YouTube is a very popular video sharing website, and some people earn their living from YouTube’s Partner Program. All someone would have to do to be eligible for the program was to get 10,000 views, but now the requirements are to get 4,000 watch hours in a 12 month span, and a total 1,000 subscribers. The change to YouTube's Partnership Program is an appropriate and much-needed revision.
The first reason is that YouTube’s partnership program allows people to generate personal income.
YouTube’s partnership program (YPP) is how creators get monetized, and earn money from their videos.
The YPP allows a lot of people to earn a comfortable living.
YouTube explains their partnership program as, "The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) lets creators monetize their content on YouTube. Creators can earn money from advertisements served on their videos and from YouTube Red subscribers watching their content." (YPP Overview)
Over 40% of YouTube channels are earning more than $100,000 year over year, according to Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer and Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer of YouTube. (YouTube Creator Blog)
The second reason is that people where exploiting a loophole in the previous policy.
The old requirements had some loopholes,
and wasn’t strict enough.
austinmcconnell, a very successful YouTube creator, testifies that the old system, "only encouraged poor quality creators to just flood their channels with videos and hit the refresh button a bunch until they got over the hump." (austinmcconnell)
YouTube was aware of the loophole
Mohan and Kyncl agree that, "it’s been clear over the last few months that we need a higher standard." (YouTube Creator Blog)
The third reason is that YouTube wants to protect their community from damaging content.
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A lot of the blame gets put on the Logan Paul Scandal
YouTube identified a way to help these problems from happening
The Guardian, a very old and prestigous newspaper based in Britain, says that, "The new rules came just following YouTube’s decision to allow the popular vlogger Logan Paul to continue to monetize his videos even after he broadcasted an apparent suicide victim’s body. YouTube’s reforms this week are meant to tighten restrictions on ads in the wake of the scandal." (The Guardian)
Mohan and Kyncl think that the changes will help them identify quality content, and protect their community from bad content. (YouTube Creator Blog)
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Granted, the change is excluding some creators who are unable to meet the partnership program requirements, and possibly putting them out of a job. but it won't be that impactful. Also, the whole point of the change is to kick out people like that, who can meet quantity but not quality.
Robert and Kyncal say that, "Though these changes will affect a significant number of channels, 99% of those affected were making less than $100 per year in the last year, with 90% earning less than $2.50 in the last month." (YouTube Creator Blog)
As austinmcconnell said before, the old system only encouraged quantity, and not quality (austinmcconnell) and so it can be inferred that the people who are getting kicked out of the program are the reason why the change was made in the first place.
The YouTube Partnership Program really needed these changes to patch some loopholes in their system, and to protect their community from bad content. YouTube is taking steps to ensure that their site is full of quality, inspiring content.
CONCLUSION
COUNTERCLAIM
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