YouTube watch hours calculator
To join the YouTube Partner Program a channel needs 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. From February 1, 2027, new channels need 8,000 hours or 20 million Shorts views. See how long yours needs from its views and average view duration.
- Free, no sign-up
- Thresholds from YouTube Help
- Checked October 22, 2026
How many views make 4,000 hours
4,000 hours is 240,000 minutes of watch time in the last 12 months. Divide by your average view duration to get the views it takes, and by 12 for a month. The table rounds to the nearest 10.
| Watch hours | 2 min | 4 min | 6 min | 8 min | 10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,000 hours | 10,000 | 5,000 | 3,330 | 2,500 | 2,000 |
| 8,000 hours | 20,000 | 10,000 | 6,670 | 5,000 | 4,000 |
| 3,000 hours | 7,500 | 3,750 | 2,500 | 1,880 | 1,500 |
The thresholds, from YouTube's help pages
Today: 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers plus 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Watch hours from Shorts in the Shorts feed don't count toward the 4,000 (YouTube Help).
From February 1, 2027: new creators need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days; channels already in the program keep their status. Fan funding, YouTube Creator Partnerships and YouTube Shopping stay at 500 subscribers plus 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views. To stay active, a partner channel needs 1,000 watch hours in 365 days, 1 million Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days (YouTube Help, read October 22, 2026).
Raising watch hours without more uploads
The fastest lever is average view duration: the same views at 6 minutes instead of 4 add half again as many hours. That comes from the edit (a hook that pays off the title, no dead air, a reason to stay for the next section), plus playlists and end screens that send viewers to the next video. Our guides cover session time, playlists and end screens and the analytics that matter. Once you're in, the YouTube money calculator estimates what the views pay.
Sources: YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview and eligibility · YouTube Help: changes to the YouTube Partner Program (February 1, 2027).
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Questions, answered.
Anything else? Message Mark and you'll get a written reply within one business day.
How many views do you need for 4,000 watch hours?
4,000 hours is 240,000 minutes, so it depends on how long people watch: 120,000 views at a 2-minute average view duration, 60,000 at 4 minutes, 40,000 at 6 minutes or 24,000 at 10 minutes, all within the last 12 months. That is 5,000 views a month at a 4-minute average.
Do Shorts views count toward the 4,000 watch hours?
No. YouTube says watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts feed don’t count toward the 4,000 public watch hours. Shorts have their own route into the program: 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
What changes in the YouTube Partner Program on February 1, 2027?
New channels will need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, double today’s thresholds. Channels already in the program keep their status. To earn from the Shorts Creator Pool each month, creators will need to keep 10 million Shorts views over the last 90 days.
What can a channel earn before the Partner Program?
Fan funding (channel memberships and Super Chat), YouTube Creator Partnerships and YouTube Shopping open at 500 subscribers plus 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last year or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. YouTube says those requirements don’t change in 2027.
How long does the YouTube Partner Program review take?
YouTube says it usually gets back with a decision in about a month after you apply and link an AdSense for YouTube account. Your channel also needs 2-Step Verification on, advanced features access, no active Community Guidelines strikes and content that follows the monetization policies.
Are watch hours counted over a calendar year?
No, a rolling window: the last 12 months for the 4,000-hour threshold (the last 365 days under the 2027 rules), and the last 90 days for Shorts views. Hours older than that drop off, so a channel needs steady monthly views, not one good month.
Want longer watch time?
Edits paced to hold viewers to the end, with thumbnails and titles that earn the click, and you work directly with Mark.
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