In a blog post made on January 16, 2018, YouTube shared the updated eligibility requirements for monetization.

For a channel to be eligible for monetization, it will have to meet the following requirements:

• Have at least 1,000 subscribers
• Have at least 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months
• Channel/content must adhere to the YouTube Partner Program policies, YouTube Terms of Service, YouTube spam policies, and the Community Guidelines.

How do I apply to the YouTube Partner Program?

To apply to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) you can follow these steps, and once the channel meets the first 2 requirements, YouTube will review the channel to make sure it follows all their policies, guidelines and terms.

What will happen to my application to join the YouTube Partner Program if it's currently pending?

For those who currently have a pending application to join YPP, the new requirements will apply. YouTube will review your request in the next few weeks and send an email to the creators with the results of the review.

I'm part of the YouTube Partner Program but I don't meet the requirements, will my monetization be removed?

If you are already part of the YPP, these requirements apply as well. You will have to meet these requirements until February 20, 2018, or ads will stop running on your videos, and you will be removed from the YPP. But don't worry if you are not able to meet the requirements, you can re-apply to the program again 30 days after suspension. If until this date your channel meets the requirements, YouTube will automatically re-evaluate your channel for YPP.

My channel meets the requirements for YPP but my monetization was disabled, what should I do?

A channel may be removed from YPP and have the monetization removed for a number of reasons. Please review this article from YouTube and go through the steps available to identify the reason and what to do next. In addition to that, on October 9, 2018, YouTube shared more details related to this type of situation, including duplication of content, which we covered in this article.

You should be able to reapply after 30 days, but you need to make sure that your channel/content adheres to the YouTube Partner Program policies, YouTube Terms of Service, YouTube spam policies, and the Community Guidelines. Community strikes, spam, and other abuse flags will prevent you from joining the program.

If you're a Freedom! partner but you are not sure what the problem is, get in touch with our support team so we can help review your content and the potential issues that lead to this problem. We are always ready to help.

How do I check my watch time for the past 12 months?

1. Go to your YouTube Analytics
2. After applying to the YouTube Partner Program, you can go to your monetization tab at any moment to check the number of watch hours.
   
   

My channel was unlinked from Freedom! by YouTube on February 20. Can I still continue to use the Freedom! music libraries?

Freedom! partners that were unlinked by YouTube on February 20, still have access to the Music Factory library, as they did before that date. However, if you are no longer a partner with Freedom!, any new videos that you create that use assets from this library may get monetization claims. But don't worry because these claims will not turn into strikes or affect your channel in a negative way.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our support team by clicking the "Submit a request" link at the top of this page, or by clicking here. Our team will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.