New YouTube creators will need 8,000 watch hours in the past year to monetise their channels from February 1, 2027 — double today’s 4,000-hour requirement. YouTube announced the change on Monday alongside the first significant overhaul of its Partner Program since 2018.
The new entry requirements apply to creators applying for the YouTube Partner Program, which pays a share of ad and subscription revenue. The Verge reads the change as part of YouTube’s push to behave like a premium TV service: this year it has signed up shows from the likes of Trevor Noah and added seasons for creator channels.
| Requirement | Today | From 1 February 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Watch hours (past 12 months) | 4,000 | 8,000 |
| Shorts views (past 90 days) | 10 million | 20 million |
Shorts monetisation is also being decoupled from program entry. From February 1, 2027, creators need 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days to share in Shorts ad and subscription revenue. Channels below that stay in the Partner Program and keep earning from long-form videos, with Shorts revenue resuming automatically when they cross the threshold again.
The friendlier half of the announcement is Premium Lite, YouTube’s cheaper ad-free tier, which is expanding to every country where YouTube Premium is sold. YouTube puts 30 per cent of Premium’s net subscription revenue and 60 per cent of Premium Lite’s into creator pools, split 55 per cent to long-form and 45 per cent to Shorts. “When a user signs up for Premium, partners, on average, earn more than when the user was watching ads,” the company said.
Creators already in the program are spared the higher entry bar. They must accept the new terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027, and keep meeting the maintenance rules: 1,000 watch hours a year, one million Shorts views, or regular uploads every 90 days.
What the new YouTube monetisation requirements mean for UAE creators
YouTube is the main stage for the region’s creator economy, and the doubled bar bites hardest at the tier between 4,000 and 8,000 watch hours — the emerging channels that were about to qualify. For them, the faster route to ad revenue now runs through Shorts momentum and subscription revenue instead.
The Premium Lite expansion matters locally too. YouTube Premium is sold in the UAE, where Google’s AI bundles already fold it into Gemini and One AI Premium — so the cheaper tier arrives here, and every new subscriber pays into the same creator pools. YouTube’s in-app messaging push keeps watch time inside the app; the pools get fed either way.
Do existing YouTube creators need to hit the new 8,000-hour bar?
No. The higher entry threshold applies to new applicants. Creators already in the Partner Program must accept the new terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027, and keep meeting the maintenance rules: 1,000 watch hours a year, one million Shorts views, or regular uploads every 90 days.
How do Shorts views count under the new rules?
From February 1, 2027, new creators need 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days to enter the Partner Program, and 10 million in 90 days to share in Shorts ad and subscription revenue. Channels below the 10-million mark stay in the program and keep earning from long-form videos; Shorts revenue resumes automatically when they cross it again.
When does YouTube Premium Lite come to the UAE?
Premium Lite is expanding to every country where YouTube Premium is offered, and Premium is sold in the UAE, so the cheaper tier is on the way. Creators earn from a pool of 60 per cent of its net subscription revenue, split 55 per cent to long-form and 45 per cent to Shorts.
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