As 2022 drew to a close, YouTube made the announcement that starting in the first few months of 2023, Shorts producers will be able to earn money from their work. YouTube has announced changes to the rules of its Partner Programs as we enter the second week of January, and all creators will need to accept these changes if they want to keep making money off of their videos on the site. To start making money from ads on Shorts next month, artists need to agree to the new rules.
Even though YouTube’s Shorts feature has only been around for a little over 18 months, the popularity of short-form videos on the platform has skyrocketed to the point that YouTube now features them prominently on its app, website, and even TVs. This is why YouTube made the decision last year to split ad money with those who make contributions of shorter videos. To achieve this purpose, the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) established new guidelines for Shorts producers by setting minimum subscriber, and view counts at 1,000 and 10,000,000, respectively, in order to earn revenue from their channel. It’s not like the typical YouTube video, which needs 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public view hours.
As part of the updated conditions, YouTube will begin rolling out a feature called Modules that will provide creators with additional options for monetizing their videos. The new Watch Page Monetization module will keep track of all views accumulated with long-form or live-streaming videos, while the Shorts Monetization module will do the same for views in Shorts material; both sets of conditions are required for continued participation in the YPP program.
YouTube requires creators to agree to the rules in order to continue or begin making money from their videos, so it’s vital to read the tiny print. Creators have until July 10, 2023, to sign off on YouTube’s terms and conditions. If the creator and the YPP can’t come to an agreement before then, the creator will be dismissed from the YPP and will need to reapply. YouTube has indicated that the decision to split up the conditions into modules was made in order to promote openness and clarity.
