YouTube has confirmed further details of its tightened Partner Programme (YPP) requirements, including a new Shorts Creators Pool threshold and an expansion of its cheaper Premium Lite subscription tier to all countries where Premium is offered. From 1 February 2027, new applicants will need 1,000 subscribers plus either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past year or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, roughly double current requirements, while creators will separately need to maintain 10 million Shorts views over 90 days to earn from the Shorts Creators Pool, though falling short won't mean removal from YPP.

YouTube says the wider rollout of Premium Lite should boost creator earnings, as subscribers typically generate more revenue per user than ad-supported viewers; subscription income is split 55% to long-form video and 45% to Shorts. Existing YPP members face new ongoing requirements too, such as maintaining 1,000 watch hours a year, 1 million Shorts views, or uploading at least two long-form videos or five Shorts every 90 days, and must accept the new terms by 31 January 2027 to keep earning. The changes come as YouTube pushes to position itself as a premium TV-style service alongside Netflix, HBO Max and Disney Plus, having struck deals with figures like Trevor Noah and rolled out a "seasons" feature for organising videos.