YouTube Shorts Fund

April 11, 2022: The YouTube Shorts Fund was our first step to support how creators make money with Shorts, and over the last 8 months we’ve paid thousands of creators. To continue this learning, we’re experimenting with different ways to reward creators from the fund, including expanding payments to more creators and raising the amount creators can earn. Some creators who didn’t previously qualify may now earn bonuses under $100 and other creators may start to see bonuses over the previous $10,000 maximum. These experiments don’t change payments to creators currently earning from the fund; though some may see an increase.

March 10, 2022: Given the recent suspension of Google advertising systems in Russia, we’ll be pausing the creation of new Russian accounts on AdSense, AdMob and Google Ad Manager. Additionally, we will pause ads on Google properties and networks globally for advertisers based in Russia. As a result, creators in Russia won’t be able to complete new YPP sign-ups at this time.

YouTube Shorts Fund

The YouTube Shorts Fund is a $100M fund to reward creators for their dedication to making creative, original Shorts that delight the YouTube community. We’ll reach out to thousands of creators each month to tell them that they qualify for a Shorts bonus from the fund.

To be eligible for a bonus from the YouTube Shorts Fund:

• Channels need to have uploaded at least one eligible Short in the last 180 days.
• Channels need to abide by YouTube’s Community Guidelines, copyright rules, and monetization policies.
• Channels uploading videos with watermarks or logos from third-party social media platforms, non-original videos (for example, unedited clips from movies or TV shows), or videos reuploaded from other creator’s channels will not be eligible.
• Creators must be 13 or older in the United States, or the age of majority in their country/region.
• Creators 13–18 years old must have a parent or guardian accept terms and set up an AdSense account for payment when one isn’t already linked to their channel.
• Creators must be in one of these countries/regions:

  Algeria American Samoa Argentina Aruba Azerbaijan Australia Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Bermuda Belarus Belgium Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Bulgaria Canada Cayman Islands Chile Colombia Costa Rica

  Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Guadeloupe Guam

  Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Latvia Lebanon Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg

  Macedonia Malaysia Malta Martinique Mayotte Mexico Montenegro Morocco Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Nigeria Norway Northern Mariana Islands Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru

  Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Ireland Reunion Romania Russia Senegal Serbia Singapore Saudi Arabia Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Switzerland

  Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Tunisia Turkey Turks and Caicos Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States U.S. Virgin Islands Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zimbabwe

Channels do not need to be currently monetizing on YouTube to be eligible. Creators in the YouTube Partner Program and channels that are affiliates under a Multi-Channel Network (MCN) are also eligible.

Learn more about the Shorts Fund

How do I qualify for the Shorts Fund?

Each month, we’ll tell thousands of Shorts creators to claim a bonus from the Shorts Fund based on their channel’s Shorts’ performance in the previous month. A channel’s Shorts will count toward their monthly performance each month viewers watch them, not just the month they were uploaded.

There’s no specific performance threshold to qualify for a bonus. The level of performance needed to qualify for a bonus payment may change from month to month based on various factors, including the location of your viewers and the overall growth of Shorts.

Your channel’s Shorts performance is reviewed every month. Even if you don’t qualify one month, you may qualify the next.

How will I know I qualify for the Shorts Fund?

Important: Google will never send unsolicited messages asking for your password or other personal info. Before clicking a link, always check that the email is sent from an @youtube.com or @google.com email address.

Creators will be told that they qualify via email and notification in the YouTube app after the first week of each month. Both the email and notification will include the amount of the bonus and instructions on how to claim it.

Qualifying creators should get these notifications soon after the first week of the month. They’ll have until the 25th of each month to claim their bonus, or it may expire.

Missing a Shorts bonus email?

Sometimes our messages can get caught by email filters. If you can’t find our bonus notification email, check your spam folders.

How much can I get from the Shorts Fund?

Qualifying channels can get between $100–$10,000 each month. Bonuses are adjusted based on the location of a creator’s audience. As a result, the viewership and engagement needed to qualify may differ between creators.

Bonus payments will be made to your channel’s linked AdSense account. Tax withholding and adherence to other AdSense policies are required to receive payment.

How do I claim my Shorts bonus from the Shorts Fund?

Qualifying creators can select CLAIM BONUS in the email or in-app notification to go to the Shorts Fund page in YouTube Studio. From this page, creators need to complete two steps to claim their bonus:

1. Accept the bonus terms.
2. Set up or link an AdSense account.

For channels with an active and linked AdSense account, or those that receive payment from an MCN or network, your bonus will be claimed after completing these two steps.

If you set up an AdSense account, it may take a few days for YouTube to create and link the AdSense account to your channel. We’ll email you once the account is linked, and confirm whether your bonus has been claimed.

How do I get my Shorts bonus from AdSense?

To claim a bonus and get paid, qualifying creators need to make sure an approved and active AdSense account is linked to their channel. If you already have an AdSense account, you’ll get your bonus payment with any other monthly YouTube earnings.

Setting up AdSense for the first time

If you qualify for a Shorts bonus, but don’t yet have an AdSense account, we’ll help you get started. From the bonus notification email or in-app notification select CLAIM BONUS to go to the Shorts Fund page in YouTube Studio:

1. Under “Step 1,” select START to accept the bonus terms.
2. Under “Step 2,” select START to set up your AdSense account.
3. When asked if you have an existing AdSense account, choose No, I need to create one.
4. Select CONTINUE to go to AdSense.
5. Choose the Google Account to use for AdSense. 
   Note: If you already use AdSense for other reasons outside of YouTube, sign in to the Google Account used with your existing AdSense account.
6. Accept terms select Create Account.
7. Enter your address  select Submit.

Once you’ve created your AdSense account, more instructions on how to complete your AdSense profile will be sent to you. These include submitting necessary tax info, confirming your personal details are correct, and indicating a method of payment.

Learn more about getting paid through AdSense.

When will I get paid from the YouTube Shorts Fund?

Qualifying creators with a linked AdSense account can expect to receive payment 4–6 weeks from the time they claim the bonus. If you don’t have an AdSense account linked to your channel, you’ll be asked to sign up for AdSense or link an existing account.

Example timeline

January	A creator’s new and existing Shorts count toward channel performance for a payment from the Shorts Fund in February.
Early February	YouTube reviews Shorts channel performance for January, and tells qualifying creators that they qualify for a bonus payment.
February 25th	Qualifying creators must claim their bonus and link an AdSense account to their channel or their bonus may expire.
March	AdSense issues February bonus payments to creators whose AdSense accounts are set up to receive payment.

Channels that need to create an AdSense account may take longer to receive payment. The amount of time depends on how quickly the AdSense account is approved and payment details are set up. This process may take several months and includes:

• Submitting tax info
• Confirming your personal details
• Indicating a form of payment

Once setup is complete, payment is made from AdSense between the 21st and 26th of the month. For more info on the AdSense payment cycle, check out Payment timelines for AdSense.