Is YouTube Lowering the YPP Requirements? Not Really
Many creators strive to be a part of the YouTube Partner Program. This is when you can monetize your videos through YouTube’s variation of AdSense. And recently, they announced a new addition to the YPP requirements that might help smaller creators.
But how much does this really help smaller creators monetize the channel? Probably not as much as you’d hope.
The Lower Tier of the YPP Requirements
According to the official YouTube blog, you are eligible for some new benefits if you meet the threshold of:
- 500 subscribers
- 3 public uploads in the last 90 days
- And either 3,000 hours of watch time within 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days
In other words, you need half of the subscribers with 75% of the watch time. Though, 3 million views in 90 days still means you need to rack up 33,334 views per day.
Unfortunately, this does not mean you’ll be able to monetize ad revenue on your videos. These lower-tiered requirements for the YPP only unlock ways you can monetize your audience.
There is a significant difference.
Benefits of Decreased YPP Requirements
Essentially, the lower-tiered version of the YPP lets you monetize the people who watch your content. This means you’ll have access to elements that people use to directly send you money.
These include the likes of Super Chats, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, and being able to sell your products from your store. These items appear on the “Shopping Shelf” under your video.
So, this means you can start to earn a bit of money before being able to earn ad revenue from AdSense. As long as people are willing to “tip” during your videos or spend money during a live stream, you can start to bring in a bit of extra cash.
One benefit I’d like to point out is how acceptance into this basic version of the YPP means you don’t have to reapply once you hit the original requirements. These are still:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 hours of watch time within 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days
Once you hit the above numbers, you don’t have to reapply if you’ve already been accepted into the mini version of the YPP.
Does this Really Help Smaller Creators Monetize Content?
For some creators, YouTube decreasing a few of the requirements for getting into the YPP might be beneficial. But there is a bit of a caveat.
You still need 3,000 hours of watch time within 12 months or 3 million Shorts views.
Getting 500 subscribers is actually quite easy, especially if you’re active within your community and promote yourself relatively well.
But if you have a learning or DIY channel, those numbers may still be quite a reach. Your niche and the topics you cover are going to play a significant role in hitting that illustrious watch time. That’s because when people learn what they need, they’ll move on to something else.
Unless you can create binge-worthy content to some degree, it’ll still be quite difficult to reach the lower-tiered program.
So, what if you’re able to hit those numbers and are accepted into YPP Lite? You’ll still have to rely on your audience actually handing over money. And while there are quite a few out there who can pull in a decent amount of cash during a live stream, the odds are really not in your favor.
Not everyone can pull in a 50+ viewer live stream. And if you only have a handful of viewers, the chances of getting a Super-anything are greatly decreased. One person is only going to give you so much per video.
The point I’m trying to make is that you still need to be realistic when it comes to monetizing your audience. Just because you meet the new requirements of the YPP doesn’t mean you can retire from your day job.
You might not make a single cent from these Super-benefits. Not to mention hitting the $100 payout threshold from YouTube to get paid out in a month.
Be mindful of your audience and what they’re capable of spending before you get too excited about monetizing them.
Quick to Upgrade When You Hit 4,000 Hours!
A nice little side bonus about joining the YPP early is that upgrading your channel once you hit 4,000 hours of watch time takes less than a few minutes. Since you’re technically in the YPP, perhaps YouTube figures you’ve earned it once you meet the hourly requirements.
Once my writing channel hit 4,000 hours of watch time, I clicked to apply. Almost instantly, my channel started showing ads and I was earning revenue.
In the past, it could take creators anywhere from a few days to more than a month to get authorized. Of course, that was quite a few years ago.
In any case, the transition from a basic monetization scheme to earning ad revenue is extremely quick nowadays.
What is the Most Effective Monetization Method for Your Channel?
Perhaps the thing that has made me the most money over the past couple of years has been Buy Me a Coffee memberships and support. It’s kind of like Patreon and other membership platforms.
Though, I did make a few bucks selling my book to my viewers once it was published. In that case, it was my own products that made a bit of cash.
While I will still strive to hit the requirements for the YPP, I’m not holding my breath on making tons of money.
What methods do you find to be the most effective for monetizing on YouTube?
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