YouTube has been a cornerstone of online content creation for 20 years, with over 3 million creators in its Partner Program (YPP). In a recent announcement, changes in the program aim to refine the criteria for new entrants and enhance revenue sharing mechanics for existing members. If you’re aspiring to join YPP, brace yourself for stricter standards, while current members can rest easy knowing their positions are secure.
New entrants to YPP will now face doubled requirements compared to previous metrics. For long-form content, creators will need to achieve 8,000 watch hours instead of the former 4,000 hours. If short-form videos are your focus, the new threshold is 20 million views within a 20-day span, an increase from the preceding 10 million views.
Furthermore, YPP has established a new minimum requirement: channels aiming to run ads and partake in revenue sharing must accumulate at least 10 million views from shorts over a 90-day period. If this minimum is not met, revenue sharing will be temporarily paused, although channels can still generate income from long-form videos. Ads and revenue sharing will be reinstated automatically once the view count exceeds 10 million within the designated timeframe.
In an effort to assist channels that fall below this threshold, YouTube will offer incentives, such as bonuses for securing brand partnerships or tagging more shopping items. To understand all the new requirements, we recommend checking out the detailed video explanation provided by YouTube.
Despite these changes, YouTube projects that creator payouts for the next year will exceed those of the current year, in part due to the global rollout of YouTube Premium Lite. This service provides subscribers with an ad-free experience and the ability to download videos for offline viewing, although there are limitations for shorts and music videos. A comprehensive list of countries with access to Premium Lite is available.
Revenue from premium subscriptions is pooled together: 30% of Premium revenue and 60% of Premium Lite revenue contribute to this pool. The distribution of the remaining funds goes towards operating YouTube and compensating music partners. Creator earnings from the pool are determined by Premium member watch time and views, with a division of 55% for long-form and 45% for short-form videos. YouTube indicates that creator earnings from subscriber views generally surpass those from ad views, stating, “when a user signs up for Premium, partners, on average, earn more than when the user was watching ads.”
If you are a content creator, it's crucial to read the full blog post for deeper insights into the changes. Note that you will need to review and sign the updated terms by February 1 of the coming year.
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