YouTube Shorts rule change
YouTube updated Shorts monetization rules for 2026 — creators now must hit a specific views threshold to join the Shorts creator pool and improve RPM, changing how short‑form revenue is earned []. At the same time YouTube is nudging users toward paid subscriptions and rolling out cheaper TV plans, so creators should expect shifting audience behavior and monetization levers [] [].
YouTube created a Shorts‑first YPP path that requires 1,000 subscribers plus 10 million valid public Shorts views in a 90‑day [window vidIQ]vidiq.com. The platform began enforcing tougher monetization vetting on July 15, 2025 to target “inauthentic” or mass‑produced content.timesnownews.com Shorts ad revenue is pooled, music licensing costs are removed before allocation, then creators receive a share based on engaged views and keep 45% of their allocated Shorts revenue.support.google.com YouTube phased out the one‑off $100 million Shorts Fund and moved to this pooled ad‑share model (shifting payouts from bonuses to revenue splits) starting with the 2023 revenue‑sharing rollout.blog.youtube CEO Neal Mohan told creators Shorts averages roughly 200 billion daily views, a scale that underpins the pool approach.blog.youtube Alphabet is leaning into subscriptions alongside ad reform: Google reported 325 million paying users across Google One and YouTube Premium in Q4 2025,techcrunch.com YouTube exceeded $60 billion in 2025 revenue,variety.com and YouTube TV rolled out more than ten cheaper, genre‑specific plans in early 2026.techcrunch.com
