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Updated YouTube Partner Program setup page

The new YouTube Partner Program setup page in YouTube Studio has new features and an updated application process to make it easier to see when your channel is eligible for monetization.

Now only public watch time is shown, you can opt-in to get an email notification when your channel reaches the eligibility requirements, and you don't link an AdSense account to your channel until after it reaches the minimum 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours public watch time.

Read on for details.

How to check your channel's YouTube Partner Program status

1. Sign in to YouTube, and switch to your channel if need be
2. Open YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com)
3. Click the $ Monetization icon on the left menu (https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC/monetization)

If your channel is eligible for monetization, you will see the Grow with YouTube page. That shows your channel's subscriber count and public watch hours.


If your channel is not eligible for monetization, you will see a notice.

Only Public watch time is shown

Previously, the Monetization setup page showed total channel watch time. To be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, your channel must have 4000 public watch hours, so it could be confusing if the channel had significant watch time from private or unlisted videos.

Now the Monetization setup page only displays public watch hours in the past year.
This channel isn't anywhere near eligible, with only 10 subs and less than 1 hour watch time . 

Valid public watch hours does not include watch time from: 
  • Private videos
  • Unlisted videos
  • Deleted videos
  • Ad campaigns
  • Videos played from the Stories shelf
  • Live streams while live (not converted to video on demand)
This is not a change in the eligibility requirements. YouTube always only counted public watch hours towards YPP eligibility, and so the total watch time showed on the old monetization setup page was misleading.

Get an email notification when your channel is eligible for the YouTube Partner Program

You can now choose to get an email notification when your channel reaches 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours public watch time in the past year. That means there is no need to repeatedly check to see your channel's status.

Click this button

Once your channel is eligible, you can link an AdSense account.

Link AdSense to your channel after it is eligible for monetization

Previously, you could link AdSense to your YouTube channel before it had reached the minimum eligibility requirements of 1000 subscribers and 4000 public watch hours.

Now, you link AdSense to your channel only after it has reached those minimum eligibility requirements.

If you already have AdSense account, be sure to link that existing account. Do not submit an application for a new AdSense account if you have an existing AdSense account.

There is no guarantee your application for AdSense will be approved. If it isn't approved, you may have the option to resubmit your application. Be sure to read the notice from AdSense carefully for more information.

Note that if you previously linked your AdSense account to your channel, YouTube has saved that information, and you should not have to link AdSense again.

The channel review process is usually completed within 30 days, although it sometimes takes longer. Channels are reviewed by real live humans, so there occasionally can be delays.

What to do while you are waiting

If your channel is not yet eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, or under review, here's what to do:
Note that there aren't any shortcuts. It will take time to build your audience.

Resources

Comments

  1. How about if your channel was previously linked to a google ads account. Can i still join the monetization program of youtube?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As far as I know, linking your channel to a Google Ads account shouldn't affect your channel's ability to be in the YouTube Partner Program.

      Delete

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