Hot Topic New monetization changes: 4k hours & 1k subs (**discussion here only**)

[UKHypnotist]

I believe that it is permanent. Demonetization is as a result of breaching community guidelines,copyrights and all but not failure to maintain some fixed number of hours or subs.

Unfortunately, you are incorrect. Demonetization does not only happen as a result of breaching Community Guidelines or copyright violations.

In January of 2018, millions of emails went out to monetized YouTubers who had not met the new rules. I will paste one of the ones I got here, as I lost monetization on several channels; and it was indeed because of not meeting a fixed number of watch time hours and subs. It also was made clear as time passed that creators were expected to maintain on a month to month rolling basis, the 1000 or more subs and 4000 watch time hours in 365 days, along with other pointers proving they were still active on YouTube. A second email went out to those who received the demonetization warning on February 20th if they were still below the threshold; and it is this one I have pasted.

"Hi TranceMistressLynne,
As you probably heard, we recently announced updates to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). We made these changes to address a spike in abuse on YouTube by bad actors like spammers, impersonators, and re-uploaders. Our goal is to ensure a healthy ecosystem where original creators can grow and thrive.

As of today, your channel, TranceMistressLynne will no longer have access to monetization tools associated with YPP because it doesn’t meet the new threshold of 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. If you meet the new threshold at some point in the future, you'll be automatically re-evaluated for YPP. The reviews typically take 1-2 weeks."

(We know now that the 1-2 weeks is a pipe dream for most creators.)

Now from the FAQ link sent along with this email...

"What happens if I drop below the programme threshold?

Channels that previously reached the new eligibility thresholds for the YouTube Partner Programme and were reviewed and approved to monetise will not lose monetisation just because they drop below 4000 watch hours in the previous 12 months or 1000 subscribers. YouTube does however reserve the right, at its discretion, to remove monetisation from channels who drop below the new eligibility thresholds if their channel is inactive and not uploading or posting Community posts for six months or more.

Channels will lose monetisation if they violate any of the YouTube Partner Programme policies, regardless of their watch hours and subscriber count."

My main channel has not lost monetization; but again, it hasn't been subjected to the review process either. If it is, I know I will retain YPP approval status as I follow all rules and requirements. Should I drop below the thresholds, it is my belief that I will be demonetized until my channel can be reviewed for YPP Rules compliance.

Considering that my subscribership is 5,873 right now, and I get well over 100K in views per month, my dropping below the thresholds is unlikely.

@Wakanda I also posted in late June, a link to a post on a Creator's Forum external to the YouTube Help Forum proving there are four types of demonetization currently occuring to monetized channels, along with channels not being approved upon review.

Only two of these are permanent, with a third being appealable; and the Channel Features section which go along with these permanent demonetizations state and I quote:

1. "Monetization on this channel has been disabled due to repeated submission of ineligible videos and/or insufficient documentation" (Permanent)

2. "Monetization on this channel has been disabled due to Adsense policy violations" (Permanent as the associated Adsense will be permanently disabled)

3. (Appealable; but most appeal attempts fail) "Monetization on this channel has been disabled due to invalid click activity"

4. "This channel is currently ineligible for monetization" (Channel owner can re-apply to the YPP after 30 days has passed)

 

[Wakanda]

Unfortunately, you are incorrect. Demonetization does not only happen as a result of breaching Community Guidelines or copyright violations.

In January of 2018, millions of emails went out to monetized YouTubers who had not met the new rules. I will paste one of the ones I got here, as I lost monetization on several channels; and it was indeed because of not meeting a fixed number of watch time hours and subs. It also was made clear as time passed that creators were expected to maintain on a month to month rolling basis, the 1000 or more subs and 4000 watch time hours in 365 days, along with other pointers proving they were still active on YouTube. A second email went out to those who received the demonetization warning on February 20th if they were still below the threshold; and it is this one I have pasted.

"Hi TranceMistressLynne,
As you probably heard, we recently announced updates to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). We made these changes to address a spike in abuse on YouTube by bad actors like spammers, impersonators, and re-uploaders. Our goal is to ensure a healthy ecosystem where original creators can grow and thrive.

As of today, your channel, TranceMistressLynne will no longer have access to monetization tools associated with YPP because it doesn’t meet the new threshold of 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. If you meet the new threshold at some point in the future, you'll be automatically re-evaluated for YPP. The reviews typically take 1-2 weeks."

(We know now that the 1-2 weeks is a pipe dream for most creators.)

Now from the FAQ link sent along with this email...

"What happens if I drop below the programme threshold?

Channels that previously reached the new eligibility thresholds for the YouTube Partner Programme and were reviewed and approved to monetise will not lose monetisation just because they drop below 4000 watch hours in the previous 12 months or 1000 subscribers. YouTube does however reserve the right, at its discretion, to remove monetisation from channels who drop below the new eligibility thresholds if their channel is inactive and not uploading or posting Community posts for six months or more.

Channels will lose monetisation if they violate any of the YouTube Partner Programme policies, regardless of their watch hours and subscriber count."

My main channel has not lost monetization; but again, it hasn't been subjected to the review process either. If it is, I know I will retain YPP approval status as I follow all rules and requirements. Should I drop below the thresholds, it is my belief that I will be demonetized until my channel can be reviewed for YPP Rules compliance.

Considering that my subscribership is 5,873 right now, and I get well over 100K in views per month, my dropping below the thresholds is unlikely.

@Wakanda I also posted in late June, a link to a post on a Creator's Forum external to the YouTube Help Forum proving there are four types of demonetization currently occuring to monetized channels, along with channels not being approved upon review.

Only two of these are permanent, with a third being appealable; and the Channel Features section which go along with these permanent demonetizations state and I quote:

1. "Monetization on this channel has been disabled due to repeated submission of ineligible videos and/or insufficient documentation" (Permanent)

2. "Monetization on this channel has been disabled due to Adsense policy violations" (Permanent as the associated Adsense will be permanently disabled)

3. (Appealable; but most appeal attempts fail) "Monetization on this channel has been disabled due to invalid click activity"

4. "This channel is currently ineligible for monetization" (Channel owner can re-apply to the YPP after 30 days has passed)

Thanks a lot.
If I understood the question, it was would any channel monetized under the new rules of 1K subs/4K hrs in 12 months be demonetized if it failed to meet them in a subsequent period?

Say you got monetized end of June 2018 and come June 2019 you have less than 1K subs and or fewer than 4K hours

 

[UKHypnotist]

Thanks a lot.
If I understood the question, it was would any channel monetized under the new rules of 1K subs/4K hrs in 12 months be demonetized if it failed to meet them in a subsequent period?

Say you got monetized end of June 2018 and come June 2019 you have less than 1K subs and or fewer than 4K hours

As stated in the FAQ excerpt that would depend on the channel in question's upload and community activity. According to that excerpt, if the channel owner hadn't either: uploaded a video in the past 6 months, or otherwise been active in the YouTube Community, YouTube reserved the right to remove monetization on the channel.

 

[cutsyifa2017]

hy...
does anyone get monetize in july?

 

[Wakanda]

hy...
does anyone get monetize in july?

Good question

They would fall into two categories; those meeting the requirements AFTER June,and those whose review ended in further review needed

I’d love to hear who in either of this got lucky

 

[iron]

I lost my monetization again

With new youtube policy, you have additional review several months after the entry in YPP

I'm fed up about youtube policy with youtube creators. The CPM is lower and lower year after year even if they reduce the number of creators in YPP. It's realy hard now to make money on youtube and to have views with videos. I think that youtube is dying. 2019 will be the last year for creators to make money on youtube.

 

[GameVestment]

This might be a unpopular opinion but I'll say it anyway...

I think 1K subs and 4K hours is still too low. If I understood correctly it seems that they are manually reviewing channels faster now because if they weren't maybe is better for next year to change it to 10K subs and 20K hours in order to enter the YPP in exchange of some benefits or maybe it will be a good idea to have different tiers in the YPP to keep uploading, after getting 5K subs (famebit) I don't know if there's any benefit before getting 100K and that number looks so faaaar faaar away. Maybe is too much, there's a lot of channels having trouble earning 1K subs and I totally understand their point of view,,, just wanted to share my opinion

 

[UKHypnotist]

This might be a unpopular opinion but I'll say it anyway...

I think 1K subs and 4K hours is still too low. If I understood correctly it seems that they are manually reviewing channels faster now because if they weren't maybe is better for next year to change it to 10K subs and 20K hours in order to enter the YPP in exchange of some benefits or maybe it will be a good idea to have different tiers in the YPP to keep uploading, after getting 5K subs (famebit) I don't know if there's any benefit before getting 100K and that number looks so faaaar faaar away. Maybe is too much, there's a lot of channels having trouble earning 1K subs and I totally understand their point of view,,, just wanted to share my opinion

If you saw the flooding of "Why isn't my monetization enabled yet?" threads on the YouTube Help forum, you might not say that, my videomaking colleague.

Newer creators are still not getting the message that reaching the application threshold isn't an automatic guarantee that a channel will be accepted into the YPP and monetized. People are saying things such as: "I reached the limits of monetization on date X; yet my monetization has not been enabled after 1 (week, month e.t.c.)". Note the possessive "my" as though they 'own' the monetization simply for reaching the review threshold?

If the "bar" is raised yet higher, I think this assumption will become even more prevalent (i.e. the more they have to do to reach the review threshold, the more likely they are to think that reaching same is an automatic guarantee of acceptance to the YPP).

People are already leaving or threatening to leave YouTube due to monetization delay; and it has gotten to the point of some of the most impatient people thinking that a threat to leave will get approval, or speed their review up. Then they try to argue with the forum volunteers when told no one on the forum can do anything to get their application approved.

 

[GameVestment]

If you saw the flooding of "Why isn't my monetization enabled yet?" threads on the YouTube Help forum, you might not say that, my videomaking colleague.

I actually saw those threads and that's the reason why I said that. Some channels took 6 months to be reviewed and that's because there are/were a lot of channels that got 1k subs and 4k hours. That's why I said if YT already caught up that's perfect cause they can review channels faster. Instead of 45 days to review a channel, maybe 2 weeks or 1 week will be ideal for new channels. If they can't catch up maybe they should raise the bar.

IMO The problem was not getting "Monetisation enabled" (even if you do you'll probably won't earn that much), the problem is not getting an answer, not knowing if you should continue if what you are doing is right, if you need to change your content, etc etc. And yeah I totally agree with you, people don't get the message and think that reaching the threshold is guaranteed monetisation which is another problem and people gets really frustrated for no valid reason.

I agree with you on the rest, when I read all those "Why isn't my monetization enabled yet?" threads and their channels I noticed there were a lot of SPAM/Duplication channels, that were complaining to Youtube Team on Twitter about why they were rejected and even when they got an email explaining to them what was the problem, they still don't understand that there are "Rules" to follow smh

 

[UKHypnotist]

I actually saw those threads and that's the reason why I said that. Some channels took 6 months to be reviewed and that's because there are/were a lot of channels that got 1k subs and 4k hours. That's why I said if YT already caught up that's perfect cause they can review channels faster. Instead of 45 days to review a channel, maybe 2 weeks or 1 week will be ideal for new channels. If they can't catch up maybe they should raise the bar.

IMO The problem was not getting "Monetisation enabled" (even if you do you'll probably won't earn that much), the problem is not getting an answer, not knowing if you should continue if what you are doing is right, if you need to change your content, etc etc. And yeah I totally agree with you, people don't get the message and think that reaching the threshold is guaranteed monetisation which is another problem and people gets really frustrated for no valid reason.

I agree with you on the rest, when I read all those "Why isn't my monetization enabled yet?" threads and their channels I noticed there were a lot of SPAM/Duplication channels, that were complaining to Youtube Team on Twitter about why they were rejected and even when they got an email explaining to them what was the problem, they still don't understand that there are "Rules" to follow smh

Exactly!

Most of these people fail to read the Terms of Service and Community Guidelines for a start. Then to compound the problem, they don't bother to read the YPP and Adsense Policy sets before they apply to the YPP.

Some channels that are applying have tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands subscribers, rather than the minimum. For these, the stakes can be quite high; as their potential income may be anything but tiny.

The emails YouTube is sending out on either rejection or demonetization, can be quite confusing also. Just like the channel termination email, what is wrong with a channel is only described in broad brush stroke fashion.

Here is a good example. A channel owner whose videos had been monetized before the new rules came into effect and also before Adsense decided to extend its "all content must be totally original" stance to YouTube at large, came to the forum a few days ago.

The channel was one of these generic "Binaural Beat, Tones and Ambient Noise" channels whose content was repetitive. The owner said he couldn't fathom what was being duplicated to cause his demonetization.

I had to explain to him how repetitive an entire channel of nothing but Binaural Beats, Tones, and white noise could become under the YouTube microscope. How could it not be considered duplication?

Way past my bedtime; have a great night!