After instituting new criteria in January for creators to be able to monetize via the YouTube Partner Program, the video giant continues to experience delays in vetting a backlog of new applicants, according to an update on its help forums.
YouTube initially said that all new Partner Program applications would be reviewed in a few weeks after the announcement, and later pushed the estimated date to the end of April. Now, the company says, it plans to have all applications processed by June’s end, according to Polygon. Prior to the overhaul, creators could monetize if they had 10,000 lifetime views; now, in a bid to address brand safety concerns after the Adpocalypse, channels need to have surpassed 4,000 hours of watch time and have at least 1,000 subscribers. The changes officially went into effect on Feb. 20.
In an update, YouTube also noted that reviews won’t be processed on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, but instead according to viewcount — given that these channels are likely to drive the most revenue. “This process has taken longer than we initially anticipated and we apologize for the delays this has caused,” writes a community manager named Jordan. “We’ve now grown our review team and are currently moving through pending applications at a faster pace.”
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He added that, while an application is pending, a lack of monetization won’t impact creators’ search and discovery prospects.
Polygon notes that smaller channels have grappled with the new criteria, as well as the delays — a fact that YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki acknowledged in a letter to creators on Tuesday. “For those who have not yet met the new threshold, keep creating and building your audience,” she wrote. “We’ve also heard from you that delays in the application process are frustrating. We are working to make this faster.”
