YouTube is raising the bar to join its Partner Program, and the new rules take effect February 1, 2027. According to YouTube's August 10, 2026 announcement, new applicants will need either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the past 365 days or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the past 90 days. Creators already in the program are not affected. The rule applies to everyone, not to Asian American creators specifically, but emerging AAPI channels and the agencies that onboard them have a clear deadline to plan around.

What are the new YouTube Partner Program requirements?

The Partner Program, known as YPP, is how creators earn ad and Premium revenue on YouTube. YouTube says it has more than 3 million creators and calls this the first significant set of changes since 2018.

For new applicants, the entry thresholds are 8,000 qualified watch hours or 20 million qualified Shorts views. YouTube's post does not state the old numbers. Social Media Today reports the previous options were 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours, or 1,000 subscribers plus 10 million Shorts views in 90 days, which means both bars double. Digiday describes the same increase. Fan funding thresholds, which cover tools such as Super Chat and memberships, are unchanged, according to YouTube.

What changes for Shorts revenue?

From February 1, 2027, creators need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days to earn ad and subscription revenue on Shorts. Channels below that line stay in the Partner Program and keep earning on long-form videos. Shorts revenue sharing resumes automatically once a channel reaches 10 million views again. Digiday notes that a channel under the line earns nothing from Shorts during that 90-day period.

YouTube says creators who already earn significant Shorts revenue are "unlikely to be impacted." For smaller channels, it promises milestone-based incentives: bonuses for YouTube Shopping, incentives for brand deals, and earnings boosts for starting and growing trends. YouTube has given no amounts and says more details are coming soon.

YouTube is also testing a lower payout minimum

On October 27, Social Media Today reported that YouTube is testing a $20 payout threshold, down from the long-standing $100 minimum. The test covers a randomly selected group of creators in the United States, India and Indonesia, starting with October 2026 payments. It does not apply to every creator. Funds below the threshold roll over to the next month, and creators who prefer a higher threshold can change it in AdSense for YouTube.

What emerging AAPI creators should decide before February 1

No AAPI-specific data on these changes has surfaced, so the implications here are about structure, not demographics. New and small channels, including emerging AAPI ones, face the higher bar.

Creators review and sign the new terms in YouTube Studio, and the terms take effect February 1, 2027. Before then, three decisions are worth making deliberately: how much of the channel's output is Shorts versus long-form, how much income depends on Shorts revenue, and how much the business leans on brand deals.

Industry voices quoted by Digiday are split on the consequences. Joey Gagliardi of G&B Digital Management and College of Influence said, "For established long-form creators, I don't see this as a huge disruption." He also warned that the rolling Shorts threshold could pressure creators to post more at the expense of quality. For brands, a separate change matters too: since August 24, views register from the moment a video starts playing. Nick Cicero of Mondo Metrics told Digiday, "Overnight, the reported economics can improve without the underlying audience behavior changing at all."

The practical takeaway for creators and the agencies representing them is to check each channel's standing in YouTube Studio now, read the new terms, and plan the Shorts and long-form mix against the February 1 dates.