YouTube Monetization Calculator
See exactly how close you are to the YouTube Partner Program — 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours (or 10M Shorts views) — and how long it'll take at your current pace. Free, no sign-up.
The YouTube Partner Program requirements
To turn on ads and earn from YouTube, you need to be accepted into the Partner Program. The full monetization bar is:
- 1,000 subscribers, and
- 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days,
- a linked AdSense account, and no active Community Guidelines strikes.
There's also an early-access tier (500 subscribers + 3,000 watch hours or 3M Shorts views) that unlocks fan-funding features — Super Thanks, channel memberships and Shopping — before full ad revenue.
The hardest part is the start
Watch hours and subscribers compound: once the algorithm starts recommending you, both climb together. The hard part is the cold start, when a new channel has too little history for YouTube to recommend it widely. A boost of real subscribers and watch hours early on gives the algorithm the signals it needs — see YouTube subscribers and YouTube watch hours, or read how to grow on YouTube.
Free to use — just keep the attribution link. Paste this where you want the tool to appear:
<iframe src="https://sidesmedia.com/embed/youtube-monetization-calculator/" width="100%" height="620" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:16px;max-width:640px" title="YouTube Monetization Calculator by SidesMedia" loading="lazy"></iframe> <p style="font:13px/1.4 system-ui;color:#6b7280">Free <a href="https://sidesmedia.com/tools/youtube-monetization-calculator/">YouTube Monetization Calculator</a> by SidesMedia</p>
Frequently asked questions
What are the YouTube monetization requirements?
To join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) for ad revenue you need 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days — plus an active AdSense account and no active Community Guidelines strikes. There's also a smaller early-access tier (500 subscribers + 3,000 watch hours or 3M Shorts views) that unlocks fan-funding features first.
How does the watch-hours calculator work?
Enter your current subscribers, your public watch hours over the last 12 months, and optionally your Shorts views and weekly growth pace. It shows which requirements you've met, how far you have to go, and — if you add a weekly pace — an estimated timeline to eligibility.
Do watch hours reset?
Yes — the 4,000-hour requirement is a rolling 12-month window, so only watch time from the last 365 days counts. If older videos stop getting views, your 12-month total can go down, which is why consistent uploads matter.
Is the YouTube monetization calculator free?
Yes — completely free and unlimited, no sign-up. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is stored.