From 1 February 2027, new channels need twice the watch hours to join the YouTube Partner Programme. Channels already in stay in, but must accept new terms by 31 January 2027. Here is every rule, who it affects, and what to do.
If you are not in the Partner Programme yet: apply by 31 January 2027 and you are judged on today's bar of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in 365 days (or 10M Shorts views in 90 days). From 1 February 2027 the bar for new applicants rises to 8,000 watch hours or 20M Shorts views. Subscribers stay at 1,000.
If you are already in: you are not removed. Accept the new terms modules (Watch Page, Shorts, Commerce Product) in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027, or earnings from any module you have not accepted stop on 1 February 2027 until you do. Separately, from 1 February 2027 you earn from the Shorts pool only while you hold 10M Shorts views over a rolling 90 days.
Do this: put your Studio numbers into the free 2027 calculator to see what you need and by when.
| Who | What you need |
|---|---|
| New applicants, applying up to 31 January 2027 | 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days or 10M qualified Shorts views in 90 days |
| New applicants, from 1 February 2027 | 1,000 subscribers and either 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days or 20M qualified Shorts views in 90 days |
| Lower tier (fan funding, Shopping, creator partnerships) | 500 subscribers and either 3,000 watch hours in 365 days or 3M Shorts views in 90 days. Not changing |
| Partners earning from the Shorts pool, from 1 February 2027 | 10M qualified Shorts views over a rolling 90 days, checked monthly. Below it, Shorts pool pay stops; long-video ads carry on. It restarts by itself once you are back over |
| Existing partners | Not removed. Accept the new terms modules (Watch Page, Shorts, Commerce Product) by 31 January 2027, or earnings from those modules stop on 1 February 2027 until accepted |
| New incentive programmes | Paid on growth and engagement rate. Criteria not published yet |
Do this: find the row that is you, then check the matching number in YouTube Studio, under Earn. Studio is the authority.
YouTube published its definition on 12 August 2026. Counts: Public long-form videos, podcasts included; Archived livestreams. Counts as zero: private videos; unlisted videos; deleted videos; videos watched as an ad; shorts watch hours; livestreams that were never archived.
Two things catch people out. Watch time on Shorts never counts towards the hours route, only towards the Shorts route. And the 365 days roll: every day, the oldest day of watch time drops out. A channel at 3,900 hours today can be at 3,700 next month without losing a single viewer, if last year's busy month is the one leaving the window.
Do this: before you plan around a date, check how many of your hours came from a year ago. If you connect your channel to VideoCore, the monetisation page counts the hours that will drop out before 31 January 2027 for you.
You have until 31 January 2027 to apply under today's bar. Work out the hours you still need, divide by the weeks left, and compare that with your weekly pace (Studio, Analytics, set to the last 28 days: divide the watch time by 4). Remember to subtract the hours that will roll out of the window by then.
Do this: if your weekly pace beats the weekly need with room to spare, keep publishing and apply the day Studio shows 4,000. If it does not, plan for 8,000 instead, or look at the Shorts route. The calculator does this sum for you.
The Shorts route to join rises from 10M to 20M views in 90 days for new applicants. And for channels already in, keeping Shorts pool pay from 1 February 2027 needs 10M views over a rolling 90 days, which is about 111,112 Shorts views a day. YouTube checks it monthly. Dropping under it stops only the Shorts pool share: ads on your long videos are untouched, and Shorts pay comes back by itself when you are over again.
Do this: look at your Shorts views for the last 90 days in Studio. If you are under 10M and Shorts pay matters to you, plan your Shorts output around the daily figure above before February.
Rules as announced on 10 August 2026. If YouTube changes them, its help centre wins over this page.
Type in your subscribers, watch hours and Shorts views from YouTube Studio. The calculator shows what you need before 31 January 2027, what you need after, and the date your pace gets you there. Free, no sign-up, nothing leaves your browser.
Open the 2027 calculator Free channel health checkNo, not if you are already in the YouTube Partner Programme. The higher bar of 8,000 watch hours or 20M Shorts views applies only to new applicants from 1 February 2027. Existing partners must accept the new terms modules (Watch Page, Shorts, Commerce Product) in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027; earnings from any module not accepted stop on 1 February 2027 until it is accepted.
Yes, as their own route. New applicants from 1 February 2027 can qualify with 1,000 subscribers and 20M qualified Shorts views in 90 days (up from 10M). Shorts watch time never counts towards the watch-hours route. Partners keep earning from the Shorts pool from 1 February 2027 only while they hold 10M qualified Shorts views over a rolling 90 days, checked monthly.
31 January 2027. Creators already in the YouTube Partner Programme must review and accept the updated terms modules (Watch Page, Shorts, Commerce Product) in YouTube Studio by then. Any module not accepted stops paying from 1 February 2027 until it is accepted; the channel is not removed from the programme.
Applying up to 31 January 2027: 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days and 1,000 subscribers. Applying from 1 February 2027: 8,000 qualified watch hours and 1,000 subscribers. The lower tier stays at 500 subscribers and 3,000 watch hours.
YouTube has said some new incentive programmes will pay on growth and engagement rate. The criteria are not published yet.