YouTube does not monetize based on a fixed number of views. Instead, it requires 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days, plus 1,000 subscribers. How many views that takes depends on your video length and retention.
For long-form, 4,000 hours equals 240,000 minutes. If your average viewer watches four minutes, you need about 60,000 views over a year. Higher retention and longer videos reduce the views required. For Shorts, 10 million views in 90 days is a significant milestone, so many creators combine Shorts for discovery with long-form for watch time. Focus on retention, as it shortens the path more than raw view counts.
Step-by-step plan
Calculate needed views from your average view duration.
Make longer videos with strong retention for watch hours.
Use Shorts to drive discovery and subscribers.
Track progress in YouTube Studio → Earn.
Focus on improving average view duration.
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
Chasing views with clickbait that viewers leave quickly. Short watch sessions barely move the watch-hour total.
Pro tip
Run the maths monthly: divide the watch hours you still need by your average view duration to see exactly how many views each upcoming video must earn. It turns a vague goal into a weekly target you can actually plan around.
Check it before you post
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