You get monetized on YouTube by joining the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). For ad revenue you have needed 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days, along with an AdSense account and a channel that follows YouTube's policies.
YouTube also offers an earlier fan-funding tier, commonly at 500 subscribers, three public uploads in 90 days and either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views, which unlocks memberships, Super Thanks and Shopping. Once you hit the thresholds, apply in YouTube Studio under Earn, accept the terms, link AdSense and wait for a human review. Reviewers look for original content, consistent quality and advertiser-friendly material. Check Studio for the current requirements in your country, since thresholds change.
Step-by-step plan
Open YouTube Studio → Earn to see your current progress.
Grow to 1,000 subscribers with consistent, original uploads.
Reach 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views in the eligible window.
Enable two-step verification and set up an AdSense account.
Apply, accept the terms and wait for review.
Why this works
YouTube monetization runs through the YouTube Partner Program. The full ad-revenue tier has required 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days, with a lower fan-funding tier at 500 subscribers. Thresholds and eligible countries change, so confirm the live numbers in YouTube Studio's Earn tab. Reviewers also check that the channel is original, advertiser-friendly and policy-compliant.
Common mistake to avoid
Using reused content or compilations to hit thresholds faster. Reviewers reject channels without clear original value.
Pro tip
Use the months before eligibility to build a back catalogue of evergreen, searchable videos. When you are approved, every one of those videos can be monetized at once, so your first payout reflects the whole library, not just new uploads.
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