YouTube has announced plans to expand the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)which will give more creators and artists an opportunity to make more money on YouTube.
The program that starts in 2023 will benefit long-form, Shorts and Live creators enabling them to monetize their content.
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said that over the last three years, YouTube had paid creators, artists and media companies enrolled on YPP more than $ 50 billion (Sh60.3 trillion).
“This money has changed the lives of creators worldwide and enabled new voices and stories to be told,” she said.
“We succeed only when our creators succeed and today, we are doubling down by introducing the next chapter in how we reward creativity on our platform by expanding access to our YouTube Partner program.”
The expanded YPP program makes it easy for Shorts-focused creators to apply to YPP by meeting a threshold of 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days.
Long-form creators can also apply to join YPP when they reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.
To support creators who are early in their journey, YouTube will also introduce a new level of YPP with lower requirements offering earlier access to fan funding features like super thanks, super chat, super stickers and channel memberships.
Wojcicki also said that YouTube is offering a unique revenue-sharing model for Shorts for both current and future YPP creators.
“Because ads run between videos in the Shorts feed, every month, revenue from these ads will be added together and used to reward Shorts creators and help cover costs of music licensing,” she said.
“From the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45 per cent of the revenue, distributed based on their share of total Shorts views. The revenue share remains the same, no matter if they use music or not.”
YouTube is also introducing Creator Music, a new destination that gives creators easy access to an ever-growing catalogue of music for use in their videos.
They will also provide artists and music rights holders with a new revenue stream for their music on YouTube.
Creators can now buy affordable, high-quality music licenses that offer them full monetizing potential.
They will keep the same revenue with the track’s artist and associated rights holders.
Creator Music is in beta in the US but will expand to more countries in 2023.
YouTube’s chief product officer Neal Mohan said the platform’s first-of-its-kind, industry-leading Partner Program changed the game for long-form video.
“Now we are changing the game again. This time, we are opening it up to short-form creators and introducing revenue sharing to Shorts,” Mohan said.
“This is the first time revenue sharing is being offered for short-form video on any platform at scale, adding to the 10 ways creators can already earn revenue on YouTube.”
It will be available to all those in YPP including the new, mobile-first creators, who will be joining the program for the first time.
YouTube Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen said that Creator Music is the future.
“We are building the bridge between artists and creators on YouTube to elevate the soundtrack of the creator economy. It is a win-win for artists, songwriters, creators and fans,” Cohen said.
With Creator Music, artists have a new way to get their music out into the world. Fans can now discover music they love on their favourite creator’s channels and both creators ad artists will have new revenue opportunities.