15
Watch: YouTube Monetization Update 2027: New Shorts Bonus + 8,000 Watch Hours Rule
YouTube will require new creators to have 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 public watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million Shorts views in the last 90 days, to join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) from February 1, 2027. The change doubles the current entry bar for full monetization. The update was first announced in August 2026, and YouTube’s Help Centre now lists the new thresholds alongside a January 31, 2027 deadline for existing partners to accept updated terms in YouTube Studio. At the same time, YouTube has started testing an invite-only Shorts bonus that pays selected creators for posting Shorts regularly. Ghana is not among the countries in the first test. Ghana Trends Media has a video on the story, breaking down the 2027 monetization rules and the new Shorts bonus for Ghanaian creators.
YouTube monetization requirements double for 2027
Under the current rules, a channel can apply for full YPP monetization with 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million public Shorts views in the past 90 days. From February 1, 2027, new applicants will need twice those figures. The 1,000-subscriber minimum stays the same. The lower YPP tier for fan funding and Shopping, which needs 500 subscribers, is not changing.Old vs new YouTube Partner Program thresholds
- Subscribers: 1,000 (unchanged)
- Long-form watch hours: 4,000 now → 8,000 from February 1, 2027 (last 365 days)
- Shorts views route: 10 million now → 20 million from February 1, 2027 (last 90 days)
- Fan-funding/Shopping tier: 500 subscribers, 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views (unchanged)
- Shorts revenue gate for all partners: 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days to earn from the Shorts Creator Pool each month
- Deadline to accept new terms: January 31, 2027
New 10 million Shorts views rule for existing partners
Creators already in YPP are not affected by the higher entry bar. However, YouTube says that from February 1, 2027, a channel must have 10 million qualified Shorts views over the last 90 days to earn Shorts ad and subscription revenue in a given month. Falling below that line does not remove a channel from YPP and does not affect long-form video earnings. Tech Times reports that Shorts revenue resumes once the channel gets back above 10 million views.Accept the updated YPP terms by January 31, 2027
YouTube says partners must review and accept the updated monetization terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027, to keep fully monetizing. Not accepting does not remove a channel from the programme, but earnings from the affected features stop from February 1, 2027 until the terms are accepted. Details are on YouTube’s official Help Centre page on the YPP changes.How the YouTube Shorts bonus pilot works
Separately, YouTube is piloting a monthly Shorts bonus for selected YPP creators in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Japan and South Korea. The programme is invite-only. Creators are notified by email or in YouTube Studio and must accept the terms by a deadline in the invitation. Invited creators must upload a set minimum number of public Shorts each calendar month. They can earn a baseline payment for meeting the target and an extra bonus based on “valid, engaged Shorts views”. YouTube has not published the payment amounts. YouTube Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie said more creators may be invited in the coming months.What the YouTube monetization changes mean for Ghanaian creators
For new Ghanaian channels, the road to monetization gets longer. A creator applying after February 1, 2027 will need roughly 22 watch hours every day for a full year to reach 8,000 hours. Channels close to the current 4,000-hour or 10 million Shorts views target can still apply under the old rules before February 1, 2027, according to Tech Times. Ghanaian Shorts creators also cannot join the Shorts bonus test for now, since Ghana is not on the list of pilot countries. Creators across the country, inspired by projects like the MrBeast and Wode Maya village transformation in Ghana, will be watching for any expansion.What happens next
YouTube is sending notices to partners about the updated terms, so some creators may not see the prompt in YouTube Studio straight away. The new entry thresholds and the 10 million Shorts views gate take effect on February 1, 2027. YouTube says it plans to add Shorts bonus opportunities in more countries over the coming months.Summary of Story: YouTube Doubles Monetization Bar to 8,000 Watch Hours From February 1, 2027 as Shorts Bonus Pilot Skips Ghana
- New YPP entry bar from February 1, 2027: 1,000 subscribers + 8,000 watch hours (365 days) or 20 million Shorts views (90 days).
- Current bar: 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views.
- Existing partners keep their YPP status.
- All partners need 10 million Shorts views in 90 days to earn from the Shorts Creator Pool each month.
- Updated terms must be accepted in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027.
- Shorts bonus pilot is invite-only in the US, UK, Germany, Brazil, Japan and South Korea.
- Ghana is not part of the first Shorts bonus test.
