Example video
YouTube Shorts monetization requirements (and what changes in 2027)
- 1:04
- 9:16 vertical
- AI voiceover & subtitles
- Made with StickReel
The YouTube Partner Program has two tiers, a rolling 90-day window, and a set of changes that take effect on February 1, 2027. The video walks through all of it in about a minute: what each tier unlocks, how the Shorts money is split once you are in, what the 2027 update changes for new and existing partners, and where AI-made videos stand.
Like the TikTok example, this one was made with Create from script: the script was drafted in an AI chat assistant, checked, and pasted in word for word, and StickReel generated the voiceover, the illustrated scenes, and the burned-in subtitles in its cheapest style, Moving Images. Below the video you get that script, the settings, every narrated line with timestamps, and the description and hashtags used to publish it.
Generated on October 23, 2026 · sound on for the AI voiceover
Short answer
Right now, YouTube Shorts creators unlock fan funding (channel memberships, Super Thanks) at 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and 3 million Shorts views in 90 days. Ad revenue sharing needs 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. From February 1, 2027, new applicants need 20 million Shorts views in 90 days (or 8,000 long-form watch hours in 12 months), and every partner has to stay above 10 million Shorts views per 90 days to keep earning from Shorts ads.
The input
What was pasted to get this video
Create from script
The full 12-line script, pasted in word for word. Read it in the transcript below.
This is the entire input. The script was drafted in Claude, checked against YouTube’s published thresholds, and pasted in as-is, so every number is narrated exactly as written. For a policy video full of dates and thresholds, that control matters more than speed: a single wrong figure would make the whole video useless.
Settings used
- Starting point
- Create from script
- Script format
- Explainer
- Video style
- Moving Images (camera movement on illustrated scenes)
- Aspect ratio
- Portrait 9:16 (720 × 1280)
- Length
- 64 seconds
- Captions
- Burned in
- Character
- Stickman (yellow cap, teal hoodie)
- Narration
- English
Transcript
The full script, word for word
Every line below was pasted in as the script, then read by the AI voice and burned into the video as subtitles. Timestamps mark where each line starts.
- 0:00
Want to get paid for YouTube Shorts? Here’s what you need right now, and what changes in 2027.
- 0:05
Level one: 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads, and 3 million Shorts views, all in the last 90 days.
- 0:12
That unlocks fan funding, like channel memberships and Super Thanks. But no ad revenue yet.
- 0:18
For ad revenue, you need 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days.
- 0:22
It’s a rolling window, so views older than 90 days stop counting.
- 0:26
Once you’re in, YouTube pools Shorts ad revenue, splits it by views, and you keep 45 percent of your share.
- 0:32
That’s usually 3 to 10 cents per 1,000 views. So a million views pays roughly 30 to 100 dollars.
- 0:38
And from February 1st, 2027, new applicants will need 20 million Shorts views in 90 days.
- 0:44
Even existing partners will only earn from Shorts ads while staying above 10 million views every 90 days.
- 0:50
One more rule: AI tools are allowed, but mass-produced, template-style videos can’t be monetized.
- 0:56
So use Shorts to grow, and make the real money from long-form videos, fan funding, and brand deals.
- 1:01
Follow for more creator money tips.
Description
The description and hashtags used to post it
A description that repeats the steps gives the platform text to match against search queries, and gives viewers a reason to stay on the page after the video loops. Swap the link for your own and it is ready to paste.
YouTube Shorts monetization requirements — now and in 2027
What you need to get paid for Shorts, and what changes on February 1, 2027:
• Level one: 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads, and 3M Shorts views in 90 days unlock fan funding (memberships, Super Thanks).
• Ad revenue: 1,000 subscribers and 10M Shorts views in the last 90 days.
• It’s a rolling window — views older than 90 days stop counting.
• Shorts ad revenue is pooled and split by views; you keep 45% of your share (about 3–10 cents per 1,000 views).
• From Feb 1, 2027: new applicants need 20M Shorts views in 90 days.
• Existing partners only earn from Shorts ads while staying above 10M views every 90 days.
• AI tools are allowed, but mass-produced, template-style videos can’t be monetized.
Use Shorts to grow, and make the real money from long-form videos, fan funding, and brand deals.
This video was made with StickReel from a pasted script — voiceover, scenes, and subtitles included: https://stickreel.com
Hashtags
- #youtubeshorts
- #shortsmonetization
- #youtubemonetization
- #youtubepartnerprogram
- #ypp
- #youtubetips
- #youtubegrowth
- #creatoreconomy
- #contentcreator
- #facelessyoutubechannel
- #stickreel
Use three to five of these per upload rather than all of them. Pick the two that describe the niche, one that describes the format, and one branded tag you reuse on every video.
The rules
Every YouTube Shorts monetization requirement, explained
A one-minute video has to leave things out: the long-form alternatives, what counts as a qualified view, and what happens if you drop below a threshold. Here is each rule with those details put back.
- 1
Tier one: 500 subscribers unlocks fan funding, not ads
You need 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days or 3,000 long-form watch hours in the last 12 months. That opens channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Shopping, and YouTube Creator Partnerships — YouTube pays 70% of net revenue on fan funding — but no share of ad revenue.
- 2
Tier two: 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views unlocks ads
Ad and YouTube Premium revenue sharing needs 1,000 subscribers plus either 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days or 4,000 long-form watch hours in the last 12 months. The two paths are counted separately: watch time from the Shorts feed does not count toward the 4,000 hours.
- 3
The 90 days are a rolling window
The count is always the last 90 days, so views older than that drop out every day. A channel that went viral four months ago can be further from the threshold today than it was last month. Only public Shorts seen in the Shorts feed count; private, unlisted, and deleted Shorts and views from ad campaigns do not.
- 4
Once you are in, Shorts money comes from a shared pool
Ads in the Shorts feed run between videos, so YouTube pools that revenue, allocates it by each channel’s share of views, and pays creators 45% of their allocation. Creators typically report 3 to 10 cents per 1,000 views, which puts a million views at roughly $30 to $100 — far below the 55% share on long-form ads, which are attached to your own video.
- 5
From February 1, 2027, the entry bar doubles for new applicants
New creators applying for ad revenue sharing will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days or 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days. Channels already in the Partner Program keep their status, and the 500-subscriber tier for fan funding and Shopping does not change.
- 6
From February 1, 2027, Shorts ad revenue needs 10 million views every 90 days
Every partner, new or existing, has to maintain 10 million qualified Shorts views over the last 90 days to earn from the Shorts Creator Pool each month. Dropping below pauses Shorts ad revenue only: you stay in the Partner Program, long-form earnings continue, and Shorts revenue resumes automatically once you cross the line again. YouTube says new incentive programs — Shopping bonuses, brand-deal incentives, and boosts for trends — are meant for channels below it. Existing partners must accept the new terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027 to keep earning.
- 7
AI tools are allowed; mass-produced videos are not
YouTube’s monetization policies do not ban AI-made videos. What they exclude is inauthentic content: mass-produced or repetitive uploads that look like they came off a template with little variation. If you generate videos with a tool like StickReel, each one needs its own script, angle, and information — the same template with the topic swapped is exactly what the rule targets.
- 8
So treat Shorts as growth and earn elsewhere
With 10 million views every 90 days as the floor for Shorts ad revenue, most channels will earn more from what the views lead to: long-form videos that keep 55% of their own ads, fan funding at 70%, Shopping, and brand deals. Shorts are the cheapest way to find an audience; they are rarely the best way to get paid by it.
Breakdown
Why this video works
The hook promises two answers: now and next year
“What you need right now, and what changes in 2027” gives the viewer a reason to stay past the basics they may already know. Pairing an evergreen answer with a dated change is what makes a requirements video feel like news rather than a repeat.
Thresholds are framed as levels
“Level one” turns a dry eligibility table into progress, and it makes the difference between the tiers obvious: one unlocks fan funding, the next unlocks ads. Viewers remember a ladder far better than a list of numbers.
Every threshold gets its own visual
A checklist on an easel, a fan-funding-versus-ad-revenue board with a red cross, a banner held overhead, a 45% pie chart, a dated calendar card, and a 10-million gauge. With roughly a dozen numbers in a minute, putting each one on screen is the only way the viewer keeps up.
It explains the mechanism, not just the number
“It’s a rolling window” and “YouTube pools Shorts ad revenue” are the two details that explain why creators’ dashboards behave the way they do. A requirements video that only lists figures answers one question; one that explains how they work answers the follow-ups too.
It addresses the AI question head-on
Faceless creators watching this are the ones most worried about AI and monetization, and the video answers it in one sentence: tools are fine, mass production is not. It is a credible line coming from an AI-generated video, because the video itself is a specific, researched script rather than a template.
Moving Images is enough for an explainer
This video uses the cheapest style — illustrated scenes with camera movement and no character animation — at a fraction of the credits of Mixed Motion. When the value is in the information, the boards and charts carry the video, and spending more on motion changes little.
For the full walkthrough of the tool itself — formats, characters, voices, and regenerating single scenes — read how to make a stickman animation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the YouTube monetization requirements for Shorts?
For fan funding: 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. For ad revenue sharing: 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. In both cases long-form watch hours are an alternative path — 3,000 and 4,000 hours in 12 months respectively.
How many views do you need to monetize YouTube Shorts?
3 million Shorts views in 90 days for fan funding, and 10 million in 90 days for ad revenue. From February 1, 2027, new applicants need 20 million Shorts views in 90 days for ad revenue, and every partner needs to keep 10 million per 90 days to continue earning from Shorts ads.
What changes in YouTube monetization in 2027?
From February 1, 2027, new applicants for ad revenue sharing need 1,000 subscribers plus 20 million Shorts views in 90 days or 8,000 watch hours in 12 months. All partners need 10 million qualified Shorts views per 90 days to earn from the Shorts Creator Pool. The 500-subscriber fan funding tier stays the same, and existing partners must accept the new terms by January 31, 2027.
Will I lose monetization in 2027 if I am already in the Partner Program?
No. Your Partner Program status is not affected and long-form earnings continue. The only change is that Shorts ad revenue pauses in any month your channel is below 10 million qualified Shorts views over the previous 90 days, and resumes automatically once you are back above it. You do need to accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027.
Can you monetize AI-generated YouTube Shorts?
Yes. YouTube allows AI tools; what it does not monetize is inauthentic content — mass-produced or repetitive videos made from a template with little variation. A channel that uses AI to produce distinct, researched videos is eligible; a channel that swaps the topic into the same video hundreds of times is not.
How much do YouTube Shorts pay once you are monetized?
Creators typically report about 3 to 10 cents per 1,000 views, or roughly $30 to $100 per million. Shorts ad revenue is pooled and split by views, and creators keep 45% of their allocated share, which is why Shorts pay far less per view than long-form videos.
Why paste a script instead of generating one from a topic?
Because a requirements video is only useful if every threshold and date is right. Here the script was drafted in an AI chat assistant, checked against YouTube’s published rules, and pasted in verbatim with Create from script, so StickReel narrated exactly those numbers. For opinion or idea videos, Generate from topic is faster.
More examples
Other videos with prompt and transcript
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