YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility

Updated November 2019. There are no changes to YouTube Partner Program (YPP) eligibility requirements. We’re making some changes to how you apply for YPP, so you may now see a different experience.

Here’s what’s new:

If you want to apply for the YouTube Partner Program, you can only start the application process when you reach our threshold of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid public watch hours over the last 12 months.
You can ask to be notified once you reach the threshold.

Creator Studio Classic watch hour difference:

We previously showed watch hours on your public, unlisted, and private videos towards YPP eligibility in Creator Studio Classic. This was an error as we only count public watch hours towards YPP.
We fixed the new sign-up screen in YouTube Studio. It now only shows your public watch hours.

If you started the application process in Creator Studio Classic, your experience may be slightly different. If you previously:

Signed the YouTube Partner Program terms, we’ve saved your agreement. You’ll need to connect your AdSense account, or sign up for one in YouTube Studio once you reach the threshold.
Signed the YouTube Partner Program terms AND connected your AdSense account, we’ve saved your agreement and your AdSense details. Once you reach the threshold, your channel will automatically be added to the YPP review queue.

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) gives creators greater access to YouTube resources and features. This article provides an overview of the available features, criteria for joining, an application checklist, and some FAQs.

What you get

Access to our Creator Support teams
Access to the Copyright Match Tool
Access to our monetization features

Minimum eligibility requirements to join

Follow all the YouTube monetization policies.
- The YouTube monetization policies are a collection of policies that allow you to monetize on YouTube. If you're a YouTube partner, your agreement including the YouTube partner program policies require compliance with these monetization policies in order to potentially earn money on YouTube.
Live in a country or region where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
Have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.
Have more than 1,000 subscribers.
Have a linked AdSense account.

YouTube Partner Program application checklist

Everyone who meets our threshold can apply for YPP, but you do need to meet some of our guidelines to be considered. This checklist is meant to guide you through the application process.

Make sure your channel follows our policies and guidelines. When you apply, you’ll go through a standard review process to check if your channel meets our policies and guidelines. Only channels that meet them will be accepted into the program. We also constantly check channels in the program to make sure they continue to meet our policies and guidelines.
Have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid public watch hours. When we assess channels for YouTube Partner Program access, we need context. When you reach this threshold, it usually means that you have more content. The threshold helps us make a more informed decision about whether your channel meets our policies and guidelines. You can only apply for YPP once you reach this threshold.
Sign YPP terms. You can ask to be notified when you reach the subscriber and public watch hour threshold. Once your channel meets the threshold, follow these instructions:
1. Sign in to YouTube.
2. In the top right, click your profile picture > YouTube Studio.
3. In the left menu, click Monetization.
4. If you’re under the threshold, click Notify me when I’m eligible to get an email when you’ve reached 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over the past 12 months. If you meet the threshold, click Start on the “Review Partner Program terms” card.
5. Once you’ve signed the term, we’ll mark this step with a green “Done” sign on the “Review Partner Program terms” card.
Make sure you only have 1 AdSense account. As part of the application process, you’ll need to connect an AdSense account to get paid.
1. Click Start on the “Sign up for Google AdSense” card.
  - If you already have an AdSense account, use the one that's already approved. You can link as many of your channels as you want to a single AdSense account.
  - If you don't have an AdSense account, you can create one by following the on-screen instructions..
2. Once you’ve connected your AdSense, we’ll mark this step with a green “Done” sign on the “Sign up for Google AdSense” card.
Get reviewed. Once you sign the YouTube Partner Program terms and connect an AdSense account, your channel will automatically be put in a review queue. Our automated systems and human reviewers will then review your channel’s content to check if it follows all of our guidelines. You can check your application status anytime at https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC/monetization.
1. If you’re accepted into YPP: Congratulations! You can now set up ad preferences and enable monetization on your uploads. Here’s a list of FAQs that we get from creators who have just joined YPP.
2. If you’re rejected from YPP: Our reviewers found that a significant portion of your channel doesn’t meet our policies and guidelines. You can re-apply 30 days after your rejection. Check out our FAQs for tips on how to strengthen your application.

Review process

Once you meet our subscriber and watch time thresholds, you’ve signed the YouTube Partner Program terms, and connected an AdSense account, your application will be put in a queue. Our human reviewers will assess your channel as a whole to check if it meets our YouTube monetization policies.

We’ll get back to you with a decision once your channel is reviewed (typically about 1 month after you meet the threshold).

Note: Sometimes, you may need to wait more than a month. There can be multiple reasons for delays -- higher-than-usual application volumes, system issues, or we may occasionally need to shift resources. Our policy specialists try to get through applications as quickly as possible, but delays can happen because we have a limited number of specialists.

Can you speed up my application?

No. Our teams can’t speed up your application. All applications are put in a queue, and will be processed in the order they are received. Sometimes channels require multiple reviews, especially if multiple reviewers disagree on your channel’s suitability for YPP. In these cases, multiple reviews may be needed, which means it may take more time for a decision to be made.

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