YouTube monetization requirements in 2026

The YouTube Partner Program is how YouTube shares money with creators. It has two levels, and each level has two ways in: one counts watch time on your long videos, the other counts Shorts views. Here they are in plain words, with what changes in February 2027.

Level 1: 500 subscribers

The first level lets fans pay you directly, before you earn anything from ads. You need all three of these:

It unlocks channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks, and shopping. It’s open in many countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Lebanon.

Level 2: 1,000 subscribers and ad money

The second level is what most people mean by “monetized”: a share of the ads on your videos, and of YouTube Premium. You need 1,000 subscribers and one of two things:

Put another way, each path asks for a steady crowd:

Everything else you need

The numbers get you in the door. These get you through it:

• Live in a country where the program is open
• 2-Step Verification on your Google account
• No active Community Guidelines strikes
• An AdSense account linked to your channel
• Advanced features turned on in YouTube
• Content that follows YouTube’s monetization policies

Which Shorts views count

Since March 31, 2025, the view count under a Short counts every play, even a quick swipe past. The Partner Program doesn’t use that number: it counts engaged views, where someone actually watched. So your qualified number will be lower than the public one.

What changes on February 1, 2027

In August 2026, YouTube announced new numbers that start in 2027. Here’s the road there:

How long does it take?

There’s no set timeline: it depends on how often you post and how many people watch. Two worked examples, to make the numbers feel real (illustrations, not promises):

• Long videos: one 20-minute video a week, watched for 6 minutes on average by 700 people, adds about 3,640 watch hours a year (52 × 700 × 6 ÷ 60). Close, but not yet 4,000.
• Shorts: one short a day averaging 50,000 engaged views reaches 4.5 million in 90 days: past the first level, not yet the ad level.

Shorts help both paths. They bring the subscribers that every level needs, and each Short can link to a long video that adds watch hours. More in do Shorts help your channel.