Ad revenue on YouTube runs through the Partner Program, and its classic entry bar pairs an audience test with a consumption test: 1,000 subscribers, plus either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days, as documented by YouTube.
The earlier rung
YouTube also added a lower tier that unlocks fan-funding features (memberships, Supers, shopping) before full ads eligibility — around half the subscriber requirement with proportionally lower activity bars. Details vary by region and change over time, so treat the Studio dashboard as the source of truth for your channel.
What actually counts
- Watch hours must come from public videos — unlisted, deleted and ad-suppressed content does not help.
- Shorts views and long-form watch hours are separate lanes; you qualify through either.
- Subscriber count is the same public figure everyone sees — track your climb on the live counter.
The practical read
For most channels the subscriber bar falls first and watch hours lag; long-form content clears the hours test far faster than Shorts-only strategies. The 1,000-subscriber guide covers everything else that unlocks at the same milestone.