As competition from TikTok and other social media players has increased, YouTube is continuing its ongoing push to keep creators from leaving for greener pastures by helping them make more money more quickly.
Following a series of updates to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) made in September 2022, the platform is now lowering the eligibility criteria to enter the program and expanding the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, allowing more advanced creators to make commissions on products they feature.
“Whether you’re a creator who is just starting out on YouTube or are further along in your YouTube journey, we’re unlocking new ways to make money across the platform,” said Amjad Hanif, VP of Creator Products at YouTube in a blog post announcing the changes.
Creators Now Eligible for Fan-Funding Features at 500 Subscribers
YouTube has lowered the threshold for creators to apply to YPP with 500 subscribers, three public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the past year or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days.
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Once in YPP, creators have access to fan-funding features including:
- Channel memberships;
- Super Chat and Super Stickers, which allow fans to pay for enhanced communication with creators they love;
- Super Thanks, which lets fans show gratitude for content they enjoyed; and
- The ability to promote their own products with YouTube Shopping.
According to Hanif, the number of channels in the U.S. that earned a majority of their revenue from fan-funding products increased more than 20% in December 2022 compared to the prior year.
Additionally, as these creators continue to grow their channel, they’ll automatically become eligible to earn revenue sharing from ads and other benefits once they reach the existing YPP eligibility criteria, without having to go through the full YPP application process again.
The new level of YPP is rolling out first to creators in the U.S., UK, Canada, Taiwan and South Korea, and will expand to all countries where YPP is available “over time,” said Hanif.
Expanded Access to Affiliate Linking for U.S. Creators
YouTube also is expanding its affiliate program to all eligible U.S.-based creators who are in YPP and have more than 20,000 subscribers. The affiliate program allows creators to feature products from other brands and creators in their content and receive commissions on the sale of those tagged products.
YouTube is already partnering with more than 50 brands with products that can be featured and tagged on videos and Shorts, including Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty and Wayfair. Being part of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program lets creators easily see which products are eligible for commission and track sales through YouTube Studio. Additionally, tagging the products featured in a video allows viewers to see helpful information such as pricing and product details without leaving the video while they check out on the retailer’s site.
Eligible creators will now see the option to join the affiliate program in their YouTube Studio account.
“Being part of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program makes it easy for viewers to shop and learn more about the products I’m featuring right along with me,” said Andréa Matillano, a YouTube beauty creator in the blog post. “The program itself makes it incredibly easy to see commission rates for products and tag videos so I can spend less time on those details and more time focusing on finding the best products for my viewers.”
