From February 1, 2027, new creators applying for ad and Premium revenue need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days, or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days. That's double today's 4,000 hours. Channels already in the program keep their status, and the 500-subscriber tier for fan funding and Shopping doesn't change.
What exactly changes?
| To earn from ads and Premium | Today | New applicants from Feb 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Watch hours | 4,000 in 12 months | 8,000 in 365 days |
| Or Shorts views | 10 million in 90 days | 20 million in 90 days |
Fan funding, Creator Partnerships and Shopping stay as they are: 500 subscribers plus 3,000 hours or 3 million Shorts views. Hours from private, unlisted or deleted videos, and from Shorts, don't count.
How many views is that?
| Watched per view | Views for 4,000 hours | Views for 8,000 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 4 min | 60,000 | 120,000 |
| 5 min | 48,000 | 96,000 |
| 7 min | 34,000 | 69,000 |
| 10 min | 24,000 | 48,000 |
The subscribers can be the harder part. The 127 young channels we saw reach 1,000 subscribers had about 138,000 views at that point. See the data.
What should a new channel do?
- Plan for 8,000 hours. Reaching today's thresholds before February would be unusually fast for a new channel.
- Make longer videos worth watching. Long videos build hours faster if people stay, so the opening and the story matter more than the length.
- Don't count Shorts toward hours. They have their own threshold.
- Check YouTube's page before you plan around this. Rules can change.
Questions
Does the 8,000 hours rule affect channels already monetized?
No. YouTube says that if you're already in the Partner Program, your status isn't affected, though you need to accept the updated terms by January 31, 2027.
Is the 500-subscriber tier changing?
No. YouTube says there are no changes to eligibility for fan funding, Creator Partnerships or Shopping, which open at 500 subscribers and 3,000 hours or 3 million Shorts views.
How many views is 8,000 watch hours?
About 69,000 at 7 minutes watched per view, 96,000 at 5 minutes and 120,000 at 4 minutes.
Sources
- 1Changes to the YouTube Partner Program · YouTube Help
- 2YouTube Partner Program overview · YouTube Help
How to start a faceless YouTube channel
Five lessons, with the real math on earnings.