In 2026, YouTube Shorts ad-revenue sharing requires 1,000 subscribers and 10,000,000 valid public Shorts views in 90 days. Earlier fan-funding access requires 500 subscribers, three valid public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000,000 valid public Shorts views in 90 days. Both tiers also require YouTube’s baseline account eligibility rules.
Shorts use a rolling 90-day view threshold rather than the long-form watch-hours calculation. Shorts Feed ad revenue also follows a pooled revenue-sharing model instead of attaching a separate ad split to each video.
What are the two YouTube Shorts monetization tiers?
| Access level | Subscribers | Shorts requirement | Alternate path | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earlier fan-funding access | 500 | 3,000,000 valid public Shorts views in 90 days, plus 3 valid public uploads in 90 days | 3,000 valid public watch hours in 12 months | YouTube Help — expanded YPP access |
| Shorts ad-revenue sharing | 1,000 | 10,000,000 valid public Shorts views in 90 days | 4,000 valid public watch hours in 12 months | YouTube Help — YPP eligibility |
These thresholds grant different benefits. The 500-subscriber tier provides earlier access to eligible fan-funding and Shopping tools, while the 1,000-subscriber tier opens revenue sharing from ads shown between videos in the Shorts Feed — a tiered, follower-gated structure similar in spirit to X's requirements for creator subscriptions.
How many Shorts views do you need for ad revenue?
YouTube Shorts ad-revenue sharing requires 10,000,000 valid public Shorts views during the previous 90 days and 1,000 subscribers.
The 90-day period is rolling rather than lifetime-based. As each day passes, views older than 90 days stop contributing to the eligibility total.
Creators may instead qualify for the same YPP ad-revenue tier with 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid public watch hours in 12 months (YouTube Help — YPP eligibility). YouTube states that "any qualified watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed won't count towards the 4,000 qualified public watch hours threshold", which is why the Shorts-views path and the watch-hours path cannot be combined into a hybrid total.
Can you unlock fan funding before reaching 10 million Shorts views?
Yes. Earlier YPP access requires 500 subscribers, 3 valid public uploads in the previous 90 days, and either 3,000,000 valid public Shorts views in 90 days or 3,000 valid public watch hours in 12 months (YouTube Help — expanded YPP access).
Eligible creators at this tier can access channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, and Jewels and gifts (YouTube Help — expanded YPP access).
The earlier Shorts threshold of 3,000,000 views is 30% of the 10,000,000-view ad-revenue threshold. Reaching the earlier tier does not itself unlock Shorts Feed ad-revenue sharing; that still requires the higher YPP threshold.
Why does Shorts ad revenue work differently from long-form revenue?
YouTube pools advertising revenue from ads displayed between videos in the Shorts Feed. It then accounts for music-licensing costs and allocates Creator Pool revenue to monetizing creators according to their share of eligible engaged Shorts views in each country (YouTube Help — how Shorts revenue sharing works).
A monetizing creator keeps 45% of the revenue allocated to them from the Creator Pool, regardless of whether an individual Short uses music (YouTube Help — how Shorts revenue sharing works).
This is a pool-and-share system, not a fixed payment for every 1,000 views or a per-video ad split. YouTube does not publish one universal Shorts earnings rate, so revenue can vary with a creator’s share of eligible engaged views and the revenue available in the applicable country-level pool. For broader context, see how much YouTube pays and its requirements.
Are YouTube's Shorts monetization requirements changing in 2027?
Yes. YouTube says "with over 3 million creators in the program, we're making the first significant changes since 2018" to YPP, effective February 1, 2027 (YouTube Official Blog — YouTube Partner Program updates for 2027).
YouTube's own terms state that starting February 1, 2027, "YPP entry thresholds for new creators are changing to 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20M qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, in addition to still needing 1k subscribers" (YouTube Help — changes to the YouTube Partner Program).
Creators already accepted into YPP are not affected: YouTube states "if you are already in YPP, your status is not impacted by this update". The 500-subscriber earlier-access thresholds are also unchanged, since "there are no changes to the eligibility requirements for fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships, or YouTube Shopping".
Separately, effective the same date, YouTube says that on a Shorts ad "targeted to a group of five or fewer channels, eligible creators can earn a direct 45% revenue share from those placements," paid on top of standard Creator Pool earnings. YouTube is also redefining active channel status as "1,000 qualified watch hours in the past 365 days, or 1 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts uploaded every 90 days".
Channels that fall below the 10,000,000-view threshold after February 2027 are not removed from YPP — YouTube says they "remain in YPP and continue earning on long-form content, with Shorts revenue sharing automatically resuming once they cross 10 million views again".
These are forward-looking terms YouTube could still revise before February 2027 takes effect, so treat the linked Help Center page above as the source of record if any figure changes.
What counts as a valid public Shorts view?
YouTube measures the Shorts eligibility thresholds using valid engaged views from public Shorts that appear in the Shorts Feed.
YouTube excludes views gained through "private Shorts videos, unlisted Shorts videos, deleted Shorts videos" and ad campaigns from this eligibility threshold, which is why the eligibility figure shown in the Monetization area can differ from other view totals displayed in YouTube Studio.
The valid public Shorts view figure—not a channel’s lifetime headline view count—is the number measured against the 3,000,000-view earlier-access threshold and the 10,000,000-view ad-revenue threshold.
YouTube's current eligibility pages label this metric "valid public Shorts views" or "valid engaged views," while its February 2027 policy update uses the newer term "qualified Shorts views" for the same measured figure; this article follows each page's own wording when citing it directly.
Which account requirements must you meet before YouTube pays you?
Meeting a subscriber and view threshold does not guarantee acceptance into YPP. YouTube also requires a channel to satisfy its account, policy, and payment conditions.
According to YouTube Help — YPP eligibility, applicants must:
- Live in a country or region where the applicable YPP tier is available
- Follow YouTube’s channel monetization policies
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for the associated Google Account
- Have access to advanced features on the YouTube channel
- Link an active AdSense for YouTube account or be ready to create one in YouTube Studio
If a channel has crossed the relevant subscriber and view threshold but cannot apply or be approved, review these requirements and the channel’s Monetization tab for the specific eligibility issue.
How can you get paid while building toward 10 million Shorts views?
Falling below YouTube’s YPP thresholds prevents access to the corresponding YouTube monetization features, but it does not prevent a creator from accepting voluntary direct payments from viewers through a separate service.
FanBell lets creators offer paid private questions, personalized shoutouts, small services, tips, and project support without a YouTube subscriber or view minimum (how FanBell works), and most creators point viewers to that page by adding a link to their Shorts description.
FanBell is free to start, with no monthly fee, and applies a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays (FanBell pricing). Stripe’s payment-processing charge is separate from FanBell’s platform fee and creator payouts run through Stripe.
Direct fan payments can run alongside YouTube’s Shorts revenue sharing, memberships, and other YPP features once those tools become available; they do not replace or alter YouTube’s eligibility requirements.
For the wider Partner Program picture across long-form videos and Shorts, see YouTube monetization requirements; written creators weighing a comparable platform program can check Medium's Partner Program requirements. If your channel remains below 1,000 subscribers, read making money on YouTube under 1,000 subscribers. FanBell for YouTube creators covers direct fan payments alongside YouTube’s programs, while how to monetize your followers directly explains the broader approach.
Frequently asked questions: what should Shorts creators know?
How many Shorts views do you need to get monetized?
Shorts ad-revenue sharing requires 10,000,000 valid public Shorts views in 90 days and 1,000 subscribers (YouTube Help — YPP eligibility). Earlier fan-funding access requires 3,000,000 valid public Shorts views in 90 days, 500 subscribers, and 3 valid public uploads during that period (YouTube Help — expanded YPP access).
Why are my monetization-eligible Shorts views lower than my total views?
YouTube’s eligibility total counts valid engaged views from public Shorts in the Shorts Feed. Private, unlisted, deleted, and invalid views do not count, so the Monetization tab’s total can be lower than other view figures displayed in Studio.
How is YouTube Shorts ad revenue split?
YouTube pools Shorts Feed ad revenue, accounts for music-licensing costs, and allocates Creator Pool revenue according to each monetizing creator’s share of eligible engaged views in each country. Creators keep 45% of their allocated revenue (YouTube Help — how Shorts revenue sharing works).
Is YouTube changing Shorts monetization requirements in 2027?
Yes. Starting February 1, 2027, new YPP applicants need 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days or 20,000,000 qualified Shorts views in 90 days, but creators already in YPP keep their current status and the 500-subscriber fan-funding tier is unchanged (YouTube Help — changes to the YouTube Partner Program).
Can fans pay me before I qualify for YouTube monetization?
Yes. Direct payments for tips, paid questions, shoutouts, or creator services are separate from YPP. FanBell has no subscriber or view minimum, is free to start, and charges a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays.
Ready to get paid by viewers without waiting to clear the Shorts view threshold? Create your free FanBell page and set up your first paid offer in minutes.
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