YouTube Partner Program Requirements Explained: Tier 1 vs Tier 2
ViralMoniPoint Team · · 2 min read
"How do I get monetized on YouTube?" has two answers, because the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) has two entry levels. One unlocks fan funding. The other unlocks ad revenue. Here's how they compare.
Tier 1: fan funding
To join the first tier, your channel needs:
- 500 subscribers
- 3,000 public watch hours in the last 365 days, or 3 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days
- 3 public uploads in the last 90 days
Tier 1 unlocks ways for your audience to support you directly, such as channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks and YouTube Shopping.
Tier 2: full Partner Program
To join the full program, your channel needs:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 public watch hours in the last 365 days, or 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days
Tier 2 includes everything in Tier 1, plus a share of the revenue from ads shown on your videos.
Heads up: from February 1, 2027, new applicants to the full program will need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views. Read what's changing.
Requirements on top of the numbers
Hitting the thresholds isn't the whole story. To be accepted, your channel also needs to:
- Follow YouTube's channel monetization policies
- Be based in a country or region where the Partner Program is available
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes
- Have 2-Step Verification turned on for your Google account
- Have an AdSense account linked to receive payments
Things that trip people up
- Watch hours only count from public, long-form videos. Views in the Shorts feed don't add to your watch hours, and private or deleted videos don't count.
- It's watch hours or Shorts views. You don't need both. Pick the path your channel is closest on.
- Eligible isn't approved. Meeting the numbers lets you apply. YouTube then reviews your channel, and that can take a few weeks.
Check your own numbers
Use the free YPP Eligibility Checker to see which tier you meet right now, with a progress bar for each requirement and the one metric that's holding you back.
Monetization eligibility and approval are set by YouTube and aren't guaranteed. For the full official list, see YouTube's Partner Program overview and eligibility page.