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YouTube now requires creators to have twice as many watch hours to start earningmoney
YouTube is increasing the requirements for creators to start earning money through ads and subscriptions, requiring 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views. Effective February 1, these new thresholds aim to match the platform's growth, which now includes over 200 billion daily Shorts views. Existing creators won't be impacted, but the changes may hinder new entrants to the monetization program. Additionally, YouTube introduced a Premium Lite subscription globally.
Key points
- YouTube raises the bar for new creators requiring 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views to monetize; current requirement is 4,000 hours or 10 million views.
- Changes effective from February 1; existing creators in the Partner Program are unaffected.
- Creators now need to maintain 10 million Shorts views in 90 days to continue monetizing through the Shorts Creators Pool.
- YouTube cites the explosive growth in Shorts and overall watch time as motivation for these increased thresholds.
- The changes could restrict new creators' entry and retention in monetization due to increased audience demands.
- YouTube also expands its Premium Lite subscription, offering creators more earnings from subscription revenue compared to traditional ad views.
Why it matters
- These changes reflect a trend in social media platforms tightening monetization rules to adapt to increased user engagement and competition.
- Recent shifts by other platforms like X and Facebook indicate a broader industry movement towards more selective creator rewards.
- By 2025, IT trends may continue to favor platforms that streamline monetization while enhancing user engagement and retaining content creators.
In summary, YouTube's new higher monetization thresholds may challenge new creators while reflecting broader trends in the social media industry; adapting to user growth is crucial as platforms evolve their monetization strategies.