must sustain 10 million Shorts views over a rolling 90‑day window to earn from the Shorts Creators Pool. Channels below this level will continue earning from long‑form content, with Shorts revenue reinstated once the view count is met again.

■10 million Shorts views required in 90 days

■Channels under the threshold receive only long‑form revenue

■Shorts earnings resume once the view target is re‑achieved

Global Rollout of Premium Lite and Revenue Share

YouTube is extending its Premium Lite subscription to every market where YouTube Premium is available. The tier offers an ad‑free experience, offline downloads, and background play, while creators receive a share of subscription revenue.

■55 % of revenue goes to long‑form creators, 45 % to Shorts creators

■Premium Lite delivers an ad‑free viewing experience

■Creators earn more per subscriber than from ad revenue alone

Competitive Landscape: X and Facebook’s New Payout Schemes

YouTube’s policy shift mirrors moves by Elon Musk’s X platform and Meta’s Facebook, both revising creator compensation. X now rewards only original content, while Facebook launched a new monetization program to lure creators from TikTok and YouTube.

■X pays for “original content” only

■Facebook targets TikTok‑style creators with its new program

■Competition reshapes creator revenue distribution across platforms

Expert Analysis (Dr. Yaman Ege): This maneuver by YouTube serves to safeguard its ad and subscription revenues while initiating a natural selection within its creator ecosystem. The heightened view thresholds will favor large, well‑funded channels, improving advertisers’ ROI expectations. However, sidelining Shorts‑centric micro‑creators may erode engagement with younger audiences and push them toward rival platforms such as X and TikTok. Investors should closely monitor potential compression in YouTube’s ad margin and, over the medium term, focus on the diversification of services and global subscription growth. Premium Lite’s subscription upside could become a pivotal growth driver if the platform successfully balances ad revenue with subscriber‑based income.