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 in one of these countries/regions:

Brazil
India
Indonesia

Japan
Mexico
Nigeria

Russia
South Africa

United Kingdom
United States

Note: We plan to expand eligibility to more countries/regions.

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.

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 notify 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, so 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 information. Before clicking a link, always check the email is sent from a @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 shortly 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, please check your spam folders.

How much can I get from the Shorts Fund?

Qualifying channels can receive 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 bonus payment 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:

Accept the bonus terms.
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.

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:

Under “Step 1,” select START to accept the bonus terms.
Under “Step 2,” select START to set up your AdSense account.
When asked if you have an existing AdSense account, choose No, I need to create one.
Select CONTINUE to go to AdSense.
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.
Accept terms select Create Account.
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 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.

Here’s an example of how it could work:

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 25	Qualifying creators claim their bonus or it may expire.
March – early April	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:

Once set-up is complete, payment is made from AdSense between the 21st and 26th of the month.

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