The world of YouTube Shorts monetization changed big time after YouTube dumped its old Shorts Fund and moved to a real revenue share model. In 2026, you don’t earn from some random bonuses. You earn from ads IF you qualify.
That means you don’t get a random payout from a “creator fund.” You get paid based on ads, but only once you actually qualify for the main monetization system. This also ties Shorts into everything else on your channel.
BUT, you also get something from YouTube Premium revenue for views on your Shorts.
That’s money from subscribers who watch Shorts, and it gets pooled and shared similarly.
You earn money from:
- Shorts ad revenue
- YouTube Premium revenue (Every time YouTube Premium subscribers watch your Short, you get a slice of the pooled Premium revenue)
- Fan funding and memberships (if you’re eligible)
- Brand deals and affiliate opportunities
However, most people fixate ONLY on ad revenue, which is part of the reason there’s so much confusion around YouTube Shorts monetization.
You might like: Which Best YouTube Video Ad Examples Got the Most Views?
How does YouTube Shorts monetization work
With traditional long-form videos on a YouTube channel, creators get a cut of ad revenue that runs on the video such as pre-roll, mid-roll, etc. For shorts? It’s different.
Basically, this is how YouTube Shorts monetization works:
- You should be part of the YouTube Partner Program.
- YouTube pools all of the ads shown between Shorts in the Shorts feed.
- That money goes into a giant “Creator Pool.”
- Then YouTube takes out music licensing costs before splitting revenue.
- From what remains, creators get 45%, while YouTube keeps the rest
- That means if your Short gets millions of views, but the ads in the Shorts feed don’t perform (low bids, low engagement), your pay drops.
NOTE: In this case, you don’t get paid per view like classic YouTube videos. You get paid based on your share of the TOTAL VIEWS in the Shorts ecosystem.
Source: YouTube Shorts monetization policies
There are some things that you should know, though:
- 43% of ad buyers in the US report that their most important clients use Shorts for their advertising.
- YouTube ads can even reach an audience of over 2.5 billion people globally.
- Ads within the Shorts program achieve an average view durationthat is 90% higher than on competing social media platforms.
- 9 out of 10 marketers use YouTube as an important platform for their video marketing strategy.
- More than 175 million people in the US used YouTube Shorts in 2025.
- Shorts generate more than 200 billion views every day.
What this means is that if you do things right and create some amazing YouTube shorts, you will get a big piece of the $$$ pie.
By focusing on smart strategies (basically optimizing your titles, using trending hashtags, updating Shorts thumbnails, and experimenting with formats), you can grow your channel and qualify for monetization faster than you might expect. Once you’re in the YPP, the earnings potential grows exponentially because each new Short you post feeds into the ad revenue pool, increasing your share of Shorts revenue.
YouTube Partner Program is still the gatekeeper
YouTube Shorts monetization doesn’t work unless you’re in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). That’s the foundational requirement for ad revenue sharing of any kind, including Shorts.
What are the YouTube Shorts monetization requirements?
To qualify for the YouTube Partner Program and be able to unlock shorts ad revenue sharing in 2026 you need:
- 1,000 subscribers
- Either 4,000 public watch hours that are valid are in the past 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days
- A linked AdSense account
- Policy compliance obviously (no strikes, etc.)
Source: YouTube Partner Program
If you think about it, it really forces a choice. In order to monetize YouTube Shorts, you either build a traditional audience with many long-form videos and watch hours or go all-in on Shorts, chasing the 10 million view threshold every 90 days.
NOTE: Views from recycled clips, unedited viral footage, or content that violates advertiser-friendly guidelines don’t count for monetization. So gaming the system doesn’t work!
Shorts creators are uniquely positioned to rack up views fast because the Shorts feed pushes vertical, snackable content to huge passive audiences who might never search for your channel.
And of course, the threshold is there for a reason: the YouTube Partner Program wants creators who are building real audiences, not just chasing viral stunts. And once you hit that threshold, you’re not just earning from ads: you open the full monetization toolkit, including YouTube channel memberships, fan funding, Super Thanks (formerly known as Viewer applause), and more.
So yeah, the bar is real, but it’s reachable, and once you’re in, your channel becomes a real business engine.
How much do you get paid if you monetize YouTube Shorts?
One of the most common questions about YouTube Shorts monetization is “how much can I actually make?” The answer (as you can guess) depends on views, niche, audience location, and engagement…but we can use benchmarks to set expectations.
According to recent creator data, earnings for Shorts are generally lower than long-form videos, but they add up. Most creators see earnings in roughly these ranges:
- About $0.01 to $0.05 per 1,000 Shorts views from ad revenue sharing alone (that’s the direct share from the Shorts creator pool.)
- If you do 100,000 views, that’s roughly $1-$5.
- At 1 million views, it’s around $10-$50, even though top creators in high-CPM niches often do better.
If you’re thinking “that’s not some good YouTube pay to keep me going. I’m here to earn money after all,” remember two things:
- This is pure ad revenue. Most creators do NOT make their full income from ads alone. They layer on other monetization tools.
- Shorts can drive massive scale fast, bringing eyeballs that bolster ALL your revenue streams.
For context, long-form content often earns between $1-$10+ per 1,000 views, depending on niche and audience, making it a richer revenue source on a per-view basis. But if you monetize YouTube Shorts, you often get ten times more views than a typical long video because of how they surface in the algorithm.
YouTube Shorts monetization and revenue isn’t tied to clicks in isolation
There are different ways to make money:
With long-form videos:
- Ads run on your video
- You get a per-view payment
- Creators usually earn around 55% of ad revenue for those videos
With YouTube Shorts:
- Ads show between videos (not on your video)
- You get a share of the total pool
- You receive 45% of the revenue assigned to Shorts ad revenue sharing
Unlike long-form videos, which pay more per view but require more time and effort, Shorts let you post frequently, experiment with content, and scale fast. For many creators, posting 2-5 Shorts per day can create a snowball effect, where one viral Short brings thousands of subscribers and views to your other videos.
NOTE: Ironically, music usage (especially trending music) on your Shorts can REDUCE the money you make, because YouTube has to pay the music rights holders first. So be aware of that when making your YouTube Shorts!
Of course, YouTube Shorts monetization is often modest at first, but the income compounds as your channel grows, and there are many ways to make money with YouTube Shorts.
For example, a creator with 10 million Shorts views in 90 days might earn between $1,000-$5,000 from ad revenue alone, depending on factors like viewer location, the YouTube Shorts feed, and the mix of long-form YouTube videos on the same channel.
Add YouTube Premium revenue, fan funding, and occasional brand deals, and the same channel can double or triple that amount.
PRO TIP: Treat Shorts not just as isolated clips, but as part of a broader monetization strategy that drives traffic, builds your audience, and funnels viewers to revenue-generating content.
Source: YouTube Fan Funding
Strategies to maximize YouTube Shorts monetization
If you want to seriously grow and monetize YouTube Shorts, here are the strategies that work best: best:
Strategy 1: Shorts + long videos combo
Shorts are great at getting eyeballs. But make sure you also post long videos.
Why?
- Long form can earn up to 100x more per view than YouTube Shorts.
- Long videos can give you something shorts alone can’t: higher ad revenue and watch time that counts toward YPP.
- Many creators who hit the YouTube Shorts Fund and thresholds also start earning from long-form content too.
Strategy 2: Build community first
Getting to 1,000 subscribers changes everything. Once you’re there:
- You can apply for the YouTube Partner Program and unlock monetization tools.
- You get access to fan funding options which we already covered.
- You can offer exclusive content, merch, and memberships.
- Use YouTube Studio data religiously, because your analytics tell you where people drop off, what holds attention, and what converts subscribers.
- Better community= you earn more money!
Strategy 3: Think beyond ad revenue
Shorts alone won’t make most creators wealthy through ads.
But they can:
- Get you brand deals
- Build audiences for affiliate programs
- Sell products
- Drive traffic to courses or coaching
Strategy 4: Stay original and advertiser-friendly
Only original, policy-compliant Shorts are eligible for shorts ad revenue sharing. Copying content or shoehorning in copyrighted music can and will hold you back.
Capping off
The YouTube Partner Program has a clear incentive structure:
- They reward watch time and engagement over raw views.
- Shorts get lots of views but consistency and quality matter more than quantity.
- If you’re serious about YouTube Shorts monetization, having sharp video editing skills, growth strategy, and regular posting is table stakes. What separates the players from the pros is how well you convert Shorts traffic into real revenue.
Let’s say that you really don’t want to spend hours editing these Shorts yourself especially when your skills are not where you want them to be, Vidpros can take over for you.
We have a $100 trial that gives you 10 hours of PROFESSIONAL video editing. You can either choose 10 short-form videos or 1 long-form video. You can check it out here: Vidpros $100 trial!
Remember: if your plan is to just post unedited clips and hope to earn big from YouTube Shorts monetization work, you won’t succeed as much as you probably want to (or deserve).
