Join the YouTube Partner Program

The YouTube Partner Program gives creators access to YouTube monetization features, as well as access to our Creator Support teams.

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In order to apply to join the YouTube Partner Program, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

1. Follow the YouTube Channel Monetization Policies.

   These are a collection of policies and guidelines that allow you to monetise on YouTube and compliance with them is required when you accept a partner agreement with YouTube.
   

2. Live in a country/region in which the YouTube Partner Program is available.
   
3. Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel.
   
4. Make sure that two-step verification is turned on for your Google Account.
   
5. Have access to advanced features on YouTube.
   
6. Have one active AdSense for YouTube accountlinked to your channel or be ready to set one up in YouTube Studio if you don't already have one (only create a new AdSense for YouTube account in YouTube Studio –learn more).
   

7. Have 500 subscribers and 3 public uploads (past 90 days) and either:

   • 3,000 public watch hours on long-form videos (past 365 days), or
   • 3M public Shorts views (past 90 days)

Once you have what you need and your channel is eligible to apply, sign up for the YouTube Partner Program from either a desktop computer or a mobile device:

1. Sign in to YouTube
   
2. In the top right-hand corner, click your profile picture and then YouTube Studio
   
3. In the left menu, click Earn
   
4. Select Apply now to get started
   
5. Click Start to review and Accept the Base Terms
   

6. Click Start to set up an AdSense for YouTube account, or link an existing active one

   Once you've applied, you'll see In progress in the Be reviewed step, which means that we have received your application.
   

Learn more

In addition to unlocking multiple ways to monetize your channel, the YouTube Partner Program gives creators access to dedicated channel support, invite-only events, private forums and communities, content detection tools, and exclusive creator education. Learn more

If you don't meet the requirements yet, keep working to make original content and build your audience. Here are some resources that can help you grow your channel:

• Learn solutions from other YouTube users in the YouTube Help forum.
• Discover quick and easy tips on how to grow and build your channel in our creator tips hub.
• Go to youtube.com/creators to learn, grow and be connected to programs, resources, and events.
• Take a look at our YouTube Help Channel and YouTube Creators channel for tutorials, troubleshooting, and tip videos from the YouTube Help team.
  

If you have active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel, you can apply after your strikes have expired. You can also apply after you've successfully appealed to have your Community Guidelines strikes removed. Current members of the program won't be removed when receiving Community Guidelines strikes.

Qualified watch hours

What counts as a qualified watch hour:

• Qualified watch hours gained from long-form videos that you've set to public

Watch hours gained through the following types of videos don't count towards YouTube Partner Program thresholds:

• Private videos
• Unlisted videos
• Deleted videos
• Ad campaigns
• YouTube Shorts
• Live streams that are unlisted, deleted, or not converted to longform video

Qualified Shorts views

What counts as a qualified Shorts view:

• Qualified engaged views from Shorts that you've set to public that appear in the Shorts Feed

Shorts views gained through the following types of videos don't count towards YouTube Partner Program thresholds:

• Private Shorts videos
• Unlisted Shorts videos
• Deleted Shorts videos
• Ad campaigns

Bear in mind that any public watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed don't count towards the 4,000 public watch hours threshold. For info about Shorts view eligibility with regard to how we calculate payments, see our YouTube Shorts monetization policies.

No. Every channel that meets the threshold will go through a standard review process. Our team will review your channel as a whole to check whether your channel meets our YouTube Channel Monetization Policies. Your channel also must not have any active Community Guidelines strikes in order to apply. Channels that follow our policies and guidelines can monetize.

We'll send your channel for review once you meet our valid public watch hours and subscriber threshold. So, it doesn't matter if your subscriber or watch hour counts drop below the threshold while waiting for review. If you've met the threshold and applied for the YouTube Partner Program, we'll still review your channel for program suitability. Note that a channel needs to complete all the sign-up steps (which currently include signing the contract and associating an AdSense for YouTube account) before they will be reviewed.

If a channel is inactive and has not uploaded or posted posts for six months or more, YouTube reserves the right to remove its monetization.

Channels will lose monetization if they violate any of the YouTube Channel Monetization Policies. This loss of monetization will happen regardless of their watch hours and subscriber count.

According to our Terms of Service, YouTube retains the right to serve ads on all content on the platform. If you do not currently meet the higher eligibility criteria of the program, you may still see ads being served on your content. In this case, you are not yet eligible to receive a share of the revenue.

Once you qualify for the higher eligibility criteria for the YouTube Partner Program, you will be eligible to receive a share of the revenue from ads served on your content.