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YouTube Shorts Monetization: Requirements and How Pay Works

By Elhano Creator Tools editorial team · Published 26 October 2026

YouTube Shorts can earn money, but the rules differ from long-form videos in what you need to qualify, how revenue is shared and which views count. This guide sets out YouTube's published requirements as of 26 October 2026, with links to the official pages, so you can check for changes.

Step 1: join the YouTube Partner Program

Shorts ad revenue is only available to channels in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). According to the YPP overview, you can become eligible through either long-form videos or Shorts:

  • 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months, or
  • 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.

You also need to:

  • follow the YouTube channel monetisation policies;
  • live in a country or region where YPP is available;
  • have no active Community Guidelines strikes;
  • turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account;
  • have advanced features access on YouTube;
  • have one AdSense for YouTube account linked to the channel (or create one in YouTube Studio).

One trap: watch hours from Shorts viewed in the Shorts feed don't count towards the 4,000 hours. A Shorts-only channel needs the 10 million Shorts views route. Track both with our monetization calculator.

Step 2: accept the Shorts Monetization Module

Being in YPP isn't enough on its own. You have to accept the Shorts Monetization Module in YouTube Studio. Revenue sharing applies to eligible Shorts views from the date you accept; views before that date don't earn (Shorts monetization policies).

Step 3 (from February 2027): keep 10 million views every month

YouTube has announced that starting 1 February 2027, to earn a share of Shorts ad revenue and YouTube Premium revenue for a given month, a channel will need at least 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. The 90-day window ends on the 15th of the previous month. In practice this turns the Shorts threshold from a one-off entry requirement into an ongoing one for Shorts feed revenue. Plan for it if your channel depends on Shorts.

How Shorts revenue is calculated

YouTube's policy page describes the process:

  1. Revenue from ads shown between Shorts in the Shorts feed is pooled each month, per country.
  2. Part of the pool covers music licensing for Shorts that use music.
  3. The remainder (the Creator Pool) is allocated to monetising creators based on their share of total eligible Shorts views in that country.
  4. Creators keep 45% of the revenue allocated to them, whether or not they used music.

That's why Shorts RPMs are usually much lower than long-form RPMs and fluctuate month to month. To turn your views and RPM into an estimate, use the Shorts money calculator.

Which Shorts views count

Views are excluded from revenue sharing when, for example, they come from:

  • invalid or artificial traffic, such as bots or paid views;
  • Shorts that break the monetisation policies, including reused or repetitive content;
  • content that isn't advertiser-friendly (only views of Shorts that follow the advertiser-friendly guidelines earn);
  • non-original content such as unedited clips of other creators' videos or films.

Worked example

A channel has 1,000 subscribers and has just passed 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. It joins YPP and accepts the Shorts module. Next month its Shorts get 4,000,000 engaged views, and Analytics later shows a Shorts RPM of $0.05. Estimated revenue: 4,000,000 ÷ 1,000 × $0.05 = $200. The same channel's long-form videos, at 100,000 views and a $3 RPM, would earn $300. Many creators use Shorts for discovery and long-form for revenue.

Other ways Shorts creators earn

  • YouTube Premium revenue for Shorts, shared on a similar basis.
  • Fan funding such as Super Thanks and channel memberships, where available.
  • Brand deals integrated into Shorts, which must be disclosed with YouTube's paid promotion setting.
  • Driving viewers to long-form videos where RPMs are typically higher.

Checklist

  • 1,000 subscribers and 10M qualified Shorts views in 90 days (or 4,000 long-form watch hours).
  • 2-Step Verification, advanced features, no active strikes, AdSense for YouTube linked.
  • Accept the Shorts Monetization Module.
  • Make original, advertiser-friendly Shorts.
  • From February 2027, keep 10M qualified Shorts views per rolling 90 days to earn Shorts feed revenue each month.

Sources