YouTube has begun sending emails out to content producers on the changes that are coming next month to how they can monetize their channels. The email lays out the new requirements in order to have access to the ad monetizing tools and that access will end starting February 28, 2018 if you do not meet the requirements.
Those new YouTube requirements are pretty steep. You have to have 1000 subscribers but the higher hurdle is the requirement for 4000 watch time hours over the previous 12 months. This last requirement will eliminate many channels from being able to monetize.
The email being sent by Google to YouTube channel owners who don’t meet the thresholds, indicates that monetization can be re-enabled once the channel meets the new criteria and goes through a guidelines review. You can read the email that was sent thanks to Craig Froehle.
The change in requirements is a bit of a head scratcher. On one hand, Google has made it clear they want more video content and more people making that content on their service. On the other hand however is this new requirement which seems to indicate a “Be big or go home” attitude.
Ultimately the changes in monetization requirements will hurt the smaller content producers who are working to try to make YouTube a viable money stream for them.
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