YouTube Lowers Eligibility Criteria for Its Partner Program

YouTube

YouTube is expanding access to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) by lowering the eligibility criteria, allowing smaller creators to monetize their content through fan funding features. These features include Channel Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks. They can also sell their own products using YouTube Shopping.

To be eligible to apply, creators must meet the following requirements:

• Have at least 500 subscribers (previously 1,000).

• Have uploaded at least 3 public videos in the last 90 days.

• Have accumulated at least 3,000 watch hours in the past year or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days (previously 4,000 hours or 10 million Shorts views).

Additionally, YouTube is expanding its YouTube Shopping affiliate program to US-based creators with a minimum of 20,000 subscribers. Creators can now tag products from over 50 brands, such as Nordstrom, SEPHORA, and Ulta Beauty, in their videos and earn commissions for generated sales. When viewers watch videos with product tags, they can easily tap them to view information about the product, including pricing, while continuing to watch the video. YouTube says using YouTube Shopping also increases the discoverability of videos.

Why it matters and what it means: These options help YouTubers generate revenue through methods other than traditional sponsored content. By granting creators access to some YPP benefits, they can start earning money earlier through fan contributions. Although they may not be able to benefit from sharing ad revenue, focusing on fan funding can be more advantageous in the long run. Creators who can garner support from their viewers can create a more diverse revenue stream down the road.

The expansion of the affiliate program provides creators further in their journey a way to earn money through a pay-for-performance model, which has been picking up. With native support for affiliate marketing, creators can spend less time and effort managing affiliate links and tracking commissions in third-party apps. They can now handle everything in YouTube Studio, where they can monitor insights and earnings, freeing up more time to focus on content creation. The convenience, revenue potential, and enhanced discoverability should encourage creators to opt into the program, particularly those who already produce product review content and are part of affiliate programs.