How to Earn money on YouTube Shorts
We’ve been hard at work evolving and expanding the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Starting in mid-January 2023, updates to YPP will open up access to partnership for more creators and give all partners more ways to make money with Shorts, including revenue sharing on ads. Revenue sharing for Shorts ads will begin on February 1, 2023 for those who sign the appropriate agreements beforehand. Learn all the details on this page.
Get the latest news, updates, and tips on the YouTube Creators channel
What's new
Here’s a quick overview of what’s new – keep in mind that some features are launching in select markets before others. Click on each new feature set to learn more, and read about how we’re expanding eligibility thresholds below:
Earn money with YouTube Shorts
Monetize content with music
More opportunity for more creators
Today, YouTube offers 10 ways for creators to earn money on YouTube. While we’re adding to the ways you can earn with this announcement, we’re also introducing varying eligibility thresholds for YPP to open it up to even more creators. Starting in mid-January 2023, newly eligible creators will be able to join YPP by either:
Getting 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or
Getting 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
In addition to the above, we’ll be introducing lower eligibility thresholds for YPP creators to access Fan Funding even earlier (such as Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and channel memberships). These new eligibility thresholds for Fan Funding will start sometime in 2023 and apply to long-form video, live stream, and Shorts content. More info to come!
Earn money on YouTube Shorts
Become eligible for YPP with Shorts
We’re excited to announce a YouTube Partner Program (YPP) eligibility threshold for Shorts creators. Starting in mid-January 2023, creators can become eligible for YPP by gaining 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days. Once in the program, partners get access to all the features and benefits that YPP has to offer, including ads on long-form videos. Creators still have the option to qualify for YPP with 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months, however any watch hours from Shorts views don’t count towards that threshold.
After applying for YPP, a channel will be reviewed to check whether it meets YouTube’s channel monetization policies. These apply to anyone in or looking to apply to YPP. To be eligible for monetization, channels must upload original content, whether created on or off YouTube.
Examples of ineligible videos include:
Non-original videos, like unedited clips from movies or TV shows
Reuploading other creators' content from YouTube or other platforms, with no original content added
To monetize with ads, content must also meet our advertiser-friendly content guidelines.
Ad revenue with Shorts
Starting February 1, 2023, all new and existing creators in YPP will become eligible for revenue sharing on ads that are viewed between Shorts in the Shorts Feed. As a YPP partner, you’ll need to review and accept the relevant agreement in order to share ads revenue on Shorts. Ads revenue sharing on Shorts is another way for creators to make money on YouTube, in addition to other revenue streams like ads on long-form videos, Fan Funding, merch, and more.
Each month, revenue from these ads will be added together and used to reward Shorts creators and help cover costs of music licensing. From the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45% of the revenue, no matter if they use music in their Shorts. This revenue will b e distributed to creators based on the number of views their Shorts get in each country.
Replacing the YouTube Shorts Fund
When Shorts ads revenue sharing begins on February 1, 2023, it will replace the YouTube Shorts Fund. We expect the majority of Shorts Fund recipients to earn more under this new model. Moving away from a fixed fund towards ads revenue sharing ensures creators share in the platform’s success – as YouTube Shorts and the community grows, so do creator earnings. The final Shorts Fund invites for January activity will go out in mid-February 2023, with payments in March (subject to AdSense payment thresholds and requirements).
More ways to earn on Shorts
We’re making Super Thanks available on Shorts globally in early 2023! At the same time, we’ll start bringing brands and Shorts creators together as part of YouTube BrandConnect.
Monetize content with music
Creator Music is a large and growing catalog of tracks that creators can use in their long-form videos without losing out on monetization. Creator Music gives creators a new option to use music and earn revenue, while also giving artists and music rights holders a new way to earn on YouTube. Keep in mind that Creator Music is not necessary for Shorts – for Shorts, creators can use music or audio from the Sound Library and earn revenue.
Use tracks from Creator Music
Creator Music lives in YouTube Studio where you can search and preview your favorite tracks, and see how they can be used in your video. For each track, you may see the following usage options:
Get a license: Pay an upfront fee (or no fee for some tracks) to use music in your monetizing videos. Earn the same revenue share that applies to your monetizing videos without music.
Share revenue: Pay no upfront fee and split video revenue with the track’s rights holders.