Now Anyone Can Apply For YouTube’s Partner Program
YouTube has semi-opened up its Partner Program, the program which pays video creators for their videos, allowing anyone interested to apply for inclusion. Previously, you had to be invited by Google to join, which meant you had to be popular and specially chosen. Now, you apply and if you meet the criteria, they might let you in no matter what. The criteria are:
- You create original videos suitable for online streaming.
- You own the copyrights and distribution rights for all audio and video content that you upload — no exceptions.
- You regularly upload videos that are viewed by thousands of YouTube users.
- You live in the United States or Canada.
Don’t get excited, though. I’ve been in the program for a month by invitation (I sent in contracts, talked with an account rep by phone, got told it was “up and running” on November 15), and the ads still aren’t running because the people at YouTube still haven’t finished setting up the account. Last week, I called my account rep at Google to find out what the hell was going wrong, and he said the people at YouTube were swamped with so much work that it sometimes takes a while.
So, even if you get into the program, god only knows what will happen. Apply here.
