How to Get Monetized on YouTube Without 1000 Subscribers
Yes, you can make money on YouTube before 1,000 subscribers. YouTube's first monetization level opens at 500, and the best-paying ways to earn with a small channel don't need YouTube's permission at all.
I grew my own channel past 10,000 subscribers with two viral Shorts, and I've tried most of what's below. Here's what unlocks at 500 subscribers, what changes on February 1, 2027, and 10 ways to earn while you grow.
Quick answer
With 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days and either 3,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days, you can join the YouTube Partner Program for memberships, Supers and Shopping. Ad revenue still needs 1,000 subscribers.
From February 1, 2027, new channels need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views (instead of 4,000 or 10 million) to earn from ads. The 500-subscriber level isn't changing.
With no subscribers at all, affiliate links, sponsorships, UGC and selling your own products all work from your first video.
Can You Get Monetized on YouTube With 500 Subscribers?
Yes, in most countries. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) has two levels, and the first one opens at 500 subscribers. To join it you need:
- 1. 500 subscribers
- 2. 3 public uploads in the last 90 days
- 3. 3,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 3 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days
Watch hours only come from long videos. Time spent watching Shorts doesn't count toward them, so a Shorts channel goes for the 3 million views instead. You can see your progress in the Earn tab of YouTube Studio:
Not sure how close you are? Paste your channel into our free YouTube Monetization Checker to see which level you qualify for and exactly what's left.
The 500-subscriber level is offered in 99 countries and regions, including the US, UK, India, the Philippines, Brazil and Indonesia. In about 40 places where YouTube pays creators, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, you have to wait for 1,000.
What 500 Subscribers Unlocks
- Channel memberships: viewers pay you monthly for perks like badges, emojis and members-only videos. They join from your channel and video pages, and you keep 70% of the net revenue.
- Supers: Super Chat and Super Stickers let viewers pay to highlight a message in your live streams and Premieres, and Super Thanks lets them tip you on any video. If you stream or do Premieres, this is usually the first money that comes in.
- Shopping: connect your online store and tag your own products and merch in your videos, Shorts and live streams.
Live streamers also get Jewels and gifts. What this level doesn't unlock is ads: your views won't earn anything until you reach the 1,000-subscriber level.
YouTube Monetization Requirements: 500 vs 1,000 Subscribers
| 500 subscribers | 1,000 subscribers (now) | 1,000 subscribers (from Feb 1, 2027) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watch hours (last 12 months) | 3,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 |
| Or Shorts views (last 90 days) | 3 million | 10 million | 20 million |
| Public uploads (last 90 days) | 3 | Not required | Not required |
| What you earn from | Memberships, Supers, Shopping | All of that, plus ads and YouTube Premium | All of that, plus ads and YouTube Premium |
At the 1,000-subscriber level you keep 55% of the ad money on long videos and 45% on Shorts. At either level you also need to live where the program runs, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google account and link an AdSense account, which is how YouTube pays you.
Wondering what ads would actually be worth? Our YouTube money calculator estimates earnings from your views or any channel, and shows how many views you'd need for $1,000 a month.
What Changes on February 1, 2027
YouTube announced in August 2026 that it's raising the bar for ad revenue. Here's what that means for a small channel:
- Ad revenue gets twice as hard to unlock. Channels applying from February 1, 2027 need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 20 million Shorts views in the last 90 days.
- If you're close, apply now. Channels already in the program keep their place, and reviews take about a month, so don't leave it until late January.
- The 500-subscriber level stays the same. Memberships, Supers and Shopping still open at 500 subscribers with 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views.
- Shorts need steady views to earn. Shorts only earn from ads in months when you've had 10 million Shorts views over the last 90 days. If you fall short you stay in the program, and your long videos keep earning.
- You have to stay active. A channel counts as active with 1,000 watch hours in the last 12 months, 1 million Shorts views in the last 90 days, or 2 long videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days.
- New terms to accept. Channels in the program need to accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027 to keep earning from every feature.
The details are on YouTube's Changes to the YouTube Partner Program page.
How to Apply for Monetization on YouTube
Once you meet either level, applying takes a few minutes:
- 1. Open YouTube Studio and click Earn in the left menu.
- 2. Click Apply now.
- 3. Review and accept the Base terms.
- 4. Set up a new AdSense account or link the one you already have.
- 5. Wait for YouTube to review your channel. It usually takes about a month.
YouTube reviews your whole channel, not just your numbers, so reused or repetitive content can get you turned down even when you hit every target. If you're turned down, you can appeal within 21 days, or keep uploading and reapply after 30 days (90 days if it's not your first rejection).
10 Ways to Make Money on YouTube With No Subscribers
None of these need YouTube's approval, so they work from your first video. A small audience that trusts you can earn more from them than a big one earns from ads. Trust is getting rarer, too: nearly 50% of consumers are trending toward ignoring influencer endorsements entirely.
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to start. You put a link in your description, and when a viewer buys through it you get a commission. Amazon Associates covers almost anything you can show on camera, and most software and creator tools run their own programs: look for "Affiliates" or "Partners" in the footer of their website.
The videos that earn are the ones people watch right before they buy: reviews, comparisons, "best X for Y" and tutorials that use the product. Say in the video that the link is an affiliate link, and pin it in a comment as well as the description.
2. Sponsorships
You won't land NordVPN at 200 subscribers, but plenty of smaller companies sponsor niche channels, because a small, engaged audience in the right niche is worth more to them than a big general one.
Pitch brands whose products you already use, and lead with engagement rather than subscriber count. Pop your @handle into my free YouTube engagement rate calculator and put that number in your pitch.
3. UGC Content Creation
User-generated content (UGC) is when a brand pays you to make a video that it posts on its own accounts or runs as an ad, usually on TikTok and Instagram. Your follower count barely matters, because the brand only cares about the video.
Your YouTube videos double as your portfolio. Make a few sample ads for brands you like, then use them to land paid work.
4. Digital Products
If viewers keep asking how you did something, sell them the shortcut: templates, presets, LUTs, checklists, ebooks or project files. You make it once and sell it forever, and you keep most of each sale instead of a commission.
5. An Online Course
You don't need to be the world's top expert to sell a course. You just need to be a few steps ahead of your audience. Your free videos show people you can teach, and the course goes deeper than YouTube can.
6. Coaching and Consulting
Your channel is a portfolio for landing coaching or consulting clients. A video that shows you solving a problem does more selling than any sales page, and you only need a handful of clients for it to beat ad revenue.
7. Freelance Editing and Services
If you edit your own videos, you can edit for other creators. Thumbnails, Shorts clipping and full edits are always in demand, and your channel shows exactly what you can do. You don't need expensive software either: CapCut is good enough for YouTube and plenty of paid work.
8. Strategic Merch
You might think merch only works for huge channels, but if you've got a strong brand or a super specific niche, it can work from day one. The key is making good products your audience actually wants, not just slapping your logo on a t-shirt. At 500 subscribers you can tag them in your videos with YouTube Shopping.
Once your store's live, an AI chatbot for your online store can answer the sizing and shipping questions for you, so they don't pile up in your DMs.
9. An Email Newsletter
While everyone else stares at their subscriber count, build an email list. YouTube can change the rules (as it's about to), but your list is yours. Offer something free in your description in exchange for an email, and you've got people to sell your products to, a newsletter sponsors can pay for, and a way to tell people when a new video drops.
10. Patreon and Community
You don't need YouTube memberships to run a membership. Patreon, Ko-fi or a paid Discord work at any size: offer early access, bonus videos or behind-the-scenes posts to the viewers who want more of you. It won't make you rich overnight, but it's steady, and no algorithm change can take it away.
How to Get to 1,000 Subscribers Faster
The quickest way I know is Shorts. One Short that takes off can bring in hundreds of subscribers overnight. I grew my channel past 10,000 subscribers with just two viral podcast clips from the Shawn Ryan Show.
The catch is that Shorts subscribers don't always watch long videos, and long videos are where the watch hours and the better ad rates are. These are the tips that worked for me:
- Hook viewers in the first second: literally count "one Mississippi" and ask yourself if someone would keep watching. The Shorts feed is brutal with retention. Grab attention with tricks like green screen.
- Write your hooks in this format: "How to [result] without [common obstacle]". I've tested hundreds of hook styles and this one keeps winning.
- Make series, not one-offs: "5 days of testing..." or "What I learned from 100 viral Shorts". Viewers subscribe so they don't miss the next part.
- Use pattern interrupts every 1 to 2 seconds: switch camera angles, add text or cut to b-roll. This alone close to doubled watch time on the Shorts I tried it on.
- Respond to trends fast: a Short about a trending video in your niche does best in the first 12 hours.
- Cut your long videos into Shorts: one good long video can give you five or more Shorts, and each one is a way into your channel.
- End every Short by pointing to a long video: that's how Shorts viewers become subscribers who also rack up watch hours.
Curious what your Shorts would pay once you're in? Try our YouTube Shorts money calculator. And if you're just getting started, you don't need to pay for an editor: CapCut, DaVinci Resolve and Clipchamp are all free.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get monetized on YouTube with 500 subscribers?
Yes, in about 100 countries, including the US, UK, India, the Philippines and Brazil. With 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days and either 3,000 watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days, you can join the YouTube Partner Program for memberships, Supers and Shopping. Ad revenue still needs 1,000 subscribers.
Can you monetize YouTube Shorts without 1,000 subscribers?
Partly. 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads and 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days gets you memberships, Supers and Shopping, but not ad money. Shorts ad revenue needs 1,000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views in 90 days, or 20 million for channels applying from February 1, 2027.
Does YouTube pay $3 for 1,000 views?
Roughly, on long videos. Once you earn from ads, most channels make $1 to $8 per 1,000 views after YouTube's cut, and about $2.50 is typical. Shorts pay far less, usually $0.03 to $0.17 per 1,000 views. Before you reach the 1,000-subscriber level, views earn nothing from ads.
How much does YouTube pay for 1,000 subscribers?
Nothing. YouTube pays for views, not subscribers. 1,000 subscribers is one of the requirements for earning from ads, and after that your earnings depend on how many views you get, your niche and where your viewers live.
Do Shorts views count toward the 4,000 watch hours?
No. Watch hours only come from public long videos, including live streams saved as videos. Shorts have their own route instead: 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days for ad revenue, or 3 million for the 500-subscriber level.
Why can't I apply at 500 subscribers?
Usually because of your country. The 500-subscriber level is offered in 99 countries and regions. In about 40 places where the Partner Program runs, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, you have to reach 1,000 subscribers first.
Will my channel lose monetization in 2027?
Not if you're already in the Partner Program: the higher bar from February 1, 2027 only applies to new applicants. You do need to accept YouTube's updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027, and from February your Shorts only earn in months when you have 10 million Shorts views over the last 90 days.
How long does YouTube take to approve monetization?
About a month, sometimes longer. If you're turned down you can appeal within 21 days, or keep uploading and reapply after 30 days. After a second rejection you wait 90 days.
Wrapping Up 👋
Don't wait for 1,000 subscribers to start earning. Pick one or two methods that suit your content, start this week, and add more as you grow. If you're getting close to 500 or 1,000, check where you stand and apply before February 1, 2027.
