YouTube to Enforce Stricter Monetisation Rules from July 15, 2025: What Creators Must Know

In a significant update to its YouTube Partner Program (YPP), YouTube has announced that beginning July 15, 2025, stricter rules will be enforced to regulate monetisation. Under the new policy, creators whose channels rely on reused, repetitive, or low-quality content will no longer be eligible to earn ad revenue.

The company stated on its official support page that this move is part of a broader initiative to elevate originality on the platform and eliminate content that offers little to no educational or entertainment value. The updated approach is a response to the growing influx of clickbait videos, AI-driven slideshows, heavily re-edited mashups, and repackaged footage from other sources.

“YouTube is taking steps to protect its creator ecosystem by prioritising authentic voices and meaningful content,” the platform noted in its announcement.

What This Means for Creators

Under the revised guidelines, monetisation will be reserved only for content that is truly original and valuable to viewers. This includes:

• Educational content that imparts new knowledge or insight
• Creative entertainment that is not copied or overly derivative
• Visuals and narration that are entirely original and not pulled from existing materials

In contrast, content that leans on shortcuts like reaction-based mashups, copied clips, or template-based repetition will risk losing access to monetisation—even if those videos previously performed well in terms of views.

Monetisation Requirements Remain—but With Tighter Scrutiny

Creators will still need to meet one of YouTube’s existing eligibility thresholds to apply for monetisation:

• A minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid watch hours in the past 12 months, or
• 10 million valid public Shorts views over the last 90 days

However, even meeting these benchmarks won’t guarantee approval anymore. YouTube will now conduct a more rigorous originality check on each channel before granting monetisation access. This is aimed at ensuring that monetised channels contribute genuine value to the platform’s vast and diverse user base.

YouTube’s Goal: Curb Algorithm Abuse and Encourage Creativity

This policy revision forms part of YouTube’s broader strategy to clean up its monetised content ecosystem. The platform has seen a sharp rise in creators using low-effort uploads—often AI-generated or duplicated from existing videos—to game the algorithm and accumulate views without offering substantial value.

By raising the bar for monetisation, YouTube hopes to discourage “copy-paste” channels and instead reward creators who invest in thoughtful, high-quality content. The platform's long-term goal is to strengthen community trust and ensure that ads are associated with videos that meet YouTube’s standards for creativity, originality, and user relevance.

A Word of Caution for Content Creators

With these changes, creators who currently rely on automated tools or recycle clips should reassess their strategy. YouTube has made it clear that the platform is shifting focus toward authentic storytelling and genuine production value. Those who fail to adapt could see their channels demonetised, even if they meet basic subscriber or view count requirements.

For those committed to originality and genuine content creation, however, this could be a major opportunity. Channels that put effort into scripting, editing, and storytelling stand to benefit from higher visibility and better revenue opportunities under the new regime.

YouTube’s updated monetisation guidelines mark a significant shift toward content integrity and originality. While the new rules may challenge some creators to rethink their approach, they also offer a chance for genuine voices to thrive. With the updated policy taking effect from July 15, 2025, the time for creators to make meaningful adjustments is now.