YouTube Partner Program changes on 1 February 2027: what to do by 31 January

Updated 24.09.2026 · Kostas Obuchow

YouTube's first significant partner programme overhaul since 2018: new terms to accept by 31 January 2027, doubled entry thresholds for new channels, a 10-million-view bar for the Shorts pool, an activity rule, new Premium pools. What changes, who is affected, and what it means for short-form creators.

Short answer

On 10 August 2026 YouTube announced the first significant changes to its Partner Program since 2018. They take effect on 1 February 2027.

What every creator needs to know:

1. accept the new terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027, or you stop earning from the modules you have not accepted;
2. new channels will need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views to join, double the current bar;
3. the Shorts pool pays only channels with 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days;
4. a channel must stay active, or it gets 90 days to recover.

Channels already in the programme keep their place. But for small Shorts channels, point 3 changes the economics.

New terms by 31 January

The updated terms are split into modules: Watch Page, Shorts and Commerce. You accept them in YouTube Studio, and each can be accepted separately.

If you do not accept a module by 31 January 2027, you stop earning from those features on 1 February, but you are not removed from the programme. You can accept later and get them back.

Two details:

• channels owned by an MCN are accepted by the network; affiliated channels must accept themselves;
• channels still on the older fan-funding terms must switch to the Commerce module by the same date.

Entry thresholds double

For new applicants from 1 February 2027:

The lower tier for fan funding, Creator Partnerships and Shopping stays the same: 500 subscribers plus 3,000 hours or 3 million Shorts views.

If you are close to the current threshold, the deadline matters. The new thresholds apply to applications from 1 February 2027; a channel that meets today’s bar should apply before then.

The Shorts pool gets a bar

To earn from the Shorts Creator Pool, a channel will need 10 million Shorts views over the last 90 days.

• falling below the bar does not remove you from the programme and does not touch long-form earnings;
• Shorts pool revenue resumes once you pass the bar again;
• below it, YouTube promises other incentives: Shopping bonuses, brand-deal credits and trend boosts.

The creator’s share of the pool stays 45%.

The activity rule

A channel counts as active if it meets any one of these:

• 1,000 watch hours in the last 365 days;
• 1 million Shorts views in the last 90 days;
• 2 long videos or 5 Shorts uploaded every 90 days.

A channel that falls below gets an extra 90 days to recover.

Premium and targeted Shorts ads

• Premium Lite expands to every country where YouTube Premium is available.
• Creators share 60% of net Premium Lite revenue and 30% of net Premium revenue, split 55% for long videos and 45% for Shorts.
• Shorts ads aimed at five or fewer channels pay those creators a direct 45%, on top of the Shorts pool.

What it means for short-form creators

For a large Shorts channel little changes. For a small one, the Shorts pool effectively closes: below 10 million views in 90 days it pays nothing, even inside the programme.

That is exactly the audience for whom a second platform matters. On Facebook, reels are paid for their own performance, with no pool threshold, although entry to Content Monetization is by invitation and depends on your country. Per thousand views, short videos on Facebook pay in the same range as Shorts. More in Facebook vs YouTube, how much YouTube pays per 1,000 views and moving your videos to Facebook.