As of 3 October 2026, the standard YouTube Partner Program route for ad and Premium revenue requires 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the previous 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days. Those viewing routes are alternatives, not totals you can combine.
There is also a lower expanded YPP tier in participating locations: 500 subscribers, three valid public uploads in 90 days, and either 3,000 qualified public watch hours or 3 million qualified Shorts views. That tier can unlock eligible fan-funding and Shopping features, but it does not by itself qualify you for Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads or YouTube Premium revenue. Meeting a threshold lets you apply; it does not guarantee acceptance.
First decide which monetisation tier you mean
People often ask how many subscribers are needed to “get monetised”. That phrase can mean access to selected fan-funding or Shopping features, or it can mean eligibility for ad and Premium revenue. YouTube has different entry criteria for those outcomes, so first decide which one you are checking.
The 500-subscriber expanded YPP route is an earlier entry point for eligible creators in supported regions. It can make certain features available when their individual conditions are met. It is not a reduced version of the ad-revenue threshold: Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads and YouTube Premium revenue are associated with the higher standard route.
The distinction matters for a channel built around a continuous devotional stream, a study loop or local news. A creator might meet an expanded-tier threshold and be able to explore eligible fan-funding features, while still not meeting the higher requirements for ad revenue. Check the feature you actually want in Studio rather than treating “in YPP” as a single switch.
YouTube also has programme and feature conditions beyond the visible counts. The official YPP eligibility page is the primary reference for current requirements and application steps. Its contents can change, so use the date on the figures in this guide as a cue to recheck, not as a promise that the same thresholds will remain in place.
Standard route: subscribers plus hours or Shorts views
YouTube’s standard ad-related route, as retrieved on 3 October 2026, requires both a subscriber threshold and one of two qualifying viewing routes. You need 1,000 subscribers, and then either 4,000 qualified public watch hours during the previous 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views during the previous 90 days.
| Route (requirements retrieved 3 October 2026) | Subscribers | Qualifying activity | Measurement window | Associated access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard watch-hours route | 1,000 | 4,000 qualified public watch hours | Previous 12 months | Eligibility to apply for Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads and Premium revenue, subject to review and feature conditions |
| Standard Shorts route | 1,000 | 10 million qualified Shorts views | Previous 90 days | Same standard tier; the views route is an alternative to hours |
| Expanded watch-hours route | 500 | Three valid public uploads in 90 days, plus 3,000 qualified public watch hours | Uploads: previous 90 days; hours: previous 12 months | Eligible fan-funding and Shopping features, subject to availability and feature conditions |
| Expanded Shorts route | 500 | Three valid public uploads in 90 days, plus 3 million qualified Shorts views | Both activity measures: previous 90 days | Eligible fan-funding and Shopping features, subject to availability and feature conditions |
The table compares entry routes, not a forecast of earnings. The standard watch-hours and Shorts paths are alternatives: you do not need to reach both. The same is true of the two viewing paths at expanded YPP, although that tier also requires the three valid public uploads. YouTube sets and interprets what qualifies; a number shown in a general analytics report may not match the YPP eligibility counter.
These are rolling periods. For example, a watch hour earned more than 12 months ago eventually falls outside the standard hours window, and a Shorts view older than 90 days eventually falls outside the Shorts window. Keep checking the Earn section in YouTube Studio rather than relying on a total copied into a spreadsheet months earlier.
For creators who publish long videos or keep a live channel running, subscriber growth and qualifying viewing are separate tasks. An always-on stream may accumulate audience viewing, but that does not mean every hour will count; the format and its public status matter. If an ongoing broadcast is part of your plan, the practical details in this guide to running a 24/7 devotional YouTube stream can help you think through the channel workflow separately from YPP eligibility.
What counts as qualified public watch time
The standard and expanded hours routes refer to qualified public watch hours, not every minute viewers spend anywhere on your channel. YouTube counts watch time from public long-form videos towards those hour thresholds. Shorts Feed viewing time does not count towards the watch-hours route; Shorts have their own qualifying-view route instead.
YouTube excludes hours from private, unlisted or deleted videos, as well as watch time generated through ad campaigns. It also excludes Shorts viewing from the public-watch-hours total. For live content, watch time from streams that remain unlisted, are deleted or are not converted to video on demand does not count towards that total. These distinctions are important if you run scheduled broadcasts, test streams or repeat a file as a live programme.
Check the finished status of a broadcast and its visibility rather than assuming a long broadcast automatically adds its full duration to YPP hours. A public long-form recording may be treated differently from a stream that was private, later removed, or left unlisted. YouTube’s own eligibility counter should take precedence over a manual estimate from stream duration multiplied by an average audience.
Paid promotion is not a shortcut to the threshold. YouTube says views and watch time generated by paid ad campaigns do not count. Qualifying organic activity after a viewer discovers promoted content may count under the relevant rules, but distinguish that from paid campaign activity itself. The YouTube feature eligibility comparison explains feature-specific requirements and the treatment of paid campaign activity.
For Shorts, the qualifying route concerns eligible views of public Shorts appearing in the Shorts Feed. Private, unlisted or deleted Shorts, paid campaign activity and image posts in the Shorts Feed do not count as qualified Shorts views. The Shorts-view route is not interchangeable with a watch-hours figure: a channel should track the counter associated with the route it is pursuing.
Lower-tier access is not ad-revenue access
Expanded YPP can be useful before a channel reaches the standard threshold, but only in regions where the programme is available. As of 3 October 2026, the stated entry conditions are 500 subscribers, three valid public uploads in the previous 90 days, and either 3,000 qualified public watch hours in the previous 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days.
At this level, eligible creators may gain access to features such as channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks, and Shopping, when the relevant feature is available and its own conditions are met. These features do not all apply to every channel or region. Age, location, channel content, feature terms and other requirements can affect availability.
Watch Page Ads, Shorts Feed Ads and Premium revenue belong to the higher standard eligibility route, not the expanded threshold. If a creator is targeting ad revenue, reaching 500 subscribers and the expanded activity requirement is not the end of the eligibility process. Keep working towards the standard route and check Studio for the access and status it currently shows.
Feature access can also involve accepting separate terms or modules. In particular, eligible Shorts views begin to qualify for Shorts ad revenue sharing only after the creator accepts the relevant Shorts monetisation module. Earlier views are not paid under that module merely because the channel later qualifies. YouTube’s Shorts monetisation policies set out the relevant terms; read them when enabling the feature.
If your channel’s immediate goal is community support rather than ads, the expanded tier may be relevant sooner. If the goal is revenue from ads on long videos or eligible Shorts, use the standard requirements as your planning target. Neither route promises a particular income, and feature eligibility is not a guarantee that viewers will use a feature.
Apply in Studio, then wait for review
Before you apply, confirm that the channel meets the applicable subscriber and activity thresholds in YouTube Studio’s Earn area. YouTube also lists prerequisites that include living in a supported country or region, following channel monetisation policies, having no active Community Guidelines strikes, enabling 2-Step Verification, having access to advanced features, and linking or preparing to set up one AdSense for YouTube account through Studio.
When the applicable route appears available, follow the signup steps in Studio and accept the relevant terms. YouTube then reviews the channel as a whole against its policies and guidelines. The figures are an entry point to review, not a substitute for it. Rights to the material, adherence to programme rules and advertiser-friendly standards for ads can all be relevant to the channel review.
For a channel that loops recorded music, worship material or ambience, review the rights and channel presentation before applying. You need the necessary rights for the content you upload and stream; a long run time or a public archive does not change that. YouTube’s channel monetisation policies are the place to check how it evaluates content and policy compliance. No guide can promise that a particular channel will pass review.
After applying, keep the channel in good standing and check Studio for updates. YouTube says that subscriber or watch-hour totals can fall below the threshold while an application is waiting for review without stopping the review. It also says monetisation may be turned off when a channel has no video uploads or Posts activity for six months or more. Treat that as an ongoing condition to monitor, rather than a one-time box to tick.
If a continuous broadcast needs to remain on while your own computer is off, StreamNeo can remove the recurring task of keeping a local playback setup running; that solves an operations problem, not a YPP eligibility or approval requirement. For a locally managed workflow, continuity still depends on a reliable stream configuration: see the practical notes on fixing an overloaded OBS encoder. Whichever method you use, the public status and archive treatment of each stream still matter when you review qualified hours.
Keep the October 2026 rules separate from the 2027 announcement
The thresholds in this guide marked as current are the requirements retrieved on 3 October 2026. YouTube has separately announced a change taking effect on 1 February 2027 for new creators seeking ad and Premium revenue. It is not yet in effect on the research date, so do not use the future figures as if they were today’s route.
Under the announcement, from 1 February 2027 a new creator seeking ad and Premium revenue will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. YouTube says existing YPP status is unaffected. The announcement also says the lower fan-funding and Shopping route remains at 500 subscribers, three valid public uploads, and either 3,000 qualified watch hours or 3 million qualified Shorts views.
This is a scheduled future change, not a reason to merge both sets of numbers into one threshold. If you check eligibility before the effective date, use the current Studio status and current official requirements. If you are planning for a date on or after 1 February 2027, recheck YouTube’s announcement and the Earn section because it is the source for the changed standard route. YouTube’s announcement of the February 2027 update describes the announced timing and its stated effect.
Recheck before you publish or make a plan
YPP requirements, eligible locations and individual feature conditions can change. The research date here is 3 October 2026; put a fresh check into your publishing process instead of treating this article as an evergreen specification. Open Studio’s Earn tab for the channel-specific status, then compare it with YouTube Help’s eligibility and feature pages.
Check the route you intend to pursue, the measurement windows and whether the activity is public and qualified. For a long-form or live channel, verify the treatment of public recordings and live archives. For a Shorts-led channel, follow the Shorts-view counter and module terms. Also check the feature’s own regional, age and content conditions; a channel can satisfy an entry threshold without every listed feature becoming available.
Keep records of the date you checked, the route Studio displays and any relevant policy or module terms you accepted. That makes it easier to notice when a rolling window changes your progress or a published threshold has been updated. It is a simple operational habit, not a substitute for YouTube’s decision on an application.
If you are planning the broadcast workflow alongside eligibility, separate those decisions. A stream can be technically continuous while its hours fail to count, and a channel can satisfy a threshold while still being reviewed. For a channel intended to attract viewers over time, the advice on turning 24/7 stream viewers into subscribers addresses the audience side without implying that any specific growth outcome is guaranteed.
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FAQ
How many subscribers do you need to monetise on YouTube?
As of 3 October 2026, the standard route associated with ad and Premium revenue requires 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. Expanded YPP can start at 500 subscribers in supported regions, but it is for eligible fan-funding and Shopping features rather than ad and Premium revenue.
Can you monetise Shorts with 500 subscribers?
You may be eligible to apply for expanded YPP at 500 subscribers if you also have three valid public uploads in 90 days and either 3,000 qualified public watch hours in 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. That lower tier does not itself provide Shorts Feed Ads access; the standard route requires 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days, subject to review and feature terms.
Do livestreams count towards the 4,000 watch hours?
Public long-form watch time can count, but YouTube excludes streams that remain unlisted, are deleted or are not converted to video on demand. Check the current Earn counter and official eligibility guidance for how your own live archive is being treated; do not assume every hour a stream was live qualifies.
Is the February 2027 threshold already active?
No. The 8,000-hour or 20-million-Shorts-view standard route is an announced change for new creators seeking ad and Premium revenue starting 1 February 2027. On 3 October 2026, the current figures remain 4,000 qualified public watch hours or 10 million qualified Shorts views, alongside 1,000 subscribers; recheck YouTube’s official pages before acting.