- Is it still worth focusing on YouTube for your business after this change?
- What exactly has changed in the YouTube monetization program?
- Why did YouTube make this choice right now?
- How big is the Italian creator market and why does it matter for SMBs?
- What changes practically for SMEs collaborating with Italian creators?
- Three concrete scenarios: what changes for an e-commerce, a professional firm, and a manufacturing company?
- Are Shorts really a shortcut to reach monetization?
- How to get started concretely: the steps to adapt the YouTube strategy to the new threshold?
- What are the most common mistakes made by those managing corporate YouTube channels right now?
- How to tell if your YouTube strategy is working after the new threshold?
- So, is it still worth investing in YouTube for your business?
- How we see it at SHM
- Frequently Asked Questions
- YouTube is raising the minimum watch time requirement to 8,000 hours (in the preceding 12 months) to access the monetization program, effective February 1, 2027, for new applicants.
- Channels already admitted to the program will not lose their status: the new threshold applies only to those applying from that date forward.
- For Italian SMEs, the impact is on three fronts: partnerships with micro-creators, corporate channels of their own, and YouTube Ads campaign costs.
- The Italian creator economy is worth 425 million euros in 2026 and 89% of brands plan to increase budgets: the context is growing, but the rules are changing.
Updated October 9, 2026
Starting February 1, 2027, anyone who wants to make money on YouTube must prove double the watch hours compared to before. If your company collaborates with creators or manages its own channel, this change alters the math.
Is it still worth focusing on YouTube for your business after this change?
It depends on how you use the platform. If you collaborate with creators or manage your own channel, the answer is almost always yes, but with a more structured strategy than before.
YouTube has raised the bar for those who want to earn money directly from the platform. The change concerns the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), the program that allows creators to receive a share of the ad revenue generated by their videos. For companies using YouTube as a marketing channel, the change has indirect but concrete effects.
| Your situation | Direct impact | what to do |
|---|---|---|
| You collaborate with micro-creators | Some partners might leave YPP | Map creators: check who exceeds the new threshold |
| Manage a company channel and want to monetize it | Requires twice the hours compared to before | Structure an editorial plan focused on watch time |
| Run YouTube Ads campaigns | More selective advertising inventory in the medium term | Monitor CPMs in the coming quarters |
| Use YouTube only for organic distribution | No direct impact on publication | Continue, but consider a longer editorial strategy |
What exactly has changed in the YouTube monetization program?
On August 10, 2026, YouTube officially announced a doubling of the watch hours required to join the monetization program, taking effect on February 1, 2027, for new applicants.
As reported by TechCrunch , the minimum threshold of watch time — meaning the total hours viewers have watched your videos — goes from 4,000 to 8,000 hours in the last 12 months. This is the first major update to YPP requirements since 2018.
The minimum subscriber count remains unchanged at 1,000. For those producing Shorts (short videos, similar to Instagram Reels), the alternative threshold is 20 million qualified views in 90 days .
An important detail: according to iamcreator.io , channels already admitted to the YPP keep their status without having to meet the new requirements. The new threshold applies only to those who apply from February 1, 2027 onwards.
| Requirement | Old threshold | New threshold (from Feb 1, 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Channel subscribers | 1.000 | 1,000 (unchanged) |
| Watch hours (12 months) | 4,000 hours | 8,000 hours |
| Shorts Views (90 days) | 10 million | 20 million |
| Channels already in the YPP | — | No changes (grandfathering) |
To understand how realistic the new threshold is: reaching 8,000 hours in a year means your channel needs to accumulate on average around 22 hours of watch time daily . The alternative Shorts threshold is equivalent to about 222,000 qualified views per day, according to the analysis by iTechPost .
Why did YouTube make this choice right now?
YouTube handles over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute and wants to focus ad revenue on creators capable of building loyal audiences, not those who post occasional content.
YouTube has not disclosed detailed official reasons. However, the picture is clear when looking at the numbers. The platform's global advertising revenues in 2025 reached 40.37 billion dollars , with an 11.7% growth compared to the 36.15 billion in 2024, according to Alphabet's Form 10-K FY2025 (Google and YouTube's parent company). Total revenue, including subscriptions, surpassed 60 billion dollars for the first time.
A platform with these numbers has every incentive to protect the quality of its advertising inventory. Raising the entry threshold means reducing the number of channels that receive a share of the revenue, concentrating resources on creators who generate longer viewing sessions and more engaged audiences.
This move is part of a broader trend: YouTube aims to compete with connected television (CTV), meaning video content watched on smart TVs and internet-connected devices. To do this, it needs professional creators, not thousands of channels with few viewers. Meta and TikTok have followed a similar logic in recent years, introducing stricter requirements for their monetization programs.
How big is the Italian creator market and why does it matter for SMBs?
The Italian creator economy is worth 425 million euros in 2026 and YouTube is the most used platform by Italians: ignoring these changes means missing out on concrete opportunities.
According to data from Kolsquare and B2B International , six out of ten Italian companies already invest more than 100,000 euros a year in creator marketing, and 36% exceed 200,000 euros. Only 2% anticipate a budget reduction. The market is growing, but the rules are changing: those who do not update their strategy risk investing in creators who drop out of the monetization program.
YouTube is the most used social media by Italians: according to Kolsquare and DataReportal , the average monthly audience reached 37.1 million people in 2024, with 68% of Italian influencer marketing professionals using the platform.
What changes practically for SMEs collaborating with Italian creators?
The Italian creator ecosystem is largely made up of vertical and niche profiles: food, craftsmanship, local tourism, professional training. They are precisely the ones most exposed to the new threshold.
Lots of Italian creators treat YouTube as a backup channel to Instagram or TikTok. Their watch hours rarely beat the old 4,000-hour threshold. Hitting 8,000 hours takes more consistent uploads and a tighter content strategy.
Keep an eye on one often-overlooked point: a creator leaving the YPP doesn't lose the ability to make sponsored content. Direct business collaborations—sponsored posts, branded videos, mentions—don't depend on having access to the YouTube monetization program. Sometimes, creators who aren't monetized through YPP are actually more open to business partnerships, precisely because they're looking for other ways to make money.
| Type of collaboration | Depends on the YPP? | What changes with the new threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsored video / branded content | No, for now | No impact: the partnership is direct between brand and creator |
| Revenue sharing via YPP | Yes | The creator must exceed 8,000 hours to receive the YouTube share |
| Affiliate marketing (e.g., Amazon product tags) | No, for now | Independent of YPP, see what's new on YouTube Amazon Affiliate |
| Own company channel (organic distribution) | No, for now | No impact on content publishing |
It is also worth keeping an eye on how YouTube is evolving tools for creators and advertisers: recent changes to real-time view count and Shorts UX updates they are part of the platform's same premium positioning strategy.
Three concrete scenarios: what changes for an e-commerce, a professional firm, and a manufacturing company?
The impact varies greatly depending on how the company uses YouTube today. Here are three typical scenarios with their implications.
Illustrative examples: numbers are meant to show the reasoning, they are not real customer data.
| Company type | Current use of YouTube | Impact of the new threshold | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion/lifestyle e-commerce | Collaborate with 5 micro-creators (20-50k subscribers) | 2-3 creators could exit the YPP | Check each partner's watch time hours; assess whether to renegotiate or replace |
| Professional studio (e.g., accountant, lawyer) | Own YouTube channel with video tutorials, 800 subscribers | No immediate impact: it wasn't in YPP | Opportunity: structure an editorial plan to reach 1,000 subscribers and then 8,000 hours |
| B2B manufacturing company | Use YouTube Ads for awareness campaigns | More selective inventory in the medium term, possible CPM variation | Monitor cost per thousand impressions over the next two quarters |
Data on Italian creators' earnings — 74% making under 5,000 euros a month according to Infocity.it — helps explain why the new threshold disproportionately hits niche profiles. For many of them, YPP income is marginal compared to direct commercial partnerships. Losing YPP status is more of a blow to their image and access to advanced platform tools than immediate financial damage.
Are Shorts really a shortcut to reach monetization?
No. The alternative threshold of 20 million views in 90 days is out of reach for almost all Italian niche creators.
Hitting 20 million valid Shorts views in 90 days means racking up about 222,000 views every single day for three months. That's only realistic for creators who already have a massive audience or content that goes viral nationwide.
Shorts remain a useful tool for organic discovery — meaning to be discovered by new viewers — but they aren't a quick shortcut to monetization for beginners or niche channels. The best strategy is using them to drive traffic to longer videos, which generate the watch time needed to hit the 8,000-hour requirement.
| Format | YPP requirement | Equivalent to (per day) | Feasible for niche creators? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long videos (watch time) | 8,000 hours / 12 months | ~22 hours of total watch time per day | Yes With a structured editorial strategy |
| Shorts (views) | 20 million / 90 days | ~222,000 views per day | No, for now |
How to get started concretely: the steps to adapt the YouTube strategy to the new threshold?
There are four priority actions that a marketing team can kick off right away, regardless of company size.
- 1 · Marketing manager Map out partner creators Check the watch time hours over the past 12 months for every creator you work with. YouTube Studio shows this data right away. Spot who's falling short of the 8,000-hour mark and consider renegotiating partnership terms.
- 2 · Content team Structure an editorial plan focused on watch time Longer content, thematic series, and tutorial videos tend to drive extended viewing sessions. A 15-minute video watched all the way through is worth 15 times a 1-minute video. Plan at least 2 to 4 releases a month in this format.
- 3 · Ads manager Monitor YouTube campaign CPMs CPM (cost per thousand impressions, which is how much you pay to show your ad to a thousand people) might fluctuate in the coming quarters as the pool of monetizable creators shrinks. Keep a monthly benchmark to spot any major shifts.
- 4 · Marketing team Integrate YouTube into a multichannel strategy Combine organic content on YouTube with Google Ads campaigns and activity on other channels. A distributed presence reduces exposure to the fluctuations of a single platform. Also check out how Meta is evolving tools for creators, such as the new <a href='https://shm.studio/en/news/meta-ai-creator-assistant-facebook-2026/'>Meta AI Creator Assistant</a>.
What are the most common mistakes made by those managing corporate YouTube channels right now?
The three most frequent mistakes involve confusing monetization with distribution, underestimating watch time, and abandoning Shorts.
- Confusing monetization and distribution. The company channel can continue publishing videos even without being in the YPP. Direct monetization (a share of ad revenue) is an extra option, not a prerequisite for using YouTube as a marketing channel.
- Ignore watch time in creator briefs. When commissioning a video from a creator, it's smart to include performance metrics tied to average view duration, not just total views. A video with lots of views but low retention doesn't help the creator hit the YPP threshold.
- Abandon Shorts because the threshold is high. Shorts remain effective for organic discovery and driving new viewers to long videos. Dropping them from the strategy means giving up a free acquisition channel.
- Do not verify the YPP status of partner creators. Before renewing a collaboration, it is worth checking if the creator is still in the program and at risk of dropping out. Failing to do so exposes the company to surprises in content planning.
How to tell if your YouTube strategy is working after the new threshold?
There are five indicators to monitor regularly to evaluate if the direction is right.
| Indicator | What it measures | Monitoring frequency | Positive signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly channel watch time | Progression towards the YPP threshold | Monthly | Constant growth, not isolated peaks |
| Average watch time per video | Narrative quality and audience retention | For every video published | More than 40-50% of the total duration |
| YouTube Ads campaign CPMs | Cost to reach 1,000 viewers | Quarterly | Stable or down compared to the previous quarter |
| YPP status of partner creators | Access to the monetization program | Before each contract renewal | Creators above 8,000 hours in the last 12 months |
| Shorts views vs. long video traffic | Effectiveness of Shorts as a discovery channel | Monthly | Shorts bring viewers to long-form videos |
So, is it still worth investing in YouTube for your business?
It is worth it if you already have a channel with good audience retention, collaborate with established creators (above 8,000 hours) or use YouTube Ads as part of a structured multi-channel strategy.
A middle ground you are building a company channel from scratch or collaborating with niche micro-creators: it is worth continuing, but with a more structured editorial plan and realistic expectations regarding timelines.
Not yet if you are looking for a quick shortcut to direct monetization or relying on creators with just a few thousand subscribers and low watch time as your sole distribution channel.
How we see it at SHM
For us, this YouTube change confirms something we often repeat to our clients: technology is the means, not the end . Platforms change the rules — and they will do it again — but companies that have built a solid editorial presence, based on content that generates real value for the audience, are the least exposed to these changes.
Working with manufacturing and B2B companies on international organic positioning, we've seen how a structured content strategy—with clear goals, formats designed for retention, and multi-channel distribution—withstands single platform fluctuations much better than chasing the latest trends.
If you want to figure out how to build a YouTube presence that works even when the rules change, you can explore our services for strategic AI integration for content, our approach to Google and YouTube Ads campaign management and our offering of editorial planning . You can also learn more about how the cluster Marketing and ADV performance address these topics with regular updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Channels already admitted to the YouTube Partner Program keep their status without having to meet the new requirements. The 8,000-hour threshold only applies to those applying from February 1, 2027 onwards. This mechanism is called 'grandfathering' and protects those who have already built their presence on the platform.
It depends on the goal. If the channel is only used to distribute organic content, the change has no impact: you can keep posting videos without being in the YPP. On the other hand, if the company wanted to access direct monetization, it now needs to reach twice as many hours as before. In any case, building an editorial plan focused on watch time is useful regardless of monetization.
They lose their share of YouTube advertising revenue, but not their ability to produce sponsored content. Direct commercial collaborations—branded videos, mentions, paid content—do not depend on access to the YPP. In some cases, creators who are not monetized through the program are more open to commercial partnerships because they are looking for alternative sources of income.
Not as a viable alternative path for most creators. The threshold for Shorts is 20 million qualifying views in 90 days, which is about 222,000 views per day. Shorts remain useful for organic discovery and driving traffic to long-form videos, which generate the watch time needed for the main threshold.
It is possible in the medium term. With fewer monetizable creators, the ad inventory available for certain types of placements could shrink, with possible changes in CPM (cost per thousand impressions). The variation depends on the format and target of the campaign. The advice is to monitor costs quarter by quarter and compare them with the previous benchmark.
Leaving the YPP doesn't have any direct tax consequences: you just stop getting that stream of revenue. Anyone who keeps doing direct business collabs still has to handle the taxes just like before. In 2025, according to Fiscozen cited by Infocity.it, Italian influencers with a VAT number had an average yearly revenue of 24,038 euros: for many, YPP income was just a small part of that total.
The threshold is not an obstacle: it is a filter that rewards those who have already chosen to make serious content.
Related articles
Discover more articles exploring similar topics, selected to offer you a more complete and stimulating perspective. Each piece of content is carefully chosen to enrich your experience.
