This Is How Long It Takes To Get Monetized on YouTube

How long does it take to get accepted into the YouTube Partner Program? Well, the answer may shock you...

Joining the YouTube Partner Program is something most creators aspire to. While YouTube's basic tools are helpful for any user, YPP grants extra resources for building a career on the platform, such as:

access to all of YouTube's monetization features

access to YouTube's creator support teams

a copyright match tool to ensure your content isn't stolen

Of course, these perks aren't granted to just anyone.

To apply to the YouTube Partner Program, you'll need to have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of Watch Time on your channel. And even then, you need to set up an AdSense account and accept all of YouTube's terms and conditions to move forward with the application.

But once you've achieved those milestones and clicked apply, how long does it take YouTube to review an application? Is it a matter of days, a fast turnaround few creators would complain about? Or is it closer to weeks, perhaps months?

If you want the answer with a bit of entertainment, watch this video about our experience applying to YPP for the first time in eight years:

On the other hand, if you want to read the full story of what really happened - plus the time period for YPP's acceptance - keep reading.

How Long It Takes to Get Monetized on YouTube

OK, here's the truth: We had a relatively short and seamless experience applying to the YouTube Partner Program. We had two channels that qualified for the program, which were our Russian and Spanish vidIQ channels. So we found the application screen in the YouTube Studio, clicked apply, and crossed our fingers. 

Luckily, we weren't kept waiting for too long. Actually, we hardly had to wait at all.

After applying to YPP on Friday, October 16, the Spanish vidIQ channel was accepted just 60 hours later!!!

We couldn't believe it. In just a few days, YouTube gave us permission to monetize our channel with every advertisement type. We had the power to display pesky banner ads, which viewers have to click just to get rid of. We even had access to pre-roll ads, which play before a video begins.

Even more surprising, the Russian vidIQ channel got monetized too. We're not sure when that happened because YouTube hasn't sent us a notification email. But that's OK. Maybe emails take longer to send from Moscow. The important thing is that all the monetization features were there, and we could finally take our Russian channel to the next level.

Why the Monetization Process Can Take a While

Now, some of you who've applied to YPP may be saying to yourselves, "It took me weeks, months even, to be accepted into the program!" And that's true. Years ago, the process did take much longer.

But today, there's another reason your application could be delayed, and it has to do with COVID-19.

As far back as March, YouTube announced that with reduced staffing in their buildings, things like creator support and applications for YPP could take longer than usual. View their statement below:

As you can see, YouTube doesn't primarily use software or an algorithm to review applications. Instead, it uses human reviewers. They decide whether your content is viable for companies to place advertisements on them. And with less in-office staff, that could slow down the entire process.

However, YouTube hasn't cited COVID-19 as an application delay for a couple of months now. Their support page still says YPP reviews could take a month, but that's probably just a safety net for YouTube. It ensures that creators don't have unrealistic expectations of monetizing their channels, even if some are getting approved in just three days.

As long as you hit the requirements for YPP, it seems as if the reviewers will process your application as fast as possible. That's what happened in our experience, but as always, each creator is on a journey of their own.