October 3, 2026 · 4 min read
YouTube Partner Program From February 1, 2027: New Thresholds and What Creators Should Do
Vladimir Sivenkov · Official RHEI representative YouTube is changing the entry terms of the Partner Program. For new channels the threshold rises from February 1, 2027. I went through YouTube’s official help pages and pulled out the essentials: what exactly changes, who it hits and what is worth doing right now.
This is not a news rewrite. I have worked with creators and the RHEI network since 2015 and I see how changes like this hit channels that are “almost there.”
What Changes
| Now | From Feb 1, 2027 (new channels) | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Watch hours | 4,000 in 12 months | 8,000 in 365 days |
| Or Shorts | 10M views in 90 days | 20M views in 90 days |
| Early tier | 500 subscribers, 3,000 hours or 3M Shorts views | Unchanged |
The 1,000-subscriber requirement stays. What grows is the watch hours and Shorts views: roughly twice as much.
What the “Early Tier” Is and What It Gives You
If a channel has 500 subscribers and 3 public uploads in 90 days, plus 3,000 watch hours in a year or 3M Shorts views in 90 days, you can turn on fan funding: channel memberships, Super Chat and other ways to earn directly from viewers.
Ads are not available at this level. Only the full threshold unlocks them.
From February 1, 2027 the early tier doesn’t change. For many small channels it will be the first real step toward income from YouTube.
Who This Affects
- Channels that haven’t reached the threshold yet. If you lack watch hours, the required number almost doubles.
- New channels. Anyone starting now should plan for the new numbers.
- Shorts channels. If you counted on getting monetized with short videos, 20M views in 90 days is much harder to reach.
The new entry threshold doesn’t touch creators already in the program. But there are caveats (below), and the main one is Shorts: from February 1, 2027, earning from Shorts requires 10M Shorts views in 90 days, even if you have been in the program for years. Details: Shorts Monetization in 2027.
What Else Changes for Those Already in the Program
According to YouTube’s help page, from February 1, 2027 a channel has to confirm activity to keep its status. Meeting one of these conditions is enough:
- 1,000 watch hours in the last 365 days;
- 1M Shorts views in the last 90 days;
- uploading 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days.
If a channel falls below the thresholds, YouTube gives an additional 90-day window to get back to 1,000 hours or 1M Shorts views.
One more deadline: the updated program terms must be accepted by January 31, 2027, otherwise you won’t be able to keep fully monetizing your content (per YouTube’s help page).
What I Would Do Right Now
- Check where you really are. Open YouTube Studio → Monetization and look at your hours and Shorts views. By the numbers, not by feel.
- If you’re close to the threshold, hurry. Until February 2027 the current 4,000-hour threshold applies. This is the best window.
- Don’t delay your application. After you apply, YouTube reviews it for about a month. If you apply at the last moment, you may not make it.
- Accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027 if you’re already in the program.
- If the channel won’t make it, don’t stand still. There are other ways to earn from video, described below.
If You Can’t Reach the Threshold
It is not a dead end. I see three working paths:
- Fan funding at the early tier (500 subscribers), if the channel reaches it.
- Monetization through a partner network. If you have original content and the rights to it, you can work through RHEI without your own AdSense. How it works I broke down in Earning on YouTube Without AdSense.
- Money outside YouTube: products, services, consulting, affiliate programs. On a small channel they often bring more than ads.
Don’t look for “workarounds” like buying someone else’s AdSense account. How that ends I wrote separately: Buying an AdSense Account for YouTube: Risks and a Legal Alternative.
The Main Takeaway
Until February 1, 2027 there is a window with a lower threshold. If you’re one step from monetization, act now rather than wait. If you’re still far, think in advance about how to earn from the channel without waiting for ads.
YouTube’s terms change, so before deciding check the official help page.
Want to understand how best to act for your own channel? Leave a request: I will look at the channel, estimate how far you are from the threshold and suggest a plan.