New YouTube Monetization Requirements from 2024 !
What is the new criteria of YouTube Partnership Programme?
YouTube has cut in half the number of subscribers needed for monetization. Where it was previously a thousand, now it is 500. You only need 3 public uploads in the last 90 days and 3,000 watch hours as opposed to the previous 4,000 over the past year. Alternatively, only 3 million YouTube shorts views in the last 90 days are now as opposed to the previous 10 million views.
However, if this sounds too good to be true, it is because it is. Not all monetization is unlocking at that point, only some monetization. And also, there’s a caveat that it is only rolling out to limited countries in the world. Okay, so let’s see in detail.
What kind of monetization is unlocking with this update?
There are many ways to earn from youtube. With this new youtube monetization update, what we’ve got are, super chats, channel memberships, super thanks, super stickers, and the ability to promote your products with YouTube shopping like the merch shelf.
Now, notably absent from that list is ad revenue sharing. That means you will not get the ability to display Adsense Ads to generate revenue from viewers watching your content and watching ads before, during, or after, or in the sidebar or any of the other ad revenue-sharing options. You will only get it on your channel once you reach the previous monetization requirements.
How small channel can be benfitted with this update?
YouTube is unlocking a new step lower than it used to be, which is a grand positive. First, it is nice to have that minor stair step, that lower barrier to entry, and I see a huge advantage for smaller starting-off YouTube channels in this.
If you’re in that bucket, pay attention closely here. The significant unfair advantage of smaller media here is the small channel appeal. It’s very similar to if you get a knock on your door and you open the door, and it’s a cute little kid selling cookies or your neighborhood kid that’s a teenager doing lawn care versus the professional lawn care service.
Why would you pay the neighborhood kid for lawn care instead of a professional service? There are different priorities, and there are various reasons for each of those. But one of the primary reasons you would buy cookies from a kid knocking on your door or the neighborhood teen doing the lawn care is this small channel appeal.
And there are three areas that I see this working exceptionally well: super stickers, chats, and especially super thanks.
Because what YouTube has done is they’ve made it easier for you to tell your audience,
“Hey, I’m a small channel. Thank you so much for watching this content. And if you want a way to say thank you to me, if you wouldn’t mind sending me a super thanks, if you enjoyed this video, if it made you laugh even just a little bit if it made you do even that, if you wouldn’t mind sending me a small super thanks, that would be huge for me.“
What this is leading to is a massive advantage if you create a tribe earlier on with your audience. What I mean by that is a group of people like you and how you produce content. This also leads to the other huge advantage here of you being able to promote your merchandise or products much earlier.
So, if you’re an artist, for example, and you create handmade cards, it’s not that you could never sell that on your website or your shop before; it’s easier now to put it directly on the YouTube UI.
Cons of this New Youtube Monetization Update
Now we need to get to those cautions. First, there are other ways to monetize on your channel; far from it. There have been ways to do it previously outside the YouTube platform, utilizing the description, your website, etc. The point is that YouTube is just making it more straightforward on the platform through YouTube-approved methods.
Next thing, although YouTube memberships are available much earlier now, I am still hesitant to introduce them to a tiny audience, especially with an audience that only has around 500 subscribers.
Most of the time, it’s not worth it for the additional benefits you will offer in membership or a Patreon or whatever you do if only one or two people sign up. It’s best to wait until you have a critical mass audience and launch something like that.
The recent update of YouTube shopping allows creators to showcase products in their videos and earn affiliate revenue.
However, the YouTube Partner Program currently only allows users with at least 20,000 subscribers to use this feature.
This shift places more emphasis on channels that are audience-focused and very fan-driven than on media that is views-centric since ad revenue may not be enough to keep making significant earnings.
So, there’s a massive advantage if your content and channel are in such a space that you can have super fans or a tribe of people built very early on. You can start making money much sooner and more straightforwardly because of these changes that YouTube is making.
For whom is this update useful?
Without a doubt, not every channel has to use the same strategy. It’s acceptable if your content doesn’t depend on building a close bond with viewers or having an engaged community.
However, It’s important to note, that YouTube’s most recent upgrades are especially beneficial for channels who place a high priority on viewer interaction and engagement. A stronger connection with your audience might help you succeed on the platform.