YouTube Partner Program

The early access tier unlocks fan funding features and asks for 500 subscribers, at least 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days. The full tier, which adds ad revenue share, asks for 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views on the same windows.

Beyond the counting rules, an account needs to be in an available country, follow the monetization policies, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, and have two step verification and an AdSense account linked. Ad revenue on Shorts is shared from a pooled model at 45 percent to creators, which is why Shorts earnings per view differ so much from long form.

The important caveat as of 2026 is that these numbers are moving. YouTube has announced that thresholds roughly double from February 1, 2027, so plans built on today's figures should be checked against the current requirements page before a launch. The old Shorts Fund is long gone: it ended in February 2023 and was replaced by the revenue share model.

For a channel approaching either tier, the practical lever is publishing volume that keeps the 90 day and 12 month qualifying windows full, since both roll forward continuously. That is where clipping existing long form into regular uploads earns its place, because it raises output without requiring new recording sessions every week.