The YouTube Partner Program tiers
| Tier | Subscribers | Long-form path | Shorts path | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fan funding (expanded YPP) | 500 | 3,000 watch hours in 12 months | 3M Shorts views in 90 days | Memberships, Super Chat, Super Thanks, Shopping |
| Ad revenue (until Jan 31, 2027) | 1,000 | 4,000 watch hours in 12 months | 10M Shorts views in 90 days | Ads and YouTube Premium revenue |
| Ad revenue (new applicants from Feb 1, 2027) | 1,000 | 8,000 watch hours in 365 days | 20M Shorts views in 90 days | Ads and YouTube Premium revenue |
The fan-funding tier also needs 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and is available in countries where YouTube has rolled out the expanded program. Everywhere, you need to follow YouTube's monetization policies, live in an eligible country, have 2-Step Verification on and no active Community Guidelines strikes, and link an AdSense account.
What counts toward watch hours
- Counts: watch time on public long-form videos and live streams that stay public as VODs.
- Doesn't count: Shorts (they have their own views path), private, unlisted or deleted videos, and views from ads.
- Paths never combine: 3,000 hours plus 8M Shorts views doesn't qualify; you need one path complete.
Example: a channel at 1,000 subscribers and 3,500 hours that applies in December 2026 needs 500 more hours. If it waits until after February 1, 2027, it needs 4,500 more, nine times as much.
Sources: YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview; 9to5Google: YouTube Partner Program changes (Aug 10, 2026); Social Media Today: YouTube announces changes to creator monetization. Checked November 13, 2026. Platforms change these rules; your creator dashboard shows the live requirements for your account.