For anyone who is looking to make some money by streaming on YouTube, you may want to take another look at the website's Partner Program Overview.

On January 16, 2018, the site noted some changes to YPP. A user's channel must reach "4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1,000 subscribers" before the site will even review the channel for YPP membership. Any user who wishes to include "end screens and cards" that are linked to external websites (for the purposes of crowdfunding or merchandising) must be a YPP member.

According to the program's overview page, user access to YPP's creator features will change. Program eligibility requirements will be updated on February 20, 2018. While users who currently have access to these creator features will continue to have access to them (until the change date), other users will have to jump through a few more hoops.

Anyone who meets the new watch hour and subscriber thresholds when the changes take affect will be fine. If an application is still pending review, "your pendng application will be reviewed in the next few weeks" as long as the aforementioned thresholds are met. If not, then the application will be put on hold until those requirements are met.

But what about users who are currently members?

According to YouTube's eligibility requirements, users who do not meet the threshold requirements but are already YPP members will have until February 20 to get their numbers up. If they cannot do so by that date, the channel will be "removed from the YouTube Partner Program."

Users who need help growing their audience numbers are encouraged to check out the YouTube Creator Academy.

Any and all users who meet these new requirements by the change date will not need to re-apply to YPP.

Users who are not approved for membership can apply again after 30 days.

According to the Creator Blog, these new requirements are meant to help protect the "creator ecosystem and ensuring your revenue is more stable."