YouTube Doubles Bar Just to Haunt Creators Like Horrible Exes
KEY POINTS
- â˘YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and VP Amjad Hanif announced stricter monetization rules on May 14, 2025, in New York City.
- â˘Beginning February, creators must double watch hours to 8,000 or double Shorts views to 20 million over specific periods to qualify for revenue sharing.
- â˘YouTube introduced new incentives beyond ad revenue, such as shopping bonuses and trend-boost payouts, to diversify creator earnings.
On May 14, 2025, plastered in David Geffen Hall like a bizarre royal parade, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and MrBeast announced that starting February 1, earning ad cash will require creators to bulk up their watch hours from 4,000 to 8,000 or rack up 20 million Shorts views in 90 daysânot that 10 million was easy before. Creator VP Amjad Hanif painfully admitted the changes reward 'leaned in' folks, AKA the digital gym rats. Meanwhile, 3 million creators are sweating it out, trying to avoid becoming another viral one-hit wonder doomed to poverty. Bonus: new payout schemes mean you can now milk shopping bonuses or ride trend waves, because ad dollars were just too mainstay. Spoiler: if your eyes glazed over, youâre already disqualified.
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(1 of 3)YouTubeâs new requirements mean creators need Herculean watch hours or viral streaksâguess qualifying to see ads is now like qualifying for an Olympic event nobody asked for.
YouTube just became the DMV of internet fameâdouble the wait time, same tiny paycheck in the end.
Shoutout to YouTube for making creators work harder than a caffeinated accountant just to see a few cents.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 8/10/2026 | Author: Sydney Bradley
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