Note YouTube offers two monetization paths: (1) 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 watch hours from long-form, or (2) 1,000 subscribers + 10M Shorts views in 90 days. Shorts views only count toward the Shorts path.
Short answer, two paths exist. Shorts views do not count toward the 4,000 valid public watch-hour requirement for long-form monetization.
There is a Shorts-specific eligibility path that uses Shorts views instead. YouTube outlines YPP eligibility and revenue models here: YPP eligibility overview and Shorts monetization basics.
What counts in practice
| Path | What helps you qualify | Key caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form path | Public watch time on long-form videos, plus subscribers | Shorts feed watch time is excluded from the 4,000-hour metric |
| Shorts path | Valid public Shorts views in a fixed 90-day window, plus subscribers | Shorts views do not boost the 4,000-hour path, they serve a separate route |
How Can You Make Shorts Fuel Long-Form Income?
Use Shorts for discovery, then convert interest into sessions:
- Pin a comment that links to a long-form playlist and the best starter video.
- Re-cut hooks from your music video into Shorts and publish the full version on the same day.
- Track how often Shorts viewers later watch a long-form video. The goal is organic sessions that do count toward long-form income.