In the past, YouTube Shorts did not count toward watch time that earned monetary perks, but is that still true?

The short answer is Yes.

Keep in mind that any public watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed won’t count towards the 4,000 public watch hours threshold.

So the views of YouTube Shorts count toward a channel’s total watch time, but they don’t count toward eligibility in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).

Channels in the YPP are able to earn revenue from videos, though not everyone is eligible to join it.

For long videos, acceptance into the YPP requires 4,000 valid public watch hours within the last 12 months.

How can you become monetized with YouTube shorts?

As of January 2023, creators can become eligible for YPP. The requirements are similar to long videos.

1. Gain 1,000 subscribers

2. 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.

After applying for YPP, a channel will be reviewed to check whether it meets YouTube’s channel monetization policies.

What will happen to the shorts fund?

With YouTube now making Shorts creators eligible for YPP, YouTube will be getting rid of the $100 million shorts fund.

YouTube Shorts Fund was a fixed fund set by YouTube that distributed money based on the number of views.

The hope is that creators earn more money. If the platforms succeed, so do the creators. The YouTube Shorts Fund will go inactive in mid-Feb. 2023, with the final payments rolling out in March 2023.

This overlap ensures there is no gap in which creators could lose payment.

With the new YPP, YouTube Shorts Fund subscribers and users who meet YPP requirements will not automatically become YouTube Partners.

Instead, users must apply to join the program through the monetization tab in YouTube Studio when it goes live on Feb. 1.

YouTube creators already in YPP for their long-form content will also need to sign the agreement to obtain the ad-sharing revue for Shorts.

The updated YPP is appealing to creators as it has the potential to earn more money, and it is an open invitation for users to move from other platforms.