YouTube launched a trial bonus initiative paying select creators for keeping a steady uploading schedule for Shorts videos. The invite-only test phase operates in the US, UK, Germany, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea.
Participants receive funds through a two-tiered system. A baseline reward goes to users who publish a specific quantity of public Shorts every calendar month, with individual targets differing by invitation, such as 16 monthly clips shown in one X post. Creators can also secure a separate performance reward tied to valid, engaged Shorts views calculated by Google, though this portion lacks any guarantee.
Selected individuals get notices via email or alerts inside YouTube Studio. Participants need to agree to terms before a specific deadline and opt in once for the entire run of the program. To receive funds, creators must maintain monetized status at the end of every month. Regular monthly payment cycles handle the distribution of these bonuses.
Another testing phase involves shopping affiliate bonuses for users highlighting specific merchandise. These proposals appear inside the Shopping Hub within YouTube Studio. Qualifying for this payout requires tagging a participating product, marking the video with a paid promotion disclosure, and keeping the content public for a minimum of 30 days. Alongside this, YouTube introduced fresh shopping metrics displaying sales figures, click rates, and seller breakdowns.
This trial comes prior to a significant shift in Shorts monetization happening on February 1, 2027, when ad revenue sharing restricts to channels achieving 10 million qualified Shorts views in a rolling 90-day window. Smaller creators missing this mark might use the bonus initiative as an alternate revenue stream.
Rene Ritchie, who serves as YouTube Creator Liaison, stated that the company intends to bring in additional participants over the coming months. The initiative might reach more nations as the platform fights TikTok and Instagram Reels for short-form video creators.
"To lock in your bonus, you just need to make sure your video matches the required format," Ritchie said. "Post a short or a long-form video, tag the participating product directly in the video, check the box disclosing that yes, the video includes paid promotion and keep it public continuously for at least 30 days... Creators can head over to YouTube Studio, Shopping Hub, or check Studio notifications and review exclusive offers for your channel. Check eligible products, bonus amounts, commission rates, and active dates right on the campaign detail page."
