YouTube Shorts Monetization Requirements 2027: The 10M Rule
From Feb 1, 2027, Shorts pay needs 10M qualified views in 90 days, and new YPP entry bars double. What changes, who it affects and the Jan 31 deadline.
From February 1, 2027, a channel in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) will need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days to earn from Shorts ads and YouTube Premium in a given month. Channels below that line stay in YPP and keep their long-form earnings; only the Shorts revenue share pauses until they're back over 10 million. New applicants face higher entry bars too: 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. YouTube announced the changes on August 10, 2026, and every partner has to accept updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027 to keep earning (YouTube Blog, YouTube Help).
What changes on February 1, 2027
YouTube calls these "the first significant changes since 2018" to YPP, which has over 3 million creators (YouTube Blog). Here's the before and after, from YouTube's Help Center pages:
| Rule | Until January 31, 2027 | From February 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Earning from Shorts ads and Premium | Any partner who has accepted the Shorts Monetization Module | 10M qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, checked each month |
| Joining YPP for ads and Premium (new channels) | 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 qualified watch hours in 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers + 10M qualified Shorts views in 90 days | 1,000 subscribers + 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days, or 1,000 subscribers + 20M qualified Shorts views in 90 days |
| Fan funding, Shopping and Creator Partnerships | 500 subscribers + 3,000 qualified watch hours in a year, or 3M qualified Shorts views in 90 days | No change |
| Staying "active" in YPP | Monetization may be turned off after 6 months with no uploads or posts | Any one of: 1,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days, 1M qualified Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts uploaded every 90 days |
| Targeted Shorts ads | Not offered | 45% of net revenue when an advertiser targets 5 or fewer channels, on top of the Creator Pool |
Sources: YPP overview and eligibility, expanded YPP, Changes to YPP and Shorts monetization policies (YouTube Help). The 500-subscriber tier also currently asks for 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days.
The entry change doesn't affect channels already in the program: "If you are already in YPP, your status is not impacted by this update" (YouTube Help). The 10M Shorts rule is different. It applies to every partner, including channels that joined years ago.
How the 10 million Shorts views rule works
YouTube's wording: "Starting February 1, 2027, to be eligible to earn a share of Shorts ad revenue from the Creator Pool and YouTube Premium revenue for each month, you will need to have at least 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days" (YouTube Help).
Four details matter:
- It's a rolling check, not a one-time badge. Views are measured "over the 90 day period ending on the 15th day of the calendar month preceding the month for which earnings are being calculated." So your March 2027 Shorts earnings depend on the 90 days ending February 15, 2027.
- Only qualified Shorts views count. That means views of public Shorts that appear in the Shorts Feed. Views of private, unlisted or deleted Shorts, ad campaigns, and image posts in the Shorts Feed don't count (YouTube Help). Long-form views don't count either.
- Missing it doesn't cost you YPP. "If you miss this threshold, you will not be removed from YPP and this will not impact other YPP earnings, including long-form video" (YouTube Help).
- It's a high bar. Ten million views in 90 days averages out to about 111,000 Shorts views a day.
What doesn't change: how the Creator Pool is split. Each month, ad revenue from the Shorts Feed is pooled, allocated by each monetizing creator's share of engaged views in each country, and creators keep 45% of their allocation, whether or not they used music (YouTube Help). Non-original Shorts, such as unedited clips of others' shows or re-uploads of other creators' content, still don't earn. See our guide to YouTube's inauthentic-content policy if you repurpose footage.
New ways to earn below 10 million views
YouTube says the change comes with "new incentive programs, rather than relying solely on ad revenue." For channels below the 10 million line, it lists "bonuses for YouTube Shopping, incentives for brand deals, and earnings boosts for starting and growing trends" (YouTube Blog). The Help Center describes them as programs that "may offer bonuses for YouTube Shopping, production credits for brand deals, and earnings boosts for cultural trend activations," with eligible creators notified directly "as these programs launch" (YouTube Help).
YouTube hasn't published amounts, milestones or launch dates for these programs yet, so don't plan revenue around them until the details arrive.
The other addition is targeted Shorts ads. From February 1, 2027, when an advertiser targets a Shorts ad at five or fewer channels, eligible creators keep 45% of the net revenue from that specific ad, paid on top of their Creator Pool share (YouTube Help).
The January 31, 2027 terms deadline
Every partner, not only Shorts creators, has to accept the updated contract modules: the Watch Page Monetization Module, the Shorts Monetization Module and, where it applies, the Commerce Product Module. If you haven't accepted them by January 31, 2027, you "stop earning from the associated monetization features" from February 1 until you do. Your YPP membership itself isn't affected (YouTube Help).
To accept:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on desktop or mobile.
- Find the terms notification on your dashboard, or open the Earn tab.
- Select Review for each updated module.
- Check the box to accept, then select Next.
- Select Submit once you've reviewed all the modules.
Channels in a multi-channel network: for owned-and-operated channels the MCN accepts; affiliate channels accept the terms themselves.
What Shorts creators should do now
- Check your last 90 days. In YouTube Studio Analytics, look at your Shorts views over the last 90 days. If you're far below 10 million, plan for Shorts ad revenue to stop in February 2027, and treat any that continues as a bonus.
- Accept the new terms early. There's no benefit in waiting until January 31.
- Rethink what your Shorts are for. Below the threshold, Shorts still bring in viewers and subscribers, and they count toward the new activity rule (5 Shorts every 90 days keeps a channel active). Linking each Short to a related long-form video turns that reach into long-form watch time, which keeps earning. YouTube's Studio tool for cutting Shorts from your long videos adds the source video as the related video automatically (YouTube Help).
- Build income that doesn't depend on the Creator Pool. Fan funding (memberships, Super Chat, Super Thanks), YouTube Shopping and YouTube Creator Partnerships keep their 500-subscriber entry point. For how Shorts pay compared with TikTok and Reels, see Shorts vs TikTok vs Reels monetization.
- Keep an eye on music. Music doesn't change your 45% share, but it can get a longer Short blocked, and a blocked Short earns nothing. Our Shorts music rules explain the one-minute line.
If you make Shorts from podcasts, interviews or webinars, the new activity rule and the long-form funnel both reward a steady flow of clips. That's the job Exemplary AI's AI Clips does (our product): it transcribes a long video, suggests clips, reframes them vertically and adds captions for you to review. The Shorts guide covers the free YouTube Studio route too.
FAQ
What are the YouTube Shorts monetization requirements in 2027?
To join YPP for ads and Premium from February 1, 2027: 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. To earn from Shorts ads and Premium in a given month, a partner also needs 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Will I be removed from YPP if my Shorts get fewer than 10 million views?
No. You stay in YPP and keep earning from long-form videos and other features. Only your share of Shorts ad and Premium revenue pauses, and it depends on the next monthly check.
Does the 10 million rule apply if I joined YPP before 2027?
Yes. The higher entry thresholds apply only to new applicants, but the 10 million Shorts views requirement applies to every partner who wants to earn from the Shorts Creator Pool.
Do long-form views or Shorts watch hours count toward the 10 million?
No. Only qualified Shorts views count: views of public Shorts that appear in the Shorts Feed. Shorts views also don't count toward the long-form watch-hours threshold.
What happens if I don't accept the new terms by January 31, 2027?
You stop earning from the monetization features covered by the modules you haven't accepted, starting February 1, 2027. You can accept later in YouTube Studio to get them back, and your YPP status isn't affected.
Is YouTube paying creators less overall?
YouTube says it expects "to pay even more to creators in 2027 than we did in 2026" (YouTube Blog). How that's split between channels above and below the 10 million line isn't public.
