> Source: https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-to-make-money-on-youtube · Last updated: 2026-10-27 # How to make money on YouTube: the real rules Join the YouTube Partner Program with 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views, then earn from ads, memberships and more. *Guides · Published 2026-10-27* To make money on YouTube, you join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) and turn on its monetization features. YouTube's Help Center lists the entry thresholds as 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. The thresholds for new creators change on February 1, 2027. This guide uses YouTube's Help pages on the YouTube Partner Program, partner earnings and the 2027 program changes, plus YouTube's August 10, 2026 blog post, all read on October 22, 2026. It covers what you need to join, how much YouTube says it pays creators, the other ways to earn, and how to track which videos bring in customers. ## How do you make money on YouTube? There are three routes, and only the first needs YouTube's permission. Joining YPP lets you share in revenue from ads on your videos. YouTube's [partner earnings page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72902) says you can also earn from other monetization features: channel memberships, Shopping, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks and YouTube Premium subscriptions. The third route is outside YouTube: sponsorships, your own products, services, or an affiliate link in your description. YouTube is explicit that income is not guaranteed. The same page says there are no guarantees under the partner agreement about how much, or whether, you will be paid, and that earnings are generated from a share of advertising revenue from viewers watching your video. ![Table of YouTube earning thresholds from YouTube Help. Fan funding, Shopping and Creator Partnerships: 500 subscribers plus 3,000 watch hours in a year or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days. Ads today: 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. Ads from February 1, 2027 for new creators: 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days.](https://www.trackmedia.app/assets/img/blog/how-to-make-money-on-youtube-fig1.svg) *Entry thresholds on YouTube's Help pages as of October 22, 2026, including the change for new creators on February 1, 2027.* ## What do you need to join the YouTube Partner Program? YouTube's [YPP overview and eligibility page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851) says you need to follow the YouTube channel monetization policies, live in a country or region where YPP is available, and have no active Community Guidelines strikes. You also need 2-Step Verification turned on for your Google Account, advanced features access on YouTube, and one active AdSense for YouTube account linked to your channel (or be ready to set one up in YouTube Studio). Then your channel must reach one of two thresholds. The page, read today, lists: 1. 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 2. 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Qualified watch hours come from public long-form videos. The page says watch hours from private, unlisted or deleted videos, ad campaigns and YouTube Shorts do not count, and that watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed do not count towards the 4,000 hours. Meeting a threshold does not get you in automatically: every channel goes through a standard review of the channel as a whole. ### What changes on February 1, 2027? YouTube's page on [changes to the YouTube Partner Program](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12843009) says that starting February 1, 2027, entry thresholds for new creators are 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, in addition to 1,000 subscribers. Creators already in YPP are not affected by that update. YouTube's [August 10, 2026 blog post](https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/youtube-partner-program-updates-2027-new-opportunities-earn/) says the same. The same page says the entry requirements for fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships and YouTube Shopping are unchanged. Those products open at 500 subscribers plus either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last year or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. If you are close to the thresholds, the date matters, and YouTube's overview page still lists the older thresholds today. ## How to apply to the YouTube Partner Program YouTube gives these steps for a computer: 1. **Sign in to YouTube,** click your profile picture in the top right, then **YouTube Studio**. 2. **In the left menu, click Earn.** 3. **Select Apply Now.** 4. **Click Start** to review and **Accept Base terms**. 5. **Click Start** to set up an AdSense for YouTube account, or link an existing active one. When you see **In Progress** in the Get Reviewed step, YouTube has your application. YouTube says it typically replies in about one month, though delays are possible. If the first application fails, you can appeal within 21 days, or re-apply after 30 days; after a repeat rejection the wait is 90 days. You can also select **Get notified** in the Earn area to get an email when you meet a threshold. Staying in the program takes activity: YouTube says it may turn off monetization on channels that have not uploaded a video or posted to the Posts tab for six months or more. ## How much does YouTube pay? YouTube publishes revenue shares, not a rate per view. Its partner earnings page lists these by module: | Module | What YouTube pays you | Applies to | | --- | --- | --- | | Watch Page Monetization | 55% of net revenues | Ads on public long-form videos | | Shorts Monetization | 45% of the revenue allocated to you | Your share of views in the Creator Pool | | Commerce Product | 70% of net revenues | Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks | So there is no figure for "dollars per 1,000 views" on YouTube's pages, because the amount depends on the ads served, the viewers' countries and your agreement. The page says your specific revenue share is in your agreements, which you can open in YouTube Studio under **Settings**, then **Agreements**, then **View agreement**. To see your own numbers, go to YouTube Studio, select **Analytics**, then **Revenue** from the top menu. YouTube says monthly estimates can change after adjustments for invalid traffic, Content ID claims and certain ad campaigns. Finalized earnings for the previous month appear in your AdSense for YouTube account between the 7th and 12th of each month. ## Other ways to make money on YouTube Ads are not the only income. YouTube's pages name these alternatives: - **Fan funding.** Channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks, available from 500 subscribers plus the lower watch-hour or Shorts-view threshold above. - **YouTube Shopping and Creator Partnerships.** Same lower entry threshold according to the changes page. - **YouTube Premium.** Creators share in a pool of the net subscription revenue: 30% for Premium and 60% for Premium Lite, according to the changes page. - **New Shorts incentive programs.** The changes page says these may include bonuses for YouTube Shopping, production credits for brand deals and earnings boosts for trend activations. The changes page also adds a Shorts rule: from February 1, 2027, to earn from the Shorts Creator Pool each month, you need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Missing it does not remove you from YPP or affect long-form earnings. Outside YouTube's own tools, you can also sell your own products, services or sponsorships through your videos. That income does not depend on YPP, but you need to know which videos bring buyers. ## How to track what earns with TrackMedia YouTube Analytics shows ad revenue. It does not show which video sent a visitor to your shop or sign-up page. TrackMedia fills that gap. - **Tracked links in descriptions.** Put a tracked link with UTM tags in each video description. TrackMedia records clicks, visitors and referrers per link, so you can compare which video sells. See [UTM naming conventions](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/utm-naming-conventions) for tag names that stay readable. - **Views, likes and comments per video.** Results for each video sit beside the link data, including videos you uploaded outside TrackMedia. - **Subscribers over time.** A daily reading of your subscriber count shows how close you are to a threshold. See [how to see your subscribers on YouTube](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-to-see-your-subscribers-on-youtube). - **A consistent schedule.** Upload to YouTube from the same composer you use for 20 other networks, with a calendar and queues. Read [how to schedule YouTube Shorts](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-to-schedule-youtube-shorts) and [how often to post on YouTube](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-often-to-post-on-youtube). The same approach applies elsewhere: see [how to make money on Instagram](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-to-make-money-on-instagram). [Start free with TrackMedia](https://go.trackmedia.app/signup); the Free plan has 15 posts a month and needs no card. ## Questions people also ask ### How do you make money on YouTube? Join the YouTube Partner Program, then earn from ads, memberships, Super Chat, Shopping and Premium revenue. You can also sell your own products or sponsorships, and track them with TrackMedia's tracked links. ### How many subscribers do you need to get paid on YouTube? 1,000 for ads, plus 4,000 qualified watch hours or 10 million qualified Shorts views, per YouTube's overview page today. Fan funding starts at 500 subscribers plus a lower watch-hour or Shorts-view threshold. ### How much does YouTube pay per view? YouTube publishes no per-view rate. It publishes revenue shares: 55% of net ad revenue on long-form, 45% of allocated revenue on Shorts, and 70% for fan funding. ### When do you get paid by YouTube? Finalized earnings for the previous month are added to your AdSense for YouTube balance between the 7th and 12th of each month, according to YouTube. ## How we checked this We opened each page below in a browser on October 22, 2026 and read the full text, including expandable sections. - [YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851) (YouTube Help): requirements, thresholds, application steps and review timing. - [YouTube partner earnings overview](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72902) (YouTube Help): revenue share rates, where to see earnings and payment timing. - [Changes to the YouTube Partner Program](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12843009) (YouTube Help): the February 1, 2027 changes. - [New opportunities to earn and changes to the YouTube Partner Program](https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/youtube-partner-program-updates-2027-new-opportunities-earn/) (YouTube Blog, August 10, 2026). YouTube changes these rules, so check the live pages before you rely on a number. TrackMedia's behavior comes from reading its YouTube connector the same day.