YouTube has announced one of the biggest changes to the YouTube Partner Program in years, and Shorts creators are at the center of it. Beginning February 1, 2027, channels will need 10 million qualified Shorts views over the previous 90 days to remain eligible for Shorts ads and subscription revenue sharing.
Channels below that Shorts threshold can remain in YPP and continue earning from eligible long-form content. YouTube says Shorts revenue sharing will resume automatically once the channel again crosses the 10-million-view requirement.
For new creators applying for ads and YouTube Premium revenue sharing, YouTube is also raising the entry requirement to either 8,000 qualified public watch hours over 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views over 90 days. Existing YPP creators are not affected by that new-entry threshold.
YouTube says it is also building additional earning programs around shopping, brand deals and trend-driven incentives. Those details matter because the platform is signaling that creator income is being pushed beyond ad revenue alone.
The changes take effect February 1, 2027, giving creators several months to understand how their current mix of Shorts and long-form content fits the new rules.
