To earn ad money from YouTube Shorts in 2026, you need 1,000 subscribers and 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days (or 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months). A lower level, 500 subscribers, 3 uploads in 90 days and 3 million Shorts views, unlocks fan funding but not ads. Once you're in, you keep 45% of the Shorts ad revenue YouTube assigns to you, which usually works out to a few cents per 1,000 views.
That last part surprises most people. Shorts can bring huge reach, but they pay far less per view than long videos. Below: the exact rules, how the Shorts revenue pool works, what counts as a view, realistic earnings and the change coming in 2027.
YouTube Shorts monetization requirements in 2026
YouTube pays creators only through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). According to YouTube's help center, there are two entry levels, and each has a Shorts path and a long-form path.
| Level 1: fan funding | Level 2: ads and Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 1,000 |
| Uploads | 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days | No upload rule to join |
| Shorts path | 3 million valid public Shorts views in 90 days | 10 million valid public Shorts views in 90 days |
| Long-form path | 3,000 public watch hours in 12 months | 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months |
| What you can earn | Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Shopping | Everything in Level 1, plus Shorts and long-form ad revenue and YouTube Premium revenue |
| New applicants from Feb 1, 2027 | No change announced | 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views |
A few points that trip people up:
- The paths don't mix. 5 million Shorts views plus 2,000 watch hours doesn't qualify you for Level 2. You need to fully meet one path.
- Shorts don't add watch hours. Time watched in the Shorts feed doesn't count toward the 4,000 hours. It only counts on the Shorts path.
- The 500-subscriber level isn't offered in every country. Check YouTube Studio's Earn tab to see what's open to you.
- The basics still apply: you follow YouTube's monetization policies, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, turn on 2-Step Verification and link an AdSense for YouTube account.
Hitting the numbers makes you eligible to apply, not automatically approved. YouTube reviews the channel, and reused or mass-produced content is a common reason for rejection.
The 2027 change for Shorts creators
On August 10, 2026, YouTube announced the first big update to YPP entry rules since 2018. YouTube's help pages confirm these changes take effect on February 1, 2027:
- New applicants for ad revenue need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days.
- To earn from the Shorts revenue pool, every channel, including existing partners, needs at least 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Fall below it and you keep YPP membership but stop earning from Shorts until you're back over the line.
- Existing partners must accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027.
So from 2027, 10 million Shorts views every 90 days becomes an ongoing bar, not just a one-time entry ticket. That's more than 110,000 engaged views a day on average.
How the Shorts revenue pool works
Long videos earn from ads shown on that video. Shorts are different, because ads play between Shorts in the feed, not inside one creator's video. YouTube's Shorts monetization help page explains the process in four steps:
- Revenue is pooled. Each month, ad revenue from ads viewed between Shorts in the Shorts feed goes into a pool.
- Music costs come out. If a Short uses music, part of the revenue linked to its views pays music licensing. With one track, 50% goes to the Creator Pool and 50% to licensing. With two tracks, 33% goes to the pool and 67% to licensing.
- The Creator Pool is shared by views. Each monetizing creator gets a slice based on their share of total engaged Shorts views in each country.
- You keep 45%. You receive 45% of the revenue allocated to you. YouTube keeps 55%.
One detail matters here: YouTube says using music doesn't change your own allocation or your 45% share. Music shrinks the shared pool for everyone, but your cut is based on your views, not on whether your Short had a song.
What counts as an engaged view
Since March 31, 2025, the public view count on a Short counts every time it starts or replays, with no minimum watch time. That number is not what YouTube pays on.
For both YPP eligibility and revenue sharing, YouTube uses engaged views: the views where the viewer chose to keep watching instead of swiping away right away, which is roughly how Shorts views were counted before 2025. You can see this number as "Engaged views" in YouTube Analytics. Expect it to be noticeably lower than the public view count.
Some views never count for money, according to YouTube's Shorts monetization policies:
- Artificial or fake views, including views from bots, click farms and paid view services.
- Views on unedited clips of other people's movies, TV shows or videos, and other reused content without meaningful changes.
- Views on Shorts that break YouTube's advertiser-friendly guidelines.
How much does YouTube Shorts pay?
Shorts RPM (what you earn per 1,000 views after YouTube's share) is low compared with long videos. Sources measure it differently, but they land in a similar range:
| Source (2026) | Typical Shorts RPM |
|---|---|
| Creator-data guides (e.g. vidIQ, Mediacube) | about $0.01–$0.10 per 1,000 views, most around $0.03–$0.07 |
| AIR Media-Tech, 274 partner channels | Shorts RPM is 3–14% of the same channel's long-form RPM; US audiences at the top, around $0.33 |
| High-value niches (finance, tech, business) | can reach roughly $0.15–$0.25 |
Using a typical $0.03–$0.07 RPM, here's what the thresholds are worth:
- 3 million engaged views: no ad income yet (fan-funding level only).
- 10 million engaged views: about $300–$700 from Shorts ads.
- 20 million engaged views: about $600–$1,400.
Your number depends mostly on where viewers live, how much music you use and ad demand in your niche. AIR's study also found that for most channels, Shorts made up less than 2% of total ad revenue. Shorts are usually a discovery tool first and an income source second.
How to reach 10 million Shorts views faster
- Win the first second. Shorts are ranked on how many people stop instead of swiping. Open on the most interesting frame, not a setup.
- Keep it tight and loopable. Short, dense Shorts that loop back to the start get rewatched, and rewatches help reach.
- Post often and in one niche. 10 million views in 90 days is a lot for one lucky Short to carry. A steady flow of uploads on one clear topic gives you more chances to hit.
- Make it original. Reused clips and templated compilations can be demonetized even if they get views. Add your own voice, edit or angle.
- Go easy on licensed music. It doesn't cut your share, but original audio or voice-over keeps more money in the pool.
- Link Shorts to long videos. Long-form pays far more per view, and Shorts viewers who click through build watch hours on the other path.
- Give strong Shorts a first push. A new Short with 30 views gets scrolled past more easily than one that already looks active. Some creators buy YouTube Shorts views on their best uploads as social proof and a faster start, and YouTube subscribers as a starting base for a new channel. LikeMan needs only your public link, never your password, starts delivery right away and gives a 365-day refill guarantee.
Be clear about what that last tip does and doesn't do. Bought views are not engaged views that count for monetization. YouTube excludes artificial views from YPP eligibility and pays nothing for them, and reviewers look at the whole channel. Use a push only on Shorts that already hold attention, so the real viewers it attracts keep watching.
FAQ
How many views do you need to monetize YouTube Shorts?
You need 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days plus 1,000 subscribers to earn from Shorts ads. With 500 subscribers, 3 uploads in 90 days and 3 million Shorts views, you can earn from fan funding only. From February 1, 2027, new applicants need 20 million Shorts views.
How much does YouTube pay for 1 million Shorts views?
Usually about $30–$70, based on a typical Shorts RPM of $0.03–$0.07. Channels with mostly US viewers or in finance and tech can earn more, and heavy music use lowers the shared pool.
Do Shorts views count toward 4,000 watch hours?
No. Watch time from the Shorts feed doesn't count toward watch hours. Shorts views only count on the separate Shorts path of 10 million views in 90 days.
Does using music in Shorts lower my earnings?
Not your share. YouTube says music doesn't change your allocation or your 45% cut. It does send part of the revenue to music licensing, which makes the pool smaller for all creators.
Do bought Shorts views count for monetization?
No. YouTube counts only engaged views from real viewers, and artificial views are excluded from YPP eligibility and revenue. Bought views can make a Short look popular and help it get noticed, but they won't earn money or get you into YPP.
Conclusion
YouTube Shorts monetization comes down to two numbers: 3 million Shorts views for fan funding and 10 million for ad revenue, with a higher bar for new channels from February 2027. Once you're in, you keep 45% of your share of the pool, which is usually a few cents per 1,000 views. Treat Shorts as the way people find you, pair them with long videos that pay more, and focus on openings that make people stop scrolling. The views that pay are the ones real people choose to watch.