Free tool·Rules as of 30 October 2026
YouTube monetization 2027: will you hit 4,000 hours by January 31?
From February 1, 2027, new channels need 8,000 watch hours a year or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days to join the YouTube Partner Program, twice today’s bar. Enter your numbers from Studio to see if you can make it under the current rules and when you will reach the new ones.
Until the new thresholds: 94 days
What changes on February 1, 2027
| Requirement | Until Jan 31, 2027 | From Feb 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Watch hours, last 365 days | 4,000 | 8,000 |
| or Shorts views, last 90 days | 10M | 20M |
| Early access: memberships, Supers, Shopping | 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days and 3,000 hours or 3M Shorts views | unchanged |
| Shorts Creator Pool earnings (partners) | no separate threshold | 10M Shorts views in 90 days, every month |
| Active channel (partners) | an upload or post at least every 6 months | 1,000 hours a year, or 1M Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 videos / 5 Shorts every 90 days |
| Updated YPP terms | accept by January 31, 2027 | without them, that module stops earning |
Source: YouTube Help, Changes to the YouTube Partner Program and YPP overview & eligibility. Checked 30 October 2026.
How the calculator works
YouTube counts watch hours over a rolling 365 days and Shorts views over a rolling 90 days. New views come in every day and the oldest ones drop out of the window. The calculator takes your last 28 days and gives two dates:
- early: old hours are not dropping out yet, because the channel is under a year old or grew in recent months;
- late: they drop out evenly, as on a channel with a steady audience.
The real date is usually in between. If the late date lands before January 31, you have room. If only the early one does, you will make it only if most of your hours are recent. Subscribers do not drop out of a window, so they are projected from net growth.
This is a projection from your current pace, not a YouTube decision: after you apply, the channel is still reviewed against YouTube policies.
What counts toward hours and views
Only public long-form videos and saved live streams count toward the hours threshold. These do not count:
- private, unlisted and deleted videos;
- views from ad campaigns;
- watch hours from the Shorts Feed, since Shorts have their own views threshold;
- live streams that are unlisted, deleted or not saved as a video.
For Shorts, views of public Shorts in the Shorts Feed count. Private, unlisted and deleted Shorts, ad campaigns and image posts in the feed do not.
Where to find the numbers in Studio
- Studio → Earn shows progress on subscribers, hours in the last 365 days and Shorts views in the last 90 days. These are the qualified numbers: enter them as “now”.
- Analytics → Overview, Last 28 days: how many subscribers you gained.
- Analytics → Content → Videos: watch time (hours) for 28 days, long-form only.
- Analytics → Content → Shorts: views for 28 days. If you see Engaged views, use them: the regular Shorts view count can be higher than the qualified one.
If you cannot make it by January 31
- Apply as soon as you meet the threshold. According to YouTube Help, a channel goes to review once it meets the threshold and completes the signup steps: the program terms and AdSense. If your numbers drop while you wait, the review still goes ahead.
- Do not hide or delete videos before applying: their hours stop counting.
- Early access stays the same: with 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days and 3,000 hours or 3M Shorts views you can turn on memberships, Supers and Shopping.
- After February 1, the target is 8,000 hours, an average of 21.9 watch hours a day over a year, or 20M Shorts views, about 222K a day.
YouTube Help does not say directly what happens to an application filed before February 1 if the review ends later. Do not leave it to the last days.
FAQ
What are the YouTube monetization requirements in 2027?
From February 1, 2027, new YouTube Partner Program applicants need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Until January 31, 2027, the current bar applies: 4,000 hours or 10 million Shorts views.
I am already in YPP. Will I be removed?
No. The new thresholds are for new creators, and current partners keep their status. But from February 1, Shorts Creator Pool earnings require 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, and the updated terms must be accepted in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027.
What happens if I do not accept the new terms by January 31?
Your channel stays in YPP, but from February 1 it stops earning from the features whose terms you have not accepted. Earnings resume once you accept the terms in Studio.
How many hours a day do 4,000 and 8,000 hours take?
On average 11 watch hours a day over a year for 4,000 hours and 21.9 a day for 8,000. For 10 million Shorts views in 90 days you need about 111K views a day, and about 222K for 20 million.
Do Shorts watch hours count toward 4,000 or 8,000 hours?
No. Watch hours from the Shorts Feed do not count toward the hours threshold; Shorts have their own views threshold. Hours from private, unlisted and deleted videos and from ad campaigns do not count either.
What does an active channel mean from 2027?
A YPP channel is active with 1,000 watch hours in 365 days, or 1 million Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts uploaded every 90 days. If none of these is met, you get 90 days to reach 1,000 hours or 1 million Shorts views.
Does the calculator send my numbers anywhere?
No. It runs in your browser and nothing leaves it. A link with your numbers is created only when you press Copy link.