YouTube is testing a new way to pay Shorts creators: upload consistently, and you may receive a monthly bonus on top of regular earnings.
The Tubefilter report says the YouTube Shorts Bonus Program is being offered to a select group of Partner Program members in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Japan and South Korea. Creators cannot opt in. Eligible participants are notified by email during the trial.
The bonus is tied to a publishing habit
The test is built around regular output rather than a single breakout video. YouTube says the bonus will be calculated from a creator’s total valid engaged Shorts views for that month. Participants must also keep Shorts monetization enabled for the full month to receive the payout.
That makes the program less like a conventional performance prize and more like an incentive for maintaining a production rhythm. The size of the bonus still depends on viewership, but the behavior YouTube is encouraging is consistency.
YouTube wants Shorts creators to keep showing up
The timing matters. YouTube is preparing to raise the entry threshold for its Partner Program, so a bonus that encourages more frequent Shorts uploads could help creators build the viewership needed to remain eligible under tougher standards.
It also reveals the limit of the offer. This is not yet a new revenue foundation for Shorts creators, and the program is still selective and experimental. But it gives YouTube a way to reward the habit it needs most from its creator base: a steady supply of short-form video.
For creators who receive an invite, the practical response is straightforward. Treat the bonus as a reason to strengthen the production pipeline, not as a replacement for a sustainable monetization strategy.