Short answer: Shorts are paid from a shared pool rather than per video. Each month YouTube pools the revenue from ads shown between Shorts in the Shorts feed, sets aside a portion to cover music licensing, and divides the rest among monetising creators according to their share of engaged views in each country; creators keep 45% of what they are allocated. You must be in the YouTube Partner Programme and accept the Shorts Monetisation Module, and from 1 February 2027 you will also need 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days to share in Shorts revenue.
Shorts ad revenue sharing began on 1 February 2023. Because ads appear between Shorts rather than on them, YouTube cannot simply pay each creator for the ads beside their video, so it uses a pooled model instead. Here is how that pool is built and split, which views earn, and the changes YouTube has announced for 2027.
How is Shorts ad revenue shared?
YouTube’s Shorts monetisation policies describe four steps, repeated every month:
- Pool the revenue. Ad revenue from ads shown between videos in the Shorts feed is combined. This pool pays creators and covers the cost of music licensing.
- Work out the Creator Pool. Revenue linked to Shorts without music goes straight into the Creator Pool. For Shorts that use music, part of the revenue goes to music partners, and the rest goes to the Creator Pool.
- Allocate the Creator Pool. Each monetising creator receives a share based on their portion of all eligible engaged views from monetising creators in that country. If your Shorts account for 1% of those engaged views, you are allocated 1% of the pool.
- Apply the revenue share. You keep 45% of your allocation, whether or not your Shorts use music.
For comparison, creators usually keep 55% of ad revenue on long-form videos. Shorts viewed by YouTube Premium and Premium Lite subscribers earn too: YouTube pays creators 45% of the net Premium revenue allocated to Shorts, based on their share of subscribers’ Shorts views in each country.
How does music affect Shorts earnings?
Music is the one kind of third-party content that changes the split. The revenue tied to a Short’s engaged views is divided by the number of tracks it uses plus one: with one track, half goes to the Creator Pool and half to music licensing; with two tracks, a third goes to the Creator Pool. This covers music from YouTube’s music industry partners and music made with Dream Track. Other third-party content does not reduce the pool, even where a Content ID claim applies.
Crucially, your own allocation is still based on all of your engaged views, so using a popular song does not lower your personal share or your 45% rate. It only reduces the size of the overall pool that everyone draws from. One limit to note: Shorts longer than one minute that contain claimed content are blocked and cannot be monetised.
Who can earn money from Shorts?
You need to be accepted into the YouTube Partner Programme, either through the Shorts route or the long-form route; the current thresholds are set out in our YouTube Partner Programme requirements guide. Once you are in, you must accept the Shorts Monetisation Module. Views from before you accept it do not count, so it is worth doing straight away. Your channel also has to keep following YouTube’s monetisation policies, Community Guidelines, copyright rules and AdSense policies.
Earnings follow engaged views rather than the public view counter, which counts every play and replay. Our explainer on Shorts views versus engaged views shows where to find that figure.
What changes for Shorts monetisation in February 2027?
In August 2026 YouTube announced what it called the first significant changes to the Partner Programme since 2018, taking effect on 1 February 2027. Creators have to review and accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027 to keep fully monetising.
| Rule | Until 31 January 2027 | From 1 February 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Shorts route into YPP for new applicants | 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days | 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days |
| Long-form route for new applicants | 4,000 qualified watch hours in 12 months | 8,000 qualified watch hours in 365 days |
| Earning Creator Pool and Premium revenue from Shorts | No separate view threshold once in YPP | At least 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, checked each month |
| Ads targeted to five or fewer channels | No separate rule published | 45% of that ad’s net revenue paid directly, on top of the Creator Pool |
For the monthly check, the 90-day window ends on the 15th of the preceding month. Channels that fall below 10 million stay in the programme and keep earning on long-form videos, and Shorts revenue sharing resumes automatically once they pass the threshold again. YouTube has said it plans other incentives for smaller Shorts creators, but has not yet given details.
Which Shorts views don’t earn anything?
Some views, and some revenue, are excluded from the pool altogether:
- Non-original Shorts, such as unedited clips from films or TV, reuploads and compilations with nothing original added. If you repost videos from other apps, read cross-posting TikTok, Reels and Shorts first.
- Artificial views, for example from automated click or scroll bots.
- Content that is not advertiser-friendly under YouTube’s guidelines.
- Revenue from certain placements, including ads shown before a Short plays, ads on navigation pages in the Shorts player and image posts in the Shorts feed.
The same applies to any views that are bought: they do not earn money, and YouTube treats artificial views as ineligible for revenue sharing. Our guide to whether it is safe to buy followers covers the wider risks honestly.
How much can you earn from Shorts?
There is no fixed rate per view. Your income depends on how much advertisers spend in each country where you are watched, how much of that country’s Shorts revenue goes to music, and your share of engaged views there. Two Shorts with identical view counts can therefore earn very different amounts. Once you start earning, YouTube Analytics shows your estimated daily Shorts feed ad revenue. For a rough estimate, try our YouTube money calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Do Shorts earn money from ads on the normal watch page?
No. YouTube says Shorts views receive ad revenue sharing only from the Shorts feed, separately from the monetisation of long-form videos on the watch page.
Does using a trending song lower my Shorts income?
Not your rate. Your share of the Creator Pool is based on all your engaged views and you keep 45% either way. Music only reduces the total pool that all monetising creators share.
Do views from before I joined the Partner Programme count?
No. Only engaged views from after you accept the Shorts Monetisation Module are included, so accept it as soon as you are approved.
How can I tell whether a Short is earning?
YouTube says Shorts that do not carry a “No ad earnings” notice are eligible for revenue sharing. Your estimated daily Shorts revenue appears in YouTube Analytics once you begin earning.
Sources: YouTube Help: Shorts monetisation policies, YouTube Official Blog: Partner Program updates for 2027, YouTube Help: Partner Programme overview and eligibility