YouTube is changing its policy again. This time, I guess it will affect quite a number of YouTube Creators in monetizing their channel. If you are not a content creator, this will not affect you at all. Or you might even feel that there are lesser ads on the YouTube videos from March 2018.
If you are a YouTube Creator, this is the new policy that will kick in from 20th February 2018.
We’ll be making updates to the YouTube Partner Programme eligibility thresholds starting 20 February 2018. Channels will need to have 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1,000 subscribers to be reviewed to join the programme. Get more details on the YouTube Creator Blog
If you are starting up, forget about monetizing your YouTube channel. To get 4,000 watch hours (or 240,000 minutes) over a short period of time is impossible unless you have superb content. And to get 1,000 subscribers who are willing to click that subscribe button is not easy too.
Apparently, YouTube thinks that their policy change in April is still not enough. To recap, in April last year, they updated their YPP (YouTube Partner Programme) to state that YouTube will no longer serve ads on YPP videos until the channel reaches 10k lifetime views. TechieLobang YouTube managed to make it.
Now, with this new policy, I am sad to say that TechieLobang YouTube channel will be kicked off from YPP from end-February unless I get 1,000 subscribers (currently at just 432).
From the analytics, I am able to fulfill the “watch hours” but not the 1,000 subscribers criteria.
Thankfully, I am not depending only on YouTube for revenue. In fact, I will continue to create content and improve on them. Hopefully, I can get the minimum requirements soon.
For those who are just starting out and may need some “motivation” ($$) to move forward, YouTube might have just killed it.
You can read all the reasons (excuses) they published for coming out with these rules.
Here is one excerpt from that post
Though these changes will affect a significant number of channels, 99% of those affected were making less than $100 per year in the last year, with 90% earning less than $2.50 in the last month.
Don’t they think that the 1% of creators are also trying their best to create content? Some may think that getting 1,000 subscribers is an easy feat since some YouTubers are having millions of subscribers. Trust me, it is not easy as you need people to agree with your content and hit that subscribe button.
Wish me luck to get them before the deadline.